A fridge is a large and integral purchase in any household and choosing the perfect fridge for you can be a complicated process; follow these simple steps to make finding the perfect appliance easier for you.
Space
- Decide how much space you have in your kitchen for your fridge – decide on the place you want it to go before you start looking and don’t try to move your kitchen around just to fit in the fridge.
- Measure the area accurately – make sure you take all measurements including height, width and depth – make sure also that you will have enough room to open the door.
- Fridges also work more efficiently if they have a little breathing space so don’t try to squeeze them into too tight a spot.
Look
- The look for your fridge can make your kitchen – decide first if you want a stand alone fridge or an integrated fridge.
- Stand alone fridges can come in a variety of styles and finishes; one of the most fashionable looks in recent years is the stainless steel fridge. Also becoming increasingly common are the American style Smeg fridges.
- If an integrated fridge will look better in your kitchen you have a number of options; firstly, you can have a custom built fridge in which the look of the fridge blends in perfectly with that of your kitchen. Alternatively, you can chose to have a fridge which is merely a regular fridge that is hidden behind a cupboard door – this is often the cheaper and easier option.
Capacity
- You need to consider how much space you will need in your fridge in relation to how much you intend to store.
- It is said that fridges should be 2/3rds full in order to be work at their maximum efficiency level. You therefore do not want a fridge so big that if it always half empty or one too small where food may not be kept cold enough.
- Look too at door space, if you always buy large items such as 4 pints of milk, you will probably want to find a fridge that will accommodate this.
Storage and Features
- Choosing the right shelves can make or break your perfect fridge – there are many options now for shelves including easy clean glass shelves, removable shelves, adjustable shelves and flexible space shelves.
- You can also get added features in your fridge such as wine racks, drawers, temperature controlled compartments, a frozen food section, ice makers and through the door water and ice dispensers.
Energy
- You will find that there is an energy efficiency labelling scheme on most appliances you buy including fridges.
- The energy scale ranges between A and G with A being the most efficient.
- An appliance marked A uses approximately half the energy of one marked G.
- It is said that you can save up to £50 a year buy switching to an appliance marked A.
Saving Money and Hidden Costs
- Make sure you shop around before purchasing your fridge to ensure you get the best and most competitive price. Make sure too that you compare brands, many of the top brands including Whirlpool, Hotpoint, Bosch and Smeg have a wide range of fridges at varying costs.
- Make sure you know about your warranty, whether it is included in the price of your fridge or whether you will be charged extra. You should also check how long it will last, what exactly it covers and whether you can renew it.
- You also need to ask about delivery and installation costs although many companies will offer this service for free.