What Fridge Should We Buy (or Shouldn't) ?

capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 11:59
Last edited 30/06/2023 - 17:11

Which fridge-freezers?
I've filtered for dimensions (W900xD790) and min. 3.5 star or more Energy Rating.
And already crossed out loads didn't make the list.

LG GB-455UPLE, 420L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door

Panasonic NR-BW530HVSA, 505L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door
Panasonic NR-CW530HVSA, 500L French Door Refrigerator 3 Door

Hisense HRBM503S, 503L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door Reversible

Electrolux EBE5307SC, 496L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door

Whirlpool WB3560EUXX, 313L Bottom Mount Fridge 3 Door

Fisher & Paykel RF522ADX5, 487L French Door Refrigerator Freezer 3 Door

Mitsubishi MR-CX450ER-ST-A, 450L Bottom Mount 3 Door
Mitsubishi MR-WX470F-S-A, 470L Multi Drawer 6 Door

Smeg FA490RX5AU, 481L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door

Kelvinator KBM5302AC, 496L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door

TCL P421CDN, 421L French Door Fridge 4 Door

Liebherr CNEF4315RHH, 350L FREESTANDING Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door

Hoover HV-RBM529, 529L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door

ChiQ CBM394NSS, 396L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door

Solt GGSBM325X, 325L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door

Or help me narrow down what's shit. Thanks. Drop a comment.

Poll Options

  • 0
    Whirlpool 313L Bottom Mount Fridge 3 Door WB3560EUXX
  • 0
    Mitsubishi 450L Bottom Mount 3 Door MR-CX450ER-ST-A
  • 0
    Smeg 481L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door FA490RX5AU
  • 0
    Kelvinator 496L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door KBM5302AC
  • 0
    TCL 421L French Door Fridge 4 Door P421CDN
  • 0
    Hoover 529L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door HV-RBM529
  • 0
    CHiQ 396L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door CBM394NSS
  • 1
    Panasonic 505L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door NR-BW530HVSA
  • 1
    Panasonic 500L French Door Refrigerator 3 Door NR-CW530HVSA
  • 2
    Liebherr 350L FREESTANDING Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door CNEF4315RHH
  • 2
    Solt 325L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door GGSBM325X
  • 3
    Hisense 503L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door Reversible HRBM503S
  • 5
    Electrolux 496L Bottom Mount Refrigerator 2 Door EBE5307SC
  • 10
    Fisher & Paykel 487L French Door Refrigerator Freezer 3 Door RF522ADX5
  • 11
    Mitsubishi 470L Multi Drawer 6 Door MR-WX470F-S-A
  • 19
    LG 420L Bottom Mount Fridge 2 Door GB-455UPLE
Home & Garden Refrigerator

Comments

  • CyberMurning on 30/06/2023 - 12:02

    i like fridge that has the ice cube access from front door, and they make it automatically not the old style ice cube tray we fill with water then slide them in.
    also with the old style, the ice cube sometimes smells weird because they got mixed in the same place as the frozen compartment.
    not good when drinking with whiskey

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 12:03
      +1

      we opted out of icemakers//water dispenser thx

      • rumblytangara on 30/06/2023 - 13:12

        Same, we don't use ice constantly so preferred to have the space used for that machinery for food storage.

        • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 14:18

          same thho some of these models have dedicated "ice tray" compartment which i wonder if able to repurpose as small refrigerated storage

          • rumblytangara on 30/06/2023 - 15:17
            -1

            @capslock janitor: Oh, turns out I have the F&P one that you've listed. We chose it because it was a bit shallower than most which meant it could fit through our door. It also happened to be available at the time versus a month long wait, and we needed a fridge fast. Paid 1900 for it at the time.

            Had it six months only. It's been good- fairly quiet. Space is useable.

            Minor downsides: Not a fan of the freezer section how it has a combination of a deep tray and then a tray that slides over the top of this. The manual ice making stuff is in this additional sliding tray, so a minor faff to access, but I don't care about ice. Doors don't really auto-close, you have to push them firmly. If they are left open too long there's an audible alarm to let you know.

      • Gdsamp on 30/06/2023 - 14:56

        Good idea. its hwhat usually breaks on an otherwise functional fridge

    • apple2016 on 30/06/2023 - 13:54

      Ice actually masks flavours of whisky!

  • SuperFly 420 on 30/06/2023 - 12:17
    +1

    Panasonic with Prime Fresh is the way to go.

  • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 12:27

    Knock out the Brands to avoid?

    By personal experiences, or even public perception…

  • prisonmike on 30/06/2023 - 13:05

    Get the LG one.

  • runtoparadise on 30/06/2023 - 13:34
    +1

    Mitsubishi WX, made in Japan. Nice fridges.

  • GG57 on 30/06/2023 - 13:53

    Is there a height restriction?

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 14:00

      resulting in H2170 max models here.
      our ceiling (up to cornice) ~2600

  • donkcat on 30/06/2023 - 13:54

    Went through the same decision a few months ago.
    We decided on https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/fisher-and-paykel-494l-bottom…
    Really pleased with this fridge, heard great things from people and it reviews well too. Only complaint would be the freezer and the fact you basically have to open the freezer door to 90º to be able to access the 3 draws, not a big complaint but just something that took some getting used to.

    Ruled out a fair few that you had on your list but it was a toss up between the Mitsubishi 450L Bottom Mount 3 Door MR-CX450ER-ST-A and the F&P we got. Loved the 3 door design of the Mitsi, but ultimately it was a bit too small for our family and lacked storage customization.

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 14:10

      thanks for sharing! we shortlisted the fisherpaykel french instead cos it has the drawer style freezer door

      • donkcat on 30/06/2023 - 14:13

        Yeah fair enough, personally we were opposed to anything french door, have used them in the past and really didn't like opening 2 doors on the fridge when you couldn't remember which side of the fridge something was left on (first world problems I know)

  • apple2016 on 30/06/2023 - 13:55
    +3

    Good you have avoided samsung.

    • prahran on 30/06/2023 - 14:05
      +1

      Yes, I have heard the boss of E and S Trading, a large Melbourne based appliances chain, say several times on radio station 3AW's Saturday morning home show that he will not stock Samsung fridges due to reliability and service issues.

  • a20c87 on 30/06/2023 - 13:55
    +1

    We bought a fridge a few months ago and went through a similar process.

    What we found helped the most was seeing the fridges in person. Not all fridges were at the same store though.

    Some fridges we really liked online, but felt totally different in person after pretending to use them. The door handles, lighting, height, storage, etc. quickly eliminated many fridges from our short list.

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 14:51

      yes we are planning to see and wanna cull more beforehand, instead of twirling all over the fridge department. thanks

  • trunglocke on 30/06/2023 - 14:03

    Just ordered LG bottom mount one, GB-455PL (4.5 start energy, OP's one is 3.5) $930 via TGG store on Ebay. Some bad reviews on ProductReview are about noisy but I they are setting up related problem. My sister got same one been running for 4-5 years without any problem.

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 14:34

      thanks a bit strange why it has different star energy, do you know why?

      initially thought it's same model just different colour..

      • placard on 04/08/2023 - 16:38

        I agree with the GB-455PL. I bought one on Marketplace about a year ago for $500 - less than 2 years old and perfect condition. Less than half price. It's an amazing fridge, so quiet, so much space (the veggie drawer is huge), and it came up top in the Choice survey also.

        I had a little bit of resonance problem in mine - ie the vibration of the compressor was reverberating against the plastic tray/other metal parts. Was super simple fix though, just unscrewed the back cover and used some packing foam in various places carefully wedged against things which instantly made it silent. Now I can barley hear it running. It is so efficient too on power.

        I also can't work out why the UPLE/UPLX models use 390 kwH per year vs 300. They look identical fridges. Be aware though, the white model of the GB455, and perhaps even the UPLE models, don't have the split folding shelf or the humidity adjuster on veggie drawer. Not sure why??

  • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 14:46

    Mini survey/poll:

    2 Door vs. 3+ Door?

    • freefall101 on 30/06/2023 - 14:57

      The benefit of french doors is simply not having a big door swing out a long way. It means having a wide fridge is more feasible. That comes down to how much space you have in your kitchen to put it in though, if the door swinging out would get in the way think french doors.

  • JIMB0 on 30/06/2023 - 14:58
    +2

    That's a huge price range. Over $3k between the cheapest and most expensive.

  • AustriaBargain on 30/06/2023 - 15:01

    I dunno about that huge list. But a plumbed filtered water and ice dispenser would be nice, even if it meant less freezer space. You can always get a second chest freezer to stash in the home somewhere.

  • Noppy on 30/06/2023 - 15:47

    Mitsubishi 470L Multi Drawer 6 Door MR-WX470F-S-A; I have the larger version of this and it has been fantastic. Maybe not for you though if you are into ice making and things. I use the rapid freeze draw to cool down the kids food all the time.

  • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 15:55

    Added Hisense, which I missed but first looked at with LG to be a contender.

  • Gareth on 30/06/2023 - 16:00

    We purchased the Fisher & Paykel 487L in December, and are really happy with it.

    The advantage it had, for us, was the large vegetable crispers (partner is vegetarian). Watch the size of the door shelves - they aren't as wide as many fridges. Also, the glass main shelves seem a little bendy for my liking (when you load them up)

    Agree with a20c87, you really want to look at them in person. I would have probably picked a Samsung model on paper, but once we looked at them in-store, they didn't stack up for our use.

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 16:25

      does the door shelving fit a big 3L milk, and 2 rows of eggs? thanks for sharin.

  • voo123 on 30/06/2023 - 16:08

    Definitely a mitsubishi. Made in Japan and just simply works. Lack of ice maker is actually a bonus because the ice-makers take up valuable fridge storage space. The fridge will last you a good 15-20years.

  • Drakesy on 30/06/2023 - 16:34
    +1

    I've had a Panasonic for 11 years and it hasn't let me down. Would buy one again.

  • Euphemistic on 30/06/2023 - 16:38

    There’s too many options for the poll or replies to be of any use.

    Pick a reputable brand in a style you like.

  • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 16:55
    +1

    Culling whirlpool, hoover, solt.

  • [Deactivated] on 30/06/2023 - 16:57
    -1

    The thought process here is ……scary

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 17:04

      wym?

      • [Deactivated] on 30/06/2023 - 17:07

        You know

        • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 17:07

          what. process of elimination?

          • [Deactivated] on 30/06/2023 - 17:20

            @capslock janitor: Google/go in store … it isn't as difficult as you make it out to be

            • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 17:33
              +3

              @[Deactivated]: i like pre-planning and quite selective
              but i get what you mean

              sure could spend even more time googling myself which i am on the side btw, but i highly value actual to-date experiences from people that have received here so far
              im taking someone with me who is chronically unwell and will be choosing and using the fridge
              and want to make it as smooth for them and happy with.
              perhaps it's not as easy as you assume

              • newtz on 15/07/2023 - 08:15

                @capslock janitor: As someone currently mulling over which fridge to buy (leaning towards the Electrolux you listed) I appreciate the discussion.

  • AAN on 30/06/2023 - 17:09
    +1

    In my experience side by side fridges are good value for money with fairly large freezers . I have recently bought a westinghouse 614L side by side https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/westinghouse-624l-side-by-sid… and so far a good experience

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 17:16

      reckon i did include side by sides in my searches, but barely any came with my parameters. thx!

  • kmwa on 30/06/2023 - 17:30
    +1

    My approach to buying a new fridge and some other appliances was first of all check out the Good Guys site and order the items by price (low to high).
    https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/fridges-and-freezers/refriger…
    I then focused on items that had a large number of reviews, and read the reviews, gradually going up in price, until I found one that people generally seemed happy with. One personal requirement was a fridge that was quiet, so I was able to weed out the noisy ones.
    For the ones that seemed OK, I checked out other reviews on Product Review and also on the Winnings site e.g.
    https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/samsung-458l-botto…
    https://www.winnings.com.au/c/kitchen/refrigerators/bottom-m…
    I'm not necessarily going to buy from the Good Guys, but this approach means that I'm getting a popular item that people are generally happy with, rather than some niche product that will be difficult to support in the future.
    All the reviews are "in one place", rather than having to flit from one manufacturer's site to another, which makes the review process fast, consistent and thorough.

    • capslock janitor on 30/06/2023 - 17:40

      great suggestion thank you i always start by sorting lowest.
      sometimes it's skewed by only complaints, but will browse the reviews that way too

  • edgyy666 on 30/06/2023 - 20:27

    We have a VERY similar LG fridge from about 2017 (might actually be the older model of this as it looks identical) and its going absolutely fine 6 years on. Veggie crisper drawer is fantastic and the freezer is surprisingly spacious.

  • Mechz on 30/06/2023 - 20:41

    I saw some awesome fridges in Japan a few years ago.

    Top mount french door fridge with 2 drawers and dual drawer freezer looked the best to me.

  • CSR on 01/07/2023 - 07:47

    FWIW we have the Samsung 4 door and love it. Had one issue with the ice maker freezing up in the 5 years we’ve have it. Samsung service come out and replaced the ice maker, no charge and it was out of warranty at that stage.
    The 4 door with one of the bottom 2 being flexible is super handy. We run one side as a drinks temperature fridge so frees up space in the main fridge.

  • SuperFly 420 on 01/07/2023 - 08:37

    Don’t go with the LG one. I have it, and it doesn’t have any features that modern fridges have related to variable temperatures that can be really handy. If you really want the LG one, PM me and im happy to give you a really good price on my one :)

    • capslock janitor on 01/07/2023 - 12:13

      what modern features besides adjustable temp?

      any other downsides you have faced? thanks

  • fouhay on 01/07/2023 - 15:20

    Check out the /buyitforlife sub-reddit, lots of good comments on there but the atandouts for me are all along the lines of "if they make electrpnics (TV's, phones etc) then they should stick with that. Appliance manufacturers do it best

  • Gekov on 01/07/2023 - 22:01

    If you hate fan noise as much as I do, you would avoid "frost free" fridges and opt for "cyclic defrost"

    What I hate about "frost free" is that a fan (quite noisy judging by my sampling) is running 24/7 and ruining the quiet ambience of the kitchen.

    BUT, BUT, BUT, …
    I haven't done any fridge shopping for many years, so I'm not sure if "cyclic defrost" is still available.

    Bad luck if they're not eh?

    I'm sticking with my cyclic defrost for as long as it does its job OK.
    After that?… well I hope it doesn't come to that.
    Hopefully they make "frost free" with quiet fans?

    • placard on 04/08/2023 - 16:41

      Wow! Did you get stuck in 1990?

      I don't think you could buy a non-frost free fridge now??

      Even my parents old Westinghouse doens't have a noisy fan for frost free, but it does creak and pop a bit during the defrost. My LG GB455PL model I cannot even tell its defrosting by hearing it - I only knew when I had a power meter on it initially and it was drawing 177watts for a short while vs 38watts when running.

      • Gekov on 05/08/2023 - 11:26

        "Wow! Did you get stuck in 1990?"

        HMMM … So it's "modern" to put up with unnecessary fan noise then?

        Many years ago we bought a frost free fridge from Harvey Norman and you could hear the fans throughout the house, and it seemed to vibrate the whole kitchen!

        An intolerable situation.

        We returned it immediately and switched to a cyclic defrost, which was silent for most of the time, and when it operated, the noise level was extremely low.

        If you're happy to put up with such noise 24/7, you have a much greater tolerance to noise than I do.

      • Gekov on 05/08/2023 - 11:50

        "Even my parents old Westinghouse doens't have a noisy fan for frost free, but it does creak and pop a bit during the defrost. My LG GB455PL model I cannot even tell its defrosting "

        Are these cyclics or frost-free models?

        "it does creak and pop a bit during the defrost"
        Sounds like a cyclic

        "I cannot even tell its defrosting"
        HUH?
        Don't frost-free fridges defrost 24/7 with the fan running continuously?

        I'm not sure that you have distinguished between the two.

        • placard on 05/08/2023 - 18:12

          I'm not exactly sure how the old cyclic defrost units worked, but all modern fridges have a defrost element inside, even though they are the modern frost free versions.

          A fan operates internally when the compressor is on, in order to evenly distribute the cold air. But when the compressor is off, this fan is also off, ie the fridge is dead silent.

          I've never heard of a fridge that has a 24/7 fan running.

          • Gekov on 05/08/2023 - 23:58

            @placard: "I've never heard of a fridge that has a 24/7 fan running."

            You could be right.

            When we heard the commotion put out by the frost-free fridge we bought, we didn't wait long enough to find out if it was 24/7 or not.

            Even if was part time, it would still have been unacceptable.

            Better not to have a fan at all, as in a cyclic defrost.

            As the name implies, the unit defrosts periodically, WITHOUT A FAN, and the melt water exits out the back to evaporate away in an open container.

  • TightAl on 02/07/2023 - 11:33
    +1

    Don't buy new releases fridges without reviews, you'll see alot of 2-3 year old fridges have bad feedback. Lesson learnt 😢

  • yogihogi on 03/07/2023 - 16:19

    Recently bought a Hisense HRBM482 same as hrbm503 you have listed above but has water dispenser and ice cube tray. It’s quiet, has big freezer which we find useful and is 4.5star energy efficient. Only issue is not much door storage for tall drinks as the water dispenser gets in the way. Picked up during eBay sale for about $1000 was delivered next day from powerlandau seller

  • eek on 16/10/2023 - 14:43

    I've got the F&P french door one for a few years now. Quiet and space is laid out well - I like the freezer drawers. Crouching down to dig stuff out of a freezer would suck. I do hate the plastic over above the two fruit/veg bins though. If you overfill the bins and pull them out the cover falls off. Need to remove the two bins to reinstall it. It's literally a flimsy piece of moulded plastic.

    • eek on 16/10/2023 - 16:44

      Sorry the bigger 569L version, but same same I imagine.

  • protodaniel on 18/03/2024 - 18:36

    What a saga! Which one did you end up buying?

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