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Refrigeration Buying Guide - Fridges, Freezers, Fridge Freezers and American Fridge Freezers
Your fridge is probably one of the most important appliances in your home, so it is essential to get it right. Keeping your food fresh and bacteria free is most important for you to lower expenses and keep your family healthy. Whether you prefer a combined fridge freezer, or two separate large appliances, make sure you know exactly what to look for.
Choosing the best fridge or freezer for your home is key for lowering your bills.
Types
- Fridge - A standard fridge is used to keep your fresh food chilled and preserved for use at a later date. A fridge will prolong the life of your food and make it taste as good as it was when your first bought it.
- Freezer -Similarly to a fridge, a freezer will preserve your food and prolong its’ life but by using lower temperatures to freeze it for an even longer life. Freezers create ice and frost inside due to their low temperatures.
- Fridge Freezer - A fridge freezer includes both a fridge section and a freezer section, allowing you to utilise your space. They can be both tall and undercounter.
- American Fridge Freezer -An American fridge freezer is a larger version of a fridge freezer, often side-by-side, with a water dispenser on the front.
- Chest Freezer -A chest freezer is a freezer which has a high capacity but has it’s lid opening from the top which stops it from being put under counters.
- Wine Cooler -A wine cooler is a specific refrigerator for wine and other bottled beverages. It is attractive and can have it’s temperature controlled more precisely to a fridge.
Size
Choosing the correct size fridge, freezer, fridge freezer and american fridge freezer for your home is vital as this will determine how much food you can store in one go. You must ensure that 5mm width is reserved in your allotted space for recess dimension will allow for ventilation and prevent overheating.
Fridges and freezers (and tall fridge freezers) are usually found in 50cm, 55cm and 60cm widths, with American fridge freezers, chest freezers and side-by-side fridge freezers being 91cm wide.
Capacity
Fridges, freezers, fridge freezers, wine coolers and american fridge freezers are measured in litres to show how much they can hold - their capacity. To gauge how much capacity you will need, a shopping bag can hold around 18 litres.
Extras
- Bottle storage -Some fridges may hold bottle storage or wine racks inside to allocate you space for your bottles and keep them safe when opening and closing the appliance.
- Salad Crisper - An allocated box at the bottom of your fridge is there to hold your fruit and vegetables to help maintain their precious freshness and crispness for their nutrients. It also separates them from other foods so there is no transfer of odour between them
- Water Dispenser - Large fridge freezers feature a water dispenser to allow you to enjoy a cool glass of water without the need to cool it. Some dispensers require to be manually filled in whilst others can be directly connected to water mains.
- Dairy and Compartment - Dairy and egg compartments keep your produce safe from strong odours from other foods and kept constantly at the correct temperature.
- Food Preservation Features - keeping your food fresher for longer – and reduce the amount you waste each week. =
With them you can:
Keep fruit and veg at its best with Blue Light technology that mimics the sun’s rays. Store fresh foods with twin cooling that keeps the fridge at the optimum level of humidity. Ensure fish or meat stays at its best with fresh zones that keep it at the right temperature. Lock in nutrients with the Fast Chill setting.
Fit Type
- Integrated - ntegrated fridges, freezers, fridge freezers and american fridge freezers are especially useful if you are conscious of your kitchen’s appearance as they are able to be hidden within cupboards for a tidier looking kitchen. They also allow for extra space in your room.
- Freestanding - Freestanding fridges, freezers, fridge freezers and american fridge freezers give you the freedom to put your appliance wherever you want within your kitchen.
- Undercounter -Similarly to integrated, your appliance can be slotted under a counter to maximise your kitchen space and hide away your appliance, but still make it accessible
Frost Free
Defrosting a freezer takes a lot time and effort. You have to take out all of your food, unplug the freezer and then wait for the ice to melt before cleaning it up. Pick a frost-free model and you’ll never be stuck with this chore again. No need to defrost – it incorporates a heater that comes on periodically to eliminate ice, and a fan that circulates cold air around the cavity. Although they can be slightly more expensive than a standard fridge freezer, they stop ice from building up – making sure you maximise your storage space. They can also keep your energy bills down, as ice build-up means your fridge freezer needs to work harder. To view our full range of FROST FREE refrigeration appliances, please click here
Split Type
Consider the amount of fresh and frozen food you or your family will want to store. Fridge freezers come in a range of heights, with different fridge/freezer ratios: If you prefer to store mostly fresh food choose a model with a larger fridge-freezer ratio (70/30 or 60/40 split). If you store a lot of frozen food, opt for an equal fridge freezers split (50/50).
Energy Rating
Under EU legislation, every new fridge, freezer, fridge freezer and american fridge freezer must have an energy label showing its energy rating. All our fridges, freezers, fridge freezers and american fridge freezers are rated in line with the regulations, ranging from C (low efficiency) to A+++ (high efficiency).
You can work out an appliance's annual running costs by multiplying kWh used by 0.1427 (the average national cost of electricity + VAT), however this figure may vary according to how much you pay for your local electricity supply.
For more further information or help, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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