Choosing your fridge well in 2026: the complete guide

The six fridge formats

Before talking litres or technologies, you need to choose the shape of the appliance. It depends on the space available, the size of your household and how you shop. At Nimestore, we group them into the same families as on our fridge department.

You should also consider thebuilt-in model, which hides behind a kitchen cabinet door: we cover it further down, because it follows its own rules. And if you're torn between an American and a large fridge-freezer, we've written a dedicated comparison, with a clear verdict.

What capacity for your household?

The litres shown are usable volumes. The benchmarks below are the ones we use in store. They are not regulatory: adapt them to your habits (big weekly shops, vegetable garden, freezing home-cooked meals...).

Bigger isn't always better: a fridge that's half empty wastes energy and takes up space. Conversely, a freezer that's too small often leads you to buy a second appliance a few years later. If you freeze a lot, have a look at our freezer buying guide.

The technologies that really make a difference

Static cooling, fan cooling or No Frost

In static cooling, the air doesn't circulate: it's colder at the bottom than at the top, and frost forms inside the freezer. It needs defrosting two to four times a year. It's cheaper, quieter, and food dries out less.

The fan cooling (or forced air) uses a fan: the temperature is the same everywhere, so you can store things wherever you like, and the cold recovers quickly after opening the door. The No Frost (or Total No Frost) applies this principle to the freezer too: moisture is trapped on a hidden evaporator that defrosts automatically. The result: no more frost or defrosting chores. Be careful with the term Low Frost : it means less frost, but you still need to defrost from time to time.

The chill drawer close to 0 °C

It's the argument that wins over keen cooks. A drawer kept at around 0 °C, sometimes with a humidity setting (dry for meat and fish, humid for vegetables), keeps food fresh two to three times longer than a standard vegetable drawer. Each brand has its own name: VitaFresh at Bosch, hyperFresh at Siemens, BioFresh at Liebherr, HarvestFresh or EverFresh+ at Beko. Stated durations vary, so check the product sheet for the model.

Inverter compressor and other features

• Inverter compressor : it adjusts its speed instead of stopping and restarting. Less noise, lower energy use and more stable temperature. Some brands guarantee it for 10 years (the part only, see our page warranties and after-sales service).
• Dual cooling circuit : the fridge and the freezer each have their own air supply. No transfer of odours, better humidity. Usually found on higher-end models.
• Super cooling and super freezing : switch on before putting away a large shop.
• Water and ice dispenser : tank-fed (nothing to connect) or plumbed in, which requires a water supply and a filter to replace regularly.
• Door and temperature alarms, LED lighting, app connectivity: useful, but secondary to the cooling itself.

Noise and energy class

The energy label shows the noise level in dB(A), with a class from A (quiet) to D. Today's fridges generally fall between about 32 and 42 dB. In a kitchen open to the living room or in a studio, aim for less than 36 dB. Small expansion creaks and the sound of refrigerant circulating are normal.

On energy, the scale A to G has applied to refrigeration since 1 March 2021. It is deliberately strict: a class D fridge-freezer today is equivalent to an old A++, and a class A or B is excellent. As the fridge runs 24 hours a day, it's the appliance where the energy class makes the biggest difference. At an average price of around 0.35 € per kWh:

Calculation: kWh per year shown on the label × price per kWh. The actual price depends on your contract and your Region. Full details in our page on the energy label.

Dimensions and door opening: measure three times

The number one cause of nasty surprises isn't technical: it's the tape measure. Before you visit, note down:

• The recess : height, width and depth, allowing the ventilation gap specified in the manual (often a few centimetres above and behind).
• The actual depth : including handles and the clearance needed for the plug and any water hose.
• The access route : front door, hallway, staircase, kitchen door. This is crucial for a 90 cm American-style fridge.
• The door swing : a fridge pushed against a wall often can't open far enough to remove the drawers. Check the opening angle and which side the hinges are on.

Our models by format and budget

Here is a selection of fridges sold at Nimestore, from the simplest to the most feature-packed. For models whose official specifications we have checked, we say so. For the others, the product page gives full details on capacity, energy class and noise.

Public prices checked on nimestore.com on 15 October 2026. Prices change: the product page is the reference. Nimesclub members often get a reduced price. Specifications come from the brands' official data sheets; for models without a mention, check the data sheet.

Which brand for your fridge?

All the brands followed by Nimestore make fridges, in different styles. Bosch and Siemens excel in fridge-freezers and built-in models. Samsung and LG dominate American-style and multi-door fridges. Haier offers very large capacities at moderate prices, such as Hisense and Beko. Liebherr, a cooling specialist, is very well represented with us, from table-top to built-in models. Our page which brand to choose covers all of this in detail.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Putting a fridge-freezer in a cold garage without checking the climate class climate class (SN, N, ST, T).
• Comparing a current class (D) with an old one (A+++): these are not the same scales.
• Forgetting the cost of the water filter for a connected American-style fridge.
• Replacing a built-in door-on-door model with a sliding-door one, or vice versa.
• Plugging in a fridge straight away after it has been transported lying down.

For maintenance: around +4 °C in the fridge and -18 °C in the freezer, cleaning the seals with lukewarm vinegar water, and unblocking the small drain hole at the bottom from time to time. Your old fridge? It must be taken back free of charge when you buy a similar new one; this is the Recupel obligation: ask us how it works here.

Our fridges in store, from table-top to American-style

Table top fridge BEKO TS190340N€198.00Double-door fridge-freezer BEKO RDSA240K40WN€320.00HISENSE RB390N4AWE Inverted Fridge-Freezer€474.00Combined fridge freezer BOSCH KGN36NLEA€645.00Fridge-freezer SAMSUNG RB38C7B6AS9€1,799.00Bottom-freezer fridge freezer SAMSUNG RB53DG703ES9€949.00American & Multi-Door Fridge Freezer HAIER HSR3918ENPG€691.00American-style & multi-door fridge freezer LG GSLC40EPPE€1,361.00American-Style & Multi-Door Fridge HAIER HCR3818ENMM€778.00Built-in fridge BOSCH KIR81NSE0€1,079.00

Frequently asked questions