Top Five Cheap Fridges For 2021

Patrick Gallagher

In this article

A fridge is one of the bigger investments you'll make for your home. But that doesn’t mean you should spend over the odds for a quality model.

We’ve found fridges that will not only offer high cooling power and keep your food fresher for longer, but will also save you money on your energy bills.

Some of the worst offenders on the market struggle to chill food, have a miniscule amount of usable storage and still cost you a fortune.

Whether you’re moving home, looking for a replacement model or you just fancy an upgrade, picking the best fridge can be difficult. And with prices not always matching expectations, our expert reviews can help separate the good from the bad.

No matter if you want integrated, under-counter or a model with a freezer box, our fridge reviews have it covered. Read on for our top cheap fridges – and the ones to avoid.

Top five cheap fridges

76%

£429.99

Reviewed Dec 2019

This is a tall, white fridge with an attractive price tag. It had an excellent run through our tough tests, showcasing exceptional temperature stability. It also does a very good job of chilling quickly and it won’t push up your energy bills doing so.

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75%

£219.00

Reviewed Oct 2019

This cheap integrated fridge did excellently in almost every one of our tough tests. It's easy to set up, chills very quickly and maintains a steady temperature all year round. Although we've seen more energy efficient fridges, we still think this is a great option.

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74%

£268.00

Reviewed Jan 2021

Not only does this well-priced fridge chill fresh items quickly, but it's also extremely energy efficient for its size, meaning it's cheap to run. Its temperature stability in cold rooms is fantastic too. But one thing to bear in mind is that it's not among the best at maintaining a stable temperature in warm rooms.

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74%

£249.00

Reviewed Jan 2018

This well-priced fridge isn't just cheap to buy, it's cheap to run, too. It may even help you spend less at the supermarket thanks to the quick-to-cool fridge. The faster food chills, the less time heat-loving bacteria have to eat into the lifespan of your food, and the less money you're likely to waste on replacing food you've had to throw out. The only thing to bear in mind is that you'll need to fiddle with the thermostat and perhaps even buy a fridge thermometer, because the manufacturer's recommended thermostat setting can't be trusted.

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71%

£180.00

Reviewed Dec 2019

It's not a Best Buy, but this budget under-counter fridge chills quickly, has an accurate thermostat and is simple to clean. The downsides include not being the most energy efficient for its size, and struggling to maintain a stable internal temperature in a warm room.

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If you’re also looking to update your freezer, we have uncovered some impressive models during testing. Kit out your kitchen with one of the best models by looking at our freezer reviews.

The fridges to avoid

A cheap fridge to avoid would have a low price tag but struggle at its core job. If a model can't reach the temperature needed to keep your food fresh then we can't recommend it. We’ve uncovered cheap fridges that are so bad at keeping to a stable temperature that your food will spoil before you get a chance to enjoy it.

Cheap fridges to avoid

39%

£159.00

Reviewed Dec 2018

Although temptingly priced, this fridge is likely to leave you wishing you'd spent a little bit more. The chilling speed is unexceptional and it's incapable of maintaining a steady temperature when the room it's in heats up. It's also very inefficient, so whatever savings you make up front will be eaten into by increased energy use over its lifetime.

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£275.00

Reviewed Jun 2016

Your food probably won’t last as long as you’d expect in this integrated fridge because it takes more than 18 hours to reach its coldest temperature – that’s eight hours slower than the quicker models! But regardless of how it performed in our other tests, we have concerns about safety due to the backing of this fridge being made of plastic. This means we cannot recommend it. The manufacturer of this appliance is in the process of upgrading it to have flame-retardant backing and our Don't Buy recommendation relates to the flammable plastic-backed version of this product. It will remain a Don't Buy until this version is no longer available to buy in shops. Read more on fridge backings below.

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Which? fridge reviews

Aside from testing the cooling power of the fridge using gel packs to simulate food, we also vary the temperature in the room to make sure it can keep the contents safely chilled, too – it’s surprising how many don’t.

To be sure the money you save on buying the fridge won’t be spent paying extra on your utility bills, our experts measure how much energy each fridge uses to keep cool and how efficient each model is in comparison with its usable amount of storage.

We even spray cherry juice in every fridge, wait for it to dry and then score it on how easy it is to clean. If you can’t comfortably clear dirt traps then your fridge could end up harbouring unwelcome germs and bacteria.

Type of backing

We constantly monitor and vary the assessments that underpin our reviews to take account of changing safety standards and areas of concern. In September 2017, we called on manufacturers to immediately stop producing refrigeration appliances with flammable. Since then, and in the apparent absence of any action from the newly-created Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), we’ve been conducting fire testing on refrigerator backings.

So far, we’ve tested backing samples from more than 80 different refrigeration appliances, across every refrigeration brand that we have on our site. We applied an open flame to each sample and any product that was unable to withstand the flame for 30 seconds has been deemed unsafe, and has been made a Don’t Buy. Hundreds more products have also been made Don’t Buys because the manufacturer either confirmed, or our own research indicated, that the backing on these products was identical to a product we tested and found to be unsafe.

Buying the best cheap fridge for you

Type

Deciding on the type of fridge you need should come first. Are you looking for a tall model that will have tons of usable storage? Or perhaps a small integrated fridge to save on space and blend in with your kitchen units?

Also, consider whether you need a freezer, too. If so, opting for a fridge freezer or a fridge with an ice box might be more practical. Take a look at our fridge freezer reviews.

The different types of fridges will come in varying prices, so always check the full review to know you’re getting the most for your money.

Efficiency

Even though all new fridges must have an energy rating of at least A+, our tests have shown that not all models with the same ratings cost equal amounts to run.

We check how much energy each fridge uses to chill and stay cool consistently. We also measure the efficiency against how much you can actually fit inside.

Features

There are lots of extra functions you can pick from, such as quick cooling and water dispensers, but this will normally increase the cost. More basic additions can be really handy and won’t break the bank either.

Here are some features to look for when choosing your fridge: