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Our experts have the low-down on the best type of fridge freezer for your kitchen

Given their central role in our kitchens, shopping for a new fridge freezer is a decision you want to get right, especially as you’re buying two appliances in one.

There are a lot of features to consider before you invest – from settling on whether a freestanding, integrated or American-style model is the best fridge freezer for your kitchen, to thinking about shelf configuration and capacity.

The Good Housekeeping Institute are here to help and have put together a detailed fridge freezer buying guide, covering the different types on the market, what design features to look for and whether you need a frost-free or smart option. Plus, you’ll find our best tried and tested buys.

A freestanding fridge freezer should fit easily into most standard kitchens, as you can place them anywhere provided there’s a plug socket close by.

It’s still worth checking the measurements work for your space though, as they can measure over 200cm high. The standard width is around 55-60cm.

Think about your cooking habits too, as you’ll need to decide whether you want more space for chilled food, frozen food, or an equal split of the two.

You can also choose between models that have the fridge at the top and freezer at the bottom, or the other way around.

To coordinate your fridge freezer with the rest of your kitchen, opt for an integrated design. It will sit inside a cupboard so the appliance is hidden from view.

This can limit your choice of models as you’ll have to find one that fits your cupboard – most are designed for a standard cupboard that’s 178cm high by 60cm across.

Because of these constraints, you may have to settle for a slightly smaller capacity, so again make sure the fridge/freezer split will suit your cooking needs.

American-style fridge freezers make a real statement. They’re wider than standard fridge freezers, thanks to side-by-side doors that open outwards, with a fridge section on one side and freezer on the other. They range from 70cm to over 90cm in width.

These are the priciest models available, but also tend to have the most high-end features; water filters and ice-cube makers often come as standard, for example.

However, their large capacity can be difficult to fit into a typical kitchen and their larger evaporating units also mean they can be quite noisy and costly to run.

Modern internet-connected fridge freezers have smart features that detect the contents of your fridge and show you what’s there remotely via a smartphone app.

This helps you monitor when food needs to be used by or when you need to restock. Some smart models also allow you to download recipes to make the most of what’s in your fridge.

If you have the budget, they make a great kitchen addition, but smart features aren’t essential.

If you already have a freezer and are looking for a fridge that has a good capacity but won’t take up too much kitchen space, a larder fridge would be an ideal choice. They come in various sizes from around 85cm high so they can fit under a countertop.

Standalone freezers are also popular as they offer a lot of space for frozen food and can live in your kitchen, utility room or garage.

Chest freezers are worth considering if you like to freeze food in bulk but note they don’t have shelves so it can be harder to organise and locate food.

Size: When checking your fridge freezer of choice fits into your kitchen, make sure to allow space at the back, sides and top of the freezer for ventilation.

Without it, the condenser will have to work harder and the freezer won’t be efficient. Check the exact manufacturer advice, but most recommend between 2.5cm to 3cm.

Digital displays: Along with indicator lights and audible signals, these allow you to monitor the temperature easily and will tell you if the door has been left open or if there’s a fault with the appliance.

Separate controls: Setting the fridge and freezer controls independently helps them to run better and keeps your food fresh, chilled or frozen at the right temperatures.

Auto defrost and frost-free: Defrosted water in the fridge section will drain into a trough at the back of the appliance and evaporate to stop your fridge from freezing up and becoming damp.

If you buy a frost-free freezer, there’s no need to defrost it yourself as it comes with a heater to occasionally get rid of ice and a fan to circulate cool air.

Frost-free models are increasingly common, but they can be slightly more expensive and noisier to run than standard models.

Solid drawers in the freezer and glass shelves in the fridge: Freezer drawers can be expensive to replace so check they’re made of sturdy plastic to ensure a longer lifespan.

For your fridge, glass shelves retain cold most effectively and are easier to pack and clean.

Extra storage: Compartments in the fridge door are handy for items you need to keep upright and for storing smaller items.

Door alarms: This will alert you when you’ve left either door open, helping to avoid any unwelcome puddles of defrosted water or thawed food.

Water and ice dispensers: Increasingly popular on fridge freezers, they give chilled water and ice at the touch of a button. Some need to be plumbed in, so check this before you buy to ensure it works with your kitchen layout.

Childproof features: Preventing the temperature from being accidentally altered, look for models with a temperature dial that can only be turned with a coin, buttons or digital controls that require unlocking before settings can be changed.

Flexible cooling zones: To keep vegetables in your salad drawer and brie in your cheese drawer at optimum temperature, look for flexible cooling features. This means you can change the temperature and humidity levels in different areas of your fridge to keep everything preserved for longer.

Bottle racks: A helpful addition to your fridge if you like having cool drinks to hand, they can often be removed if there’s a time when you don’t need them.

When in use they result in less room for food, so consider if that's a trade-off you're happy to make.

Humidity controls: Similarly to cooling zones, humidity controls enable you to keep your salad, meat and cheese drawers in peak condition as they alter the airflow and temperature to keep food fresher for longer.

Reversible doors: A handy feature for setting up your fridge, reversible doors mean you can choose whether your fridge freezer opens on the left or right side depending on your kitchen set up.

Note that for some models you will need to notify the retailer of your preference when purchasing, so that it can be adjusted correctly during installation.

Holiday mode: This lets you switch off the fridge while you’re away but keep the freezer running as normal.

Climate class: Look out for a "climate class" rating when buying a new freezer as this will tell you the range of temperatures that the appliance can cope with and where it’s best to keep it.

The “N (normal)” class is for a room with a temperature range of 16-32C. If the room drops below 16C at night or the freezer will be kept in a garage where temperatures can fall as low as 10C then an “SN (sub-normal)” model might be more suitable.

Look for an “ST (subtropical)” model for rooms with temperatures between 18-38C.

Fast freeze: This keeps the temperature low when you add large quantities of fresh food to the freezer and it also means the food will be fresher when it’s defrosted.

It also helps retain the texture and quality of certain foods, like bread. Some models automatically revert to the normal setting once the food has frozen but others must be switched back manually.

Cold accumulation block: Store this in the freezer so the appliance stays cold for longer if there’s a power failure.

Pull out drainage spout: Having one of these means that water can be drained away more easily when you defrost the freezer.

All fridge freezers are awarded an energy efficiency rating between A and G. Choosing an energy-efficient model is more important for this appliance than most because they remain switched on constantly.

Due to the rating revamp in 2021, most appliances available to buy now won’t have the highest ratings – the ones we tested ranged from C to F, for example. They’re still fairly energy efficient though, as the ratings were reworked to allow room for innovations.

After your new appliance is delivered, keep it upright. You should leave it to stand for a few hours before plugging it in too, as this allows the gases inside to settle.

Once you’ve switched it on, try to leave it overnight to give it time to arrive at the correct temperature before being packed with food.

Installing plumbed-in models can be trickier as the water hose must be securely fastened at the back. But the retailer should offer to come and install it for you (and in many cases take your old one away too).

To put fridge freezers to the test, we look at how even and stable the temperature is at the top, middle and bottom of both the fridge and freezer, monitoring it for a period of 24 hours. At the same time, we connect the fridge freezer to an electricity meter and monitor its energy consumption.

We also test how quickly both the fridge and freezer can return to optimum temperature after leaving the doors open for two minutes.

Finally, we assess its design, ease of use and product information, as well as considering any helpful or innovative features. Then, we award each appliance with an overall score.

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