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Refrigeration buying guide
Refrigerators are one of the most important appliances in our homes. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, and have an array of different features – from water coolers and ice dispensers to a series of different energy ratings.
This easy-to-follow guide outlines everything you’ll need to choose the right appliance, at the best price, to suit your family needs.
Look out for the ‘Our Experts Love’ range to find refrigerators that showcase the best and most useful features.
And of course, if you want to see what’s on offer for yourself, come down to one of our stores and we’ll be happy to help find the right appliance for you.
CONTENTS:
Fridges
The answer to this depends on your available space, shopping habits and whether you already have a freezer.
If you have a freezer, then a larder fridge is a great choice. There’s no ice box so you get maximum space for fresh food. A larder fridge also doesn’t need to be defrosted.
If you don’t have a freezer, then go for a fridge with an ice box or built-in freezer compartment. This will let you store small amounts of frozen food or freeze fresh items when they’re nearing their sell-by date.
You’ll then need to consider which fridge size you need, which is answered below, along with your budget.
Once you have this info, you can check out our fridges online or pop in-store, where one of our colleagues will show you a range of fridges that are the right size, with the right features, in the optimum price range for your needs.
Which size fridge you need depends on the size of your family, storage space and budget. The bigger your family, the bigger your fridge will need to be. You’ll also need to measure your available space to see what your kitchen will allow. Do you need a tall, narrow fridge, or a wider, shorter fridge to store under a worktop?
Another aspect to consider is how often you shop. Do you do weekly big-shops, which require more storage? Or grab smaller amounts on the way home from work each day, which require less?
There are a variety of fridge sizes available, to fit your home, shopping habits and family. Once you know what your needs are, and what budget you have, it will make your decision a lot clearer.
Below are the main styles of fridge to choose from.
Under-counter fridges are shorter, more compact and can also include flexible storage, Fast Chill and automatic defrost features. They’re a great all-rounder, and work best in smaller houses where space is at a premium.
Tall models let you store more fresh food, and will often have compartments for storing different foods, such as vegetables, raw meat and eggs. Tall fridges also offer a variety of user-friendly features, such as Fast Chill and automatic defrosting, and can be paired with a tall freezer for the ultimate fridge-freezer combo.
Standard fridges
Standard fridges often include an ice box compartment for storing small amounts of frozen goods or ice, which is great if you need to freeze specific items or don't regularly freeze food. The ice box, however, can take up space in the fridge, which will limit the amount of fresh food you can store.
Larder fridges
Larder fridges do not include an ice box, offering maximum fresh food storage with an array of shelves and salad crisper drawers. They also don’t need defrosting, saving you time and effort.
Delivery
You can choose from a range of delivery prices and times when you order online. We deliver every day of the week, and even offer next-day, free delivery at a time to suit you – just some of the reasons why 93% of Currys PC World customers rate our delivery service as reliable.
For all the info about deliveries, head to our delivery page.
Recycling
You can recycle your old appliance with us in two ways – when we deliver your new appliance, which starts from only £15, or free in-store.
If you want us to recycle your old appliance upon delivery, simply add the recycling service when you’re at the checkout. For in-store recycling, simply bring your appliance with you and we will take care of the rest. You don’t even have to buy anything. We accept everything from computers to toasters, and floor cleaners to TVs, whether bought from us or someone else.
For more information, including terms and conditions, please visit our recycling page.
To do this safely, you will need a qualified electrician to install your fridge for you. Luckily, we have a nationwide team of over 600 engineers, and install more electrical appliances than anyone else in the UK. We’ll take care the entire process for you, and are available 7 days a week. Find out more here.
When purchasing an integrated appliance, be aware that the fittings will differ depending on the type of installation, the cupboard door however is the key difference.
Fixed Hinges
If the cupboard door is fully attached to the door of the appliance and moves in unison, there will be only one set of hinges. These hinges are part of the appliance and known as fixed hinges.
Sliding Hinges
If the cupboard door has a sliding action whilst opening and closing, there will be two sets of hinges involved, one set are cabinet hinges (and therefore not a part of the appliance). The other set are fixed hinges and are part of the appliance, there will also be plastic sliders connecting the door of the appliance to the cabinet.
Make use of the fridge features listed below. They will help you arrange your storage space according to your shopping habits, and make your life more convenient.
Choose the ideal fridge/freezer combo
Our extensive range allows you to match your fridge with a complementary freezer to store your groceries as you require, considering space, budget and shopping habits.
Wine racks
A wine rack helps you maximise the rest of your fridge space by keeping those precious bottles of Riesling, rose and Chardonnay securely supported, perfectly chilled and out of the way. If, however, you like to store a larger amount of wine, it may be worth investing in a wine cooler. It will save space in your fridge and give you perfectly chilled wine whenever you want.
Salad crispers
Store your fresh vegetables, salad and fruit in a dedicated drawer that maintains freshness and crispness, keeping nutrients locked in. A salad crisper also helps prevent the transfer of odours between vegetables and other items in the fridge, as well as germs from raw meat and fish.
Reversible doors
With a reversible door hinge, you'll be able to configure your fridge according to the layout of your kitchen. You can open the fridge door to the left or right, so you're not restricted by the position of cupboards and other appliances.
Water dispensers
Some premium fridges feature a water dispenser that lets you enjoy chilled water whenever you like. Dispensers are usually fed by a dedicated, filtered compartment which you can top up manually, though filters must be periodically replaced to ensure optimum freshness. You can also get some water dispensing fridges that connect to the mains water supply.
Fridges are labelled with energy ratings and the running cost per year to help you manage your energy bills. Opting for a more energy-efficient fridge is one of the best ways to your trim your energy bills, as they are one of the few household appliances which need to be on 24/7.
Work out your annual running costs by multiplying kWh used by 0.1427 (the average national cost of electricity + VAT). Costs may vary according the price of your local electricity supply.
Freezers
An upright freezer is the ideal partner for an upright fridge, and are available in a range of heights and widths for optimum storage. They’re great if you have big storage needs but don’t have a lot of floor space, as the storage volume comes from the height of the appliance, as opposed to the width.
[Chest freezers](/appliances/refrigeration/freezers/chest-freezers let you freeze food in bulk – they're great for large households and help cut down on shopping trips. Go for a chest freezer with a 4-star freezer rating, as it remains colder which means you can safely store food for up to 12 months.
With their top-opening design, some can be installed in a garage, utility room or outbuilding, giving you a great secondary storage option
Frost-free freezers prevent icy build up, so you won't need to defrost them – plus you'll have more storage space. This means you can save time and effort, as you won’t have to go through the laborious defrosting process like with static freezers.
Static freezers require manual defrosting periodically to ensure optimum performance and storage conditions.
Fridges are labelled with energy ratings and the running cost per year to help you manage your energy bills. Opting for a more energy-efficient fridge is one of the best ways to your trim your energy bills, as they are one of the few household appliances which need to be on 24/7.
Work out your annual running costs by multiplying kWh used by 0.1427 (the average national cost of electricity + VAT). Costs may vary according the price of your local electricity supply.
How long you can store frozen food depends on the freezer’s rating, which ranges from 1-star to 4-star. The higher the rating, the colder the freezer and the longer you can store food safely. A 4-star rating means you can safely store food for up to 12 months. Lower ratings are for short-term storage only.
1-star ice box – operates at a minimum temperature of -6 degrees Celsius
2-star ice box – operates at a minimum temperature of -12 degrees Celsius
3-star ice box – operates at a minimum temperature of -18 degrees Celsius
4-star freezer – operates at a minimum temperature of -18 degrees Celsius
Transparent drawers
Transparent drawers let you easily check the amount and condition of your remaining groceries, without having to constantly open drawers and let cold air escape.
Extra-large drawers for larger items
Some freezers have an extra-large drawer or basket for storing large, awkward goods such as Christmas turkeys, large cuts of meat or whole fish.
Ice facilities
Most freezers include ice cube trays, and some tall models even offer twist ice trays and house a convenient and easy-to-use ice dispenser for keeping drinks cool year-round.
Fast Freeze
This ingenious function rapidly lowers the freezer’s temperatures so fresh foods are frozen quicker. Fast freezing locks in nutrients for freshness when defrosting. It's perfect for food that's warmed up on the trip home from the supermarket, or when you need to quickly chill a bottle of wine.
Freezer rating
A 4-star freezer rating means the appliance can safely store frozen food for up to 12 months. Lower ratings are for short-term storage only. The ratings are:
1-star ice box – operates at a minimum temperature of -6 degrees Celsius
2-star ice box – operates at a minimum temperature of -12 degrees Celsius
3-star ice box – operates at a minimum temperature of -18 degrees Celsius
4-star freezer – operates at a minimum temperature of -18 degrees Celsius
Delivery
You can choose from a range of delivery prices and times when you order online. We deliver every day of the week, and even offer next-day, free delivery at a time to suit you – just some of the reasons why 93% of Currys customers rate our delivery service as reliable.
For all the info about deliveries, head to our delivery page.
Recycling
You can recycle your old appliance with us in two ways – when we deliver your new appliance, which starts from only £15, or free in-store.
If you want us to recycle your old appliance upon delivery, simply add the recycling service when you’re at the checkout. For in-store recycling, simply bring your appliance with you anytime and we will take care of the rest. You don’t even have to buy anything. We accept everything from computers to toasters, and floor cleaners to TVs, whether bought from us or someone else. For more information, including terms and conditions, please visit our recycling page.
Size
Choose a small model to store extra desserts, frozen vegetables and ready meals. If you want to accommodate larger cuts of meat, bags of ice and bulky groceries that won't fit in your upright freezer, go for a larger chest freezer. If you do, you can dramatically cut down the number of trips you make to the supermarket, and just pick up additional fresh food items as you require.
Storage facilities
Many chest freezers include one or more storage baskets suspended over the main compartment – use them to store smaller items like bags of frozen vegetables or oven chips for easy location and to prevent spillages.
Mini-freezers
Mini-freezers offer convenient extra storage in your bedroom or kitchen, and help save space in small homes. You can also use them for chilling drinks at parties or barbecues in the garden. Most also come with Frost Free technology, so you won’t need to defrost them.
Under-counter freezers
Compact and convenient, under-counter models suit smaller homes and make ideal secondary freezers. They also often include flexible storage, Fast Freeze and Frost-Free features.
Tall freezers
Tall freezers give you maximum storage space. Some models also offer useful extra features like Fast Freeze and Frost-Free technology. This means you can chill food and drinks quickly, and won’t have to do laborious defrosting.
Fridge Freezers
The wide choice of fridge freezers on the market can seem a bit overwhelming when it comes time to buy one. But don’t worry, follow our simple advice and you’ll be sure to make the right choice.
First, measure the width and distance from the wall of where you’ll store your new fridge freezer. Once you have these dimensions, you can narrow down the choice of fridges and then decide how much storage space you’ll need, which is decided by the height.
For example, if you have a larger family, you can opt for a taller fridge freezer with more storage. If it’s just for two people, it can be shorter. This will further narrow down your choice so you can move onto fine-tuning which fridge freezer is right for you based on other factors such as energy efficiency and other features.
Your fridge freezer is one of the only household appliances that needs to be on 24/7. The energy rating tells you how efficient it is, and much it will help you cut down your electricity bill. Ratings range from A+ to A+++, so there’s a wide choice which can make a real difference to your monthly outgoings.
We don’t really have to tell you how irritating it can be to defrost your fridge freezer every few months. A frost-free fridge freezer means you will never have to defrost again. This also means you can store more groceries for longer due to no icy build up.
Another great money-saving tip is choosing a model with built-in food preservation functionality. Specially designed airflow cooling technology maintains an even temperature to keep your food fresher for longer, and there’s even special compartments to store fish, meat, fruit and vegetables at the optimum temperature.
American-style fridge freezers
Bigger, designed with multiple sections, and often with a built-in water cooler, American-style fridge freezers can be one of the best choices for larger families.
Multi-door fridge freezers offer extra space and great flexibility for storing your groceries. You can also organise your food into separate compartments, so food storage is healthier by reducing the risk for contamination from raw meat or fish to vegetables and fruit.
This really depends on which American-style fridge freezer you choose and what is right for you. There are fridges available that don’t require plumbing and dispense water from a tank built in to the door, and you can even get slim-line tanks to save more space. This means you can store it anywhere in the kitchen and you will not need to connect it to the mains water supply.
Other American-style models, many of which also have ice dispensers, do require a connection to the main water supply, but the advantage of this is that you will never have to refill the tank when it runs out.
Wine coolers
We have a nationwide team of over 1000 delivery and install experts. They will unbox your wine cooler, put it in place, level it and take away the packaging all as part of our delivery service. We will take care of the entire process for you, and deliveries are available 7 days a week. Simply ask about delivery services in-store or select delivery at the online check out. *Excludes integrated wine coolers
Depending on whether you're a keen collector or regularly serve wine, you'll want to pick a wine cooler that offers ideal storage conditions and maintains the right temperature for instant enjoyment.
Capacity range
Smaller chillers are great for keeping choice bottles ready for serving, while you may want a larger 60-bottle model to store and mature your collection. For the serious wine enthusiast, big 120-bottle coolers are the answer.
Flexible storage
Entry-level models often feature fixed shelving, while premium models may offer roll-out, angled shelves for easier bottle viewing and retrieval. Look for adjustable wood or chrome shelves if you want to store extra bubbly for a party.
Yes. As with capacity, it's important to pick a wine cooler with the right storage conditions for your favourite wines. You can get both single-zone coolers, which maintain one temperature, and dual-zone wine coolers, which offer two.
Single-zone wine coolers
Single temperature wine coolers are designed for long-term storage and ageing of one type of wine. One temperature is maintained throughout the appliance. They are ideal for wine collectors, since all wine should be stored at 55 degrees and 55-75% relative humidity for proper ageing.
Dual-zone wine coolers
Dual-zone coolers offer two temperatures and are ideal if you regularly enjoy different wines or entertain often and want to serve wine, champagne or both at the best drinking temperature. You can also age one wine while using the other compartment for chilling champagne to be served at a party.
Wine coolers with two temperature zones can also be set to accommodate red and white wines simultaneously, keeping them in the right conditions so they taste their best when it's time to pour. The recommended serving temperature for white wine is between 7 to 10°C, while red is best served between 10 and 18°C. Champagne is best served chilled, between 6 and 11°C, and rose between 7 and 13°C.
It's important to maintain the ideal humidity conditions and temperature when you store wine. Dry storage dries out corks, while excessive moisture allows mould to grow. That’s why we offer wine coolers with specially designed features to help maintain correct humidity and temperature levels, which prevent your wine from being spoiled.
Humidity controls
Many of our wine coolers offer humidity adjustment controls and air ventilation. Some models include charcoal filters, while fanned refrigeration quickly recovers interior temperatures and keeps unwanted odours at bay.
Delivery
You can choose from a range of delivery prices and times when you order online. We deliver every day of the week, and even offer next-day, free delivery at a time to suit you – just some of the reasons why 93% of Currys customers rate our delivery service as reliable.
For all the info about deliveries, head to our delivery page.
Recycling
You can recycle your old appliance with us in two ways – when we deliver your new appliance, which starts from only £15, or free in-store.
If you want us to recycle your old appliance upon delivery, simply add the recycling service when you’re at the checkout. For in-store recycling, simply bring your appliance with you anytime and we will take care of the rest. You don’t even have to buy anything. We accept everything from computers to toasters, and floor cleaners to TVs, whether bought from us or someone else. For more information, including terms and conditions, please visit our recycling page.