Not all fridge freezers are created equal, so choose a style that’s right for you

Bosch showroom consultant Susan Carroll has a favourite sketch from comedian Michael McIntyre. It's the one where he talks about visiting an electrical appliance store where everybody is busy opening and closing fridge freezer doors. "He says that basically you're just testing the hinges - and he's right," she says.

Bosch takes a different approach at its showroom in Dublin’s Ballymount. “All our fridge freezers are turned on so they’re cool, and they’ve got food in them,” says Carroll.

When it comes to deciding on a fridge-freezer style, showroom experts are great at suggesting solutions to visitors’ kitchen – and lifestyle – needs.

Built-in or free standing?

The first question people should consider is whether or not they want built-in or free standing. Bosch provides both options.

"With the built-in fridge freezer you are not breaking the line of the kitchen from a design perspective, which may be very important to you if you've just put in a fully bespoke kitchen," says Carroll.

Perfect fit

Bosch fridge freezers are typically either 60 or 70cms wide and most come designed with “perfect fit” styling that doesn’t require you to leave an air gap surrounding the appliance. This means you can maintain a sleek line even with freestanding fridge freezers.

If you are going the free-standing route, you’re going to want a finish that suits your kitchen. Bosch units come in white, black and fingerprint-proof brushed steel which is growing in popularity, says Carroll.

Splash of colour

If you fancy putting a bit more colour into your kitchen, but don’t want to be wedded to it for years, check out the innovative Bosch Vario range. It provides covers in a range of 20 different shades that you simply click on to the front of your fridge freezer. “There’s a fantastic range of shades, such as espresso, stone grey and aqua so if you wake up in the morning and want to change the colour of your fridge, you can,” says Carroll.

American-style

Large American-style fridges, which Bosch also offers, can be a perennial favourite, typically standing at 175cm and 90cm wide, and coming with a slightly narrower door on the freezer side and a wider door on the fridge side.

These are hugely popular however, even though they can sit snugly alongside your kitchen units, they do sit “proud”, she points out, rather than flush with the cupboards when viewed from the side, which may be a consideration for you. This option comes in black too, which is very smart.

Side-by-side

One alternative which offers even more capacity, and doesn’t break the line of your kitchen units, is to have side-by-side fridge freezers with doors reversed so that they open out from the middle of what looks like one unit. It’s a very sleek option and one that can allow for an ice maker on the freezer side and a water maker on the fridge side, without taking up too much internal space in either.

Vitafresh technology

How the inside of a fridge freezer is configured is crucial too. Bosch’s Vitafresh technology allows for the use of zero-degree drawers, a major innovation that keeps food fresher for longer and reduces food waste significantly.

That’s becoming increasingly important, not just from the point of view of household savings but environmental ones too. “Producers are using less plastics and packaging, which means you’re going to have more loose food in your fridge,” she says.

Not alone do we as consumers want our food to stay fresh, we don’t want it to bruise without its protective packaging. Fridge drawers with corrugated bottoms reduce the volume of any item that comes in contact with a hard surface, protecting fruit from bruising, for example.

Fridges are often a grudge purchase we tend to make when our existing fridge breaks down. Yet choosing an appliance that is super energy efficient will pay for itself over time, as well as help reduce typical household food waste costs that have been estimated at around €700 a year.

Lighting and energy efficiency

Brilliant LED lighting is also important, as is energy efficiency. You can switch some Bosch fridges to holiday mode while you are away, for additional energy savings. Its wifi-enabled fridge freezers provide additional benefits too, enabling you to see inside your fridge, and even turn the temperature up and down, via an app on your mobile phone.

Safety

“Our brand exceeds all the safety standards, which is very in line with founder Robert Bosch’s ethos,” says Carroll. All Bosch refrigeration appliances are manufactured with a flame-retardant back panel. Safety is a paramount consideration and top priority for Bosch, with equipment we never switch off.

Gently does it

There’s one other style flourish you won’t get by opening and closing doors at random in other showrooms – Bosch’s SoftClosing door hinges, which ensure your fridge freezer door closes automatically – and softly – when it’s left ajar. It saves not just food and energy, but all those rows about who left the fridge open. That’s certainly something to smile about.