New Fridge Freezer Advice

elsmandino

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Hello there.

My Fridge Freezer has literally just packed up - dreadful timing.

It was a LG GRF459BSCA - if you type that model into Google, virtually nothing comes up, so it is pretty old and definitely not worth trying to fix.

The serial number begins with "801", which suggests the very beginning of 2008.

I have done a bit of research and have overwhelmed myself a bit.

My main requirements are that I do not want a water dispenser (our old one had it and we literally never used it).

The fridge should be tall (given that we have a high roof in our kitchen), but no more than about 60 cms wide.

How much is it reasonable to spend on a fridge freezer, these days? (e.g. is there a minimum spend to get something worthwhile).

Are there any brands to look for/avoid?

What sort of rating should I be looking for? A+ and A++ seem the norm at the moment - is it worth paying more for the latter?

Any pointers would be very much appreciated.
 
Unlike a dishwasher or washing machine I'd say fridge freezers are much of a muchness.

I've only bought cheaper brands such as HiSense, Candy, Indesit etc for my rental properties and was that impressed with a HiSense one I got one for myself. Yes try and get one that's energy efficient and has features you like and the right size but I'd buy pretty much anything that was within budget and wouldn't spend any extra on a premium brand like Siemens, Bosch or Miele.
I also wouldn't spend extra on a longer warranty unless it was included in the price and wasn't paying a large premium for it.

I've only ever had one fridge freezer give me issues and that was a Russell Hobbs where it broke down twice in warranty, was repaired, then replaced only to break again as soon as the warranty was done.
 
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We've a Samsung Fridge Freezer since 2011 and it's been pretty damn good. It's a big fridge (60%) with a smaller freezer (40%) underneath. It was well over £400 back then and now a similar one is just under. It doesn't have the water chiller / ice maker function. The door is big enough for a Brita filter which we have.
This is similar to what we have.
As Bob says they're all much of a muchness, if you actually looked at the different brands you'll see that a lot of them are all owned by the same parent company!
I'd say set yourself a price, look at various white goods sites (AO, Currys, John Lewis, appliances direct) and sort them by customer review and then pick one at random!
AO are OK but don't be pressured by their obsession with selling you their £9:99 a month warranty, cheeky buggers.
 
Thanks guys.

One other quick thing - how important is it to leave a gap between both sides of the fridge?

I have read that some Bosch models are "perfect fit", which means that they are able to go tight up against walls on either side.

However, I have also read that as long as there a gap along the back wall and at the top, any fridge can have cabinets/walls tight up against the sides.
 
The back of a fridge can get quite warm when the compressor is running so some airflow around them would be advised. A lot of fridges can be built in to cabinets now so I'd say just make sure it's not right tight up to the back wall and it'll be fine to be tight round the sides.
 
Look in the documents for each one. Many are 5mm each side now and many are still 25-50mm most still need a back clearance and top clearance. There is no standard answer anymore unfortunately.
 
Can’t recommend Hisense ,door handle snapped off 3 emails to customer service not even the courtesy to answer needed a new electric loom in door the alarm for the door kept going off even when shut properly All within 2 months of guarantee running out.Never get anything Hisense again
 
For cost vs quality Liebherr is by far the best choice, if it has to be cheaper then Koreans ( Samsung, LG ) or Turkish , similar price but better quality than Chinese ( at least you can get parts if you need them ) so Beko over Hisense every time.
 
+1 for Liebherr. Had my Miele fridge freezer for 12 years and it just wasn't the same any more - noisy, door seals getting lose etc. The A+++ Miele replacement i wanted was nearly £900!! However the Liebherr model we bought was almost identical to the Miele in features but around £400 less!!
This is the one we bought, very happy with it :)

 
That LIebherr was almost identical to Miele as it was made in the same factory by the same workers , that is the only make Liebherr would rebadge their domestic produce for, miele do not produce their own bridges/ freezers as they do not sell enough of it to built their own production line ( read many many millions £££ of capital expenses ,they DO make pretty much everything else though ) so you did get same spec machine but without paying for a MIele badge...

I did not even mentioned Miele in original post as I mentioned price vs quality and Miele quality is good but price is too much for fridge/freezers. I'd be happy to pay for washing machine, dishwasher, cooking appliances or vacuum cleaner and in fact I did pay for some of them and I am more than happy with what I bought, just would not pay their fridge, Liebherr every time for me.
 
Yep, I already have a Miele dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer and all are still going strong after 12 years. Can't beat Miele for quality :)
 
I especially bought myself a miele fridge freezer and was very disappointed when found out that they are made by liebherr. Scam what's the point and purposes of them putting their name on an appliance they don't actually make? Also what justifies massive price increase just because it says Miele on?
 
I especially bought myself a miele fridge freezer and was very disappointed when found out that they are made by liebherr. Scam what's the point and purposes of them putting their name on an appliance they don't actually make? Also what justifies massive price increase just because it says Miele on?
Miele do not make any refrigeration equipment - it is all Liebherr made. Miele engineer told me that last week.
 

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