American-Style Fridge Freezers: Buying Guide for Beginners

When it comes to stylish kitchens and optimal food storage, there is nothing better than an American style fridge freezer. Big, bold and with built-in ice and water dispensers, plus more ingenious functions, these appliances make a statement.

The sleek and distinct design of American style fridge freezers is both timeless and modern. They became especially sought-after in Ireland at the beginning of the millennium. Anyone kitting out their home had to have one and they have become even more popular today.

Which American style fridge freezer you buy depends on your need, available space and your preferences. Hotpoint, Whirlpool and Samsung American fridge freezers all have well thought out features. When you are choosing yours, look out for these aspects.

Storage Layout and Door Type

The simplest benefit of an American fridge freezer is you don’t have to open the whole fridge or freezer to find food. This means the closed sections remain cool or freezing, helping your groceries last longer. Most models also have a sophisticated temperature regulator that restores the ideal temperature after the door closes.

American fridge freezers come in three standard configurations:

• Side-by-side fridge freezers: Two vertical doors that both open from the centre of the unit. On most two-door models, the freezer accounts for one vertical half and the fridge the other. The freezer often has a larger capacity than the fridge.
• Three-door fridge freezers: Two doors at the top (that also open in the centre) and a drawer lower down. With these models, the bottom section contains two drawers as the allocated freezer space. Easy glide freezer drawers are a simple but effective way to organize and find frozen foods.
• Four-door fridge freezers: Two central opening doors at the top and another pair lower down. The layout of a four-door is similar in design to a regular fridge - but doubled - meaning you can store twice as much.

Added Benefits

 Temperature Control - American style fridge freezers do more than your average fridge. Not only do they preserve food, but some models let you control the temperatures of different sections. Letting you have different temperatures in up to three sections of the appliance. You can even choose between freeze levels - soft, mild or deep freeze.

 Chilled Water Dispenser - Ever have a fridge that helped you stay hydrated? Now you can.  American fridge freezers typically have a chilled water dispenser built into the door of the fridge.*

 Ice Maker - Gone are the days when precious freezer space was taken up with leaky ice trays and cumbersome bags of ice. Your American fridge freezer can give you ice on tap. If that’s not enough - look out for the built-in ice crushers too!*

 Air Filters - Thanks to the built-in digital temperature controls, American fridges tend to keep fresh foods fresher for longer. Some now also have ethylene filters which extend the life of fruit and vegetables even further.

 No Frost Freezers - If you never want to defrost a freezer again, look out for a model with a no frost freezer space. These models don’t produce ice to cool the freezer, so you’ll never have to thaw it.

 *Please note that models with either an ice maker or water dispenser may need to be plumbed in.

Storage Capacity

 The average American style fridge freezer can fit 26 bags of grocery shopping. How you want to use your fridge freezer will greatly influence which one you buy though. For example, if you like to batch cook weeks of meals at a time, you might prefer extra freezer space. While a large family might need an equal sized fridge and freezer space. Couples and households that like to entertain, may prefer a model with a built-in wine rack and ice crusher too.

Will An American Style Fridge Freezer Fit In Your House?

 American style fridge freezers are noticeably bigger than the average fridge freezer traditionally used in Irish homes. When buying an American side-by-side, three or four-door fridge freezer, consider the size of your home. Take note of the width, depth and height of the fridge freezer you want and check the following.

Will it fit into the available kitchen space?

Before ordering your American fridge freezer, consider if any modifications will need to be made to your kitchen. The average American style fridge freezer is 8-10 cm deeper and approximately 20cm higher than a standard upright fridge. They are also roughly double the width.

If you are replacing a standard-size fridge or fridge freezer, chances are the American style won’t fit in the same space. Some people choose to place a free standing American style fridge against a bare wall as a modish kitchen feature. If you are placing it near a kitchen island, double-check there is enough space to open the doors too.

Will it fit through your home's internal and external doors?

 Once you’re sure the fridge freezer will fit in your kitchen, you need to think about the delivery logistics. At Irwins, we deliver large items nationwide in 4 - 10 days. However, we need to be sure that the appliance will fit through the doors when we arrive. To make sure it will fit, measure the external and internal doors. If you have side access and patio doors, this may be the best delivery route.

Will the power cord be long enough to reach the wall socket?

 Rarely an issue, but worth checking since extension leads and double sockets should never be used with fridge freezers. When you decide where your new fridge freezer will fit, check how long the power cable will need to be.

The beauty of an American style fridge freezer is its versatility, they are perfect for families, shared properties and everyone in between. If you are considering an American fridge freezer for your home, shop at Irwinsmegastore.ie or in-store at our Cork and Waterford megastores. Our customer service team is always on hand to help you choose your perfect American Style Freezer.

Get yours here: American style fridge freezers - Irwins Megastore