They’re the ultimate kitchen status symbols, offering up plentiful storage and making a big style statement. No wonder sales of American-style fridge freezers continue to grow. What’s more, they’re packed with technologies that preserve fresh food for far longer than ever before, so you’ll throw less away.
In short, if you have space for one, it’s worth chilling the USA way. That's why our appliance experts have put in the hours to bring you our edit of the very best American fridge-freezers.
Scroll down, and you'll also find a buyer's guide with an explanation of new American fridge freezer technologies. Get ready to tuck in to some tasty appliances!
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Say goodbye to playing fridge-freezer Tetris after every big family shop thanks to this super-spacious design. It'll swallow around 30 bags of groceries, plus it has lots of clever features to make your food last longer, including antibacterial door seals, twin cooling and vents to rapidly restore the temperature inside after you've opened the door. Non-plumbed in-door ice and water is another bonus, encouraging the kids to drink more.
Buy Now: Beko ASGN542 side-by-side American fridge freezer, £799, AO.com
When you're wondering how much milk you've got left or whether the kids have eaten the last of the Petits Filous, you don't even need to open the fridge to find out. Knock on the door, and the opaque glass turns transparent, so you can see inside without having to let cool air escape. It's handy when you have sticky hands, and saves both you and the fridge energy! And when you do open it, it's actually a door-in-door design that keeps all your most-used items at the front of the fridge.
It's got a non-plumbed water and ice dispenser, and masses of storage, so it's a good choice for large families. Plus if the fridge freezer isn't working property, you can use an app on your phone to 'talk' to your fridge and diagnose the problem. It could save you a heap of cash in unnecessary call-out bills.
Buy Now: LG GSX961NSAZ American fridge freezer, £1599.99, Currys
If you're plumping for a handleless kitchen, why compromise its clean, modern look with a pair of chunky bars on your fridge freezer? Caple's A+-rated side-by-side solves the problem with its recessed handle model, which also features electronic touch controls with an LED display. One for healthy eaters and fresh food fans, it boasts plenty of versatile storage, from spill-capture adjustable glass shelves to dual salad crisper drawers.
Buy Now: Caple CAFF27 side by side fridge-freezer, £719, Appliance City
It might be especially affordable for a side by side, but this pocket-friendly model doesn't skimp on features. Not only does it have a plumbed ice and water dispenser for endless chilled drinks, its inverter compressor saves energy, ensures it's quiet in an open-plan kitchen and keeps the temperature inside stable with constant monitoring. And for those who like to stand out from the crowd, it comes in this deliciously dramatic black, as well as stainless steel.
Buy Now: Hisense RS696 side-by-side American fridge freezer, £719.99, Argos
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Bottles can be a space hog in the average fridge so for perfectly chilled Prosecco any day of the week, turn to this all-in-one model. Functioning as a fridge, freezer and wine cooler, this Liebherr design also packs in a host of clever kit, such as smooth-running drawers on telescopic rails, an internal ice maker and its VarioSpace storage system, which allows room to be created easily for large items, such as the Christmas turkey. Entertaining? Nailed it.
Buy Now: Liebherr SBSES7165 PremiumPlus side by side fridge freezer, £4599, Appliances Direct
The answer to the age-old problems of running out of fresh milk or discovering a jar at the back with its own ecosystem, the Family Hub includes some seriously clever tech. Three cameras inside allow you to check inside for things you're running low on when you're out shopping while you can track expiry dates from your phone to see what's about to be less than its best. There's also a section that can switch between being a fridge or freezer and it'll even function as a family note board and entertainment system.
Buy Now: Samsung RF56K9540SR Family Hub multi-door fridge freezer, £3999, John Lewis
Two doors are good but four can be better, especially when it comes to this fab fridge freezer. Not only does it include a multi-zone section that can be used as either a fridge or freezer, its touch-screen electronic display is discreet enough not to intrude on its sleek stainless-steel good looks.
Plus, if you fancy a cold drink but forgot to restock your fridge, its Q drink function will chill it down in a flash.
Buy Now: CDA PC900SS Premium quad fridge freezer £1259, Amazon
A buyer's guide to American fridge-freezers
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If you've decided to make space for one, here’s what to look for in an American-style fridge freezer.
Decide on your layout
These giants of the kitchen come in various guises, the most traditional being the Side by Side. This has a tall fridge on one side and a freezer on the other. The main benefit of this layout is you won’t always have to bend down to reach frozen food.
Some Side by Side models now come with an innovative Door-in-Door fridge, which gives quick access your most-used items without letting too much cold air out. Open the outer door to access items you use regularly (we’re thinking condiments, chocolate and wine), or the inner door to get to larger items.
Door and Drawer fridge freezers like the one above are made for entertaining. Their wide fridges behind double doors are ideal for party platters, and the freezer drawers below give easy access to groceries and ice.
Focus on storage
They’re known for their generous capacities, but American-style models vary in the ratio of fridge to freezer space available. So if you like to make meals from scratch most evenings with fresh ingredients, go for a big fridge, but if you prefer to batch cook, prioritise freezer space.
Still unsure? Buy a design with a ‘multi-zone’ that can be switched between a fridge and freezer. That way, you could use it to chill meat and drinks for summer barbecues, then freeze soup and casseroles in winter.
Look for food-preserving features
American–style fridge freezers won’t just store more food, they’re packed with features to preserve it. Let’s start with some disco lighting – no, it’s not there for parties, the flashing blue LEDs in models from the likes of Panasonic and Smeg are actually designed to encourage photosynthesis in your fruit and veg, making them last longer.
Just as supermarkets store different foods in different ways, so should your fridge-freezer. A cool zone in the fridge, set at a temperature of 0-5°C, will keep meat, fish and dairy fresh, and will defrost food slowly and safely. Some have a choice of temperature settings (0°C, 2°C or 4°C for meat, dairy and veg, accordingly). A humidity-controlled drawer, meanwhile, will put an end to mushy cucumbers and frosty lettuce.
In the freezer, look for a fast-freezing function that will chill your fresh food at a rapid rate to lock in more nutrients, and twin cooling – separate air circulation in each compartment so the cold air from the freezer doesn’t dry out the contents of the fridge.
Invest in just a few of these features and you’ll quickly notice that you’re throwing fewer groceries away. According to Whirlpool, a modern fridge-freezer with these features could save the average family over £1,600 in wasted food over a lifetime.
Save energy
Fridge freezers guzzle more energy than any other appliance in the kitchen, as they’re working 24/7 to keep your food cold. Therefore, it’s important that it is energy efficient, especially if you’re considering a large, American-style model. Go for at least an A+ rating, and look for these key features to help keep bills down.
- A no-frost model is a time saver as your fridge and freezer will never need defrosting
- A holiday mode will cut your electricity bill, either by shutting the fridge down when you go away, or bringing it up to around 14°C to keep butter and eggs fresh.
Think about plumbing
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An ice and water dispenser is a real convenience, letting you grab ice for a drink or enjoy a glass of chilled water whenever you want, but check whether it needs to be plumbed into the mains. If it does, you may have to pay for extra plumbing work to be done when it’s installed, but you won’t then have the hassle of refilling the water tank.
Save your kitchen from looking like a scene from The Poseidon Adventure by choosing a water dispenser with a child lock.
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