Fridges: How we test fridges
Cooling power is important for keeping nutrients in food
Energy costs
Our energy costs, based on measurements we've taken in our lab, show the real differences between the most and least energy efficient fridges.
We calculate energy costs using a typical domestic unit charge of 14.5p per kWh. This is the average standard direct debit charge for medium users in England, Scotland and Wales in September 2011.
Real costs will vary depending on your own electricity tariff.
Energy Saver logo
For products that successfully marry Best Buy performance with superb energy efficiency in our in-depth tests, we’ve introduced our new Which? Energy Saver logo.
Our Energy Saver award is given to Best Buy fridges that meet our own energy-efficiency criteria and is designed to help you choose products that use less electricity compared to other products of the same type that we've tested.
For fridges, we test for energy efficiency then rank the results and award the Energy Saver logo only to Best Buys whose energy use is in the top 20% of all the models we've tested, with separate rankings for tall and counter-height models.
The Which? Energy Saver logo is a Which? rating and is not in any way endorsed or associated with official EC labelling laws or regulations. For advice on understanding the official EC energy label on products see our guide energy labels explained.
Useable space
Two fridges with the same external dimension might have up to a 20% difference in useable space due to differences in cabinet design.
We fill every fridge with groceries and check how flexible each design is, so you can be confident a fridge will have ample space for your weekly visit to the shops.
Ease of use
Often we find some fridges are easier to set up than others.
We rate the position of the thermostat controls, how easy it is to adjust, the type of display, whether a model has a high-temperature alarm or automatic door alarm.
Cooling power
To see how quickly the fridges can cool your groceries, we set the room temperature to 20oC and allow the fridges to acclimatise.
Each fridge is then loaded with 6kg of gel packs, the weight equivalent of around 12 tomatoes, one large chicken and four pints of milk.
Using temperature probes inserted into the packs, we record the average time taken for all of the gel packs to cool to 5oC.
Freezer compartments
For fridges with four-star freezer compartments, we test how much fresh food it will freeze in 24 hours.
Temperature stability
Room temperatures can vary widely in the course of a day, especially on very warm or cold days.
We record how well each model works at 10°C, 20°C and 32°C to check how stable the cabinet temperature is when the external temperature fluctuates.
Uniform temperatures
We check how easy each fridge is to use
The temperature inside a fridge can vary, so unwanted warmer spots can develop.
We monitor the temperature at the top, middle and bottom of the cabinet to ensure all parts of the fridge will be keep your food in mint condition for as long as possible.
Noise
It's virtually impossible to spot how noisy a fridge will be while you're in the shop.
Our independent testers not only rate how loud each fridge is when it's cooling, but also how annoying the pitch and tone are.
