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The best fridge freezers

The best fridge freezers on the market - Alamy
The best fridge freezers on the market - Alamy

Fridge freezers are a kitchen essential, and a modern-day staple. But they come in various sizes and prices - and nowadays with numerous features - so finding the best fridge freezer for you can be tricky. 

Whether you're moving, looking for an upgrade or your current appliance is on its last legs, finding the right fridge freezer for your kitchen can be a tough task. With prices ranging from £300 into the thousands, you don't want to fork out on the wrong fridge. 

To find the best fridge freezer for you, you should first consider size. Make sure you get the dimensions right, and bear in mind a refrigerator needs space for the air to circulate. 

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Another key aspect is the fridge-freezer ratio. If you buy lots of fresh food, a larger fridge is necessary; if ready meals or bulk cooking is more your thing, look for more freezer drawers.

Also to look out for: sufficient space (a which.co.uk survey found some fridge freezers had 22pc less space than advertised); glass shelves and plastic draws for extra visibility; and humidity-controlled salad crisper draws to keep your veg fresh. High-tech additions like water dispensers and frost-free freezers are useful, but will up the price. 

As it's one of the most important appliances in your home, it's worth spending a little extra time researching the different brands and models so you can find one that best suits your needs.

To make things a little bit easier, with the help of Good Housekeeping Institute, we've selected some of the best fridge freezers available at the moment. All are freestanding, but for the best integrated fridge freezers (situated within cupboards), try Beko, AEG and Bosch

1. Hoover Wizard HF18XK

£534.99, John Lewis

Stainless-steel American fridge freezer 
Stainless-steel American fridge freezer

This spacious fridge freezer - the Good Housekeeping Institute's top-rated fridge freezer - has plenty of shelf levels allowing you to customise and use space as needed. Reversible doors mean you can adapt it to your kitchen layout, too. 

It has an attractive exterior design with an LCD display for controlling the temperatures of the fridge and freezer. Temperatures can also be remotely controlled by tablet or smartphone through the free Hoover Wizard App, which is easy to set-up and use.

There's a Super Freezing function for freezing large quantities of food quickly, which is easy to set. It also has a bright internal light for visibility and the door ajar alarm sounds after one minute, to remind you to close it. It has two spacious salad drawers, one slightly deeper than the other.

One of the best American fridge freezers out there, the Hoover Wizard regulates temperature well, even when doors were left ajar, and it has a low energy consumption.

Telegraph rating: 9/10

Buy now

2. Beko CFP1691W 50/50 fridge freezer

£319.99, Beko

Beko white fridge freezer with 50/50 fridge and freezer compartments 
Beko white fridge freezer with 50/50 fridge and freezer compartments

A sleek, spacious and affordable fridge freezer from household appliance specialists Beko. The white fridge has reversible doors, allowing it to adapt to different kitchen layouts. It also has one large salad drawer and an internal bottle rack. As a 50/50 fridge freezer, it's ideal for those who need more freezer space. 

The bright LED light at the top of the fridge illuminates the compartment well too. When tested, the fridge and freezer temperatures were a little uneven but when the doors were left ajar, they quickly returned to their optimum temperatures.

Thanks to Beko Freezer Guard, this fridge freezer can be safely operated when located in areas with temperatures as low as -15C, so it's ideal for a garage or out-building.

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

3. CDA FF660SC frost-free freestanding fridge freezer

£492.97, Appliances Direct

Stainless-steel CDA fridge freezer with chilled water dispenser and  frost free freeze function
Stainless-steel CDA fridge freezer with chilled water dispenser and frost free freeze function

The CDA FF660SC is a spacious fridge freezer with plenty of shelf levels to customise and reversible doors. It has an attractive exterior design with an LCD display for controlling temperatures.

It also has a non-plumbed water dispenser on the outside of the fridge, a spacious salad drawer - but no internal bottle rack. It features both a Super Cool and Super Freeze function for chilling/freezing large quantities of food as quickly as possible, which are easy to set.

There's a bright internal light for great visibility, and a door ajar alarm that sounds after two minutes, to remind you to close it.

This appliance regulated its fridge and freezer temperature well, even when doors were left ajar. However, the energy consumption was a little high compared to other models.

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

4. AEG CustomFlex RCB83724MX 60/40 fridge freezer

£729.99, Currys PC World

AEG silver stainless-steel fridge freezer with CustomFlex technology 
AEG silver stainless-steel fridge freezer with CustomFlex technology

Part of AEG's excellent fridge freezer line, this model features CustomFlex technology, which allows the user to personalise the fridge's layout - and it can be done as often as you like. 

Technology is the name of the game with this stainless-steel silver fridge freezer. TwinTech helps keep the fridge evenly chilled; and there's plenty of shelf space for jars and bottles too. 

As an added bonus, it comes with an A++ energy rating, making it an eco-friendly option. The only downside, really, is the price.

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

5. Smeg FAB30RFC 70/30 fridge freezer

£1,153, Currys Pc World

Smeg retro cream fridge freezer 70/30 combo with silver horizontal handles and silver Smeg sign 
Smeg retro cream fridge freezer 70/30 combo with silver horizontal handles and silver Smeg sign

This cream retro Smeg fridge freezer looks incredibly stylish and old-school, with its curved edges and freezer on top. 

It looks great, but is it any good? First things first, it has a 70/30 split, so is right for those who don't need much freezer space. But the fridge fits plenty of food. There's a chrome wine rack, and a bottle retainer. 

It may look like it's from the 1950s, but this Smeg appliance has all the latest technology. A fast cooling system ensures newly added items drop to the right temperature as soon as possible. Drawers are clear, so you can see everything, and the freezer has a rapid-freeze function. 

With its A++ energy rating, it's also a cost-effective fridge freezer (once you've spent the significant sum on the appliance itself, of course).

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

6. Fisher & Paykel RF540ADUSX4 Goliath 3-door fridge freezer

£1,999, John Lewis

Stainless-steel three-door fridge freezer from American company Fisher and Paykel with water dispenser 
Stainless-steel three-door fridge freezer from American company Fisher and Paykel with water dispenser

A very spacious, American-style fridge freezer with double fridge doors that open outwards and a large, pull-out drawer to access the huge freezer compartment. Inside the freezer are two drawers and one large compartment, providing ample space.

There are plenty of shelf levels to customise and utilise space as needed, but no bottle rack. The bright internal light illuminates up the whole compartment well, though.

In tests, it regulated its fridge temperature extremely well, even when doors were left ajar. However, the freezer was much slower at this, so you should avoid opening the drawer more than necessary.

The thermostat is easily accessible and straightforward to operate. It has a water dispenser and ice maker, too. If you're willing to fork out two grand for a fridge freezer, this Fisher & Paykel model is certainly worth it. 

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

7. Bosch KGN36XW35G 

£589, Appliances Direct 

White freestanding Bosch fridge freezer with silver handles 
White freestanding Bosch fridge freezer with silver handles

German home appliance specialists Bosch have created a top fridge freezer with this frost-free model. The fridge is very spacious at an advertised 237 litres, with a smaller freezer capacity of 87 litres, so it's a good fit for those who like to keep plenty of fresh food. 

It's very easy to use, and there are a number of excellent features. The frost-free function means you won't have to scrape off bits of frost, a painstaking task. The Super Cool and Super Freeze settings allow you to ensure food you've put in the fridge or freezer gets down to the right temperature as soon as possible. 

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

8. Samsung RB31FDRNSA frost free tall fridge freezer

£429.99, Argos

Samsung silver frost-free fridge freezer  with water dispenser 
Samsung silver frost-free fridge freezer with water dispenser

For a mid-range option this Samsung fridge freezer will do the trick, and it comes with a host of features befitting of a more pricey alternative. On its exterior is a water dispenser (not plugged into mains, so you'll have to top it up, and no ice dispenser function) and temperature display so you'll know if your fridge and freezer are at the right level. 

Inside, the fridge has four safety glass fridge shelves, which are adjustable and provide high visibility. Storage-wise, the fridge has a 210 litre capacity; 98 litres for the freezer. It has an A+ energy rating too. 

Telegraph rating: 8/10

Buy now

9. Zanussi ZRB23200WA frost-free freestanding fridge freezer

£391, Debenhams Plus

White Zanussi freestanding frost-free fridge freezer 
White Zanussi freestanding frost-free fridge freezer

A spacious fridge freezer with plenty of shelves to customise. It has reversible doors, so that the fridge is accessible however your kitchen is laid out. It features two deep salad drawers and an internal rack for storing up to two bottles. 

It regulated its freezer temperature well, even when doors were left ajar. However, the fridge was slower at this, so you should avoid opening the door more than necessary.

There are Super Cool and Fast Freeze functions for faster chilling/freezing of foods (particularly useful when restocking the fridge freezer).

It was let down by slightly higher energy consumption compared to other models, and the fact the internal light was a little obscured by items on the top shelf.

Telegraph rating: 7/10

Buy now 

Our favourites

If you are willing to part with £2k on a fridge freezer, the Fisher & Paykel model is a top purchase. With more space than regular fridge freezers it's ideal for big houses and large families. 

But if you're after something thinner and more affordable, the Beko and the Hoover are your best bets. The Hoover just shades it, thanks to its remote temperature-control function.

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