Though many people tend to class the heart of the home as the living room, we think it’s actually located in the kitchen.
More specifically, the life force of any home can be traced directly back to the fridge. This is the reason why sad bachelor pads and student accommodations can feel so lifeless. When all that’s in your fridge is a mouldy block of cheddar cheese and some ketchup, it’s hard to feel at home.
Likewise, there’s nothing better than returning home to a fully stocked fridge, filled to the brim with fresh ingredients for a week’s worth of cooking and meal prep. It’s a feeling that momentarily validates the reasoning behind doomsday stockpilers – the thought that you could survive just fine for at least a month or two on what’s already at home is extremely satisfying. That is, if your fridge freezer hasn’t produced a ski slope’s worth of ice and frost – leaving all your fruit, vegetables, milk cartons, leftovers, and herbs a soggy mess.
What should you look for in a fridge?
There are many different fridges out there, at a range of price points, finishes, door openings, technological specifications, sizes and energy ratings. So many, in fact, that it can feel impossible to know where to start. In case you hadn’t thought this far ahead, we recommend your first port of call be to measure the exact size of the space your fridge will go, before working out whether you need a model which is compatible with an integrated kitchen, or one that has reversible hinges for ultimate customisation.
Once you’ve got those key figures and specifications written down, then you can start thinking about just how hi-tech of a model you’re in the market for, and what your budget is. Investing in kitchen appliances can be an incredibly daunting experience – it is more often than not the most expensive purchase we’ll ever make for our homes, whether rented or owned.
And indeed, as the old saying goes, cheap is dear in the long run. Purchasing a wallet-friendly fridge might not always be the best choice if you want your perishable goods to last, and your electricity bill to remain manageable as the cost-of-living crisis continues to loom over our heads.
One appliance brand may offer a solution. Hisense has made a name for itself as a value-for-money, mid-range yet incredibly hi-tech appliance manufacturer. As such, we thought we’d put what we believe to be the most important household appliance to the test: a combination fridge freezer.
Founded in 1969 by Zhou Houjian in Qingdao, China, Hisense is most well-known for its offering of televisions and has been the largest TV manufacturer in China by market share since 2004. Yet since its inception over five decades ago, it has expanded its focus to broader consumer electronics and home appliances beyond the realm of tellies.
Due to the size and nature of the kitchen that this fridge would be going in, we chose to review the RB435N4WFE 60/40 Fridge Freezer. Why home appliances have such complicated names, we’ll never understand. Nevertheless, let’s get into the frills and chills of this review.
Buy now: Hisense RB435N4WFE 60/40 Frost Free Fridge Freezer - Black / Stainless Steel - E Rated – AO, £549
Best deals on fridge freezers for August 2023 from Hisense, Russell Hobbs, Haier and more
Best mini fridges for drinks, skincare and more
Best juicers to make delicious fresh juice at home
Best integrated fridge freezers for a seamlessly cool kitchen
Best fridge freezers: integrated, free standing and American styles reviewed
Best integrated dishwashers to suit all types of kitchens
Best water softeners to help prevent limescale in hard water areas
Best kettles for hard water that will help avoid limescale when making a brew
Key specifications
Category: Frost Free Fridge Freezer
Backing: Metal
No. of drawers: Three
Total capacity: 336 litres (Fridge: 238L, Freezer: 98L)
Dimensions: 59.5 x 200.4 x 59cm
Weight: 64kg
Energy Class: E
Energy Consumption: 247 kWh/year (£738 / Market average £905 for 70/30, 300-399L models)
Power failure safe storage: 10 hours
Noise: 39 dB(A)
Climate Class: SN, N, ST
Installation
Since we organised delivery from Hisense directly, we weren’t offered help with the installation or the removal of our old fridge – which was slightly frustrating. It’s always nice to have an all-in-one service, which you can purchase for £40 when buying through Currys, or £24 via AO with a free trade-in service included – either way, the fridge itself is £549 at both stockists.
Nevertheless, the no-plumbing nature of this combination fridge freezer made installation, with the help of a trained professional, a breeze. If you, like us, are looking to avoid purchasing a fridge with a water tank due to plumbing issues, and the fact that they aren’t always renter-friendly, you’ll be pleased to hear that this model is an entirely self-contained device.
What’s more, the back of the fridge is entirely enclosed in metal, making installation safer thanks to the lack of exposed parts.
Functionality
When it comes to the frost-fighting constant circulation of cold air – so far, so chilled. That characteristic cool breeze felt upon opening the fridge door makes this sub-£600 device immediately feel like a top-of-the-range model. In the few weeks that we’ve been testing this device without fiddling with the easy control button dial at the top of the fridge, it has kept icy cool at 4oC, without any sign of frosty food.
The extra-large and spacious bottom drawers are ideal for fruit and vegetable storage. However, what really struck us was the ability of these drawers to operate at a different temperature setting to the rest of the fridge to keep your produce fresh for as long as possible.
The slightly smaller upper-level drawer is labelled ‘Fresh Box’, which it does by maintaining a slightly higher humidity environment. Otherwise known as a ‘Salad Crisper’ box, it ensures your favourite fruit and veg remain crispy and crunchy before use. Meanwhile, the humungous bottom drawer is simply labelled as a ‘Fruit & Vegetable Box’ for goods that you know won’t get soft or soggy.
The rest of the three shelves provide ample space for other groceries, jars, condiments and everything else you could possibly need. A particularly chic feature that we enjoyed is the removable wine rack at the top of the fridge, which can hold up to five bottles at a time and prevents them from rolling around on shelves. No more squeezing a bottle of champers in-between milk and orange juice in the fridge door, or worse – sacrificing a cold glass of orange juice in the morning to chill your wine overnight.
The freezer is equally as functional, and despite a 60/40 split, contained three drawers with ample space. The ‘No Frost’ function successfully drains moisture from the freezer compartment, removing the need for defrosting entirely – hairdryers and tiled kitchen floors everywhere will be celebrating.
We enjoyed the fact that, even though Hisense could’ve opted for four freezer drawers due to the space available, the designers chose to incorporate a small, medium, and extra-large compartment. You can buy that Christmas Turkey a year in advance with this fridge freezer, as you’ll finally have the space to store it.
The handy water dispenser requires little-to-no set-up, and you can easily see how much water is left when opening the fridge, as the tank is located beneath one of the shelves on the fridge door for easy refilling. The water level is also slightly illuminated when the door is opened.
The one downside we found with this fridge is that the upper-level shelves on the fridge door are too high, which results in condiment bottles and jars toppling over when closing the fridge unless packed together like products on a supermarket shelf.
Energy efficiency
Operating at 247 kWh per year, the Hisense RB435N4WF will save you on average £738 per year in terms of energy consumption. In comparison to the market average of £905 for similar 300-399L models, though not top of the energy efficiency charts (it’s rated E), it’s definitely pretty good going - especially given the value-for-money nature of the fridge itself.
Buy now £549.00
Verdict
It’s safe to say that the Hisense fridge freezer is a fantastic piece of home tech. In the realm of affordable, yet hi-tech home appliances, the Hisense RB435N4WF shines brightly – and we’d certainly put this at the top of our value-for-money fridge list. As lovers of the brand have said in the past, it’s no-nonsense with Hisense.
Buy now: Hisense RB435N4WFE 60/40 Frost Free Fridge Freezer - Black / Stainless Steel - E Rated – AO, £549
