Fridge advice!

[Chookie]

We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>

Any recommendations from anyone?

So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the bottom, with
drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg holders (so I can get rid
of the egg containers people keep giving us).

[Fred]

Post by Chookie
We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>
Any recommendations from anyone?
So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the
bottom, with drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg
holders (so I can get rid of the egg containers people keep giving
us).

My advice is to go and look at as many fridges as you can in person.
Keep in mind that there may be size limitations that would need to be
considered so take measurements.
We were thinking of buying a bottom freezer unit but found with the models
that we looked that were the right size for our kitchen the fridge
compartments were too small for our needs.
We compromised in the end and settled for an Electrolux/Kelvinator N520SJ.

[Nina Pretty Ballerina]

Post by Chookie
We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>
Any recommendations from anyone?
So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the bottom, with
drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg holders (so I can get rid
of the egg containers people keep giving us).
--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

we have separate fridge and freezer b/c of the way our kitchen is, and the
only sized freeezer we could get has those opaque drawers and i hate them.
Fit alot in, but cant see what is in anything.

also, i reckon dont go getting that plumbed in ice or water, b/c it starts
to taste funny after a while....

good luck!

[Chookie]

Post by Nina Pretty Ballerina
also, i reckon dont go getting that plumbed in ice or water, b/c it starts
to taste funny after a while....

Ewww. No, didnt consider it. Seems a bit Conspicuous Consumption to me.

[FlowerGirl]

Post by Chookie
We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>
Any recommendations from anyone?
So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the bottom, with
drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg holders (so I can get rid
of the egg containers people keep giving us).

We've always had an upside down fridge (freezer on the bottom) which died
last year (but DH has since repaired it - we just haven't switched back to
it). Good features were: easy access to the fridge / less bending etc;
freezer drawers held lots and easy access. One of the main reasons we
haven't switched back is that the fridge internal space is now too small for
a family of 4 (we bought it waaay BK) so you'd need a large one. Its also a
'Fishing Pikelet' and the shelves were made of plastic and absolute crap -
DH had to reinforce them all. Generally not impressed with that brand of
fridge either...

If I ever get to buy another fridge (not likely given DH can fix too many
things so we always seem to get second hand ones) I'd like a side by side
but *no* ice / water through the door.
Amanda

[Geoff Muldoon]

Post by FlowerGirl
We've always had an upside down fridge (freezer on the bottom) which died
last year (but DH has since repaired it - we just haven't switched back to
it). Good features were: easy access to the fridge / less bending etc;
freezer drawers held lots and easy access. One of the main reasons we
haven't switched back is that the fridge internal space is now too small for
a family of 4 (we bought it waaay BK) so you'd need a large one. Its also a
'Fishing Pikelet' and the shelves were made of plastic and absolute crap -
DH had to reinforce them all. Generally not impressed with that brand of
fridge either...
If I ever get to buy another fridge (not likely given DH can fix too many
things so we always seem to get second hand ones) I'd like a side by side
but *no* ice / water through the door.
Amanda

Similarly, we have also for some time had an upside-down model, which has
aged to the point that just before the Xmas influx of relatives was
banished to the laundry for use as a drinks + overflow (the big bone ham
etc) only. Similar comments to above re quality, door shelves in
particular were shot, won't auto-defrost properly any more, pools water
under the crisper.

Replaced it with a side-by-side (no ice thing) Westinghouse which fitted
into the kitchen space with only a couple of cm to spare in all
directions. Looks fabulous. Just noticeably noiser than its predecessor
and will chew a little more power, but is a wonderful size and we love it.
SWMBO particularly likes the stainless steel wine bottle rack suspended
under one of the shelves. :-)

Between the significant increase in freezer capacity in the kitchen and
the old upside-down now in the laundry, we have now disposed of our even
older standalone backup freezer.

GM

[The Purple Monster]

Post by Chookie
We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>
Any recommendations from anyone?
So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the bottom, with
drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg holders (so I can get rid
of the egg containers people keep giving us).

I have an upside down Fisher and Paykel which I love - sorry Amanda ;-)
You'd probably want a bigger one than I have as it's for four people rather
than one. I haven't had problems with the plastic shelves but I don't put
stuff in there that's too heavy - not sure what would be unless you wanted
to put a whole slab of beer on one shelf fr'instance. I'd think again about
the whole width crisper - any particular reason for this? I have biggish
twin crispers and about the only thing I have problems fitting into them is
a whole head of celery. I can separate fruit and vegies which I do find
useful. It also means that science experiments don't infect
everything.......... (although the F&P airflow thingy for the crispers means
that everything tends to last ages anyway)

The egg holders are great - my smaller model has enough space for 20 eggs
which is pretty good (I actually typed "pretty goog" which is wonderful
Freudian slip!) All it's various bits and pieces slide out for (occasional -
blush) easy cleaning.

I've had the F&P for 8 years now - it was completely silent when I first got
it and only make a very intermittent quiet noise now. The one thing I would
advise is hearing whatever you're thinking of buying turned on. My mother
has a fridge (sorry can't remember the brand) which is really really loud
and drives me nuts.

Hope that helps & it is of course only my opinion (yadda yadda yadda -
standard disclaimer etc)

Happy shopping

TPM

Post by Chookie
--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

[Chookie]

Post by The Purple Monster
I have an upside down Fisher and Paykel which I love - sorry Amanda ;-)
You'd probably want a bigger one than I have as it's for four people rather
than one. I haven't had problems with the plastic shelves but I don't put
stuff in there that's too heavy - not sure what would be unless you wanted
to put a whole slab of beer on one shelf fr'instance. I'd think again about
the whole width crisper - any particular reason for this? I have biggish
twin crispers and about the only thing I have problems fitting into them is
a whole head of celery.

Decided to go with an F&P 430 l upside down fridge. They have glass shelves
in them these days. The whole width crisper was for celery -- it's annoying
not being able to fit it in but I suppose I could just cut the wretched thing
in half!

Hoping to see the new fridge on Thursday.

[FlowerGirl]

Post by The Purple Monster

Post by Chookie
We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>
Any recommendations from anyone?
So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the bottom, with
drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg holders (so I can

get

Post by The Purple Monster

Post by Chookie
rid
of the egg containers people keep giving us).

I have an upside down Fisher and Paykel which I love - sorry Amanda ;-)
You'd probably want a bigger one than I have as it's for four people rather
than one. I haven't had problems with the plastic shelves but I don't put
stuff in there that's too heavy - not sure what would be unless you wanted
to put a whole slab of beer on one shelf fr'instance.

Pretty much just normal stuff, but the shelves really weren't strong enough
at all. We had one set replaced on waranty (when it was only me using it
would have been a 2l bottle of milk which cracked it as that would have been
the heaviest thing in the fridge. DH reinforced the replacement set which
was lucky as I reckon they'd have cracked again really easily.
My Nan also had a F&P, it was a lemon from day 1 .... frost not really that
free, a *really* loud fan etc.

Also - re: the whole width crisper for celery - celery is a big culprit at
drying out the other things in the crisper and should technically be stored
separately. My personal preference is to store it at the supermarket or
somebody else's place where I neither have to look at it, smell it or eat
it.
:P
A

[The Clint]

Chookie,

I advise against samsung... I've had relos who have bought many samsung
things that we regret buying after and yes my folks have two fridges made by
them - the latest one just is a nightmare - not keeping things as cold as
you expect and they are so difficult to work with, even to disaseemble the
doors if the fridge is too big to get in the house and you need to do this
to get it through the door.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, but from experience I couldn't recommend
Samsung.

Post by Chookie
We think the fridge is going. And yes, the freezer is full. <sigh>
Any recommendations from anyone?
So far, I'm thinking I'd like the kind with the freezer on the bottom, with
drawers in it, a full-width crisper drawer, and egg holders (so I can get rid
of the egg containers people keep giving us).
--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue