Best American fridge freezers for 2024

American fridge freezers look impressive and promise the end to an overflowing fridge or crammed-to-bursting freezer.

If you're looking for a show stopper for your kitchen, then take a look at the 10 best American fridge freezers, below. These are the top-scoring models from our independent testing. 

Looking for a different type of fridge freezer? See our Best fridge freezers to select the best type for your kitchen and your budget.

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Best American fridge freezers

None of these take your fancy? Don't worry – we've tested the most popular American fridge freezers to help you find the perfect fit for your kitchen.

See all our American fridge freezer reviews.

What is an American fridge freezer?

American fridge freezers (also known as side-by-side or American-style models) are wider than freestanding or integrated fridge freezers and always have at least one set of side-by-side doors.

Most commonly, there are just two doors, with the fridge sitting next to the freezer. However, sometimes the fridge and freezer will each have two side-by-side doors, but the fridge will sit on top of the freezer. Alternatively, the fridge can have two side-by-side doors, but the freezer underneath will have one or two large external drawers. 

American fridge freezers are wider and deeper than conventional models, so they take up more space in your kitchen, but they also give you far more space to store fresh and frozen food. 

How to buy the best American fridge freezer

If you're unsure as to whether an American-style fridge freezer is right for your household, these buying questions should help you decide.

• Will you really use all that space? American fridge freezers offer more storage space for fresh and frozen food than regular fridge freezers, and have lots of fridge shelves and racks for storing items of all shapes and sizes. But if you're a small or single-person household and don't tend to do big bulky shops, you probably don't really need one.
• Will it fit through your kitchen door? You should carefully measure the space in your kitchen before buying a new fridge freezer, and this is especially true when you splash out on a larger model. The standard width of an American fridge freezer is 90cm, but some can be over 100cm wide. Slimmer models are available, but even these are usually around 70cm wide, which is 10cm more than the width of a standard freestanding model. Some can be too big for front and internal doorways, and getting one delivered to a top-floor flat could be problematic, too. Some American fridge freezers we've tested are 200cm in height.
• Do you have a nearby water supply to plug it into? If you opt for a plumbed-in water dispenser, you won't need to refill it by hand, but you will need a water source nearby to plumb the fridge into. This can limit where the fridge freezer will be placed in your kitchen. It will also need to be plumbed in by a plumber. There are non-plumbed options available, which give you more freedom, but they need to be manually topped up with water regularly.
• Can you afford one? American-style fridge freezers cost from around £400, but some can cost more than £3,200. In short, it's not a cheap purchase. Buying a large fridge freezer on sale and then later finding that you don't use all the space it offers is a false economy. Also, remember to factor in the extra running costs.

Find out more about your right to a return - what's a 'cooling off' period?

American fridge freezer features

• Attractive appearance Many consider American-style fridge freezers more stylish, perhaps because we see them inside celebrities' homes on TV, or maybe because they look more imposing in a kitchen. You can buy freestanding models in brushed, gloss effect or stainless steel finishes too, as well as retro-looking freestanding models. 
• Convertible zones This feature allows you to convert part of the freezer into extra fridge space, which could be handy at times when you need to store extra food, such as Christmas.
• Digital display From setting the thermostat to programming functions such as fast freeze, a digital display looks good and can make fridge freezers easier to set up and use. It's not restricted to American fridge freezers, but most have this. 
• 'Extra' features as standard American fridge freezers are usually frost-free and tend to come with 'nice-to-have' features, such as a fast-freeze function, adjustable shelves and door alarms. Increasingly, many freestanding and integrated models do too, though.
• Greater storage space American fridge freezers are ideal for larger households. 
• Independent cooling systems Some American fridge freezers have separate fridge and freezing cooling circuits. This helps keep moisture in the fridge, minimising food dehydration, which is good for preserving food with a high water content such as salad.
• Separate thermostats These allow you to set accurate fridge and freezer temperatures.
• Water dispenser and ice maker Chilled, filtered water and instant ice are tempting features, but most models offering these have to be plumbed into the mains water supply. This affects where you can put it in your kitchen and can make them expensive to install. Also, you’ll have to change the water filters every six months or so. Replacement filters can cost anything from £20 to more than £90 each, so it’s worth checking the price before you buy to avoid extra costs later on. Some models have removable water jugs that you simply top up from the tap – but you’ll only get two to three litres of water before you’ll need to refill the jug.

Read How to deep-clean your fridge for advice on cleaning a fridge water dispenser.

Is it worth buying an American fridge freezer?

The main appeal of this style of fridge freezer is the amount of storage space they contain. If you are able to make full use of the extra space, it may be worth the investment.

As the table below shows, the average model contains 390 litres of usable space, which is enough for around 20 supermarket carrier bags' worth of shopping.

Unlike manufacturers, who measure fridge freezer volume with all the shelves and drawers taken out, we measure how much space you can actually use for storing food. 

As a result, models with exactly the same external dimensions can vary significantly when it comes to usable storage space.

How much do American fridge freezers cost?

American fridge freezers are larger than conventional models, so are generally more expensive. Prices start at around £600 and go upwards over £3,000. 

Prices vary hugely between brands and whichever brand you choose, you’ll pay more for features such as a stainless-steel finish, digital displays and water and automatic ice dispensers.

Get a great deal on a fridge freezer: see our Best cheap fridge freezers for 2024.

Can you buy an energy-efficient American fridge freezer?

You can certainly buy energy-efficient American fridge freezers: these use energy wisely in relation to their size. Which? American fridge freezer Eco Buys combine good performance with low energy use relative to their size. 

You'll note our emphasis on 'relative to size'. An energy-efficient American fridge freezer will cost more to run than an energy-efficient freestanding model. 

We've analysed American fridge freezer running costs from more than 50 models. We've calculated that the average American-style fridge freezer uses 44% more energy and can cost significantly more to run than a freestanding fridge freezer. So, before splurging an American fridge freezer, consider whether you really need one.

• On average, a freestanding fridge freezer costs around £75 per year to run, while a large American-style fridge freezer costs over £108.
• Overall, fridge freezer running costs vary from less than £41 to nearly £156 per year, depending on the type and size you choose. 
• American fridge freezer costs range from £81 to £156, so, if you definitely want one, be sure to pick an energy-efficient model. 

Find out how much specific American fridge freezer models cost using our free fridge freezer running costs tool.