Best Fridges / Refrigerators

The first consideration is size. Most kitchens have designated fridge cavities so you should measure this space since it can be the main limiting factor when purchasing. Don't buy a fridge that won't fit in your kitchen or through doorways when being installed. You will need 25mm of additional free space around the top, back and sides of the fridge to allow for excess heat to escape.

Finding the right fridge capacity for your household size or refrigerating needs is also crucial. Its harder to cool air than liquids/solids, and so it will be more energy efficient (and typically cheaper) to have a small fridge thats full, instead of a big fridge that you're only using half the space of. You're able to filter for household size, capacity and dimensions on the left of your screen. As a general guide: 1-2 people will use 200-400L, 3-4 will use 520-600L, and 5 or more people will use 700L.

Also consider the type of fridge that's best for you.

Top Mount Fridges are a popular and affordable type of fridge. Its freezer compartment sits above the fridge cavity, which increases the accessibility of frozen food while limiting the amount of freezer space available.

Bottom Mount Fridges have their freezer section at the base of the unit, and tend to be more expensive than Top Mount designs. It has less freezer space than other types of fridges, and will require some bending and crouching to access the slide-out freezer drawers. Everyday fridge items are very accessible.

French Door Fridges are wide, spacious and typically expensive types of fridge. The two fridge doors and large bottom mounted freezer drawer allow for huge storage space, and they often come with a range of modern design features and built-in water and ice dispensing.

An Upright or Fridge Only fridge has only one compartment. Its lack of freezer makes it cheaper than other models, and would be best used as a second unit or to fit a specific refrigeration-only need.

Side-by-Side Fridges have a dedicated fridge and dedicated freezer section that stand beside each other. They are a big, wide and expensive model of fridge, often fitted with modern design features and built-in water and ice dispensing. Though they have ample and accessible storage space, they may use more energy and make more noise than other fridges.

Think about what space you have to open the door, as cabinetry and walls can often get in the way. Some doors only open to the right or left, while others come with reversible fittings - and all of this information should be available when looking at a specific model.

The energy efficiency of your fridge will be clearly marked in the product's information. Typically, Top and Bottom Mount fridges are more efficient than French Door or Side-By-Side models.

Modern fridges come in a range of styles and finishes. Traditionally, the exterior material of your fridge get trendier and more expensive as they get darker - with white being the cheapest. You should be able to find a finish that fits your kitchen's aesthetic.

Finally, these are some popular and functional features to consider. Some fridges have adjustable shelving that can make a huge difference in your use of storage. Child proof features allow you to keep kids away from temperature controls and certain compartments. Many modern fridges come with an antibacterial wall and door coating to stop bacteria forming in your fridge. Water and ice dispensers are a common additional feature, and are able to be plumbed in or not depending on your preference. A good internal LED light can make all the difference, as can the right crisper. Some temperature controls are very advanced, and allow for quick cooling and automatic adjustments to save power. A few very expensive Smart fridges are also Wi-Fi connected, can play music, show what's inside the fridge when you're away, and show online recipes.

The above could be considered nice to have, and you should choose only the additions that make sense for your type of fridge and budget.