Should You Buy an American Style Fridge Freezer?

Cream Smeg American Fridge Freezer in a room with a blue distressed dining table and paintings on the floor.

American-style fridge freezers have become very popular across the world and especially here in the UK in the last few years. Considered to be the creme-de-la-creme of the refrigeration world, pictures of these are pinned to many a Pinterest board.

But the question is should you take the leap and swap your regular fridge freezer for an American-style model? We’re going to help you answer that question.

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This post is going to focus on American-style fridge freezers to help you decide whether they are the right choice for you and your household.

What is an American-Style Fridge Freezer?

An American-style fridge freezer is different to most tall fridge freezers as they feature double doors that open from the middle outwards, rather than a single door.

As with any type of kitchen appliance, there are lots of different styles to choose from, many of which offer different functions from the others. Some have two long doors that run from top to bottom, whilst others feature drawers below the double doors that pull out for added storage.

Some of the most popular American-style fridge freezers come with ice and cold water dispensers integrated into the doors.

Pros and Cons of American-Style Fridge Freezers

An American-style fridge freezer is often on the wish list when revamping a kitchen or moving into a new home. But what makes American-style fridge freezers so admired? And are there any drawbacks? Let’s take a look:

Pros

  • Huge capacity – These fridge freezers can cope with a larger-than-average shop. The smaller models can hold 22 shopping bags worth of food. Larger models can have storage space for up to 38 bags!
  • Food freshness technology – With so many cool features available, American-style fridge freezers make practical use of all the latest technology, keeping your food fresher for longer by maintaining an optimum temperature.
  • ‘Statement’ design – If you want to make a bold statement that’s drool-worthy, you won’t do better than one of these models.
  • Instant hydration – With plumbed-in options (more on that later) you can enjoy unlimited chilled water, filtered water and even iced cubes or crushed ice on demand.

Cons

  • Can it be too big for you? – It’s advised that you keep your fridge at least two-thirds full. Not only does this help to keep your food cool, it can maintain efficiency. So it’s worth asking whether you want so much refrigeration and freezer space.
  • Space – Another downside based on size, if you have a smaller kitchen it’s worth asking whether your American-style fridge freezer would look out of place or take up much-needed room?

Types of American-Style Fridge Freezers

There are two types: side-by-side and French door. Let’s take a look at both.

Side by Side Fridge Freezers

The side-by-side fridge freezer tends to be two-thirds fridge and one-third freezer. It’s layout makes it simple to organise fresh and frozen food by category per shelf.

They also tend to have compartments in the door for even more storage space. This makes it even easier to separate your foods and view everything at once.

With a side-by-side configuration, you can arrange both your fridge and freezer so that the items you consume most often or need to be eaten soon are at eye level and within reach.

American-style side-by-side freezers are the most common choice and are fast becoming the norm in households.

Browse Our Side by Side American-Style Fridge Freezers

French Door Fridge Freezers

French door fridge freezers, also known as the fridge over freezer style, typically feature the freezer as a pull-out drawer below the two doors at the top of the appliance. This is a popular design because it means the entirety of the fridge is mostly at eye level. It also means that there is extra fridge space than with standard fridge freezers.

This type of fridge freezer is a great option for households that buy more fresh food than they do frozen food. So if you’re looking for more storage shelves and a smaller freezer compartment, this is the appliance for you.

The main drawbacks include having to bend down to open the freezer compartment and having fewer freezer drawers compared to some side by side models, so you will have to stack items on top of each other.

Browse Our French Door American-Style Fridge Freezers

Is an American-Style Fridge Freezer Right For You?

Before taking the leap and investing in a stunning new American-style fridge freezer, perhaps consider the following to ensure you’re making the best choice for you and your household.

Don’t worry if you decide against the American-style, we have plenty of ‘regular’ fridge freezers that we’re sure will look perfect in your kitchen.

Shop Our Range of American-Style Fridge Freezers

What is Your Budget?

There’s no doubt that an American-style fridge freezer is an expensive investment, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best the market can offer for your money.

Expect to pay anything between £800 and £2,000 depending on the size and features you’re looking for. While you might be surprised at the cost, their advantages can soon outweigh the initial outlay.

What Size Are You Looking For?

Standard fridge freezers range between 50cm and 70cm in width, while American-style fridge freezers come in at 90cm wide or more. They’re also deeper than traditional fridge freezers, at around the 70cm to 80cm mark. You’ll also need to make sure there’s enough space to open both doors or pull out the drawers if you’ve gone for a French-style design.

Don’t forget to think about the height as well as the width. Your average model is 175-200cm high.

We recommend that our customers measure their available space before committing. Be sure to measure:

  • The dimensions carefully – you want to make sure your fridge freezer sits perfectly in your desired space,
  • The doorways that your new appliance will need to get through to make it into your kitchen.

Considering the above, an alternative is to check whether your supplier can remove the appliance doors to get in through your doorways (our delivery team can do this for just £20).

Do You Want Your Fridge Freezer to be Plumbed Directly in?

American-style fridge freezers come in both plumbed and non-plumbed varieties.

A plumbed-in fridge freezer is when your unit is connected to your water supply. Having an American-style fridge freezer with plumbed-in water and ice dispensers means you have a constant supply of ice-cold, filtered water and ice on demand. A real game-changer.

As you might be able to guess, a non-plumbed version is not connected to your water supply. Instead, they have a removable water tank that you fill up and refill manually. This way, you can still enjoy all the benefits of a plumbed-in model with an ice dispenser, even if it’s not possible for you to have it plumbed in. An added benefit of non-plumbed models is that you can install them wherever you like.

What Features Are You Interested In?

Thanks to their size, American-style fridge freezers have the capacity to incorporate a variety of features. Here are some of the available options:

Water and Ice Dispensers

As briefly mentioned above, the most common feature you’ll find in an American-style fridge freezer are instant ice and water dispensers. This feature is great all year round, but particularly so during hot summer months.

Some models will have these built into their units individually as well. So, if you want one and not the other, you can get precisely what you want.

Quiet Mark

If you like things nice and quiet then a Quiet Mark certified American-style fridge freezer is a fantastic investment. Each appliance is tested by decibel level, tone frequency and more. Only when an appliance falls between 10-20% of the quietest products is it awarded a Quiet Mark certification.

Family Hub

Samsung offers a ‘Family Hub’ feature. This model has an integrated multimedia touchscreen system. With a 21.5-inch interface, you can look inside your fridge without opening it and you can search for recipes using voice commands.

With its family planner and calendar functions you can display lists, pictures and drawings. It even plays music and has TV Mirroring, so you can grab a bite and not miss a thing.

You don’t have to compromise on functionality either, since this model has a water and ice dispenser, a really sleek design, and bags of storage space. Perfect for the busy, modern household.

Instaview

If you’re a fan of LG as a brand, they have a unique ‘Instaview’ feature that is proving to be a top seller at Appliance City.

Essentially, these models have a door that opens to another compartment within the unit for all your favourite items. Think of the stuff you most frequently go to the fridge for. You put them in your ‘Instaview’ compartment and with a swift two knocks on the glass this compartment is lit up without opening the door.

By reducing how often you open the fridge door, you’ll save energy and your food will stay fresher for longer – win win!

What Else Should You Know Before You Start Shopping?

So, you’ve almost made your mind up that an American-style fridge freezer is right for you. That’s great! Here are two more things we think you should know before shopping our magnificent range:

How Much Does an American-Style Fridge Freezer Cost to Run?

According to Which, it can cost between £95 and £183 each year to run an American-style fridge freezer. These models do have higher running costs than standard models, so it’s worth considering the impact for your energy bills before investing. If you want lower running costs, we recommend choosing a French door model or a model with a good energy rating.

Are American-Style Fridge Freezers Energy Efficient?

As with all appliances, the energy rating varies from model to model. Some options will have a higher rating than others. We’ve explained a bit more about the energy consumption of American-style fridge freezers here. We’ve answered more questions in our American-style fridge freezers FAQs article.

Ready to Shop?

The breadth of information in this article has hopefully helped you decide not only if an American-style fridge freezer is right for your household, but has sparked some ideas of what features you’d like in your new fridge freezer.

Feel free to browse our selection and get in touch if you need any help or advice.

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