I need a new fridge. I have a short list, but would welcome opinion etc
re various brands.

The old one, an Electrolux 'minibar' type had the advantage of being
perfectly silent and was hidden away in a kitchen cupboard, but was
really too small even for one person flat within walking distance of any
number of city-centre shops open 24/7. It lasted 20 years but now I've
renovated the kitchen a new arrangement is required.

Constraints:
needs to be freestanding with a modest footprint (the usual 60cm wide
~63cm deep is ok, W-55cm better.
even a 85cm (table height) would be bigger than the old one but I'm
inclined to think H-140cm or more may be the best use of the floor
space, more than 160cm height would however dominate my small (4x5m)
room. I don't pay too much attention to all this 'keep refrigerated'
labelling nonsense but the changes to the cupboard space mean that it
will probably store things that need only a larder.

This is a living room with kitchen-in-corner so noise matters - the
intermitent noise from a fridge starting and stopping is particularly
irritating, whereas the steady hum of a motor running may go unremarked
amid the traffic noise from outside.

I really don't _need_ a freezer compartment, however a fridge with
bottom freezer would save bending to reach thing more often needed.
A fridge with bio-fresh (~0deg) would be more useful than one with a
freezer.

I am not price sensitive, it's the quality and appearance that matters,
but at about £700 I start to think of other things I could do with my money.

This is going to be a conspicuous feature of the room so any colour but
white - stainless steel will do.

The shortlist so far

Liebherr
KBes 3650 larder with bio-fresh 164cm

Siemens
KG26 fridge with bottom freezer 155cm
KG28 independent compartments each can be fridge, freezer or 0deg.
An attractive idea but is 185cm high and a lot of money.
KG30 fridge with bottom freezer 170cm

Zanussi
Z57si 140cm, cheap, if I don't need th freezer then it's no bigger
than a 85cm

Fisher&Paykel
look nice but, deeper (70cm) than normal, and energy class C - why? I
don't mind the cost (~£40 pa against ~£20 pa for the competition
according to the labels in John Lewis) but that implies the motor does
more work ad therefore more noise? And, if I was to be green about this
transporting domestic appliances from NZ seems rather extravagant.
E402B
E415H

Baumatic
Saw these on display and the quality dosn't seem any better than Zanussi
Retro1 (120cm) Retro2 (157cm)
BF315 (152cm) top freezer not really what I want

Also ran?
Smeg, choice of colours but not sure about the retro look and as far as
I can see a lot of money for what is, apart from the style, a very
ordinary fridge.
Bosch: badge engineered Siemens, most models white only
Miele: could be Liebherrwith a different embossed logo on door
Hotpint RFR50: retro 158cm, no better than Zanussi or Baumatic, probably
worse. Anyway, alone of manufacturers. they havn't bothered to send a
brochure and there isn't enough info on the website.

Oh dear this has got rather long, but I would welcome any comment.


--
David Clark

I know this isn't a "For Sale" group but...

Where abouts are you, I have a Hotpoint Fridge & Freezer for sale RL63 and
RZ63 (Leeds) they are a matching pair, both are 850 high, 600 deep and 550
wide. Nnothing wrong with them, just too small for our growing family. A
HUGE American style jobbie arriving on Thursday.

Cheers

John