1 in 3 New Zealanders run multiple fridges throughout the year

New Zealand fridges were in no danger of being left out in the cold from misuse, according to the responses from our recent survey – with two or more running full time in the households of one third of our respondents.

Close to 30% of respondents they owned a beer fridge, while 52% had bought a separate deep freezer for any food they might need to put on ice.

Many New Zealanders had figured out how to get the most from their refrigerators, with nearly three quarters of respondents knowing how to pack their fridge to make it work most efficiently. But while it pays to be able to get more out of the appliances you have, it’s equally important to pick the best fridge for your kitchen in the first place.

We’ve done the legwork and rated several well-known refrigerator brands, with Fisher & Paykel emerging as the winner of our most satisfied customers award for refrigerators. We also rated Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung, Westinghouse and LG.

Impressively, Fisher & Paykel received five stars in all but one of the rated criteria. Other brands deserving praise included:

• Both Mitsubishi Electric and Samsung, who earned five star ratings for value for money and the design of their refrigerators.
• Westinghouse, who received five stars for performance and reliability, and LG who received five stars for value for money.

Respondents to our survey also revealed their reasons for purchasing a new fridge. Showing particular consideration to the most substantial ongoing cost of a refrigerator, 62% of respondents took the energy rating of their fridge into account before purchase.

Not everyone was this pragmatic, however. We found that 41% of New Zealanders had purchased their fridge to match (in colour, brand or appearance) a similar appliance in their kitchen such as a microwave or dishwasher.

Canstar Blue commissions Your Source to regularly survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from refrigerator customers who have bought a new refrigerator in the last 3 years – in this case, 652 people.

Brands must receive at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands that received three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10.

Overall satisfaction with the fridge

Fisher & Paykel boasted five stars for overall customer satisfaction for this category. They were followed by four star recipients Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung and Westinghouse; then by LG with three.

Value for money

A total of three refrigerator brands stood out for their value for money: Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung and LG. Each brand took away five stars for their value, followed by Fisher & Paykel with four stars, and Westinghouse with three.

Performance and reliability

It’s important to pick a refrigerator model that’ll stand up to years of banquets, lunches … and snacking. Fisher & Paykel and Westinghouse customers were most satisfied with their fridge’s performance and reliability. These two brands emerged with five stars each, while all other brands – Mitsubishi Electric, LG and Samsung – received four.

Design, including appearance and special features

Better design and extra features can make a mundane home appliance into something a little more special. In this case, New Zealanders were spoilt for choice; with Fisher & Paykel, Mitsubishi Electric and Samsung all receiving a five star rating. Westinghouse and LG both received four stars for their design.

Internal layout, including storage space

Fisher & Paykel received five stars for the internal layout of its fridges, with Samsung and LG following with four stars each. Mitsubishi Electric and Westinghouse were next in line with three stars for their respective layouts.

Service and warranty

Fisher & Paykel customers were most satisfied with their refrigerator’s warranty and service. Fisher & Paykel achieved five stars for service; followed by Mitsubishi Electric and LG with four, and then Samsung and Westinghouse with three.

Energy efficiency

Keeping a lid on electricity usage is important to many New Zealanders, and customers of Fisher & Paykel were most satisfied with their refrigerator’s energy efficiency. Following were Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung and LG with four star ratings, then Westinghouse with three.

Quality of fittings and fixtures (e.g. shelves)

Five more stars went to Fisher & Paykel for the quality of its refrigerator fixtures and fittings, followed by Westinghouse and LG with four, then Mitsubishi Electric and Samsung with three.