Fridge Buying Guide

Top Mount Fridges

Top-mount fridges are the traditional choice, with the freezer up top and fridge down below. They come in a variety of sizes, are the cheapest to buy and the cheapest to run. The downside? You need to bend down to access the fridge, which might not be ideal if you are tall or have a bad back.

Typically, these refrigerators demonstrate higher energy efficiency, consuming 10 to 25 percent less energy when compared to bottom-mount fridges.

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Bottom Mount Fridges

Bottom mount fridges offer a superior storage solution for those who do not use their freezer frequently, allowing easy access to all items in the fridge without bending down. The freezer is often designed as a pull-out drawer, making it easier to organize and access frozen items.

“From a pure convenience point of view, bottom-mount fridges are great,” says Peter Simic, Refrigeration & Laundry Buyer at The Good Guys. “After all, you open the fridge compartment more often than the freezer, which makes bottom-mount fridges more user-friendly.” Also, bottom-mount fridges are only slightly more expensive to buy and run than top-mount fridges. Like most things, it comes down to personal preference.

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Side By Side Fridges

Also known as side-by-side fridges, double door fridges have a freezer on the left and fridge on the right. Space is the big plus here, with capacity ranging from 600 to 700 litres, making them ideal for big families and entertainers.

Narrow doors make double door fridges a good option for snug kitchens. Many double door models also have handy ice and water dispensers, but keep in mind these can take up valuable space in the freezer.

“Double doors are a popular and cost-effective option if you want a big fridge and a good amount of freezer space that’s easily accessible, but it can be difficult to fit party platters,” says Peter Simic. French door fridges with extra-wide shelves are the ultimate party fridge.

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French Door Fridges

The best fridge for entertainers and hungry households, French door fridges offer plenty of storage and extra-wide shelves for cheese boards and sushi platters.

“It’s all about the shelving,” says Peter Simic. “You’ve got the full width of the fridge to play with and a better view of what’s in there.”

French door fridges have two side-by-side fridge doors on top, with various combinations below. These can include one or two freezer drawers or two more doors that conceal easy-to-access freezer drawers. Everything in the fridge is at eye-level, the narrow fridge doors don’t take up much space when open, and freezer drawers make it easy to keep food organised. Integrated ice and water dispensers are optional with many models.

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Bar Fridges

What’s the number one thing to keep in mind when shopping for a bar fridge?

“Capacity,” says Peter Simic. “After all, you need to make sure the fridge can hold all the beers, ciders and snacks you need it to.” But aesthetics is important too. “Ask yourself, ‘Is it going to be on show or in the garage?’ If it’s going in the garage, typically people spend less and buy an ordinary white fridge. If it’s a man cave, you could go for a retro bar fridge or something in matte black or stainless steel.”

Peter says beverage centres are also a great option for storing drinks in an outdoor area, home office or home cinema. “You can easily store a 24-pack of soft drink cans, and the glass doors mean you can see what needs replacing.”

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Wine Fridges

Form meets function in wine fridges that store your red, white and sparkling wines at the ideal 12 to 18 degrees.

“Wine fridges look great with their see-through doors and a lot of renovators are incorporating them in their kitchen designs for that reason,” says Peter Simic. “They are also addictive. We see a lot of people coming in to upgrade their wine fridges, or to buy a second one.”

There are two main types of wine fridges: single temperature, which is perfect for storing one type of wine, such as red or white; and multi-zone, which has separate temperature controls that mean you can store red and white in the same cabinet. For ideal cellaring conditions, wine fridges also store bottles at the correct angle, have built-in light protection and are free of vibrations.

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What Size Fridge Should I Get?

What Size Fridge Should I Get?

“When choosing a fridge-freezer, the first thing you need to do is work out the right capacity for the number of people who live in your home,” says Peter Simic, “Consider your needs. If you are a two-person household that eats out every second day, there is no need to buy a 600-litre French door fridge. That would be inefficient and use up electricity unnecessarily.”

But if you have a bigger family or love to entertain, that French door fridge could be just the ticket. As a general rule, one to two people will need 200 to 400 litres, three to four people will need 520 to 600 litres, and five-plus people will need 700 litres.

Note: The Good Guys calculates capacity using the usable space of the refrigerator, which does not include shelving, drawers etc. Other supplier/manufacturer marketing material, specifications and information, including product packaging, may calculate capacity using either useable/net space or total/gross space.

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