Cooling
There are integrated models that hide behind your kitchen doors and freestanding ones, from retro-styled fridges to extra-wide American-style fridge freezers.
Work out how it will fit into the kitchen, then how much chilled and frozen space you need. Our guide below the products covers every decision in turn.
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Browse cooling by type
- Fridge freezers: chilled and frozen storage in a single cabinet, and the default choice in most homes.
- American-style fridge freezers: wider than standard, with French doors, four doors or a built-in design, and space for a big family shop.
- Large built-in cooling: tall fridge, freezer and wine columns, larger than standard integrated models, for a fully fitted kitchen.
- Fridges: tall larder fridges, under-counter models and retro designs, some with a small ice box.
- Freezers: tall and under-counter freezers, many designed to stand beside a matching fridge.
- Wine fridges: cabinets holding bottles at a constant temperature, whether you're about to drink them or keeping them for years.
- Under-counter wine coolers: wine storage that slides in beneath the worktop.
- Blast chillers: built-in units that bring freshly cooked food down to fridge temperature fast.
Or shop by how it fits: built-in cooling and freestanding cooling. For fridge freezers specifically, go to integrated, freestanding or frost free models.
Which type suits you?
| Appliance | Suits | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge freezer | Most homes, with everything in one footprint. | How the space is divided, and whether the freezer is frost free. |
| American-style | Large families and big weekly shops. | Its width, the doorways it must pass through, and whether ice needs a water pipe. |
| Larder fridge | Lots of fresh food, with a freezer kept elsewhere. | Its height, and whether a matching freezer is made to go beside it. |
| Under-counter | Smaller households, or a second appliance in the utility. | The height under your worktop, and built-in versus freestanding. |
| Wine fridge | Wine kept steady at serving or cellar temperature. | How many bottles it holds, and one zone or two. |
Making the choice
Integrated or freestanding?
An integrated appliance lives in a housing unit with a kitchen door on the front, so your run of cabinets looks continuous. A freestanding one has its own finished doors and sides; it can go anywhere with enough air around it, and it moves house with you. Height for height, freestanding models usually hold slightly more.
How much room inside?
Every product page lists the capacity in litres for the fridge and freezer separately. A 70/30 layout favours fresh food; 50/50 is better for households that fill the freezer with batch-cooked meals or bulk buys. Need plenty of both? Pairing a tall fridge with a tall freezer gives you more than any one appliance can.
Frost free or manual defrost?
In a frost free freezer, a fan circulates cold, dry air so ice can't build up, and you never have to defrost it. Manual defrost models, including many retro fridges with a small ice box, need emptying and defrosting every so often.
Fresher for longer
Look for a chill drawer held just above 0°C for meat, fish and salad, or a drawer you can set to its own temperature. Fan-assisted cooling stops warm and cold spots forming between the shelves.
Ice, water and apps
Certain American-style and built-in models produce ice or pour chilled water. Those that are plumbed in need a cold water pipe close by, and the product page says if one is required. Connected models let you adjust settings from an app.
Finish
Freestanding models are made in white, silver, black and stainless steel, and retro fridges add pastels and bright colours. With an integrated model the front is one of your own kitchen doors, so it disappears into the room.
Before you order
- Measure the space and the way in. Check height, width and depth, then every doorway, staircase and corner. American-style models are wide and heavy.
- Let it breathe. Leave space around a freestanding model, and give a built-in one the airflow its fitting instructions ask for.
- Check the doors. Beside a wall, a door may have to open past 90 degrees for the drawers to come out. Many doors can be swapped to open the other way.
- Plan the plumbing. If it makes ice or dispenses water from the mains, arrange a cold feed nearby.
- Garage or outbuilding? Only some appliances are built to cope with the cold. Check the manual first.
The brands we sell
Our cooling comes from . The brand filter shows each maker's range on its own.
Buying cooling from KDH Electrical
Every fridge and freezer comes with the full UK manufacturer's guarantee, and delivery costs nothing on orders over £600, normally within 3–7 working days. Within our installation area we can install freestanding fridges, freezers and American-style models, and re-hang their doors to open the other way. Integrated and built-in appliances are fitted by your kitchen fitter along with the furniture door. Either way, we can take the old appliance for recycling, with prices in your basket.
Our price match means we'll do our best to match a lower price at another UK retailer. For advice on sizes or fitting, call 01622 541312, or visit our showroom in Rochester. A quick call before you travel lets us tell you what's on display.
Cooling: your questions answered
Built-in or freestanding: which should I choose?
Built-in models need a housing unit and take a door to match your kitchen. Freestanding ones are finished on every side and can go wherever there's room for air to circulate. If you're keeping your current kitchen, freestanding is usually the easier swap.
What does frost free mean?
A fan moves cold, dry air around the freezer so ice doesn't form on the walls. There's no defrosting by hand and no space lost to a build-up of ice.
What do 70/30 and 50/50 mean?
They show how the space is divided between fridge and freezer. 70/30 gives more room to fresh food; 50/50 suits homes that freeze a lot.
How long should a new fridge freezer stand before I switch it on?
Give it a few hours standing upright once it's in place, so the refrigerant can settle. Your manual gives the exact time.
Can a fridge freezer go in the garage?
Only if the maker says it's suitable. Many fridge freezers struggle when the surrounding air gets cold, so look for garage suitability in the manual.
Can you take my old fridge away?
Yes, within our installation area. Add recycling to your order and we'll collect the old appliance when we deliver; the price shows in your basket.