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FEATURE TECH

want drinks chilled quickly, some fridges can release a brief icy blast on demand. Smart features The family fridge has long been the place to hang photos, kids’ drawings, notes, reminders, calendars, and other important stuff. Some fridges bring all that into the 21st century, with digital displays that can show the time, weather, appointments, news and more, and let family members send messages and share photos with each other from their own devices. These screens can also be used to bring up instructional cooking videos on YouTube, or to listen to a podcast while cleaning.

Energy efficiency Because their job takes a lot of energy and they’re running 24/7, fridges and freezers can be some of the biggest guzzlers of electricity in your home. As such, energy efficiency is a key factor that many people might overlook, but it could save you heaps on your power bills. Keep an eye out for the Energy Rating label on any new fridge (or other appliances, for that matter) – the more stars, the better.

Another impressive feature is called InstaView – knock twice on an opaque glass panel on the front and the light inside will flick on, letting you see the contents of the fridge without opening the door! Some fridges have interior cameras that let you check what’s in there from anywhere. Can’t remember if you’re out of milk? Pull up the app on your phone and view a live feed of the inside of your fridge, even while standing in the supermarket dairy aisle. Others use AI to keep track of what’s in the fridge as you stock it or take items out, keeping tabs on expiry dates, automatically adding things to your shopping list as supplies run low, or even suggesting recipes based on what you have right now.

Side by side

jug of water in the fridge itself. There are two main types of dispensers, depending on your budget and needs. Some models can be plumbed directly from your home’s water supply into the fridge, which is more convenient, but does require a visit from a plumber to do the initial setup. A more simple and budget-friendly option uses a tank that you manually refill as needed. Some higher end models even dispense different types of ice, like cubed, crushed, or more specialty shapes, for different types of drinks. Temperature control Most fridges give you some control over the temperature, but some more than others. Different zones or compartments can be set to different temperatures, while some models will sense and automatically adjust temperature, humidity, air flow, and other factors. If you

French door

fridge section on one side and the freezer on the other. And finally, there are French door fridges. This style has double doors that open from the centre, so you get one big open space – perfect for a party’s worth of platters, or storing a week’s groceries for a big household. The freezer compartment at the bottom can take the form of a drawer or two, or even have its own set of French doors. With side-by-sides and French door fridges you get a bigger capacity, and often more advanced features like water and ice dispensers or built-in displays. Water and ice dispensers There’s nothing as refreshing as a glass of chilled ice water on a hot day, and many fridges sport a water and/or ice dispenser built right into the door. That can save you from keeping a

Aesthetics

Looks aren’t everything of course, but for appliances as big as fridges, you’ll want it to be at least a little stylish. Most fridges have muted tones – white is coming back into vogue, and you’ll see a lot of black or metallic finishes too – but sometimes there’s the option for a splash of colour. If you really want to be bold, you might find a retro, mid-century-inspired design appealing.

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