Freezer on Top or Bottom: Which Fridge to Choose
I’m choosing a new fridge. A lot has changed since I bought the old one: new energy efficiency classes, all sorts of trays, glass shelves, surge protection and so on.
Freezer on top or at the bottom?
But one of the first questions I had to settle was this: freezer on top or at the bottom? Which one to choose, which is more convenient, and why put it at the bottom at all? I went for a fridge with a bottom freezer, and here’s why.
Why I chose a bottom freezer
- You usually use the freezer less often, so you won’t have to bend down much. Meanwhile, everyday food is easy to reach and easy to see, especially with glass shelves.
- A bottom freezer is usually bigger.
- A bottom freezer has separate pull-out drawers, so it’s easy to sort different kinds of food. A top freezer usually has just one shelf that splits the compartment in two.
- Even kids can get ice cream out of a bottom freezer by themselves. Though, of course, it’s better with an adult around.
When a top freezer is better
- Fridges with a top freezer are usually cheaper.
- They’re a bit more efficient: according to a table from the US ENERGY STAR program, these models use about 9% less electricity on average than bottom-freezer models.
- If you use the freezer every day (batch cooking, ready meals), bending down to the bottom drawers gets old fast.
The verdict
For me, there are more arguments for a bottom freezer. The classic small freezer inside the fridge is already a thing of the past, and the top freezer will most likely gradually give way to the bottom one too.