You want to buy or replace your fridge which is starting to give up the ghost and you plan to replace it with a new fridge combined with a freezer. But the problem, as you know, is that there are a number of combination fridge freezers also called 2in1s on the market. In this article, we will detail all the elements to take into account that will make it easier for you to buy the best fridge freezer combination.
How to determine your need for a combined fridge-freezer?
We advise you to first target your needs. Indeed, there are two types of possible combination configuration: the first with the freezer in the lower part, and in the second, the integrated ตู้แช่ freezer is on the top of the device. These two models do not have the same advantages. To find out which device is best suited, we advise you first of all to decide on the mode of consumption of your food.
If you consume a lot of fresh produce , a combination with freezer located on the top of the appliance will allow you to obtain more storage capacity for your fresh produce. By having the lower part of your refrigerator in freezing mode, you can also freeze the dishes you have prepared in order to have a stock for the days when you will not have time to cook, for example. In addition, you can also use the freezer space for your frozen products.
If you consume a lot of frozen meals, we advise you to choose a refrigerator combined with a freezer positioned at the bottom of the appliance. This will allow you to store in large enough quantities all the frozen products you need. The combination with a freezer placed at the bottom is equipped with several storage drawers allowing you to sort and arrange your products. Regarding the refrigeration part of the handset, you can store enough fresh products without having to bend down continuously. This option is interesting for people prone to back and joint pain.
Once your need for a device has been established, you can now look into the different cold categories.
How to choose your fridge freezer combination?
Bosch , Samsung, Whirlpool, Philips… all appliance manufacturers offer combined refrigerators operating under different cold processes, which will meet your needs.
What are the different cold categories?
Combined fridge-freezers work with three types of cold :
- Cooling process by circulating air : this system consists in diffusing cold air in a permanent and uniform way through the whole appliance in order to ensure a uniform refreshing temperature.
- The ventilated cold process : this air diffusion system is similar to the forced air cold process. What differentiates it from the first is that the ventilated cold process does not cause frost in the fridge freezer which gives the freezing part a little more. Indeed, the freezer bags cannot be glued to each other, which will allow your food to keep legible and intact labels.
- Static cold process: this process works without air movement inside the appliance, i.e. The lower parts of the ตู้แช่เย็น refrigerator will be the coolest and the upper parts of the appliance will be the more ambient. However, it is important to note that this system has drawbacks. Indeed, it is quite possible that frost could form on the walls of your handset. In addition, you will have to make sure not to store fragile foods in the upper part of the handset at the risk of altering the nutritional quality of the foods.
How to choose the right storage capacity for your fridge freezer combination?
The choice of storage capacity for your combined fridge-freezer depends on the number of people living in the accommodation: whether you are single, in a couple or if you have children and the number of children in your family.
Below is the list of combined fridge freezer capacities that you can find on the market:
- For a person living alone , we recommend opting for a capacity of less than 250 litres.
- For a couple (or even 3 people), it is advisable to choose a device with a capacity ranging from 250 liters to 330 liters.
- For a family of 4 or more people, we advise you to opt for a combined fridge-freezer with a capacity of 330 liters or more.
- We advise you not to overestimate your needs too much when choosing the capacity of your future combined fridge-freezer . It would be a shame to acquire a device that will only be used partially, not to mention the energy waste to operate a device that has barely half its capacity for fresh or frozen products.
Choose the right energy consumption
The energy consumption of your combined fridge-freezer is a very important element to take into account. Household appliances are major energy consumers, especially the refrigerator-freezer, which is a household appliance permanently powered by electricity and therefore very energy-intensive.
To make your choice easier, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) have introduced the obligation of energy labeling on each presentation of the product by the manufacturers so that the future consumer is informed and that can become aware of the energy consumption of the appliances he wishes to buy.
The new energy labels are rated according to the scale of efficiency classes, and these classes are 7 levels of energy consumption ranging from a scale of A to G . These new labels replace the old classifications which ranged from level A+++ which corresponds to the most economical class to level D, the most energy-intensive consumption.
Be aware, however, that the most recent and ecological models of combined fridge-freezer achieve between 40% to 55% additional energy savings, which is not negligible.
