Which fridge freezer? The main choice to make is frost-free or conventional, there are some considerations which are often overlooked here. It may seem easy to simply choose a frost free model, but it may not be as straight forward as you think. For instance, if you are buying a larger fridge over smaller freezer, capacity is the key. Because frost free models have extra workings inside, the capacity can be reduced by up to 0.5cft. With the average freezer being slightly under 4cft, a loss of 0.5cft is quite a big disadvantage (some freezers can have only 2cft). The other consideration is why do you want frost free, well of course its so you do not have to do a manual defrost (what a chore). But there are some things which you can do to help reduce the frequency of defrosts. Firstly today's freezers have much better insulation as they have to be more energy efficient, this helps reduce the amount of moisture drawn in to the unit and so reduces ice build up. Then when you use the freezer, try to avoid leaving the door open for long periods, like when you are unloading the shopping. Or even when you want to take something from the freezer, try to keep the door open for a short a time as possible. There are other advantages to choosing a conventional freezer too, they are cheaper to run and more reliable. It can be very expensive to repair a frost free model that's if you can find an engineer who knows how to fix them (we always recommend the maker). On the larger capacity models defrosting can be a drag, and because the capacity is so large they usually need more regular defrosts. Although there are a few techniques to help when defrosting large units. The best way is to remove all the baskets and stack them on top of each other, if you do not have baskets keep all the food together. If you are able to pack loose food in to large freezer bags then all the better. Most makers recommend leaving a bowl of hot water in the bottom of the unit to help speed up the defrost, its also handy to catch some of the water in. Never pour boiling water directly on to any of the internal fitments as this may lead to cracking due to hot meeting cold. Also never use any metallic object to scrape ice, always use a purpose made plastic one (we have heard of many customers over the years who have pierced the freezer with a knife etc)
As with all appliances energy ratings are A - G with 'A' being the most efficient and 'G' being the least. Today most are 'A' rated fridge freezers on the market, even frost free ones.
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