American style fridge/freezers

[PAH]

Moving house and need a new fridge/freezer. Seen those american style ones in Comet/Currys etc and want to know if there's a model that allows you to fill the water/ice dispenser by hand rather than needing to have it plumbed in and drawing water from the normal supply?

Intend placing whatever I get at the other side of the kitchen and don't want a pipe running around but really like the idea of having cold (drinkable!) water and ice on tap, especially for the summer. Also want to be able to use bottled water rather than the filth that comes out of the taps.

Downloaded a user guide for the Samsung range and it does appear one of the models (at least) allows the water dispenser to be hand-filled, but unfortunately as the guide covers all models with various sections flagged as optional I can't work out which models provide this facility.

Any help much apppreciated, otherwise I'll just stick to a normal fridge/freezer as there are one or two models with water dispensers, but not ice.

[Mac Man]

any particular reason for not wanting to plumb it in (besides taste)?

Most plumbed in ones come with a filter that will remove most of the crap taste. You can bet your boots that the day you need ice you'll realise you haven't filled it up recently. And with one that you fill by hand the water will need to be changed regularly (if not used up everyday) as it's basically standing water. So sticking bottled water in may not be ideal. I think you may find that they are more hassle than plumbing mains water in. Especially if the supply can be pre-treated.

We bought a Maytag from Currys (at a good price I thought) in that black crackle finish. It makes a huge amount of ice which can be dispensed either crushed or cubed. The ice is made constantly and is always full. There must a 6 litre ice capacity in there. Enough for the most demanding barbecue/party.

i was amazed by how much we use it, now that the facility is there. especially at the moment

[PAH]

Maybe part of me was hoping I could sneak some beer in the dispenser and have nice cold draught on tap for the footy

Main reason I was wondering is so I can get the fridge and worry about the plumbing later if possible as I'd need to route the pipe through the back of several units and along the skirting or something, so not a straight forward plug in and go proposition.

I suppose if they come with a proper filter that's replacable/cleanable then that would go some way to making the tap water drinkable without risking limescale issues ruining the fridge.

[benny.c]

The pipe that supplies the water is tiny - about 5mm dia - so it's very easy to fit and hide away. As stated above, the filter does a good job in removing the tap water taste and can be replaced in a matter of minutes. The Samsung we have has a indicator that tells you when to change the filter.

[Mac Man]

We have a standard 'mains' pipe that goes under the floorboards to the fridge location and there is a 1.5m connecting pipe to the actual unit.

Our filter is easily replaceable and has a light to warn it needs changing.

The water itself isn't chilled as it comes straight off the mains. But it's filtered and the ice is just there. I actually thought our ice maker was bust at first. Until I realised it was going to take a few hours for it to create enough ice to be dispensed

But it's ace and I love the convenience - as do the rest of the family. The Maytag seemed a very good buy... £900. Most Maytags are usually £1500 upwards. I think this may have been a new entry level model for the UK market as there were a few internet sites selling them.

It seems you are paying a lot for special finishes on some of these fridges - especially some of the Samsung and LG models which appear to be identical except that some have mirrored doors or stainless steel all round.

A lot of the cheaper units have very plain sides, which won't look to great if the fridge is going to be free standing.

[Nick_UK]

Upright freezers are so expensive to run compared to chest freezers. Every time you open the door, all the cold air inside the freezer falls to the floor, and all the hot air from the ceiling rushes in.

[PAH]

Yes, noticed there's supposedly some models with 'flaps' on the front to access part of the fridge (though haven't seen any in the shops so far) so the whole door doesn't need opening. Plus if there's a dispenser then the fridge doesn't need opening to get out drinks, providing water is posh enough!

[Mac Man]

Originally Posted by Nick_UK

Upright freezers are so expensive to run compared to chest freezers. Every time you open the door, all the cold air inside the freezer falls to the floor, and all the hot air from the ceiling rushes in.

Ours has an 'A' rating and is a damn sight more useable than the old chest freezer we used have

[vnb]

We have one of these - the samsung RL39WBMS1
http://www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/30_122831.html

This is filled by hand. We use a britta water filter thing to fill it - no limescale or other issues. Had it for 2 years ,very happy with it.

regards,
vnb

[Drd]

Originally Posted by Chris Lamle

Ours has an 'A' rating and is a damn sight more useable than the old chest freezer we used have

That and the fact the kids don't fall into it when they raid it for a lolly.

I've the opposite problem PAH,I've got the plumbing ready,been there for 6 years,but my fridge and freezer refuse to give up.

[PAH]

Good luck waiting for your current one to pack in, my old folks have had the same chest freezer for the last 30 odd years! Doubt it's anywhere near class A rated though.

That Samsung (RL39WBMS1) is similar to the ones I've seen that are more like ordinary fridge/freezers but with the water dispenser facility. Maybe I'm too lazy to bash my own ice out or I like the style of the american ones (ok, pose factor!) but one of these types is certainly the fall-back option. Noticed they don't recommend putting anything except pure water in the dispenser, which is a shame, though I'm sure I've seen one in PowerHouse or somewhere with a pipe and proper tap for hooking up a mini-keg or something!

I can't believe how hard it is deciding on a fridge!

[vnb]

The samsung has a big ice bucket, where you empty the trays into - a twiddly knob thing that drops the ice into the bucket.

I would have thought putting anything other than water in is not a good idea - I think it would stain and you'll be cleaning it forever.

[Beobloke]

Pah! Sod water - what you want's a Barfly beer fridge!!

http://www.barfly.ca/english/intro.html

[Mr_Wistles]

I just bought the Samsung yank one.

The fridge is massive but I was suprised at how small the freezer part is, the ice machine takes up about 1/4 of the space.

I can post some pictures of it if you like.

[PAH]

Seen them in the shops. The Samsung model range is a bit confusing to say the least. There's about 20 models and on the surface not a lot of difference between them all. The Samsung website doesn't clarify things much either.

Still the prices are pretty good, starting around £700, and half the reason I got interested in them in the first place, you can spend at least half that on a decent 'normal' fridge/freezer.

The lack of freezer space doesn't worry me as it'll encourange healthier eating than just living off frozen food and bunging it in the microwave. Not to mention plenty of space to store all the drinks. I know several people that run two fridges, one for everyday stuff and one for the important stuff (booze and drinks!). So overall these big mothers are probably more efficient