It doesn't effect at all. The purpose of freezer design below is the frequent of use and your most convenient use from certain manufacturing sturdy. The new design drawer freezer do give better efficiency and save some cold lost.

The front door fridge is not efficient and lost a lot of cold air when door open. The cold air will flow out as door front door open. Which cold air is heavier. As the bottom drawer type, the air can't flow out much more. Cause cold air don't rise.

The most efficiency fridge is modify those freezer as fridge. Those top open door freezer where mostly use for restaurant and wet market. Put some thermostats and set to fridge temperature. It save your bill a lot.

anyone here used hisense fridge?

Hmmm..but considering that the freezer is not open as often as the non-freezer section, the lost is to the minimum..For me, I open the non freezer part more, which would mean i lose cold air from there more. Considering that the cold air is where the fan is which is wherever the freezer is, and that cold air is heavier and travels downward, i would 'benefit' a little more if the non freezer part is at the bottom; As it cools much easily then if the cold air were to move upwards. Again, this is just a thought, but yes i agree that drawers loses less cold air then front doors since it acts as a barier and cold air couldnt travel any lower if the freezer were to be at the bottom. Unlike side by side which has dual fan, the top-bottom only has one...Haih...buy fridge also so mah fan...and I thought renovation was difficult..buy fridge also so hard...

I think if ppl give me fridge as a house warming gift..i wouldn't mind any type....LOL

I'm going back and forth between the new Panasonic inverter fridge (bottom freezer), hitachi 4 door top-bottom and the samsung 2 door..grandma say freezer at the bottom kids can pull and toddlers these days if not watch would climb inside and sometimesafter we take a handfull of stuff just turn and kick the door close...LOL..grandma trying to scare me..

Was thinking about the top-bottom hitachi 4 door because the door clearance needed is smaller compared to the full size door...then I dont have to worry about the space from table top to the island..

The cold air lost mainly is cause by the door type. Front door type open will have more cold air lost. Due to cold air heavier and intend to flow out downward. Doesn't matter the freezer ontop or below. You can stand beside the fridge and try open the door. You can see the cold air cloud rush out downward. Either you open the freezer or fridge side, it still lost amount of cold air. Very much depend on how fast you close back the door and don't let the temperature rise further.

The deisgn of freezer drawer type at bottom have 2 advantage from my oppinion. It reduce your squarting and poking into the freezer to look for something. It is difficult for older people. Squarting and looking forward is difficult. While bending and look downward is much more eassier if a drawer type. Another advantage is the minimum cold air lost for the drawer type.

But I find out also, the drawer type of freezer have lesser space than the front door type. The drawer occupy some space.

Again as I said, top door open freezer is the most efficeint. As cold air don't rise.

Side by side front door open is the waste space from my oppinion. The center divider occupy a lot of space. And cause the design of the fridge to be wider. But recently I found out a brand name Beko fridge where there is no center divider for side by side door. The fridge have a high rating energy saving compare others same size. Even more energy saving than the smaller size. The fridge have 3 frezzer drawer below and fridge ontop. It is almost perfect fridge for me. But not the price.

I would like to go for the new design where freezer drawer at below and look for most energy saving. If inverter can save, why not. It is difficult for me to break away from the traditional freezer ontop. It look strange freezer at bottom.

Panasonic is coming up with a top freezer soon by this year definitely. Wait if you are not in hurry.

Apple changes our lifestyle. So does Panasonic bottom freezer fridge bring us a new kitchen lifestyle.

The logic is simple, if the frequency of opening the freezer compartment is high, you stick to the traditional top freezer design and vice versa.

Some people still prefer manual transmission vehicle over auto transmission vehicle because they say "lebih jimat petrol".

Well, your choice.

Really? Then I'll wait. Any indication on teh differences?

I believe there have been 3 sizes of Panasonic Top Freezer that I found - all are 2012 products. Looks sleek, slim and tall but all are non inverter type (capacity too small - no need for inverter). But I haven't heard anyone using it yet. Anyone here?

However, the door 'suction' feeling is lacking. It's like u can easily pull the doors - unlike the bottom freezer type.

I believe in Panasonic because of the rubber/suction thingy+electrical consumption. Samsung is worst - after 2 years the rubber part has fallen - unlike Panasonic which after 15 years, then I need to change the rubber!

This post has been edited by phachat: Jul 9 2012, 10:37 AM

Thanks Ozak..good point..I guess it goes back to preferences, I was looking at Hitachi for the same reason you talked about for BEKO, I didnt look for side by side mainly because I think it is a waste of space, and I was thinking that i couldnt fit a 2kg ice-cream cake in there too..LOL Hitachi 4 door has no center divider too, but freezer is on top.

The other thing about drawer freezer is that, I would need to stack my grocery a little more than i have to with the shelves type (top or bottom). There is a divider in the drawers, but I would still be stacking fish and chicken and meat on top of each other. Just my own usage that is. Looking at my mum's fridge during festive season..whoa..so much stuff man, and would be difficult to plan the stacking. Say I stack the chicken and meat at the bottom and fish, squid, abalone, prawns on top, when she wants to cook, she would have to remove so many stuff to get to the bigger ones at the bottom. And to avoid them being 'dented' everything much be in containers and tupperware, which i think occupies space also..

I would generally still be stacking with those shelves freezer, but i could segregate the big and small with the shelves..I would love a fridge with bottom freezer but of shelves and not drawers, and I would love one with french door with no divider in the middle...I think samsung has it...but so costly leh...torn between models and price also..but samsung is not an inverter unit i think...

Was at Harvey N more than a month ago in Paradigm along LDP. The Hitachi R-B6800M (R-B6700 in Japan) and R-B6200M uses only 260 kWh and 240kwh per year. Wow that's a whopping 21.7 and 20 units of electricity per month. Although large (620 and 670l gross), it whops the rest of the same its size and some of smaller sizes.

It's a new fridge with bottom freezer with many doors. Sales guy told me Hitachi makes the best fridge from feedback. Beko (Turkey) also not bad. Some of Bosch products are OEM from Beko according to him.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Jul 9 2012, 05:30 PM

Just have to report back on my Toshiba GR-R72MD (710l).

Recently bought a electric usage monitoring plug, and monitored my fridge for 1 week.

It's using on average about 3.2kWh a day!

With such a big fridge, consider ok. Wait another 6-8yrs, it will suck power.

23years and still no problem....old singer

new singer...dunno

just avoid 1door refri

Fridge can last very longtime. It just suck more power when getting old.

hi..

i've been reading around this post and find it amusing on how much info has been transferred. i myself am looking for a new fridge. been looking around ss2, ikano and ou. my budget is limited under 1k, so i'm planning to buy a 1 door fridge initially but most of the salesman i've encountered pointed out that 2 door fridge is better (maintenance-wise and economic-wise) but a little bit pricier (still under 1k budget tho). and now i've been back and forward from Samsung (good design, cheap but korean made), Sharp (energy efficient; 5 star rating, basic function and design, japan made), Electrolux (not many info) and Mitsubishi (good motor; japan made, a lil pricy than the others) model. any advice on which fridge is the best to choose from.

Thanks.

Based on your budget, I think a two-door second hand fridge could be had. You have an advantage.... just post a WTB ad if you live in an apartment and see what's the response. Should be ppl around wanting to get a new fridge. The ad might just trigger it. Otherwise try places like Mudah etc.

Hunt some more. Try Jintex and ask around in places like Best Denki and Harvey Norman or the Panasonic shop la. I have tried Sharp and Panasonic (bottom freezer) altough the other brands should be just as good.

One common problem among most fridges is they suffer from ok freezer but not cold fridge. Culprit are blocked air vents making ice to form inside causing cold air not to flow out. The not-so teruk is ice foming somewhere underneath and behind the vegetable case or any crowded space near the vent where the air circulation becomes too cold. The ones that solves this problem even in the harshest condition is considered reliable. I have seen cases where a fridge was stocked up such that the light cannot shine through because of left overs from meals crowding out everything.

Sometimes if a home kena frequent lightning strike induced outage, the fridge might rosak faster. In this situation the ELCB might need replacing otherwise compressor cepat konk. The refrigerant needs time to settle for at least 12 hours before turning it back on.

After you strip away volume, energy consumption and features, it all boils down to compressor reliability, air flow performance on full stock up, tendency of ice damming in the air outlet from freezer to fridge and door gasket seal lifespan. Most important of all, after sales service and ease of procuring spare parts. Can't imagine waiting 2 weeks for a fridge spare part.

Electrolux OEM from various. Their French 4-door, bottom freezer is from Sharp or Sharp's OEM.

Mitsubishi and Hitachi makes good fridges esp their compressor.

Panasonic should be reliable but had scanty feedback from one seller about compressor issue after 4-5 years. I had one Panasonic kena fridge not cold due to ice damming once this year. Fridge is 7 year old model but bought six years ago. This was due to overcrowding but it took a while before ice damming blocked up fridge air outlet from freezer. Panasonic technician fix it for RM200. Gasket seal still good. My inlaws have theirs for 8 years but still going strong.

LG and Samsung makes stunning design and features but don't know their reliability. Guess if they sell so much here it must be good.

Good luck hunting!

add 200 u can get 2doors frige...i was like you..bought 1door for 800 a few years ago and now i really regret...thick frozen ice surrounding upper compartment...you would not face this in 2doors frige

just bought 2 door and dunno what i should do or where to put the 1 door frige

Most of the 2 door fridge I seen in the market has smaller compartment.
A point to consider.

Wow, i tot fridge is one of the most easiest way to buy...haha.....quite lot info........

I will try to get Toshiba, Samsung or Sharp quotation....I am impress with Sharp bacteria killer (plasmaxxxx), Toshiba & Samsung nice design (Black)....

Huh? look like you do not care the electric bill while buy fridge...