Is your fridge bursting at the seams trying to accommodate enough food for your large family? As we head into the entertaining season, with lots of opportunities for guests to drop by and extra mouths to feed, it may be time to upsize to a new, bigger fridge that you know you're going to be able to rely on.
But how big a fridge do you really need, and which style – side-by-side, French door or pigeon pair? And how much will a big fridge cost you to run?
We've trawled through CHOICE's extensive fridge testing data to find three fridges that hit the sweet spot in terms of price, performance, energy use and size.
Westinghouse WHE6060SA
- Price: $2599
- 10-year running costs: $1320
- Size: 605L
- Type: French door
- Energy star rating: 3.5
- Excellent score (90%) for temperature stability
Read more about the Westinghouse WHE6060SA
Westinghouse WHE6000SA
- Price: $2699
- 10-year running costs: $1320
- Size: 605L
- Type: French door
- Energy star rating: 3.5
- Excellent score (90%) for temperature stability
Read more about the Westinghouse WHE6000SA
LG GS-B680WL
- Price: $1949
- 10-year running costs: $1695
- Size: 687L
- Type: Side-by-side
- Energy star rating: 3
- Claimed energy consumption: 565kWh/year
- Very good score (90%) for response to outside temperature
Read more about the LG GS-B680WL
How to choose the right fridge for your family
Not sure what size you'll need? Here's our guide to choosing fridge capacity:
| Household size | Recommended volume | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 people | 250–380L (1) | $429–$2399 |
| 3–4 people | 350–530L | $699–$4799 |
| 5 or more people | 440L+ (2) | $1079–$5500+ |
(1) We don't recommend smaller fridges, as they tend to be less energy efficient and cost you more in the long run. (2) Add 28.5L for each additional family member, plus freezer space. If in doubt, get the bigger fridge.
CHOICE fridge expert Ashley Iredale shares his tips for choosing a fridge for a larger family:
- Side-by-side fridges may seem like a good size for larger families, but we generally don't recommend them because they're not great for temperature evenness. Also, the shelves are often quite narrow, which can limit your options in terms of putting in larger things.
- If you get a fridge with a multi-use compartment, this improves the flexibility of the fridge – you can allocate that compartment to extra freezer space or fridge space as you need it.
- Something else to consider is a 'pigeon pair': separate but matching upright fridge and freezer. This will give you a lot more room than a French door or side-by-side fridge, and you can keep them separate by putting the freezer in the laundry or garage, freeing up extra space in your kitchen.
- If you've got a large family but not much space or money, don't get a fridge with an ice dispenser – it can take up almost 30% of your freezer capacity.