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Fridge Freezer

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whistonian | 10:02 Sat 18th Jan 2014 | Home & Garden
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I'm considering buying a new F/F.one in mind is a Hotpoint ice diamond 55cm from Amazon,It states that only the fridge is automatic defrost so my question is will the freezer ice up and need de-icing occasionally.
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I assume you mean the Hotpoint RFAA52K at £298.99. Which reviewed this in July 2012 and say you can currently get it for £244 from Boots (including delivery). However their review is not good, as follows: The Hotpoint RFAA52K is a great price for a freestanding fridge freezer, though you'll have to defrost the freezer when ice builds up as it's not frost...
10:14 Sat 18th Jan 2014
Some freezers have humidity control which prevents icing up. Our Samsung 'american' fridge freezer hasn't a scrap of ice after 2 years running.
Question Author
Cheers Jomifi but I think yours is a far more expensive F/F.
I assume you mean the Hotpoint RFAA52K at £298.99.

Which reviewed this in July 2012 and say you can currently get it for £244 from Boots (including delivery).

However their review is not good, as follows:

The Hotpoint RFAA52K is a great price for a freestanding fridge freezer, though you'll have to defrost the freezer when ice builds up as it's not frost free. So does this cheap fridge freezer keep your food safely chilled and frozen? And will it cool fresh food fast to keep nutrients locked inside? Read our review to find out.

The Hotpoint RFAA52P's freezing power is so poor it struggles to freeze fresh food at all. In fact, it's so inadequate that the freezer is barely more than a cupboard for storing ready-frozen food.

Plus it's expensive to run for its size.

What is it?

A cheap fridge freezer with a fast-freeze function and all of the storage features you'd expect to find inside a standard model.

Is it good at chilling food?

The fridge isn't bad. The temperature is even throughout and it's great at keeping food consistently chilled in fluctuating room temperatures. While it's not the quickest at chilling fresh food it's not the slowest, either.

Is it good at freezing food?

No. If you like to bulk buy and freeze fresh produce or cook up large batches of homemade meals to pop in the freezer do not buy this fridge freezer - it can only freeze 1.5kg of fresh food in one go. This means you would only be able to freeze one medium-sized chicken from a large grocery shop.

How much food can I store in it?

The freezer is larger than most (it has four drawers compared with the usual three) which means there's less space in the fridge - we measured 126 litres of useable fridge space and 71 litres of freezer space.

It has some surprisingly good fridge storage features for such a basic model: one of the door racks is covered for keeping items extra-cold, and the open door racks are deep, which means bottles and jars are less likely to rattle around and topple over. Plus there are two salad crisper drawers, which means you can keep bulky vegetables and soft fruits separate.

Is there anything else I should know?

Running this fridge freezer for a year won't cost the earth, but for the amount of storage space you actually get, this model is expensive to run.

You'd need to set the temperature with a fridge thermometer when setting this fridge freezer up because the thermostat isn't accurate.

Should I buy it?

Don't be seduced by the cheap price, there are much better fridge freezers for your kitchen.

Pros: Keeps food safely chilled and frozen in fluctuating room temperatures, even fridge temperature, some good storage features

Cons: Dreadful freezing power, pricey to power, inaccurate thermostat
Question Author
Thanks VHG, it's definitely a no no then.Will look for a full frost free.
Which have got 21 best buy Fridge Freezers, with prizes ranging from £339 up to £1,630.

Assuming you were going to spend £299 on a poor Hotpoint it may be worth spending £50 or so more and getting a decent F/F.

The cheapest one is

Bosch KGV33NW20G - currently available at John Lewis for £359 which is a great price for a quality product (Bosch are REALLY well made products and it will last you years)

http://www.johnlewis.com/bosch-kgv33nw20g-fridge-freezer-a-energy-rating-60cm-wide-white/p563298
I got a BEKO CF5533APW F/F 4 months ago from the CO-OP and its great £299.they delivered bang on time and took the old one away
I have a Beko fridge that has lasted me years and I have been so impressed with it I bought a Beko freezer about 6 months ago.

I must admit that I usually buy Bosch products if I can (I have a Bosch Dishwasher, Washing Machine and Tumble Drier).

But when it came to replace the Freezer a Bosch was about £600 but I got a Beko a lot cheaper, though I admit it is not quite as good as a Bosch.

Which list Beko as their 4th most reliable Fridge/Freezers after LG, Siemens and Bosch which all tend to be VERY expensive brands.

Hotpoint are the 11th most reliable.
i have just beko frost free - up and running - for god's sake get a frost free - you will be tortured defrosting and water dripping everywhere.
^^^^^bought

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