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How to choose a fridge and freezer

Need a new fridge and/or freezer? Whether you’re looking for appliances as part of planning a brand-new kitchen or want to replace or upgrade what you currently have at home, picking the right fridge and freezer doesn’t have to be as difficult as you may think. Start with this refrigerator buying guide to find the right questions you need to ask yourself before starting your appliances buying journey.

A built-in FORSNÄS fridge behind white VEDDINGE fronts has one door open and there are bright blue packages stored inside.

4 different fridge and freezer types

When choosing appliances, it’s helpful to think about your kitchen layout, the size of your household, and your cooking, socialising, and shopping habits. These are the main IKEA types:

 

  1. Integrated or freestanding under-cabinet fridges, freezers, or fridges with freezer compartment, are perfect for very small kitchens or 1-person households. They’re also practical if you need additional space to complement your regular appliances.
  2. Fridge/freezer combos are ideal for small kitchens and households of 2 to 3 people. Available as integrated or freestanding, a combo uses available space efficiently with a decent amount of storage space.
  3. Full size fridges/freezers – integrated or freestanding – are for large families and people who have a keen interest in cooking or prefer to buy groceries in bulk.
  4. A freestanding French door fridge with two doors and freezer drawers is many people’s dream solution – extensive storage capacity, great overview and easy organisation.

Several fridges and freezers of different sizes and models are placed against a bright yellow-orange background.

Integrated or freestanding fridge/freezer?

Consider what works in your kitchen when choosing an integrated or freestanding fridge/freezer. If you can choose, here are the pros and cons of both types.

Integrated fridge/freezer

Pros: An integrated solution is installed in a kitchen cabinet with a front that matches the rest of your kitchen style, allowing for a sleek and uniform look.

Cons: Since the fridge/freezer is placed inside a cabinet, it has less capacity than a freestanding solution and you lose out on storage space.

Freestanding fridge/freezer

Pros: It generally has more storage capacity than an integrated appliance of a similar size and is easy to install – just place it where you want it and plug it in.

Cons: With a freestanding fridge/freezer, you won’t get a uniform kitchen look.

A freestanding RIBBENÅS French door fridge/freezer is placed next to an integrated FORSNÄS fridge and a FORSNÄS freezer.

Cool efficiently, store wisely

Fridges and freezers are constantly on, so by choosing a product with a high energy class, you can save money on electricity bills. There are other things you can do to make any fridge or freezer run more efficiently and minimise food waste.

 

  1. Ensure it’s airtight. If the door is left slightly open, the appliance must work harder and uses more energy. IKEA has fridges and freezers with acoustic door alarms.
  2. Don’t go too cold! A fridge only needs to be set to 3-5°C and a freezer to -15 to -18°C for efficient cooling and freezing.
  3. Frost build-up causes the freezer to work harder, so defrost it regularly. IKEA has freezers with no-frost or low-frost functionality to make it easier for you.
  4. Label containers. Store older food items to the front and newer ones to the back. That way, you’ll use what you buy while it’s still fresh.
  5. Defrost frozen food in the fridge! It’s the safest way to defrost it and the fridge can make use of the coldness to save on energy.

An integrated SKOGNÄS fridge/freezer has different kinds of green vegetables and fruit and green containers stored inside.

How do I know what size refrigerator I need?

Choosing the right size refrigerator really depends on your lifestyle and habits, but here’s some guidance: If you love cooking regularly and find yourself grocery shopping a couple of times a week, a one-person household typically needs about 100 litres of fridge storage capacity. For each additional person in your home, it’s a good idea to add around 50 litres. Of course, if you prefer to shop less often or like to stock up on your favourite foods, you may want a bit more space! When it comes to freezing capacity, it’s a bit simpler – you either need it or you don’t! If you do, your grocery shopping and cooking habits, along with how many people are in your household, will help determine how much space you’ll need. A handy rule of thumb is to aim for 30-50 litres of freezing space per person.

A small LAGAN fridge with freezer compartment is placed next to an integrated FORSNÄS fridge and a FORSNÄS freezer.

Chill smarter, waste less – with fuss-free functions

Clever features can really help you keep your food fresh and save energy, contributing to less food waste and lower electricity bills. Here are three important ones to consider:

 

  1. No frost function: Frost inside the freezer can make it work harder to maintain the right temperature. The no-frost function helps prevent ice from building up.
  2. Fast cool/fast freeze: If you like shopping in bulk, you’ll be loading up your fridge/freezer with lots of goodies at once. These functions make sure that your new food reaches the perfect storage temperature quickly, keeping everything fresh while preventing your already chilled edibles from warming up.
  3. Fan cooling: A built-in fan circulates cool air evenly, so you can create perfect organisation for your food items without worrying about temperature differences. There are many other handy features, like vacation mode and low-temperature and humidity drawers, to help you get the most out of your appliance.

A person is reaching for a jar of pickles from a shelf in an integrated SKOGNÄS fridge/freezer, full of stored food items.