With built-in refrigeration appliances, you save if you invest
Foundation Warentest tested 22 Refrigerator-Appliances. The verdict is clear: a refrigerator should not be too cheap. However, even the expensive test winner is not suitable for everyone.
The variety of refrigerators is great. Particularly popular are refrigerator-freezer combinations. They consume little space in the kitchen and have both a refrigerator and a freezer compartment. Depending on storage requirements, there are appliances with larger refrigerator or larger freezer sections and in completely different sizes from under 1.50 to more than 2 meters in height. In the refrigerator test of Stiftung Warentest, it is shown that those looking for the best refrigerator based on brand image can experience a nasty surprise.
Who saves on purchase will pay for it in electricity. This is the verdict of the testers of 22 refrigerator-appliances, among them 16 refrigerator-freezer combinations and six standalone refrigerators ("Test", issue 7/2024).
Among the refrigerator-freezer combinations, the expensive "Miele Appliance KFN 7734C" won ("good", 1890 Euro and 1020 Euro in electricity costs over 15 years). The high efficiency, however, had a disadvantage: freezing takes longer. However, this appliance is no longer available on the market as tested.
Maybe give up on the deep freezer compartment?
Price-performance winner "Bauknecht KGITN 18F4 M" (also "good"; 950 Euro and 1300 Euro in electricity costs over 15 years) is less efficient than the winner appliance, but freezes better. Tip: Those who freeze small quantities often should pay attention to efficiency, those who freeze large quantities on speed.
Among the standalone refrigerators, the "Siemens KI81RVFE0" (945 Euro and 580 Euro in electricity costs over 15 years) won. Price-performance winner was the "Liebherr IRe 5100" (1050 Euro, electricity 360 Euro). However, all six standalone refrigerators achieved a "good" rating, so buyers cannot make a big mistake here.
In general, testers evaluated standalone refrigerators as significantly more energy-efficient than appliance combinations. Therefore, those who can do without a deep freezer compartment should do so.
Don't lower the interior temperature
A tip from the testers, so that a refrigerator, which is energy-saving in itself, does not become a power consumer: Place the appliance, if possible, away from heat sources such as stoves, dishwashers, and windows through which the sun shines. The best place is an outside cold wall. In addition: Let warm dishes cool down outside before putting them in and shop with a cool bag, so that the food remains as cool as possible.
Saving energy by increasing the interior temperature is not recommended by the testers - early spoilage of food results in the same costs and additional environmental pollution. The appliances were tested at 4 degrees in the refrigerator and minus 18 degrees in the freezer compartment.
- When considering energy efficiency in refrigerators, Stiftung Warentest's tests revealed that focusing solely on brand image can lead to higher electricity costs over time.
- According to Stiftung Warentest's tests, Food preservation is a crucial factor in appliance efficiency. Those who frequently freeze small quantities should prioritize freezing speed, while those who freeze large quantities should focus on energy efficiency.
- If you're looking to save electricity and want to skip the deep freezer compartment, standalone refrigerators, as per Stiftung Warentest's tests, tend to be more energy-efficient than refrigerator-freezer combinations.
