I need to buy a fridge+freezer soon, what should I look out for?

[dirigibleprotein@aussie.zone]

Thanks, we’re coming up on three years for this fridge, so now I know what to expect. (Also in Australia). We bought this particular fridge not because of brand, but because we’re renting and the kitchen has a stupid cutout space between cabinets and this is the only fridge that fits.

[bl4kers@lemmy.ml]

A warranty is only as good as the company offering it. I'd opt for a shorter warranty with good customer service

[thatkamguy@sh.itjust.works]

We’re likely in a similar boat, due to the size of our fridge nook. We had the LG 530L French Door Fridge Stainless Steel GF-B505PL previously, that the compressor failed in.

I’d you aren’t already, you should be pulling the fridge out every six months or so and cleaning behind it to keep the compressor free from dust bunnies.

We managed to just squeeze in a Hitachi 638L 4 Door French Door Fridge in the same space, even though it juts out by ~10cm - the added 100L capacity (and bonus unplumbed ice maker) was worth the trade-off.

[the_crotch@sh.itjust.works]

unplumbed ice maker

How does that work? Do you just pour water into it or is it fancier than that?

[thatkamguy@sh.itjust.works]

Yeah, that’s basically it - there’s a small removable filter/container in between the two vegetable drawers that you fill up with water.

It then pumps the water into an ice tray in the freezer, and dispenses ice into a tray every few hours.

Edit - it looks like this:

[venus_ziegenfalle@feddit.org]

That setup is not for everyone but if I had to get a new set right now I'd buy a medium sized fridge with a glass door (I already have a small one in my office and I love being able to see what's inside without leaving the door open, the brand is called Klarstein) and a chest freezer. Chest freezers are way more efficient because the cold air stays put when you open them and they're just practical for using all of the available space.

[reddig33@lemmy.world]

Side-by-sides require you to pretty much squat to get to the items on the lowest shelves. Consider taking a look at units that have a freezer drawer instead. Go to the store, and try accessing the bottom items in both kinds see which one is easier for you. This is especially important if you or someone in your family has a bad back.

Check to see how the shelves adjust. Compare to what you currently have in your home. Some refrigerators allow you to split shelves. Other others have a single shelf that goes the entire width of the refrigerator. For example, where would you put the leftover pizza box? Or the milk carton? Can the doors hold the items that are currently in your fridge doors?

When shopping, be sure to look at the warranty, especially on the compressor. Some of the warranties are really lousy. Repairing the cooling system (compressor and coolant refill) can cost just out of warranty as buying a new refrigerator. LG for example has a 10 year warranty on some of their compressors, but not all of their models. Be sure to check the warranty on the specific model you are buying.

Some refrigerators have icemakers in the door, some of them in the freezer. In my experience it doesn’t matter which you choose. having a bunch of ice located in the freezer helps keep it cool. What is more important is if you want a filtered water dispenser. If this is the case, I recommend getting one on the door exterior so you don’t have to let all the chilled air out while you fill a glass or pitcher. The exception is that some Samsung models include a pitcher that’s kept automatically filled in the refrigerator door. However, this pitcher is plastic, so that may be a concern depending on your views on microplastics.

If you are worried about where your appliances manufactured, you’re going to need to look at the label inside the fridge. It will sayon the label. You can’t really just rely on a brand, since brands have factories in multiple countries. You should also be aware that there aren’t a lot of brands really left. Most of the brands have been allowed to merge into a handful companies. You can look up the brand on Wikipedia to see who the actual manufacturer is.

I encourage you to take actual measurements of the appliance at a store. Relying on the measurements on a website can be very confusing. Some depth measurements include the depth of the doors, some do not some specified depths with handles, some do not you need to measure the space where your fridge will fit this includes height, width, and depth.

[serenissi@lemmy.world]

Isn't freezer = more fridge? why you need a fridge then?

[cb900f_bodhi@lemmynsfw.com]

I tend to agree with that. But with the way customer service is going these days, its still a gamble. I like longer warranties if only because it seems like the manufacturer has some confidence in what they produced

[cb900f_bodhi@lemmynsfw.com]

Now I have ice maker envy