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CDA Buying Advice – Refrigeration Features

Fuzzy Logic

This means that sensors exist on the outside of the appliance to determine the temperature of your home. The fridge or freezer then adjusts its internal temperature accordingly to maximise efficiency.

4 Star freezers

All CDA freezers come with a 4 star rating, the highest classification in Europe. A 4 star rating allows you to store frozen food for up to 12 months and cool fresh food efficiently and safely.

Fast freeze

Bypassing the normal temperature controls, a fast freeze function allows you to quickly bring food down to a safe temperature for longer term storage; ideal for fresh foodstuffs.

Refrigerant

A refrigerant is the gas used to cool a refrigerator or freezer. CDA products use something called R600a, which is both efficient and environmentally friendly. Rest assured that it does not damage the environment and has very little contribution to the greenhouse effect.

Frost free

During the refrigeration process, ice can form on the evaporator coils making them less efficient. This is when defrosting is required to maintain the smooth running of your appliance. A frost free model has a heater that will melt the ice, at specific intervals, maintaining efficiency; defrosting is not required.

daughter helping mum

How self-defrosting works

Our fridges are all self-defrosting. This means that you don’t have to worry about them icing up or the maintenance and hassle of periodically taking out all your food to defrost the fridge. It is important to distinguish the different between a ‘frost-free’ fridge and a ‘frost-free’ freezer. While all CDA fridges are frost-free, not all of our freezers fall under this category. So that we are able to accommodate everyone’s personal preference and budget, we have a range of freezer models in our collection that allow you to choose either a frost-free or standard appliance for your home.

CDA frost-free fridges fall under the category that is known as ‘wet wall refrigeration’. This type of appliance describes the way that they have been designed to avoid a build-up of frost and ice by allowing condensation to bead and run down the back wall of the refrigerator into a V-shaped channel at the back. This generally then evaporates the condensation using the heat created by the condenser. It is very important that you keep the channel clear and free of debris to allow this process to happen.

Condensation in your fridge is naturally occurring and is nothing to worry about. It is created when warm air is introduced to the fridge, so every time you open the door really.

How do American style fridges differ from normal in features

American style refrigeration is different to the standard combination fridge-freezers and integrated under counter models that we were used to. Our traditional, integrated models were designed to be installed discreetly and allow for a décor door to be fixed to the exterior, allowing for an uninterrupted look throughout your kitchen. Once an afterthought, the humble fridge and freezer were just practical solutions to a real requirement in the home. Now, with the introduction and growing popularity of American style models, the fridge and freezer stand out and make a statement on their own in your kitchen.

American style models usually differ firstly in that they feature the freezer alongside the fridge, rather than underneath it; this is with the exception of our freezer drawer models, of course. This allows you to open the doors easily and not have to stoop to find your fish fingers.

As well as a new layout, they are much larger in size meaning that they are more equipped to cater for larger families and households with less time to shop frequently and who need to keep a full weekly shop fresh for as long as possible. It might be worth considering the increased size of this style, however, if you have narrow doorways, limited access or a smaller kitchen.

You can also choose from additional features on an American style model that you won’t find on a traditional combination fridge freezer. Chilled water and ice dispensers, special ‘home bar’ doors that let you reach in for the milk or a bottle of something more exciting without opening the whole fridge or even a four door design with a special zone that allows you to flexibly dedicate it to either additional fridge or freezer space, like the PC88BL

kids showing off their hands after baking with grandma

Integrated or freestanding

Choosing between an integrated or freestanding model depends on how you want your kitchen to work for you. A freestanding model will be more flexible in that you can easily set it up without specialist installation, move it around your home and even take it with you if you move on. An integrated fridge on the other hand offers the seamless cabinetry look that you achieve when appliances are hidden behind décor doors.

More on Refrigeration in the buying guide