Few appliances matter more day to day than the fridge freezer. It runs 24 hours a day, every day, for a decade or more — which makes it both the most-used thing in your kitchen and the one where running costs actually add up.
Here's how to choose the right one, and what to check before you order.
Step one: freestanding or integrated?
Freestanding models stand on their own with finished sides. Cheaper, easier to replace, and you can take one with you. They also tend to offer more capacity for the money, because they are not constrained by cabinet dimensions.
Integrated models sit behind a door that matches your units, so the kitchen reads as one run. You pay more and get slightly less capacity for the same external size, because of the housing around them.
The Indesit IB55732WUK 287 litre 50/50 freestanding at £350 and the Indesit INC18D011B 273 litre 70/30 integrated at £449 make the trade-off clear: near-identical footprint, the integrated one costs £99 more and holds 14 litres less.
Step two: what split do you need?
This is the decision people get wrong most often, and it is genuinely worth thinking about rather than defaulting.
- 70/30 — more fridge than freezer. Right if you shop fresh, cook most nights, and keep frozen food to peas, bread and ice cream.
- 60/40 — the middle ground, and the most common choice for a family.
- 50/50 — equal halves. Right if you batch cook, buy frozen in bulk, or shop once a fortnight.
Be honest about which of those describes you. A household that batch cooks on a Sunday will fill a 70/30 freezer in one afternoon.
The SIA SFF20050WE 302 litre 60/40 tall freestanding at £415 is the sensible middle for most homes, with low frost and a practical split.
Step three: frost free or low frost?
Frost free circulates dry air so ice never forms. You never defrost it. The trade-off is slightly higher running cost and marginally less usable space, and some people find it dries unwrapped food faster.
Low frost slows ice build-up but does not eliminate it — you will defrost occasionally, perhaps once a year.
If you have ever chipped ice out of a freezer with a wooden spoon, pay for frost free. The Smeg 70/30 integrated frost free at £749.99 is the premium integrated option.
Step four: energy rating and running cost
A fridge freezer never switches off, so the energy label matters here more than on any other appliance. The UK scale runs A to G, and the difference between a D and a B over ten years is real money.
Check the annual kWh figure on the label rather than the letter alone — a large A-rated appliance can still use more electricity than a small C-rated one, because the rating is relative to size. Our energy labels guide explains how to read it properly.
Step five: the features worth having
- Salad crispers with humidity control — the single feature that most visibly reduces food waste.
- Adjustable glass shelves — so a tall bottle or a large casserole actually fits.
- Reversible door — check which way it opens before ordering. In a corner or beside a wall, this decides whether the appliance is usable.
- Noise rating — in an open-plan kitchen, the low 40s dB is quiet and the high 40s is not.
- 4-star freezer rating — means it can freeze fresh food, not just store what is already frozen.
If you need something bigger
For larger households, an American-style fridge freezer gives you considerably more of both, usually with a water and ice dispenser. Our American fridge freezers guide covers widths, plumbing and what the formats actually give you, and the side-by-side integrated guide covers the built-in equivalent.
Before you order
- Measure the space including clearance. A fridge freezer needs air behind and above it to shed heat. Boxing one in tightly shortens its life.
- Measure the route in — doorways, turns and stairs.
- Check the door swing against adjacent units and walls.
- Let it stand before switching on. If it travelled lying down or tilted, leave it upright for several hours first so the refrigerant settles.
Our measuring guide walks through all of it.
The quick answer
- Best value freestanding: the Indesit 287 litre 50/50 at £350.
- Best all-round: the SIA 302 litre 60/40 at £415.
- Fitted kitchen: the Indesit 273 litre 70/30 integrated at £449.
- Premium integrated, never defrost it: the Smeg 70/30 integrated frost free at £749.99.
Browse the full fridge freezer range. If yours has stopped cooling, our guide to a fridge freezer that isn't working covers the checks worth doing before you replace it.
Prices correct at September 2026.
