Basic decisions

Size

Finding the best size usually involves striking a balance between your budget, your family's needs and the size of your kitchen.

• We estimate a typical family of 4 doing its main shopping trip once a week would need 400 to 500 litres of total storage.
• There are fridge-freezers as small as 170L, but these will only be useful in small apartments, or baches. In general, they do not perform as well as their larger cousins.
• You can get vertically stacked models up to 600L, and side-by-side fridge-freezers with a total of 600L to 800L. But side-by-side models cost a good $1000 more.
• As long as it fits in your kitchen space, go for the largest fridge-freezer you can afford. It's false economy to keep your old fridge to cope with any extra demand. Old fridges are much less energy efficient, and one new large model with a bit of spare capacity will almost certainly run for less than an older smaller one. If you must keep the old one, switch it on only when you need it.
• If you're buying a fridge to fit an existing space, remember to check the measurements. Australian-made models and the bigger sizes from all brands may not fit.

Storage space

Whatever size you buy, check with the real items you commonly store to see how well they'll fit.

• If you like to keep pizzas in the fridge, where will they go?
• Will you be able to line the door shelves with your usual two-litre milk containers and large juice bottles?
• If you like whole watermelon in summer, is there enough shelf space?

Which type of fridge?

Side-by-side or vertical?

Big side-by-side fridge-freezers with chilled water and ice dispensers are a lot more energy-efficient than large models of old. The trouble is, they don't compete with vertical models for usable space. That handy ice-and-water dispenser usually reduces the freezer space by around 30 percent.

This means that a 600L side-by-side fridge-freezer is about the size of a 540L vertical model, but it costs at least $1200 more. You can get a good 520L vertical for $2100, whereas an ice-making side-by-side model will cost $3000 or possibly a lot more, depending on the brand and finish.

The fridge and freezer compartments on side-by-side models are narrower and deeper than in a vertically stacked fridge. This will be a problem for anyone who has trouble finding things in the back. The freezers are especially narrow: in one of the models we tested, you can't lie a large pizza flat.

You also need to consider whether a side-by-side will fit your kitchen, or even through the doors into the house! Will there be room for the doors to open fully? These are big beasts, so check dimensions carefully.

Remember to allow ventilation space on the sides, back and top. It's usually around 5cm, but ask the dealer for the exact requirements. The top can require up to 30cm clearance!  Also, if they have a through-the-door icemaker and water dispenser, you will need to get a plumber to install them.

Top or bottom freezer?

Ultimately, it comes down to your needs and personal preference.

• Having the fridge uppermost is generally more convenient. You open the fridge door many more times per day than you do the freezer, so it makes sense to have the fridge in the more accessible, upper position. For users in wheelchairs, having the freezer at the bottom will make it easier to get food in and out of both compartments.
  
  But fridges with bottom freezers tend to have cold vegetable crispers, because the crisper sits on top of the freezer (although some models have a small heater under the crispers to overcome this!).
• Having the freezer on top can mean the whole unit performs a little better.  But fridges with top freezers tend to have warm crispers, because they sit at the bottom well away from the freezer.

Look for a minimum score in our Test results of 6.0 for all aspects of temperature performance except the recommended setting – you can adjust the recommended setting to get a better result.

Other considerations

Noise
All fridges can be quite noisy during start up and defrost periods, and make cracking or gurgling noises. But at 36 or 37 decibels, a 400L vertical fridge is not noticeably noisy for most of the time. From 45dBA it could get a little irritating in an open-plan kitchen/living area.

Environmental issues
Fridges used to be made with and contain environmentally unfriendly CFC gases. Now, they commonly contain "R134a" refrigerant, which does not damage the ozone layer although it does contribute to the greenhouse effect. And they are made using ozone-friendly, low greenhouse-effect gases.

A more environmentally sound refrigerant, R600a, is used by some manufacturers. It's a hydrocarbon so it's flammable and therefore carries a small safety risk.

To make the smallest greenhouse-emissions impact over time, a fridge’s energy efficiency is more important  than the type of refrigerant used. But if you want to check which refrigerant your fridge uses, all models have this information on the fridge specification plate in the cabinet.

Energy consumption
It's not always a matter of size. While in general a bigger fridge will use more power than a smaller one, some smaller models we've tested cost half as much again to run as some bigger models. A fridge's "star rating" and annual energy consumption is printed on the label so you can make comparisons in the showroom. All fridges must have the label, but watch for tricks like putting the display card over the top of the label.

See the Energy rating section for more information.

Adjustable rollers or feet
The body of the fridge-freezer must be perfectly level and square. The size and width of large models means they can easily distort, and then the doors may not seal properly. Level adjustments on all four corners may be needed to get the balance right. Rollers (with brakes!) make it much easier to pull the fridge out for cleaning.

Buying second-hand

Stick to well-known brands under 5 years old, as newer models are much more energy efficient. They’re also easier to get parts for if anything needs fixing.

• Check the door seal is intact and in good condition.
• Make sure the door is hinged on the correct side for your kitchen (or is reversible).
• Make sure the interior is in good nick and free from funny smells.
• If you buy a fridge from a second-hand dealer and then discover it’s faulty, you're covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act. If you buy privately, you're not.
• Under the Electricity Act, all electrical appliances for sale must be safe – whether they’re new or second-hand, bought privately or from a dealer.