FQ960BL6 90cm Victoria Four Door Fridge Freezer Black

Which fridge freezer is best for you, depends on you and your family’s needs. If you live in a studio apartment where space is a concern, a large American-style fridge freezer is probably not the right choice for you. Or you may prefer the style of a French door fridge freezer compared to an American/ side-by-side fridge freezer. The main things to consider when choosing a fridge freezer include:

Size and Capacity:
• Kitchen space: While fridge freezers are typically a more compact option than buying separate refrigerator and freezer units, the space you have available in your kitchen can limit the size of the fridge freezer you can purchase.
• Storage Needs: Consider how much space you need. If you have a large family, then you’ll likely need much more storage space than if you live alone.

The Type of Fridge Freezer
• Top-Freezer and Bottom-Freezer: These offer the most compact fridge freezer, with an all-in-one solution that typically takes up the least amount of space.
• American Style/ Side-by-side: These offer good for narrow spaces and allow easy access to both the fridge and freezer.
• French Door: Meanwhile French door freezers have a fridge door, or doors, on the top. On the bottom, is a freezer section which has shelves, instead of outward swinging doors.

Energy Efficiency
• The energy efficiency of your fridge freezer can significantly affect your energy bills throughout the fridge freezer's lifetime. Our Smeg fridge freezers typically achieve a D rating on the new energy rating system (which was an A+++ on the old energy rating system), meaning you’ll save significantly with one of our energy-efficient fridge freezers.

Fridge Freezer Features
• Water and Ice dispensers: If you’re someone who enjoys getting a cold drink regularly, then you may want to consider a fridge freezer with an integrated ice or water dispenser.
• Multiflow cooling system: Newer fridge freezers offer a multiflow cooling system that distributes cold air evenly throughout the refrigerator ensuring ideal temperature and humidity for ideal food storage.
• No frost freezers: Models with a no-frost or frost-free refrigeration system prevent ice from forming within the freezer so you won't have to spend time manually defrosting as the refrigerator does it for you!

Also known as an “American fridge freezer”, side-by-side fridge freezers have separate doors for the fridge, and for the freezer, situated next to each other that open outwards. These are among some of the largest and most expensive fridge freezers, due to their large capacity.
These fridge freezers are best for those with a large family, or those who enjoy hosting parties or soirées.

Most American fridge freezers are between 70cm to 100cm wide. Additionally, they are typically between 160cm to 180cm tall, and 60cm to 80cm deep.
Before you purchase your new fridge freezer, it’s important to measure the space you have available.

Also known as a “built-in” fridge freezer, integrated fridge freezers are installed within the kitchen units. Then your existing kitchen doors are fitted to the front of the appliance(s) which hides them from view, thus providing a seamless look and feel.

The amount of electricity your fridge freezer uses—and the cost associated with it—depends on a range of factors. Fridge Freezers typically use between 200 kWh and 500 kWh.
However, it’s important to note that your fridge freezer only uses electricity when it’s trying to cool down. When it’s at the optimal temperature, it won’t use much energy at all.
Energy costs will also vary based on your location and energy provider. A new D-rated fridge freezer (equivalent to the former A+++ rating) might cost between £40 per year for a top-freezer or bottom-freezer model, and up to £80 per year for larger or older models.
Key factors affecting the energy consumption of a fridge freezer include:

• Energy Efficiency Rating: More efficient models consume less electricity.
• Style of Fridge Freezer: A larger fridge freezer with larger doors, will lose more heat when opened frequently.
• Age of the Appliance: Older fridge freezers tend to be less efficient over time.
• Ambient Temperature: Fridge freezers in warmer environments work harder and use more energy to maintain a cool temperature.
• Frequency of Use: Every time the fridge freezer door is opened, it has to work to replace the lost cold air, increasing energy usage.
• Loading: Overloading the fridge freezer can impede airflow and reduce efficiency, requiring more energy to keep items cool.

Your freezer temperature should be at -18°C (0°F), or slightly lower, to help keep your food frozen and maintain its quality for longer.
Meanwhile, the ideal fridge temperature is between 3°C (37°F) and 5°C (40°F), as this is the optimal temperature range to ensure your food remains fresh.

You should leave your fridge freezer to settle for at least 4 hours before you plug it in and turn it on. Once you’ve turned it on, set the thermostats to the desired temperature and leave to cool to the temperature before you place any food into the appliance.

A sliding hinge is typically used on an integrated fridge freezer. Sliding hinges use brackets that attach the fridge freezer door to the external door, so the appliance door opens when the furniture door is opened.
Your other option is a fixed hinge, which attaches the fridge freezer door directly to the external door, which supports the full weight of the appliance door.
You can install your fridge freezer yourself, however, we would recommend having it installed by a professional as it can be difficult to move a fridge freezer into place while ensuring it’s fitted properly. We offer installation services here at Smeg, to ensure your new fridge freezer is installed correctly.

Anything below 40db is considered a quiet fridge freezer. Here at Smeg, the majority of our fridges, freezers, and fridge freezers operate at a 35db to 37db range, ensuring you don't even notice they’re there.

A fridge freezer generally can take between 6 and 24 hours to get cold, depending on where you live and the ambient temperature. If you’ve bought a new fridge freezer, we advise leaving it 24 hours from when you first turn it on to reach the correct temperature before you start loading it with any food.

You can find out the capacity of your existing fridge freezer (typically measured in litres) by measuring the interior height, width, and depth in centimetres, and then multiplying them together. This will provide you with the capacity in terms of cubic centimetres. Then simply divide by 1,000 to determine the volume in litres.
The ratio is slightly different. This represents the proportion of your fridge freezer with the first figure normally representing the fridge component, and the second figure representing the freezer component. For example, a fridge freezer with the ratio of 70/30 indicates that 70% of the total capacity is made up of the refrigerator, and 30% by the freezer.
The fastest and easiest way to determine the ratio is often by eye. For example, it’s normally fairly easy to see if the unit has two doors of approximately the same size. If it does, it’s most likely a 50/50 fridge freezer.
Your instruction booklet will also normally provide capacity and/or sometimes ratio within the specification section. If you no longer have the instruction booklet, you can usually find a digitised version by searching for the specific model online.
If you’re buying a new fridge freezer, it’s important to consider the ratio and capacity you want, as it’s a good time to evaluate if a change is needed.
For more information on fridge freezer sizes, read our full measurement guide here.

The energy efficiency rating system was changed in 2020 to
better reflect changes in technology and new ratings were introduced. As a
result, the old “A+++” rating is now classed as a “D” rating, which at the time
of writing, currently reflects the best available efficiency rating for most
fridge freezers in the industry. 

This new A to G scale both simplifies the scale,
whilst also allowing room for future energy saving improvements to be
implemented. Check out our guide on the new kitchen appliance energy ratings.

All of our Smeg fridges are rated as a D, meaning they’re very energy efficient based on current technology and currently amongst the best available. However, please note that some websites are still displaying old energy ratings of A or above

Disposing of your old fridge freezer is simple, and there are plenty of ways to get rid of your old appliances for free:

• Donate: If your fridge freezer is still in working condition, you might be able to donate it to a local charity or furniture recycling organisation.
• Waste collection authority: Your local council may collect old fridge freezers and dispose of your bulky electronic items for you. Although they may charge a small fee, which you should keep in mind.
• Recycle: You can take it yourself to your local recycling or household waste centre, to drop it off for safe disposal. However, given the size of fridge freezers, you may need to organise a collection if possible.