subject: Choosing The Best Fridge Freezer [print this page] Everyone knows that you should never trust the brochures so if two models of fridge freezer match your requirements how do you choose between them? Here are three objective measures that you can find in the specification for any refrigerator that will tell you more than the manufacturer intended.
Annual energy consumption - Producing a more efficient machine (one that uses less energy) takes more time than building an inefficient one so annual energy consumption is a good indicator of the quality of an appliance. This is because more thought will have gone into the technical aspects of circulation and a higher quality of materials will have been used on door seals and valves. Using less electricity also means spending less money on your utility bills but bear in mind that appliances with larger capacities take more energy to chill and consequently you should only use this statistic to compare machines of a similar size.
Climate class - It is counter-intuitive but if chilled food is placed inside a refrigerator which is kept in a cold room then it will actually start to heat up. A fridge freezer's climate class shows the temperature range it is designed to operate in and this can be very telling. Units that will work in a wider range of temperatures need to have extra padding and require additional engineering in the build process so will usually be better quality. There are four commonly available climate classes - SN, N, ST and T which stand for sub-normal, normal, sub-tropical and tropical.
Noise level - Measured in dBA this is one statistic where you will notice the difference. Noise is caused by vibrations in the cooling system and the fans that circulate air inside the cooling cavity so a small amount is unavoidable. Although the difference in noise levels between similar products is usually minimal a quieter appliance is normally better designed.
If in doubt - ask for help
The three factors above all rely on making an assumption based on quantitative information. For more qualitative information there is one place to turn to; reviews.
Although they are highly subjective reviews provide a human angle on using an appliance. Always try to read a wide variety of reviews from different sites and watch out for people complaining about; loud noise levels, hinges breaking and water leaking from seals. Some common complaints which are normally human error include food freezing in the fridge and food not freezing in the freezer.
