Fridge reviews: FAQs

How much do I need to spend to get a decent fridge?

A good fridge is likely to cost £200+

You can buy a fridge for less than £150, but we’ve found that cheap models less than £200 typically aren’t great at chilling food or maintaining a consistent temperature. They’re also less energy efficient so they cost more to run.

There are a few exceptions – a Beko model costs less than £200, and is a Best Buy because it proved great at keeping a steady, constant temperature in our tests. To find this fridge and see how it compares to other budget models read our in-depth fridge reviews.

If you have a budget of £200-£250 you can buy a good under counter or tall, freestanding or built-in fridge from brands like Beko, Frigidaire, Indesit, Ikea and Zanussi. Look out for one that has glass rather than wire shelves, crisper drawers for fruit and vegetables, and plenty of versatile storage space – adjustable shelves and deep door racks that will fit water jugs or large bottles of milk are particularly handy.

Spend more than £250 and you can opt for more features and choose from a wider range of brands, such as AEG, Bosch, Electrolux and Neff. Fridges from the likes of Miele and Smeg will set you back over £500.

But a higher price tag, extra features and a designer label isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get a decent fridge. We’ve tested hundreds of fridges and often find that similarly sized and priced models from the same manufacturer vary considerably in how good they are. To see how quickly a fridge will chill your food and how even the inside temperature is, read our full reviews.

Which fridge brand should I choose?

Shopping by brand is a popular way to choose a fridge, and manufacturers and retailers spend thousands of pounds on marketing in an attempt to entice you to choose a model from their ranges.

If you’ve got a particular brand in mind read our fridge reliability verdicts to see whether it will stand the test of time. Every year, we ask thousands of Which? members to tell us how satisfied they are with their fridge. We’ve analysed the results and have built a reliability profile of 20 of the top brands, including Beko, Bosch and Hotpoint.

Which fridge features are worth shelling out for, and which can I live without?

Frost-free ice box, split shelves, open-door alarms - today’s fridges offer more than just the ability to keep your food cold. Buying one involves deciding which features are worth investing in and which are unnecessary extras.

In a recent Which? survey of more than 10,000 members, 95% told us that a frost-free function is the most useful feature of a fridge freezer. So if you’re thinking of buying a fridge that has a built-in ice box, it may be worth choosing one that won’t need defrosting.

Some fridges come with temperature and open-door alarms that will alert you if the temperature suddenly rises or you’ve inadvertently left the door open. 91% and 88% respectively of our members think a temperature and open-door alarm are useful or essential.

But they’re less impressed with other features – 59% find they can do without egg trays, and 41% don’t find split shelves particularly useful.

What temperature should I keep my fridge at?

Between 0°C and 5°C. Any warmer and food will go off. Any colder and you’ll lose nutrients and fresh food can be ruined.

Fridge energy labels look like this

Should I buy a fridge that’s energy efficient?

Fridges and freezers are the most energy-guzzling appliances in your home and account for about 20% of the electricity used by all home appliances. With the average UK household spending £1,345 a year on energy bills, it makes sense to buy a fridge that runs as efficiently as possible.

All new fridges will have an energy label that gives it's energy rating. These range from the ultra-efficient A+++ to the positively power-hungry G classifications. 

From 1 July 2012, new fridges will have a rating of A+, A++ or A+++. You can find out more in our fridge and freezer energy labels explained guide. 

How much will my fridge cost to run?

Energy labels give a good indication of which models are more energy efficient than others, but they won’t tell you how much a fridge will cost to run.

As part of our extensive fridge tests we calculate exactly how much electricity each model uses and what it costs to power, and we’ve found big differences in running costs between models with the same energy label.

For example, the Lec L5010W and the Whirlpool ARC 104/1 are both A+ rated fridges of a similar size. Yet despite having the same energy rating, the Lec costs £10 a year less to run.

To help you work out how costly a fridge is to run, we’ve developed our fridge energy running costs tool. You can use it to compare what fridges cost to power over their lifetime, and weigh up running costs against the purchase price to see which are the best value overall.

This tool will show you how much a fridge will add to your energy bill, but it won’t tell you if it’s any good. To see which fridges are great at chilling groceries and keeping a constant temperature, as well as those that just don’t measure up, read our in-depth fridge reviews.

Can I keep my fridge in the garage?

Every fridge has a climate class that tells you the range of room temperatures it can work in. These are typically between 10°C and 38°C.

Fridges used in temperatures above or below these limits might not work properly. For example, the freezer compartment might defrost if the room temperature becomes too low.

For this reason, appliances shouldn’t be kept in unheated garages and sheds. At least, that’s the theory – in practice, plenty of people get away with this quite happily.

How can I store food safely?

Best value fridges have low energy costs

Fridges chill groceries to prevent the build up of bacteria in foods. Follow these top tips to makes sure you’re helping your fridge keep bacteria at bay:

Chill food quickly
Refrigerate fresh groceries, prepared foods and leftovers as soon as possible. But don't put hot food in the fridge – allow it to cool down first.

Buy a fridge thermometer
Check the temperature from time to time to make sure it’s between 0°C and 5°C.

Capacity
Don't fill the fridge to bursting point – this restricts air circulation and can make it harder to maintain a cool temperature.

Follow food guidelines
Pay attention to food storage instructions and use-by dates.

Meat storage
Don't store cooked and raw meat near each other, to avoid cross-contamination. Keep raw meat, poultry and fish at the bottom of the fridge, above the crisper drawers.

Maintenance
Clean the fridge often and defrost the icebox or freezer regularly.

How can I cut fridge running costs?

Your fridge will always cost money to run because you can’t switch it off. But there are steps you can take to ensure it uses as little energy as possible:

Buy a fridge thermometer
Make sure the temperature inside the fridge is between 0°C and 5°C. Any lower and it will be working harder than it needs to.

Keep the door closed
Don’t open the door more often than necessary, and don’t leave it open for long periods.

Storage
Don't fill the fridge to bursting point – this restricts air circulation and can make it harder to maintain a cool temperature.

More on fridges...

• Fridge features explained - what's on offer and what it means
• How to buy the best fridge - our video guide reveals insider tips
• Reliable fridge brands - see which fridge brands you can trust