Fridges - What to look for in a new refrigerator

Published: December 16, 2021 Last Updated: June 07, 2022

When redesigning your kitchen, choosing the right appliances for your home and family features is a large part of the decision making. Finding the best fit for your budget and your needs takes some extensive research to ensure this major household purchase will still fit your family in 5 or 10 years.

Advanced technology and 'outside the box' thinking means the fridge of the near future is going to be very different from designs of the past, ie the big cold box. Designs are becoming more user friendly and eco friendly.

One of the trending designs is the French door fridge. This design allows for extra-wide space inside the fridge to cater for large trays or plates. It also means the door can be opened in smaller sections, leading to minimum loss of cooling each time the fridge is accessed.

The 'one temperature fits all' idea is now extinct with multi-zone cooling systems which enable you to set different temperatures for various sections of the fridge. The new Samsung fridge (above) has 4 areas which can be independently temperature controlled to adapt to all your food or drink requirements.

Shelving systems are becoming more flexible with kitchen appliance companies introducing rotating shelves to access those items that always seem to get pushed to the back. Compartments which specifically cater for drinks such as bottle racks and can deep drawers. Retractable shelves or easily adjustable shelving are fitted to accommodate tall items such as jugs or bottles.

Many of the new refrigerators on the market use LED lighting to reduce power consumption and minimise heat omitted. Unlike the traditional incandescent globes LED lights provide maximum light with a reduced effect on the temperature of the fridge. Appliance companies seem to be using more lighting throughout the fridge to eliminate dark spots which occur from the 'one top light' design of the past.

Air purifiers are becoming commonplace in newer models. Purifying the air is said to minimise food odours and keep the food fresher for longer. You will no longer taste last night's curry in the butter on your morning toast.

Ice makers and chilled water dispensers have been around since the 80s but this add on has become much more space-saving and user friendly. Some models fit the dispenser in the width of the door so no fridge space is taken up.

Add on features are taking the fridge to the next step in home convenience. Whirlpool has added a coffee machine to the design of its refrigerators (assuring consumers that the heat of the machine would not affect the fridge cooling). Some companies are integrating an LCD touch screen into the door of the fridge to enable the user to add to an online shopping list, access recipes or just surf the net. We think this would be handy to post reminders to the family or, for the dieters, reasons why we shouldn't open the fridge door.

Aesthetically the fridge is looking better than ever. Gone are the boring white gloss finishes which show up every speck and smudge. We now have brushed stainless steel which is fingerprint resistant and designed to match all the other appliances in your kitchen. For those without the small sticky hand issue, the look is black supreme glass. If these options are still a little conservative there are magnet companies which make whole fridge magnets in a myriad of designs to cater to your creative side. Of course, we can't mention style and creativity without mentioning the Smeg fridge, the ultimate in hipster cool.

Each year Electrolux runs a Design Lab award which invites young designers to present their ideas for future appliances. Here is one idea of what our fridge of the future may look like, the Electrolux Bio-Robot Refrigerator.

Whatever fridge you choose for your new kitchen ensure your measurements are accurate. Everyone has heard horror stories about the appliance that didn't fit. Better still get Haddon Kitchens to do it.

For more information, check out our Kitchen Gallery for design ideas or contact us on 3204 0399.