Built In Cooling
Each one is hidden behind a door that matches the rest of your kitchen. The housing you already have, or are planning, narrows the choice more than anything; the guide below the products covers niche heights, door fixings and airflow.
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Shop built-in cooling by type
- Integrated fridge freezers: fridge on top and freezer below in a single tall housing. The most popular built-in option.
- Integrated fridges: tall larder models and fridges that fit under the worktop; some have an ice box or pull-out drawers.
- Integrated freezers: full-height and under-counter freezers, a few with plumbed-in ice makers.
- Large built-in cooling: column fridges, freezers and wine units for a big, fully fitted kitchen.
- Wine fridges: wine cabinets built into the kitchen, in sizes from a small eye-level unit up to a tall column.
- Under-counter wine coolers: compact wine storage for the space beneath the worktop.
- American-style fridge freezers: built-in French door versions for generous capacity in a fitted kitchen.
Which type suits you?
| Appliance | Suits | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated fridge freezer | Most fitted kitchens, with everything in one housing. | Niche height, the fridge and freezer split and the door fixing. |
| Larder fridge and tall freezer | Twice the tall storage, split across a pair of housings. | That both suit your housings, and which side each one hinges. |
| Under-counter | Islands, utility rooms and smaller households. | The niche height under the worktop and ventilation through the plinth. |
| Column appliances | Large kitchens where you mix and match separate units. | Widths, panels, handles and the joining kit. |
| Built-in wine cabinet | Wine at the right temperature within the run of units. | Bottle capacity, temperature zones and niche size. |
Making the choice
Start with the housing
Integrated appliances follow standard niche heights. Under-counter models fit below the worktop; tall fridge freezers mostly need about 178cm, with some bigger models needing more. Swapping like for like is the easy route, so measure the niche around your current appliance before you look.
Sliding or fixed door
There are two common ways of hanging the kitchen door. A sliding fixing leaves the door on its usual cabinet hinges, with a runner linking it to the appliance door. A fixed fixing, sometimes called door-on-door, bolts the kitchen door to the appliance door so they move as one and feel more solid. The fixing type determines which doors and hinges you need, so check it.
One appliance or separate columns?
One integrated fridge freezer handles chilled and frozen food together. If there's space for two tall housings, a larder fridge and a full-height freezer side by side give you far more room. Column ranges go further still, letting you combine fridge, freezer and wine columns into a bank that fits your kitchen, each with its own temperature setting.
Freshness and defrosting
A drawer kept at close to zero, for meat, fish and veg, is common in built-in fridges. Frost free freezers never need defrosting by hand; check the product page to see which type you're getting. Plenty can also be controlled from an app.
Wine and specialist storage
Wine cabinets either have a UV-filtering glass door or accept a kitchen panel, and offer one, two or three separately controlled zones. There are also built-in blast chillers for cooling cooked food fast.
Before you order
- Measure the niche, not the old appliance. Compare your housing's height, width and depth with the installation sizes on the product page.
- Keep air moving. Most built-in cooling breathes via the plinth, with warm air rising through a channel behind the unit. Stick to the clearances in the fitting guide.
- Check the door. Make sure your kitchen door works with the fixing type and doesn't exceed the weight limit for the appliance door.
- Plan any plumbing. Anything that makes ice or chilled water needs a cold feed close to the housing.
The brands we sell
Our built-in cooling comes from . Open a brand's page to see how its fridges, freezers and wine units line up.
Buying built-in cooling from KDH Electrical
Every appliance has the full UK manufacturer's guarantee, and delivery is free on orders over £600, normally within 3–7 working days. Built-in cooling goes in together with its furniture door, so your kitchen fitter installs it rather than us. In our installation area we can take your old appliance for recycling, priced in the basket.
Our price match means we'll do our best to match a lower price at another UK retailer. Unsure whether a model fits your housing? Call 01622 541312, or visit our showroom in Rochester after phoning to check what's on display.
Built In Cooling: your questions answered
Is built-in the same as integrated?
For refrigeration, the terms are generally interchangeable: the appliance is housed in a unit with a kitchen door on its front. Models described as under-counter or built-under go beneath the worktop.
Will my new integrated fridge freezer fit the old housing?
It should if the niche height is the same. Check the installation sizes and door fixing type on the product page, or ring 01622 541312 and we'll work through it with you.
What is a sliding door fixing?
The kitchen door keeps its normal hinges, and a runner joins it to the appliance door so the two open together. With a fixed fixing, the kitchen door is attached directly to the appliance door.
Do integrated fridges need ventilation?
Yes. The heat they produce has to escape, normally via a vent in the plinth and a space behind the unit. Each model's fitting instructions give the clearances.
What is column refrigeration?
Separate tall fridges, freezers and wine units designed to stand together, so you can create the mix that matches how you shop and cook.
Do you install integrated fridge freezers?
No. An integrated model is fitted with its kitchen door, so that's a job for your kitchen fitter. Within our installation area we can recycle the old one; add it at checkout and the basket shows the price.