Do your kids leave the fridge door open or their greasy handprints across its surface? If so, don’t despair – there are plenty of fridge models on the market today that are specially designed to cope with the demands of family life. While choosing the right size is a key consideration, it’s not the only one – you’ll also need to think about maintenance, flexibility and energy efficiency too. Take a look at some of the best family fridges and highlight the key features to look out for. Work out how much food you need to store before you hit the shops – the last thing you want is to buy a fridge that’s larger than you really need as you’ll only end up paying to chill empty space. Also consider how much fridge space you need versus freezer space. Do you shop daily for fresh supplies? If yes, a large fridge space is important. Do you buy in bulk and freeze? Then you’ll need more freezer space. Make sure your new fridge will fit into the allocated space in your kitchen by taking your measurements with you to the shops and adding a few extra centimeters around the back and sides for ventilation.
Also work out which way the door needs to open – you may need to look for a model with a reversible door if it allows a smooth flow of traffic through your kitchen. Nikki Page, marketing manager at Winning Appliances, recommends the following storage capacities: • A couple – Around 400 litres should be sufficient. Consider a top or bottom mount design. • A family of four – between 520 – 600 litres. Check out the side by side or French Door models. • A family of five or more – At least 700 litres. Consider a pigeon pair with a fridge of at least 450 litres and a freezer of at least 380 litres. There are various fridge styles on the market, each suited to different family needs. • Most economical style to buy and run • Many different styles and sizes to choose from • Fair amount of freezer storage • Takes up little floor space • No bending to reach into the fridge as chilled food is at eye level • Generous freezer capacity
• Less expensive to buy and run than French Door or side by side models • Chilled food is at a convenient eye level • Extra wide shelves easily hold large platters and pizza boxes • Some of the latest models have two generous freezer drawers so that you can bulk freeze in one drawer and store items enjoyed regularly, in the other • Many models have a water and ice dispenser, so it’s easy for the kids to help themselves to a cold drink • Narrow opening doors won’t obstruct traffic through the kitchen • Plenty of door storage for bottles and jars • Many side by side fridges have a water and ice dispenser so that kids can help themselves to a drink • Good, accessible freezer storage capacity – great if you buy in bulk Larger fridge with a separate freezer (or pigeon pair) • A dedicated upright larder fridge gives you maximum fridge capacity while taking up minimal floor space • Economical to buy and run
• Easily accessible for the whole family • A separate freezer elsewhere will give you loads of space for frozen food If you’re buying a fridge-freezer in one, French door and side by side models offer the most storage space. French door fridges have full-width fridge shelves and can hold large platters with ease – perfect if you entertain regularly. Side by side fridges have narrower shelves, but offer generous and easy-to-access freezer space. If you’ve got enough space for a separate fridge and freezer, consider a pigeon pair, which will give you a huge amount of chilled and frozen storage. French door models to consider: Samsung’s 801-litre SRF801GDLS French Door fridge; LG’s 601-litre Four Door French Door fridge; LG’s 693-litre GR-P247STSL side by side fridge. Pigeon pair models to look out for: Sub-Zero’s ICBBI-36R 646-litre upright fridge and ICBBI-36F 646-litre upright freezer, which can be positioned side by side or in separate rooms.
The bigger and fancier the fridge, the more it will cost to buy. On the upside, some of the latest large capacity fridges are more energy efficient to run than previous models with offer power-saving features such as Eco and Vacation mode. Electrolux’s E:Line range of fridges have eco and vacation modes to reduce running costs while you’re away. The fridge door in any family home is opened all the time, so one of the best family friendly features to look for is intelligent temperature control, which automatically adjusts the temperature of your fridge and freezer so that it remains constant whatever the conditions. Also look out for fridges with electronic temperature control panels, which allow you to set different temperatures for the separate areas of your fridge, as well as ‘quick cooling’ and ‘quick freeze’ options. LG’s GR-P247STSL side by side fridge with eight digital temperature sensors for even cooling whatever the conditions; Electrolux’s latest intelligent airflow system;
Fisher & Paykel’s French Door fridge with ActiveSmart cooling technology; Samsung’s SRF801GDLS French Door fridge with a ‘FlexiZone’ drawer to gently defrost meals overnight. Reduce food wastage and keep your fridge fresher for longer with some of the new hygiene and vitamin-optimising features on the fridge market today. Some of the latest models have special anti-bacterial coatings on the doors and walls to prevent unhealthy bacteria from forming inside your fridge, while vitamin-enhancing features keep your fruit and vegetables at their peak for longer to save you money at the supermarket checkout. LG’s new GCP197DPSL fridge with antibacterial BioShield door seals; the latest Samsung and Bosch models with a special antibacterial coating on the walls and doors; and Haier’s French Door fridges with a Vitamin C fresh filter. Love the look of stainless steel, but don’t fancy the idea of constantly wiping off marks and fingerprints? Then look out for a fridge with a stain- and fingerprint-resistant metallic or stainless finish.
Other family friendly features to consider include safety glass shelves, which are stronger than traditional fridge shelves and can take heavier loads, and anti-spill shelves that prevent spills from dripping to the shelf below. Fisher & Paykel’s latest stainless steel fridges have a low maintenance EZKleen finish; Whirlpool’s fingerprint-resistant ‘Satina’ finish fridges; and Samsung’s latest stainless steel fridges have ‘Inox’ technology that keeps it looking fresh out of the box for longer. Whirlpool’s 6ED2FHGXVA fridge with SpillGuard glass shelves; Samsung’s Trimless Top Mount fridge with safety glass shelves. Alarms that alert you when the fridge door has been left open, a child-proof lock on the water dispenser and a lockable drawer – all of these features are aimed at helping parents keep their fridge and family safe. LG’s Four Door French Door fridge has a tall ice and water dispenser with child lock; Bosch’s latest fridges have door alarms for the fridge and freezer;