The refrigerator is, quite simply, a non-negotiable piece of kitchen equipment.
It’s an appliance that is very easily taken for granted; after all, fridges are often only acknowledged by their absence, or the unique smells that accumulate when their contents have been neglected. If you’re reading this, it’s time for you to embark towards new-fridge ownership – and you’re about to think about fridges more than you ever have in your adult life.
Pint-sized preservation
Fridges come in all shapes and sizes. We’re most often acquainted with the tall, standalone combination fridge-freezers, which offer unparalleled space and convenience for the average kitchen. But not all kitchens are average, and not all kitchens have room for an appliance with such monolithic dimensions.
The under-counter fridge is an elegant solution and perfect for various scenarios, like fitting a smaller kitchen, bumping up utility-room storage, or slotting into a cooking environment with a highly specific aesthetic.
What kinds of under-counter fridge are there?
Under-counter fridges are generally alike, but there are two key options: standalone or integrated. Standalone under-counter fridges are ready-to-go units that’ll slot in under your worktop, while integrated under-counter fridges are designed to be installed invisibly in fitted kitchen suites. There are other types to look at too, such as the glass-fronted bar fridge – but you’re likely after one of the former two for your own refrigeration needs.
What should I look for in an under-counter fridge?
Capacity is arguably the most important of the lot here, as you’ll want something that can capably manage more than your average household food intake.
You should also consider if you need a separate freezer or not. Some only need some space for ice cubes and an emergency bag of frozen fries – in which case, an under-counter fridge with an included freezer compartment may be a beneficial and space-saving purchase.
Ancillary considerations might include energy consumption, or noise levels – generally, the more you spend, the quieter and more efficient your under-counter fridge will be.
Ultimately, space should be your biggest consideration. Either way, and whatever’s more important to you, you’ll find an excellent cross-section of the best under-counter fridges on the market below.
Best under-counter fridges to buy at a glance
- Best overall: Miele K 4003 D Under Counter Larder Fridge, White - £616, Marks Electrical
- Best for new couples: Kenwood KUR55X23 Undercounter Fridge - Silver, £139, Currys
- Best for at-home cheffing professionals: Polar C-Series Stainless Steel Under Counter Fridge - £417.99, Amazon
- Best for integrating into your kitchen suite: Kenwood KIL60W23 Integrated Undercounter Fridge - Fixed Hinge - £269, Currys
- Best for peace of mind: Bosch KTR15NWECG Series 2 Under Counter Larder Fridge - White, £299, Marks Electrical
- Best for a no-frills auxiliary fridge: Bush MEE5585UCL Under Counter Larder Fridge - White, £175, Argos
- Best for a first fridge purchase: Igenix IG347FFB Freestanding Under Counter Fridge Freezer - £169.99, Amazon
- Best for your DIY summer garden-bar plans: Baridi 85L Under Counter Drinks/Beer & Wine Cooler Fridge with Light, Black - £227.98, Amazon
- Best for low budgets: Cookology UCFR88BK Undercounter Freestanding Fridge - £118.99, Amazon
- Best for drinking cool drinks in style: Smeg Mini Bar FAB5ROR5 Fridge - £899, AO
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Miele K 4003 D Under Counter Larder Fridge, White
Best: overall
The Miele K 4003 D is an extremely capable under-counter fridge, with a quite frankly impressive 141 litres of space for you to fill. Between its low-maintenance LED lighting and its crisply functional modular shelf system, this fast-cooling, moisture-controlling cooling machine is a get-it-done workhorse.
That £600-plus price point might be a little nippy, but it’s paying for much more than the Miele badge on the front; you’re getting a level of build quality and longevity not commonly seen in today’s fast-tech buy-now home-appliance marketplace.
Rest assured that when you buy this fridge, it is well and truly in it for the long haul. If you’re staying put and don’t want to risk a cheaper unit giving out on you, this is the buy-once option you need in your life.
Buy now £616.00, Marks Electrical
Polar C-Series Stainless Steel Under Counter Fridge
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Best for: at-home cheffing professionals
Sometimes your under-counter fridge needs are a little more discerning. If you’re someone with a more professional relationship to cookery than the next – whether you run an at-home baking business or you’re a chef angling for Michelin-stardom – then you might be looking for something a little more… well, professional.
The Polar C-Series stainless steel under-counter fridge is a culinary industry standard; it’s an easy-clean, energy-efficient, space-maximising fridge designed to make your food storage and prep as accessible as possible. Those 150 litres of space won’t be taken for granted, and neither will the digital temperature controls above the door.
This is a great investment for the budding chef, and a long-term investment too – Polar commits to offering spare parts for at least eight years after the last one of these hits the shops.
Buy now £417.99, Amazon
Kenwood KUR55X23 Undercounter Fridge - Silver
Best for: new couples
The Kenwood KUR55X23 is an excellent-value unit, coming in at under £150 and offering some simple conveniences above and beyond other units that cost more.
This budget under-counter fridge is special for its dedicated top-shelf freezer box, which enables you to store some ice and simple frozen goods. It’s only 14 litres strong, but for a newly-moved-in couple, this could be enough to avoid having to purchase a separate freezer.
The ice-box sits within a handsome 109-litre fridge space, all of which is hidden behind a single, sleek, silver door. There’s fuss-free, tinker-free LED lighting within too.
Admittedly, it would be nice if there were more shelf options inside, but for what it is and crucially, what it costs, the KUR55X23 is more than enough.
Buy now £139.00, Kenwood
Kenwood KIL60W23 Integrated Undercounter Fridge - Fixed Hinge
Best for: integrating into your kitchen suite
The Kenwood KIL60W23 is an integrated under-counter fridge, designed to be slotted into your fitted kitchen like the reverse-glove it is. There are many integrated options on the market, but this Kenwood is undeniably one of the best.
For one, it has a large 138-litre capacity – enough to service most small families. Also, its temperature controls are both intuitive and easy to access, something which is surprisingly difficult to find in many fridges of this stature.
Add in the glorious quietude with which it operates, and you have a well-priced fridge that fits the bill of being neither seen nor heard.
Buy now £269.00, Currys
Bosch KTR15NWECG Series 2 Under Counter Larder Fridge, White
Best for: peace of mind
Seeing the Bosch marque on the front of any home appliance is often reason enough to just go ahead and get it, really. Bosch products have a positive reputation for quality engineering and construction, and this capable little under-counter fridge is, of course, no different.
The Bosch KTR15NWECG Series 2 doesn’t set any worlds on fire with its understated exterior, and even-more-understated 134-litre interior. The glass shelves and their moulded runners feel sturdy, and the thermostat wheel is reassuringly sturdy in its own tactile way.
It’s a shade more expensive than other, flashier fridges in this list, but a great mid-range buy if you want something that’ll just do what it promises to do, no fuss.
Buy now £299.00, Marks Electrical
Bush MEE5585UCL Under Counter Larder Fridge - White
Best for: a no-frills auxiliary fridge
The Bush range of home appliances and tech products are a true British mainstay, with thanks to both the iconic tube and transistor radios of the original brand and the cut-price tech essentials of the late-20th century revival brand. Bush is in everything, from TVs and boomboxes to kettles and ovens – and, of course, under-counter fridges.
The Bush MEE5585UCL, true to Bush’s place in the white-goods market, is a completely cromulent fridge. Its genuine unremarkability is genuinely to its benefit, as it quietly goes about cooling your goods with no fuss or trouble. The drawers and shelves are easy to remove and easier to clean, and the 131-litre capacity is more capacious than many similarly priced under-counter fridges.
This is an ideal ‘spare’ fridge, if you have a utility space and need extra cold space for leftovers or food stock.
Buy now £175.00, Argos
Igenix IG347FFB Freestanding Under Counter Fridge Freezer
Best for: a first fridge purchase
Igenix’s IG347FFB under-counter fridge is a combination affair; a dual-door fridge-freezer with a not-too-shabby 26 litres of freezer space atop a decent 61-litre fridge unit. It’s small – what else would you expect from an under-counter fridge-freezer combo? – but it’s sleek-looking on the outside, and has plenty compartments to keep your stuff organised.
Igenix is a budget brand as evidenced by its relatively basic temperature controls – which, if you’re not careful, can lead to pesky ice build-up at the back as the seasons change.
Entry-level nitpicks aside, this combination fridge-freezer is a godsend first fridge for someone moving into their first unfurnished flat.
Buy now £169.99, Amazon
Baridi 85L Under Counter Drinks/Beer & Wine Cooler Fridge with Light, Black
Best for: your DIY summer garden-bar plans
You know those best-laid plans you have of building a semi-permanent outdoor bar in your back garden before the summer comes around? Where you’ll entertain all of your friends with home-mixed cocktails and tipsy games of plastic croquet? Well, those plans aren’t complete without a dodgy extension lead out of the window, leading to a tastefully hidden under-bar drinks fridge. And this Baridi 85L glass-fronted bar fridge is just about ideal.
Bar fridges like this are often quite expensive, on account of the industry purposes for which they’re usually bought. This consumer-friendly affair is on the cheaper side, but by no means short on capacity or cooling power. It’s an accessible option for when you want to play landlord, and will do its best to ensure your garden-bar plans are realised.
Buy now £227.98, Amazon
Cookology UCFR88BK Undercounter Freestanding Fridge
Best for: low budgets
The Cookology UCFR88BK is a seriously cheap under-counter fridge. Coming in just over the three-figure mark, it’s a hard fridge to pass up for those with a little less in the fridge-buying budget. That low budget gets you a slightly undersized 88 litres of capacity, but you’ll hardly miss the extra space – particularly if this unit’s just for you.
Despite the low cost, the Cookology UCFR88BK manages to keep the volume down with a 41dB operating level. It also looks pretty sweet, particularly against the landlord-white bare-bones examples set by lesser budget brands. There’s not much special here besides, but at this price does there need to be?
Buy now £118.99, Amazon
Smeg Mini Bar FAB5ROR5 Fridge - Orange
Best for: drinking cool drinks in style
Smeg is the gold standard for bougie fridges and instantly elevates any kitchen aesthetic. Those iconic 50s curves, the suave-coloured candy-coated exterior, the 20th-century car-door handle… All iconic, and all hiding some decent refrigeration too. What if you could have this classic fridge design, but smaller?
Enter the Smeg FAB5ROR5 under-counter fridge, a nostalgic mini-bar affair that trucks in the very same Italian panache of its larger siblings. This is the smallest fridge in our line-up, and also the most expensive – but with some nifty frost-avoiding design, quiet operation (including a sensor that turns off the compressor when you’re in the room!), and that fetching orange, it’s hard to say no to this chic drinks-friendly mini-fridge.
Buy now £899.00, AO
Verdict: For a handy under-counter fridge that doesn’t impact your bank balance too heavily, the Kenwood KUR55X23 Undercounter Fridge is a great shout. However, if you’ve the budget, there’s no getting around the brilliant size and build quality of the Miele K 4003 D.
