Best American fridge freezers 2025: tested by Which? experts

If you're looking for a show-stopping appliance for your kitchen, take a look at the best American fridge freezers from our independent testing and read our expert buying advice.

American fridge freezers look impressive and promise the end to an overflowing fridge or crammed-to-bursting freezer. They're expensive, though, so don't waste your money on a poor one. 

Head straight to our American fridge freezer reviews.

Best American fridge freezers for 2025

Currently, there are no Best Buy American fridge freezers because none do well enough in our tests to meet the 72% score, which is our Best Buy threshold. 

That's because our latest test programme puts extra emphasis on energy efficiency, and the size of these appliances means they are rarely as energy efficient as regular freestanding fridge freezers. 

If you want one of the absolute best fridge freezers, opt for a freestanding or integrated model. If you're prepared to sacrifice a little performance for style, here are the best American fridge freezers available. 

Only logged in Which? members can see our recommendations. If you're already a member, log in to see the American fridge freezers we recommend. 

If you're not a member, join Which? to unlock the table and get instant access to all our product reviews.

See our guide to the best fridge freezers for the pros and cons of the different types.

American fridge freezers by price

• American fridge freezers under £900
• American fridge freezers under £1,200
• American fridge freezers under £1,500
• American fridge freezers under £1,800

Why you can trust our American fridge freezer reviews

We don't take any free samples: we buy all our fridge freezers from a store, just as you would. 

We run all our fridge freezers through a raft of tests so we can tell you what they're really like to use, how well they'll cool and freeze your food, and how much energy they'll use.

Find out more about how we test fridge freezers. 

Where to buy an American fridge freezer

• AO.com sells American fridge freezers from a wide range of brands, with the option to pay in instalments. AO members get discounts. There's the option to pay for unpacking, door reversal and recycling should you need it. 
• Boots Kitchen Appliances, a Boots-branded version of AO, also has a wide range of fridge freezers. You can earn Advantage points if you're a Boots Advantage card holder. 
• Currys also has a wide offering, and you have the option of paying in instalments. It offers installation, door reversal and recycling of your old appliance at extra cost. 

Read more about the best stores for tech and home appliances.

What is an American fridge freezer?

American fridge freezers (also known as side-by-side or American-style models) are wider than freestanding or integrated fridge freezers and always have at least one set of side-by-side doors.

American fridge freezers come in different configurations. Most commonly, the fridge sits next to the freezer. Sometimes the fridge will sit on top of the freezer, and each will have its own set of side-by-side doors. And sometimes the fridge has two side-by-side doors, and the freezer underneath has one or two large external drawers. 

American fridge freezers are wider and deeper than conventional models, so they take up more space in your kitchen, but they also give you far more space to store fresh and frozen food. 

Discover which fridge freezer brand is the most reliable.

How to buy the best American fridge freezer

If you're unsure as to whether an American-style fridge freezer is right for your household, these buying questions should help you decide.

• Will you really use all that space? American fridge freezers offer more storage space for fresh and frozen food than regular fridge freezers and have lots of fridge shelves and racks for storing items of all shapes and sizes. But if you're a small or single-person household and don't tend to do big bulky shops, you probably don't need one.
• Will it fit through your kitchen door? You should carefully measure the space in your kitchen before buying a new fridge freezer, and this is especially true when you splash out on a larger model. The standard width of an American fridge freezer is 90cm, but some can be more than 100cm wide. Slimmer models are available, but even these are usually around 70cm wide, which is 10cm more than the width of a standard freestanding model. Some can be too big for front and internal doorways, and getting one delivered to a top-floor flat could be problematic, too. Some American fridge freezers we've tested are 200cm in height.
• For models with plumbed-in water dispensers, do you have a nearby water supply to plug it into? If you opt for one with a plumbed-in water dispenser, you won't need to refill it by hand, but you will need a water source nearby. This can limit where the fridge freezer will be placed in your kitchen. It will also need to be plumbed in by a professional plumber. 
• Can you afford one? American-style fridge freezers cost from around £400, but some can cost more than £3,200. Also, remember to factor in the extra running costs.

Find out more about your right to a return – what's a 'cooling-off' period?

Best American fridge freezer features to look for

• Attractive appearance Many people consider American-style fridge freezers more stylish, perhaps because we see them inside celebrities' homes on TV, or maybe because they look more imposing in a kitchen. You can buy freestanding models in brushed, gloss effect or stainless steel finishes too, as well as retro-looking freestanding models. 
• Convertible zones These allows you to convert part of the freezer into extra fridge space, which could be handy at times when you need to store extra food, such as at Christmas.
• Digital display From setting the thermostat to programming functions such as fast freeze, a digital display can make fridge freezers easier to set up and use. It's not restricted to American fridge freezers, but most have this. 
• Independent cooling systems Some American fridge freezers have separate fridge and freezing cooling circuits. This helps keep moisture in the fridge, minimising food dehydration, which is good for preserving food with a high water content, such as salad.
• Separate thermostats These allow you to set accurate fridge and freezer temperatures.
• Water dispenser and ice maker Check before buying whether this needs to be plumbed into the mains supply, as this affects where you can put it in your kitchen and can make installation expensive. Also check the cost of replacement filters: these often need replacing every six months or so. Some models have removable water jugs that you  top up from the tap – but you’ll only get two to three litres of water before you’ll need to refill the jug. 

Read how to deep-clean your fridge for advice on cleaning a fridge water dispenser.

Is it worth buying an American fridge freezer?

As we've said, there aren't any American fridge freezers that can compete with the best freestanding or integrated models. They remain incredibly popular, though, on account of their stylish looks and high level of storage space. As the table below shows, the average model contains 426 litres of usable space.

Unlike manufacturers who measure fridge freezer volume with all the shelves and drawers taken out, we measure how much space you can actually use for storing food. 

As a result, models with exactly the same external dimensions can vary significantly when it comes to usable storage space.

Get a great deal on a fridge freezer: see our best cheap fridge freezers.

Can you buy an energy-efficient American fridge freezer?

You can certainly buy energy-efficient American fridge freezers that use energy wisely in relation to their size. 

You'll note our emphasis on 'relative to size'. An energy-efficient American fridge freezer will cost more to run than an energy-efficient freestanding model. 

We've calculated that the average American-style fridge freezer uses 44% more energy, and can cost significantly more to run, than a freestanding fridge freezer. So, before splurging an American fridge freezer, consider whether you really need one.

• On average, a freestanding fridge freezer costs around £74 per year to run, while a large American-style fridge freezer costs £110.
• Overall, fridge freezer running costs vary from £36 to £142 per year, depending on the type and size you choose. 
• American fridge freezer costs running range from £81 to £142, so if you want one, be sure to pick an energy-efficient model. 

Find out how much specific American fridge freezer models cost using our free fridge freezer running costs tool.