Hi all, have already narrowed down to 2 brands...just wondering, Hitachi or Panasonic is of better quality in terms of efficiency + long lasting (can last more than 3 or 5 years without any problem/breakdown)? Looking for fridge with capacity range of between 600-800L. Any advice?

I think it doesn't matter whether the freezer is located on top or at the bottom, both types are almost the same. Maybe the bottom freezer might be more economical coz it won't loose much cold air compare to the top freezer... Scientifically, cold air is heavier (don't need any special energy to push cold air to the bottom, it will naturally flow to the bottom), hot air is lighter. So if freezer at the bottom, most of the cold air is contained in the freezer when we pull open up the freezer drawer... whereas if we open the top freezer door, more cold air will be lost coz most will travel out + down away from the top freezer (cold air heavier than surrounding air). But the cost of electricity to generate back cold air for top freezer may not be much difference (of course will be higher a bit) compare to the bottom freezer. It all depends on preference/convenience of each individual.