Hey everyone,
Moving into a new place in a few weeks, I'm looking to buy a new fridge.
I don't have dimensions for the fridge space yet, but will be getting this Friday (forgot to measure when I was inspecting).
I'm looking for some general recommendations on what brand/style of fridge is good and what to look out for.
Budget is anywhere from $800-$1000 or so (but will spend more if it's worth it or on sale).
Cheers.
Cheers! Is Hisense a decent brand? I was looking at something along the lines of Westinghouse originally but they go up in price quick.
We have a Hisense at work. Door handle fell off after two years. Have never seen that happen in a fridge before. Anecdotally, I would avoid.
I have a 9 year old regular door westinghouse which I got second hand.., it was only this month that the door hinge needs replacing ($60 part DIY) , everything else has been fine..
Since you open one side at a time, only one side needs to cool back down instead of the entire fridge. The effect is that less energy is needed to keep the refrigerator cool on a daily basis.
Interesting, I always figured those fridges would be like USB plugs, I'd always try the wrong door first and it wouldn't improve efficiency much.
The Hisense one isn't really a french door one though, it's a side by side (freezer on one side, fridge on the other) rather than one above the other and it's only 3 star efficiency. French door is still fridge above freezer, but the fridge has two separate doors.
Yeah I'm probably going to go with this fridge, it's a killer deal! Cheers
I don't know if you noticed this, but this is only a fridge, not a fridge freezer.
They also have less seals to ruin and sensors to break so if budget really is a consideration (ongoing) maintenance cost could easily offset power savings.
Larger the better in the space you have. Ensure the door opening provision will not obstruct.
Pay for delivery and ensure that the delivery personnel open the box to ensure there are no dents (don't skimp on $50 delivery fee - negotiate fridge to offset)
Good call on checking for dents when they're there.
I purchased a F&P SS fridge and the delivery guys unpacked it and the stainless was imprinted with the strapping. It was a temp fridge for a replacement however no finger pointing.
Don't get extended warranty (ACL will cover this)
yep, we live in an apartment and they checked it before they took it up , and of course it was missing some parts! lucky, and before they took the old one away!
You'll be surprised how some ppl kill themselves to get a trailer and DIY, just to save $50 - $100 off delivery. They drop it, damage etc and then the onus is on them
Buying a Fridge - What to Look for
It think it should have at least one door…
I don't have dimensions for the fridge space yet, but will be getting this Friday (forgot to measure when I was inspecting).
or I would start with the dimensions
Exactly.
This may easily limit OP's choices significantly.
Hopefully OP's new fridge will be as cool as Jv's new avatar….
UV 400
Just picked up a CHIQ fridge from good guys and it was on special, black color decent size, really good energy rating and works really well no issues in the last month 410L is plenty for 2 people :) but you may find up to 500L for the $1000 budget
Chiq have free extended warranty on some fridges purchased before 31st Jan
hows your chiq going now?
As said above, the larger the better. Bottom mounted fridge is better than top-mounted as the freezer space is larger. Try to get white over stainless steel as they are cheaper. Top criteria is how efficient it is for the capacity.
Litres of space - yes, useable space - no. In any event bottom mount is more practical as you'll general go in the fridge section more often.
Latest fridge I got (Mitsibishi) has glass front doors. With kids and and all I wish I'd got one like that many years ago. Extended warranty for 8 years and plenty cold, well worth the little bit extra. My previous Westinghouse fridge lasted 5 years before it crapped itself, would have been a far better economy and experience in so many ways just to have bought the better one straight up.
And imho built in icemakers are something to go wrong and yucky, not a good feature.
Can you please share the model please?
MR-L650EN-GSL-A
They were a end of generation run out at the time, the newer ones are a bit pricey.
Second that, Mitsubishi fridges are quite pricey but the quality is very good and from reviews I read they seem to have a good reputation when it comes to fridges.
Maybe a second hand/ex-demo Mitsubishi fridge .
My Mitsubishi Fridge is nearly 20 years old and is still a champ. It's the skinny upside down 3 compartment model.Perfect for 2 People. Only Issue is I broke the ice maker by overloading it
One that is available. I am waiting what will be at least 4 weeks to get mine. Covid related low stock issues to consider at the moment.
Look at Mr Moneybags over here…
5% Cashrewards cashback…
Haven't bought a fridge for awhile now but if I had to do it all again, I'd consider the db ratings.
We have an open plan kitchen and hearing ours go off can be annoying.
Maybe not for everyone, but if you are buying a fridge/freezer that is not a "French Door" type. In other words if it is stacked one above the other, then you might want to put the fridge on top and freezer below.
Reason? Fridge sees a lot more use than the freezer, so it avoids having to bend over every time you want to get milk or butter or a beer etc.
Most retailers allow you to sort by type when you search.
I was after a bottom mount fridge with a water dispenser (non plumbed) and got this Haier 417L for $905 delivered. Hilarious it's $999 "on sale".
A few things you need to consider:
How many people will be in the household? - The more people the bigger the fridge (Mine is probably a little bit too big for 2 people)
Is the place you are going to plumbed in?
Do you need the colour to match the rest of the kitchen?
Right now Its gonna be me for the first 1-2 years regardless! But planning ahead.
All the stuff I've purchased is black, the oven is white. I need to get a plumber in for something else, so I don't mind paying that if need be.
Don't get any with speed holes.
When checking the size also check how the door opens. I recently bought a new fridge, with the old one the doors used to open flush with the side so the front could be flush with the opening. The new one the door hinge opens wider than the body so the whole fridge has to stick out, which annoys me
And don’t forget whether you want the door left or right hinged.
I bought the french door fridge from Aldi a couple of years ago. Really good fridge so far.
I went for a LG bottom mount, 420L - GB-455 series got it for $720 pick up. It's quiet and has worked flawlessly for 2 years(10 year compressor warranty). Perfect for 2.5 people.
Don't get a samsung.
I recently got the stainless steel version of this one, for around $1000 from memory.
https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/haier-514l-frenc…
It's pretty good as far as a cheap fridge goes. I wish it had plumbed water, but that's about it.
That one looks like it almost has a soft-freezer (the MyZone can go just below zero, to around -2).
Soft-freezers are awesome luxuries. Your normal freezer sits at around -20 degrees - turns things into ice blocks. At around -5 the freeze is more like snow than ice. I keep my bread in the soft freezer - you can't tell it has ever been frozen after toasting or defrosting.
Liebherr, if you can afford it. Good quality made to last. Believe they are made in the same factory as Miele
I mean I can afford it, but I have other stuff I need to buy haha.
Something cool
I got a Haier French door fridge a couple of years ago. Really like it. Has a special draw that keeps my drinks cold enough for a slight bit of ice to form in them, perfection.
I've noticed that fridges are terrible at holding their value. Maybe try marketplace? I'm sure you could buy 3 good ones for the price of 1 new one.
I would - but kind of want warranty and not deal with something old/using more power.
Normally i'd say yes, but I don't want to deal with people nor do I want the hassle of getting it dropped off (Rental trucks are expensive).
Yeah fair enough.
I had a 1 year old fridge and moved into a new place and wanted a bigger one but didn't want to cop losing 75% of my money on the fridge. Could go through a few of them and still come out ahead. But that doesnt save you from having to pick up and deal with people.
I forgot how small the space was. It's a maximum of 700mm wide so I'm extremely limited. I can modify the cupboard to make more room for it but I also cannot be bothered for now as its only me living there.
I just bought stainless steal in that price range - Samsung Inverter. Very happy so far - dead quiet and food stays fresh for ages
Little things - make sure it has glass shelves and an easy twist ice tray with the bin underneath to capture the ice (LGs have this).
If u buy something with just 1 door, you can usually choose which side it opens from… have a good think about your kitchen layout
Avoid fridge that have a lot of compartments and fancy tray because those eat up spaces used by the plastic and slide hinge mechanism.
Lots of compartments and fancy tray may look nice in showroom but you will start getting annoying when start using it.
Once you get a fridge that makes ice cubes and dispenses cold filtered water, you can't go back…
IMHO they are a lot of hassle than they are worth. They break down more often than not. Ice jamming is a possibility. Noisy mechanism. Require regular cleaning.
I had been gifted a Haier BCD-552WE, china olympics special edition (The badge on the front has the olympics rings and beijing). Its been good for over 5 years, absolutly love it, easy to clean/maintain because the whole ice compartment including ejector can slide out! Can't say the same for other brands.
you can get these assist door handle fridges that make them much easier to open if you are elderly or have difficulties in general- as they can get quite stuck
I would definitely consider warranty on them before choosing any. I bought Mitsubishi (650ltr) after reading reviews on Choice about 5 years ago. It hasn't missed a beat. At the same time, I also have a Westinghouse as second fridge in Garage from 15 years ago which is till going strong.
Get one that fits your needs and it's less "techy", just a fridge. That's the one that will last you a long time. Example:
https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/lg-gt-442wdc-441…
499 is the best budget for a fridge
also worth looking at https://www.homeclearance.com.au/ - I brought a fridge that a few tiny dents and imperfections (very unnoticeable) that was about $300 less than a new machine.
Fridges with freezer up top are most efficient. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGAhWgkKlHI
I just bought a basic fridge freezer for the garage. Hisense 424litre model with freezer above. Good enough for garage but I would have been really disappointed had I bought it for inside use. Takes a long while to recover temperature in fridge compartment and the doors do not close on their own, have to nudge them closed leading to possibility of ruined food. This fridge is 99% used for drinks so not a huge problem. Also keeping it reasonably stocked means better thermal mass so less cooling down upon door opening. I certainly wouldn't recommend it unless you keep it reasonably stocked/don't open the door much/don't rely on it keeping sensitive foods safe. Just some food for thought.
I got the Inalto french door fridge, which is basically the same as the Kogan 490l french door. Costs $1000 and it's really great for the price. Bought it 2 years ago, so far so good.
I noticed the normal style door opening fridges (1 sided hinge) tend to have a much higher energy use rating compared to the french door styled fridges.
There was a Hisense fridge at Harvey Norman going for $888 i was considering. Maybe check that out.