Buying a Small American Fridge Freezer

An American fridge freezer is the ultimate in domestic white goods, offering more storage space than your average model and a raft of additional features like full air circulation for frost-free freezer compartments and fancy fruit and vegetable drawers. Find models that aren't plumbing-based and don't require access to your plumbing to make it easy to install.

Storage

The good news is that there are lots of options when it comes to storage for small American fridge freezers. You can find models with two freezer drawers large salad crispers as well as zones that can change from freezer to fridge at the touch of a switch. They may also come with an additional door for drinks, so you can keep your favourite wine chilled and on hand.

Most often, you'll come across American refrigerator freezers that feature long doors that look like cupboards, with the fridge on the right and the freezer on the left. They also have side-byside fridges and freezer units. You might also come across models that have a fridge on the top of a drawer with a freezer or two, which are referred to as French-style refrigerators.

These models will take up more space in your home but you'll also have more room to store your groceries. You can also find slim American fridge freezers that measure only 70cm wide, which is perfect for kitchens with smaller spaces.

Find a frost-free freezer, regardless of size. This will spare you from having to manually defrost it. Some models have a setting for fast-freezing, which increases the freezing time so that food stays fresher longer. There are models that have adjustable shelves that allow you to make the most of your space. You'll also need to factor in the energy efficiency of the appliance, as this tells you how good it is for the environment and the cost to operate.

Convertible zones

Some fridge freezers, like the Fridgemaster MS83430FFS, feature convertible zones. These zones can be switched between fridge and freezer with a single touch. This is great for storing fresh wines, vegetables, beer, or even a large batch of ice-cream. It is also helpful at Christmas, when you have a lot of leftovers that you can freeze and then reheat.

Samsung's FlexZone compartment is another great feature. You can set it to accommodate different kinds of food items. You can set it to Freeze or Soft Freeze. It can be set to chill and Refrigerate or Freeze. This is a great way of keeping your frozen food in order and ready for big dinner parties.

Door alarms are another useful feature that can prevent food spoilage by alerting you when the door to your freezer or fridge has been left open too long. There are models with twin cooling systems to create a separate fridge and freezer compartments. This prevents cool, dry freezer air from drying food items in the fridge and can reduce the energy consumption.

Make sure to check the energy efficiency rating of your chosen model before you buy. The higher the rating the more efficient the model will be. It's also worth checking the yellow Energy Guide label to get an estimate of operating costs.

Ice and water dispensers

Many American refrigerators come with water and ice dispensers that allow you to get chilled purified ice cubes and water at the push of a button. They are ideal to keep drinks on hand for guests or kids. There are manual ice makers for the freezer section. Simply add ice to the tray on the removable tray ice and turn the dial.

American refrigerator freezers that are plumbed need to be connected to the mains water supply. They can only be put in a kitchen that's already in place and has the space to accommodate them. If you're looking to save money, or don't have enough room for a plumbed fridge freezer, there are other options. For example you can buy a refrigerator that has refillable water bottles that you fill yourself.

If you enjoy entertaining, then choose an American fridge freezer that has an integrated wine chiller. It can hold up 28 bottles of wine and is designed to provide maximum cooling. You can also find models that have an intelligent door opener to allow you to control and monitor your appliance remotely using Smart ThinQ technology via your smartphone or tablet. Additionally, you can find models that are energy efficient and more info have a low A+ rating, helping you reduce your carbon footprint while saving money on operating costs.

Built-in cameras

Fridge freezers that have cameras are more of a "nice to have rather than a necessity. However, they can be helpful for those who need to keep track of their food and cut down on their consumption of food. They allow you to see what's inside your fridge without opening the door, which is particularly helpful for busy households. You can also utilize the camera to see whether you've closed the fridge before going out to shop, for example.

Samsung offers a variety of fridge freezers that come with cameras, including the stylish RS50N3513WW/EU model. It comes with a huge 29-inch touchscreen display, which you can use to browse the contents of your fridge as well as get recipes ideas, and even order groceries. It is powered by Bixby, the intelligent assistant of the brand. It can also be used with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can alter the temperature of your fridge remotely with your tablet or smartphone.

For a budget-friendly alternative consider Hisense's FMN431W20C refrigerator freezer. It has a huge 550ltr capacity across the fridge and freezer as well as front-mounted water and ice dispensers. It has no-frost technology to spare you from the hassle of removing ice by hand and LED lighting for easier navigation within the interior. It's frost-free as well as EnergyStar rated so should be efficient to run. It may not have the fancy cameras that the Samsung models do but you'll be able to get a lot of food for less.