Buying a Small American Fridge Freezer

An American fridge freezer is the queen of white goods for the home, with more storage space than your typical fridge and a host of additional features like full air circulation for freezer compartments that are frost-free and fancy fruit and vegetable drawers. For easy installation choose units without plumbing that don't require access to plumbing.

Storage

There are numerous storage options for small American refrigerator freezers. You can find models with two freezer drawers as well as large salad crispers, and zones that can change between freezer and fridge at the flick of a button. They may also come with a separate door for drinks, so you can keep your wine chilled and on hand.

You'll typically find American fridge-freezers that have long doors that look like cupboards, the fridge on the left and freezer on the right or a side-by-side freezer and fridge units. You can also find French-style refrigerators that have refrigerators that are stacked on top of one or more freezer drawers.

These models will take up more space in your home but you'll also have more space to store your food items. You can find slim American refrigerator freezers that are only 70cm in width which is ideal for kitchens with limited space.

Whatever size you choose, look for a model with an frost-free freezer to avoid you the hassle of regularly defrosting the freezer by hand. Some models have an option for speed-freezing, which can increase the time to freeze so that food stays fresher longer. There are also models that have adjustable shelves, which will ensure that you're making the most of your available space. The energy rating will tell you how efficient the appliance is as well as the cost to run.

Convertible zones

Some fridge freezers, such as the Fridgemaster MS83430FFS, feature convertible zones. These zones can be switched between fridge and freezer at the touch a button. This can be useful for storing fresh vegetables or keeping beer and wine chilled, or even making a large batch of Ice cream. It is also useful at Christmas when you have a lot of leftovers to freeze and then reheat.

Samsung's FlexZone compartment is a different great feature. You can adjust it to accommodate different kinds of food - you can set it to Freeze or Soft Freeze. It can be set to chill or Refrigerate, or Freeze. This is the perfect way to store all your frozen foods organised and ready for big dinner celebrations.

Other handy features include door alarms that alert you if doors to the freezer or fridge have been left open for too long, helping prevent food spoilage. There are also models with two cooling systems that separate the fridge and freezer compartments. This stops dry, cool freezer air from drying food items stored in the fridge. This can help to cut the energy consumption.

Make sure you check the energy efficiency rating of the model that you've chosen before purchasing. The higher the rating the more efficient the model will be. You can also examine the yellow Energy Guide label for an estimate of operating costs.


Water and ice dispensers

Many American fridge freezers are equipped with water and ice dispensers so you can enjoy chilled water and cubes at the touch the button. They're great to keep drinks handy for guests or children. You can also find models with manual ice makers in the freezer section where you fill a removable tray and then turn the dial to release crushed ice.

Plumbed American fridge freezers must be connected to the main water supply, which means they're only appropriate if your kitchen is already installed with plumbing that can accommodate them. If you're looking to save money, or don't have enough space for an appliance that is plumbed there are alternatives. For example, you can buy a refrigerator that has refillable water bottles that you fill yourself.

If you love to entertain, then choose an American refrigerator freezer with a built-in wine chiller. It can hold up to 28 bottles of wine and is designed to provide maximum cooling. There are also models that feature sensors for opening doors that are smart to allow you to manage and monitor your appliance remotely with Smart ThinQ technology via your smartphone or tablet. In addition, you can locate an energy-efficient model that has a low A+ rating that will allow you to cut your carbon footprint and save money on running expenses.

Built-in cameras

Refrigerators with cameras are more of a 'nice to have feature than an essential one. However, they can be helpful for those who want to track their food intake and reduce their food consumption. They let you see the contents of your fridge without opening the door, which can be especially useful for families with busy schedules. You can also use the camera to check whether you have forgotten to shut your fridge prior to shopping, for example.

Samsung offers a number of fridge freezers that have cameras, such as the fashionable RS50N3513WW/EU. fridge freezers american Links to an external site. comes with a huge touchscreen display that lets you examine the contents of your fridge, locate recipes and place orders for groceries. It's powered by the company's own smart assistant Bixby and can be used with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant too. You can alter the temperature of your fridge via your smartphone or tablet.

If you're looking for a less expensive option, look at Hisense's FMN431W20C refrigerator freezer. It has a 550ltr capacity in both the freezer and fridge. Front-mounted water and ice dispensers are also included. It features no-frost technology that will save you the annual misery of chipping away the ice by hand, and LED lighting to help you navigate through the interior space. It's frost-free and EnergyStar certified, which means it will be efficient and cheap to operate too. It's not equipped with the fancy cameras of the above Samsung models however, it's able to keep you well-fed for less.