Should you buy an American fridge freezer?

Are you in the market for a fridge freezer and want to maximise your space? An American-style fridge freezer might be the way to go.

You might be wondering what makes a fridge freezer 'American-style' and different from your regular run-of-the-mill English fridge freezer? Fundamentally, in true American fashion, size is the answer.

American-style fridge freezers offer you twice the space compared to an average fridge freezer making them great for large families or people looking for more food and batch-cooking storage. Not only that, but these fridges stand-out as a stylish statement in the kitchen. So if you and your family find yourself constantly gravitating towards the fridge, upgrade to one of these for style, size and other fantastic features.

Read more: How to defrost a freezer quickly

Pros of buying an American-style fridge freezer

Style

You can choose the style of fridge freezer you like so you’re not limited to opening your fridge a certain way. You can get American fridge freezers with:

• Side by side doors to open an upright fridge and freezer - great if you struggle to bend or would prefer to keep certain frozen foods like ice creams higher up out the way of small hands

• Four doors with a double door to the top fridge and bottom freezer - great for compartmentalisation and saving money on your energy bills

• French doors with a double door to the fridge and a drawer style door for your freezer underneath

You can also choose how you want to divide your fridge freezer space on purchase. Would you prefer 50/50 fridge to freezer? Or maybe 60/40 or 70/30? There are plenty of options to find online.

Capacity

Did we mention size? With huge capacity, you can get American fridge freezers that can hold anything from 11 to 38 shopping bags! Amazing if you’re looking to stock up, visit the shops less frequently and have a hungry household.

Design

American-style fridge freezers are a statement piece in your kitchen, not only due to their size but their super sleek, stylish finish. Get your American fridge freezer in a shiny silver or black for an elegant touch and a conversation starter at parties.

Frost-free

Many American fridge freezers come with frost-freeze technology so you don't need to manually defrost your freezer as you would normally. It'll save time, effort and preserve the longevity of your fridge freezer with the technology keeping your freezer working optimally for longer.

Dispensers

American fridge freezers are also more likely to come with exciting features including water and/or ice dispensers. This fun addition is a welcome treat for the UK summer and with ice and cold water on demand, you won't find yourself running short of supplies.

Energy rating

You may think that this massive appliance is surely going to rack up the energy bill. However, you can easily find American fridge freezers with an energy rating A or above that make it relatively affordable to run for its size for as little as 15p a day. The better the energy rating, the lower the running cost!

Cons of buying an American-style fridge freezer

• Delivery and installation: It's one thing getting this fridge freezer in your kitchen, but you'll also need to consider getting it through the door first! You'll have to measure accurately and make sure your fridge can pass through any steps, doors or obstacles on route. Often American fridge freezers will only be delivered to your door too so you might need to consider getting a handyman or someone strong to take it the rest of the way if you can't manage it yourself.

• Plumbing: If you're looking for an American fridge freezer with all the features, you might need to plumb it in. This could restrict where you can position it as it will need to be near a water source.

• Space: A fridge freezer this size demands the space so you'd need to have a kitchen that will not just fit it, but allow the doors to open fully to make the most of your purchase. In a smaller kitchen this might not be the most practical idea.

• Cost: While a regular fridge freezer is never the cheapest, an American fridge freezer can be an expensive investment ranging from £500 - £2000 depending on the size and features. This becomes much higher again for built-in models due to the customised aspect of the fit.

Fortunately there are quite a few solutions to the cons on our list. You can find more affordable American-style fridge freezers on the market, ones with installation and removal services and even ones that don’t require plumbing. So long as you measure correctly and work with the seller, your next fridge freezer awaits!

Best built-in American fridge freezers

If you're looking for the best statement American-style fridge freezers for your kitchen, check out our best finds below with a range of features, styles, designs and sizes.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections. Why trust us?

Best freestanding American fridge freezers

While part of the large American-style fridge freezer aesthetic is to have it stylishly on display in your kitchen, you may want to focus on the practicalities of the appliance and have it seamlessly blend in with your kitchen cupboard. For this you can look into getting a built-in American fridge freezer where it can be integrated behind matching cupboard fronts.

As these aren't so high in demand they are harder to come by, but we've found the best options and services below for getting this set up and personalised to your space and kitchen.

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