Fridges review - How to find the best fridge

Just joined choice as I need a few items and I always go with reviews . I see that Samsung fridge is the first choice. Yes the Samsung has good features and look good b ut I have spoken to people who wish they never got a Samsung. They tell me they have nothing but problems with them. Could choice be wrong?

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Welcome to the Community @LeeM1

Choice testing has limits, eg it is done in a lab under lab conditions, and consumers who own products are inevitably the best testers since they have varied conditions and may not be the most consistent in following best practices as are professional testers.

The member comments associated with various tested products (online feature) need some work on the Choice side implementation, but there are myriad products Choice has rated highly but actual consumers have panned.

It is the difference between short terms tests of performance, and a consumer’s long term experience from reliability to usability to which features matter to them.

Choice tests and reviews are generally a good starting point to compare or focus on products, not an end all. Then all manufacturers occasionally make a dud or two so it comes down to make and model, noting using Choice reviews helps one’s odds far more often than not.

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Assuming Choice has actually tested something in the range one needs. In my case there are no tests of very small fridges (<300L) which are bottom mount, and the next size up doesnt include one which I think needs to be there, the Mitsubishi Fridges for Sale Australia - Mitsubishi Electric Australia … I don’t need (or want) a fridge that big, and depth is an issue for me, I don’t have go-go gadget arms so anything at the back of most modern fridges is out of reach, plus, my kitchen allows at a pinch a depth of 660 at the most but under 600 for preference and theres only one bottom mount fridge I can find that will actually fit inside that, and its a CHiQ 251L, which hasnt been tested. Lots of limitations (which are quite understandable) with Choice reviews.

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We have had a Samsung fridge for many (20-ish?) years based on the then reviews. Never had any problems with it except having to replace a thermostat.

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Thanks for the reply. I paid for the subscription on choice to find products I want to buy but want to get the best through reviews. Productreview is free and through them I chose my vacuum cleaner
and after 8 years its still the best vaca. so if I can’t the results with paid subscriptions due to limited testing then what’s the Piont of renewing it?

When I needed a new fridge, some years ago, I looked up the most recent test report of fridges by Choice. The article was informative on “what to look for” in a fridge, and it gave the size and dimensions of the various make and models. It meant I could measure my available space while at home and not having to make multiple trips to the store, and that I had a strong indication from the testing which were the best performing fridges, and those that had the features I was looking for.

Product-review can be useful, but the item is not tested, some of us can be happy with an appliance which could drive the other’s crazy!

And how do I know who has written the report, good or bad as it may be?

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I’ve written quite a few reviews on Productreview, never paid for and always honest. But of necessity the reviews are subjective and thats what people need to keep in mind when reading them. There are some which even seem to be completely irrelevant to the item… eg, delivery times which clearly have nothing to do with the item’s form or function.

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Providing the product type has been reviewed, I find the summary pluses and minuses with each very informative, for when we make our final purchase decisions. There is also,some wisdom in which models or brands score poorly. Some for features that are not well implemented, others for unacceptable performance, a few for both.

The pricing details also set a bench mark for what a good choice should cost.

Some retailers also recognise that there are recommended Choice models. It seems to help if you make that known and are looking for the best pricing. Even if you subsequently choose otherwise. Better the sale you make than the one that gets away, knowing you are not there on a whim.

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Just wondering if we can expect a choice review of this bad boy. (Joking, but only kinda)

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Hi, thanks for the opportunity to ask questions.
We are in the market for a new fridge, and I was considering an LG with an Instaview and Door in Door as described here: https://www.choice.com.au/products/home-and-living/kitchen/fridges/lg-gf-v706mbl

I notice, though, that Choice rates it’s sibling (https://www.choice.com.au/products/home-and-living/kitchen/fridges/lg-gf-l706pl) WITHOUT Instaview and Door in Door quite a bit higher, and that seems to be because the temperature RANGE is inadequate in the pricier model. I also noticed that the yearly energy consumption is HIGHER in the pricier model, which is surprising, given the whole point of the Instaview is to prevent you opening the door unnecessarily. And the point of the door-in-door is to prevent excessive heat ingress when you do open the door. What gives? Why does this fridge use more energy? Why would you pay more for a fridge that performs worse? Is there a good explanation for this? Was this tested by Choice, or simply quoted from the manufacturer (from what I can gather, it’s the latter?)

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Welcome to the Community @RobInOz

All good questions for @airedale, Choice’s expert.

Any feature that reduces or makes a ‘hole’ in insulation is going to reduce the fridges ability to keep its temperature. A pretty door in a door may reduce the frequency of opening the big door but it also can reduce insulating properties thus using more energy.

Convenience or one just like the feature(s).

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We have an LG GC-P197HPL 563 litre side-by-side fridge which we bought when we moved into our current home over 6 yeras ago and we had the same model at our previous residence which we sold with the house.

I don’t believe that the pop-open door in the fridge door has ever been opened, and I feel it is much easier to simply open the fridge door instead.

Just a needless gimmick.

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Thanks for the replies. I’m astounded that they would offer ‘features’ to reduce energy consumption that actually worsen the energy consumption. You would think they would have worked that out. I was kind of hoping CHOICE made a mistake, because the premise is good, and I’m a big fan of efficiency. And it’s a neat thing to see (tapping twice on the window to see the inside is nifty!) Oh well, I am grateful to CHOICE and this Community for revealing that all is not always as it seems. And for saving me $1200 on a useless gimmick! The cheaper model it is!

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Hi @RobInOz, you’re asking the right questions.
@philT is correct, in that anything putting a ‘hole’ in the insulation will change the thermal properties of the fridge - removing a chunk of insulation will certainly change a fridges temperature uniformity and evenness, and because it has to work that little bit harder, it’s energy consumption as well. The same goes for fridges with and without through the door ice and water dispensers, all other factors being equal.
As for why energy consumption is higher when the point of instaview is to reduce the amount of times you have to open the door, under the Australian standard, energy consumption is calculated with the door closed for the duration of the test. Speaking of which, the test is carried out in a 32 degree room, so unless you live in the tropics your actual energy consumption will likely be a lot lower than what the label claims. That’s a good thing in terms of under promising and over delivering, and it’s only when energy consumption is higher than the label claims that it’s a problem. Which brings me to another question - do we measure energy consumption, or quote the manufacturers’ claims? That’s a little complicated - to accurately measure the energy consumption, as per the registration testing, requires what’s called a three point check - the temperature is measured at three different points in the cabinet and a theoretical mid-point temperature is calculated. This is quite time consuming to do, so in the interests of shortening the test (and saving our members’ money) we conduct a single-point check-test - this isn’t as accurate as a three point test, which is why we don’t quote a measured figure, but it does tell us straight away if a fridge meets or betters the manufacturers energy usage claim, as stated on the label. (if it’s a borderline result we will then conduct a three point test to get an exact figure). So in short, to keep costs down for members we state the manufacturers claimed energy consumption, and check to see whether the fridge meets or betters that claim.
As an aside, if a fridge uses more energy than it claims on it’s label we refer it to the department of energy for further investigation, who may then take action against the manufacturer, as happened recently with Hitachi, who were compelled to rebate $174 to everyone who purchased one of several models of their fridges, that amount being the difference in claimed vs actual running costs for the lifetime of the fridge.
Now, as for why someone would pay more for a product that performs worse? two words, novelty and utility. Just as a people mover will generally be slower and use more fuel than a two seater sports car, but it gives you far greater carrying capacity, some people see value in features like a door in door, and are prepared to pay a premium for it. Equally, many of us are swayed by gimmicks - remember 3D TV’s? Also, a lot of consumers simply aren’t thinking about the impact these things have on performance - a fridge is a fridge, and the beer’s cold so what’s the problem?
Anyways, this is a longer reply than I initially intended, but I hope it’s answered your questions - please let us know if we can help with anything else.

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Yesterday I read the lst 3 or 4 editions of choice dealing with fridges. Oddly, there was no reference to Mitsubishi in any of the reviews. Yet, Mitsubishi was voted, and dare I say, “by Choice members” the best fridge for 2021. My question is if Mitsubishi were voted as the best fridge it begs the question, “why is there an absence of reviews by Choice”?

Welcome to the Community @Suspicious

You are probably aware tested products are bought on the open market and if a product is not ‘selling’ (being purchased) in volume Choice has to make a decision on what to buy for testing with its limited budgets. Occasionally some exemplar products get included.

I’ll tag @airedale to elucidate but as a general statement even when a product has high satisfaction it might not be a big seller and thus might get cut.

FWIW Mitsubishi is not well represented in our local appliance shops, that could be a contributing factor.

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Hi @Suspicious , welcome to the forum. I must say I appreciate the level of incredulity your username implies.
Regarding Mitsubishi fridges, we’re at an interesting crossroads in Australia when it comes to fridges in general, because a new version of the Australian Standard for fridges has just come into effect (I say just - it’s been in place for around a year now, but things tend to move slowly in the fridge world) which changes the way fridges are tested for registration. While we usually see manufacturers turn fridge models over on about a 4 year cycle, this new determination has hastened this turnover and many companies, Mitsubishi in particular, have now discontinued their older models and launched new ones, registered to the requirements of the new standard.
We are testing these new fridges in ernest (and we’ll have test results for a new Mitsubishi fridge available very soon), but as I’m sure you can appreciate, this testing takes time - particularly in light of having to update our test methods to suit the new standard too.
In the mean time, you can still see how previously tested Mitsubishi fridges performed in the product finder on our website by selecting the ‘discontinued models’ checkbox at the bottom of the filters on the left.
As far as the changes to the standards themselves, it’s long, complicated and makes for great bedtime reading if you have trouble sleeping, but the main implication is that energy testing will now more closely reflect real world usage (so the details on the energy star ratings will be more relevant to what you’ll experience at home), and inefficient fridges and freezers (ones which would have had a one star energy rating under the previous standard) are now deemed too inefficient to be sold. Other changes are more for Choice to worry about in our testing than for consumers, but we’ll likely see a line drawn in the sand whereby scores for fridges tested under the new determination will not be readily comparable to those tested under the previous version, which over time will disappear from the market and from our reviews altogether.
I hope this helps.

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I live in the humid tropics and my second-hand fridge is on its last legs. I’m looking to buy something new and I’m wondering if there are any features of a fridge that would make them more or less suitable to humid environments.

For example - I know that ice dispensers are a bad idea for humid climates because I’ve had condensation leaking out of mine during the wet season for years. I will not be buying a fridge with an ice dispenser.

Is there anything else I should consider?

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Hi @TropicalLiving

I have moved your request into the topic about how to find the best fridge. While this topic is a little older, it will now show as active again in the topics on this site. I hope that members will be able to give you some good pointers. Ash Airedale (@airedale) is the leader of the Whitegoods team and may also have some suggestions to help you in your purchase considerations.

If you read through the topic there is a information that may already help you, The links to the CHOICE fridge reviews will take you to the latest 2023 reviews, this is member content to see all the details and if not a member you can join to gain full access.

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Melbourne is far from tropical but from experience do not get a stainless model for a humid area. Some are very high quality surfaces but can develop aesthetic surface discolouration. My last fridge took over a decade for it to start but start it did. That fridge lasted 21 years and modern ones usually don’t, and it can often be taken care of easily (depending on finish) using stainless polish or a wad of Al foil.

If your fridge is in its own alcove make sure there is equal or more room on each side and the top than the manufacturer recommends. Old fridges often had their compressors and coils on the bottoms and blow heat out by the floor. Newer ones generally radiate heat from the sides.

As an aside the reduced life of modern fridges is supposedly because of their high tech bits making them more energy efficient. Considering the cost of a fridge against running costs it might be environmentally friendly in its way, but whether they make sense for personal economics against the ‘old school’ mechanical 'energy inefficient but long lasting simple genre is not convincing to me personally. Add the manufacturing costs and wastes, end-of-life recycling costs, and that parts, especially electronics, are not always readily available after just a few years. Even the highest volume brands are susceptible to ‘no parts’.

The Buying Guide, previously linked, is not subscription walled.

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