The under-counter fridge that fits your space

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The Miele K 4003 D is sold as an under-counter fridge, yet Which? measures it at 86cm high. That extra centimetre makes the gap a better starting point than the model name. Most under-counter fridges are 85cm or less, according to Which?, but the space around a fridge matters as well as the space it occupies. An integrated fridge hides behind a cupboard door; a freestanding one stands in the gap. A larder fridge has no ice box, while an ice-box model gives up some chilled space to keep frozen food.

I've read the reviews, makers' pages, shop listings and energy labels, then done the running-cost sums. I haven't used these appliances myself. For a freestanding gap beneath a worktop, I'd begin with the Hotpoint H55R1 112W UK. Good Housekeeping Institute tested it in its lab and named it its best for busy households.

Will it fit under the worktop?

The tape measure settles what “under-counter” can't. Which? puts most under-counter fridges at 85cm high or less, with a few taller exceptions. It says fridges are often 50-60cm wide and 60-70cm deep; under-counter freezers are usually no taller than 85cm, mostly 60cm wide and 50-60cm deep, though slimmer ones exist.

The appliance also needs the air space its maker specifies. Which? says some fridges need as much as 5cm on either side, as well as possible clearance at the back or top. Liebherr suggests a 3cm gap around its appliances, while a Beko freestanding-fridge manual specifies 5cm to the wall and ceiling if that model sits in a recess.

The Hotpoint H55R1 112W UK is a larder fridge with no ice box, listed at 840mm high, 540mm wide and 590mm deep. The H55R1 112X UK is the same fridge in an inox finish. Which? has tested the white model and measured 98 litres of usable space, against the 128 litres in the listing; it has tested the inox finish too. Its verdicts and scores are for members. The white model's Good Housekeeping Institute lab test found an even 4.5°C average over 24 hours, though after opening the door its top shelf reached 9.2°C and took around 45 minutes to fall below 8°C. The Food Standards Agency recommends 0 to 5°C for a fridge and around -18°C for a freezer.

On 3 November 2026, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → and Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → listed both finishes in stock. These cards compare the same fridge in white and inox at live shop prices with delivery.

The retailer video shows the measuring decision for a freestanding gap.

This poll records the kind of space you are trying to fill.

Behind a cupboard door or out in the gap?

The fitted door is a real commitment, rather than a cosmetic difference. Which? says integrated fridges sit behind cupboard doors, offer fewer models and tend to use more energy. It says they cost more to buy and explains the running cost: a cupboard limits air circulation, so the compressor works harder.

Liebherr lists integrated under-counter apertures of 82-88cm or 86-92cm high, 60cm wide and 56cm deep. Bosch says its built-under fridges are 82cm high and take in and expel air through the plinth. Its FAQ specifies a ventilation opening of at least 200 cm² at the back and bottom. I would use the prospective model's installation plan for the opening, rather than assuming a cabinet door makes any under-counter fridge suitable.

The hinge matters when that cabinet door is already hanging. With a sliding hinge, the furniture door hangs on the cupboard and moves the fridge door along rails. With door-on-door, the furniture door is mounted directly on the fridge door; Which? says that arrangement tends to be sturdier and opens wider. Which? also finds tall freestanding fridges it has tested have around 30 litres more usable room on average than tall integrated ones, another reason I wouldn't compare only the external dimensions.

The integrated measuring video gives a view of width, height and depth before a fitted replacement is chosen.

Larder fridge or ice box?

A larder fridge gives the whole cabinet to fresh food. Which? says it runs more efficiently because it doesn't power a freezer compartment. If this is the only fridge in a small kitchen, an ice box may earn the space it takes, even though the usable chilled volume falls.

The Miele K 4003 D is the low-energy larder alternative, provided its height fits. Which? has tested it and measures 86cm high, 60cm wide and 107 litres usable; its detailed verdict is for members. Shop listings give it 73 kWh a year and noise class B. On 3 November, Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store → and HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → listed it in stock. This card shows live prices for the taller larder choice.

Prices at UK shops / 1 product

Miele low-energy larder fridge

Miele · 2 shopsMiele 60cm Freestanding Undercounter Larder Fridge K4003D White

From £599 at Appliance City, with delivery

1. Appliance CityIn stock · Lowest price here£599 with deliveryShop at Appliance City
2. HughesIn stock£729 with deliveryShop at Hughes

Compare all 2 prices

Prices, stock and delivery as each shop listed them, checked 8 hours ago. Some shops pay us when you buy through these links; that never changes the order. How that works.

An ice box needs a star rating as well as a capacity. The UK definitions put three-star storage at -18°C. A four-star (freezer) compartment is also rated at -18°C and must freeze a light load from +25°C to -18°C in 18.5 hours or less at 25°C ambient temperature. Beko says fresh food can be frozen in a four-star ice box. I would ask what the compartment can do before accepting a few litres of frozen space as a substitute for a freezer.

The Hotpoint H55V1 112W UK and the Bosch Series 2 KTL15NWEAG are both listed with four-star ice boxes. Which? has tested both, with its verdicts reserved for members. Which? measures 80 litres of usable fridge space and a 12-litre ice box in the Hotpoint, against a shop listing of 101 litres of fridge space. It measures 84 usable litres and a 12-litre ice box in the Bosch. The Hotpoint is listed at 840mm high and 540mm wide; the Bosch at 850mm and 560mm. On 3 November, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → and Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → had both. These cards compare live prices for the two ice-box fridges.

This poll places the ice-box question beside the other reasons for adding a second appliance.

Does the freezer need defrosting?

Freezing space changes the maintenance question. Which? advises defrosting a manual freezer once ice build-up is noticeable, aiming for once or twice a year. It says ice acts as an insulator, making the machine run longer. Hotpoint says Low Frost reduces ice build-up so you need to defrost less often; Which? says frost-free models don't usually need defrosting.

For a freestanding under-counter gap, the Bosch Series 2 GTV15NWEBG, Hotpoint H55Z1 112W UK and Indesit I55Z1 112S UK are the three manual-defrost picks. Which? has tested the Bosch and measures 61 litres of storage, against 83 litres net in shop listings. It measures 75 litres in the Hotpoint and 75 in the Indesit, against 95 litres net in their listings. Both the Hotpoint and Indesit use low frost technology; neither is frost-free. The Hotpoint alone has a maker claim for garage or outbuilding use down to -15°C.

On 3 November, Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store →, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → and Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → had the Bosch; Hughes and Sonic Direct had the Hotpoint and Indesit. These cards compare the three freestanding freezers with delivery.

The built-under Bosch Series 6 GUN21VFE0G answers a different need: a freezer behind a fitted door that is frost-free. Which? has tested it, measuring 52 litres usable and confirming its frost-free system; its verdict is for members. Bosch lists 85 litres total volume and 189 kWh a year. On 3 November, Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store →, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → and JoybuyJoybuyJoybuy is the European online retail arm of JD.com, and its UK site brings together a brand-led range spanning technology, appliances, beauty, homeware, groceries and everyday esse10 current offers · View store → listed it in stock. This card shows the live comparison for that integrated freezer.

Prices at UK shops / 1 product

Bosch frost-free built-under freezer

Bosch · 4 shopsBosch GUN21VFE0G Series 6 82cm High Integrated Undercounter Freezer Fr

From £550 at Joybuy, with delivery

1. JoybuyIn stock · Lowest price here£550 with deliveryShop at Joybuy
2. Appliance CityIn stock£599 with deliveryShop at Appliance City
3. HughesIn stock£599 with deliveryShop at Hughes
4. Sonic DirectStock at the shop£618.95 with deliveryShop at Sonic Direct

Compare all 4 prices

Prices, stock and delivery as each shop listed them, checked 8 hours ago. Some shops pay us when you buy through these links; that never changes the order. How that works.

A chest freezer is a separate space decision, with no like-for-like card here: each chest model in our comparison was in stock at one shop at most after special-order listings were hidden. Which?'s lab averages are 201 kWh a year for chest freezers and 207 for uprights, but chests hold more and most are not frost-free.

How much noise will you hear?

The label provides more than an energy letter. It gives annual kWh, fresh and frozen volumes, noise in dB(A) and a noise class. The UK classes run from A below 30 dB(A), through B at 30 to under 36 and C at 36 to under 42, to D at 42 or more.

I would look harder at noise if the appliance will share a room where you work or study. Which? uses sound chambers over a long period because compressors can clunk on. The Miele's listing gives 34 dB and class B; Bosch lists 35 dB(A) for the integrated GUN21VFE0G, and 39 dB(A) for the freestanding GTV15NWEBG. I wouldn't infer that a fitted door alone makes an integrated fridge quiet: the evidence for the fitted format is about appearance, space and energy use.

What does each choice cost to run?

The energy label's annual kWh makes the different layouts comparable on the same dated basis. I multiplied each listed figure by Ofgem's average 26.32p per kWh Direct Debit electricity rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, across England, Scotland and Wales, then rounded to the penny. For the H55R1, 90 kWh x 26.32p = £23.69. The label specifies annual kWh from a standard test. The figures came from the makers' pages for the Hotpoint H55R1 and H55Z1 and the Bosch models, and from shop listings for the others. The table applies that sum to every pick.

The same Hotpoint cabinet with a four-star ice box, H55V1, uses 47 kWh more a year than the H55R1 larder, a £12.37 difference at this rate. The integrated frost-free Bosch GUN21VFE0G uses 25 kWh more than the freestanding Bosch GTV15NWEBG, or £6.58, although they differ in format and usable space too. A separate Hotpoint H55R1 and H55Z1 pair adds up to 258 kWh and £67.91 a year.

The standing charge is left out because it is paid whichever appliance runs. A kitchen's real use can differ from the standard label test: Good Housekeeping Institute measured 0.154 kWh a day for the H55R1 in its lab, about 56.21 kWh a year by my arithmetic, against 90 kWh on its label. Our household running-cost guide explains the method beyond these appliances. Ofgem says the next cap, for 1 January to 31 March 2027, will be announced on 25 November 2026, so I would not carry this rate forward without checking it.

Would a tall single fridge or freezer fit better?

When there's floor space for a taller machine, a tall larder fridge puts fresh space in one column and leaves freezing to another machine. Which? says tall fridges are usually 150-190cm high. The freestanding Beko LSG4545W is the simpler tall option: Which? has tested it and measures 202 litres usable, while shop listings put its net capacity at 265 litres. Its verdict is for members. The shops list 105 kWh a year, five shelves, a crisper and auto defrost. On 3 November, Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store →, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store →, ElectricshopElectricshopElectricshop is an online retailer of home appliances, televisions, hi-fi, home audio and wireless music systems, stocking a mix of well-known brands. Because the range spans large7 current offers · View store → and Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → had it in stock. This card compares their live prices for the freestanding tall larder fridge.

Prices at UK shops / 1 product

Beko tall freestanding larder fridge

Beko · 4 shopsBeko 54cm Freestanding Tall Larder Fridge LSG4545W WHITE

From £349 at Appliance City, with delivery

1. Appliance CityIn stock · Lowest price here£349 with deliveryShop at Appliance City
2. ElectricshopIn stock£379 with deliveryShop at Electricshop
3. Sonic DirectStock at the shop£379 with deliveryShop at Sonic Direct
4. HughesIn stock£398.99 with deliveryShop at Hughes

Compare all 4 prices

Prices, stock and delivery as each shop listed them, checked 8 hours ago. Some shops pay us when you buy through these links; that never changes the order. How that works.

A fitted 177cm column makes the hinge decision unavoidable. The Hotpoint HTSD18A011A1 has a sliding door fitment; the Bosch Series 4 KIR81VFE0G uses a fixed door-on-door hinge. Which? has tested the Hotpoint and measures 225 litres usable; it measures 239 litres in the Bosch. Listings give 306 and 310 litres net respectively, a reminder that the quoted capacity isn't the room Which? found available. On 3 November, Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store →, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → and Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → listed the Hotpoint; Appliance City and Sonic Direct listed the Bosch. These cards compare the two tall integrated larder fridges.

The Bosch Series 4 GIN81VEE0G is the tall integrated freezer to consider beside either larder fridge. Which? has tested it, measuring 154 litres usable and confirming it is frost-free; its verdict is for members. Bosch lists 212 litres total, 235 kWh a year and a fixed door-on-door hinge. Mumsnet's Swears By guide names it its best integrated freezer, but that guide compiles forum mentions, expert opinion and verified reviews, not Mumsnet's own tests; Mumsnet lists 'Costly' as its one dislike. Its 235 kWh a year gives it the largest annual running cost in the table. On 3 November, Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store →, HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store →, Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → and JoybuyJoybuyJoybuy is the European online retail arm of JD.com, and its UK site brings together a brand-led range spanning technology, appliances, beauty, homeware, groceries and everyday esse10 current offers · View store → listed it in stock. This card gives the live comparison for the tall frost-free freezer.

Prices at UK shops / 1 product

Bosch tall integrated frost-free freezer

Bosch · 4 shopsBosch 177cm Series 4 Integrated In Column Frost Free Freezer GIN81VEE0G

From £949 at Appliance City, with delivery

1. Appliance CityIn stock · Lowest price here£949 with deliveryShop at Appliance City
2. HughesIn stock£949 with deliveryShop at Hughes
3. Sonic DirectStock at the shop£949 with deliveryShop at Sonic Direct
4. JoybuyIn stock£1,008.30 with deliveryShop at Joybuy

Compare all 4 prices

Prices, stock and delivery as each shop listed them, checked 8 hours ago. Some shops pay us when you buy through these links; that never changes the order. How that works.

If one full-height machine better suits the space, our fridge freezer guide covers the combined layouts, including the split between fridge and freezer space.

Can it go in a garage?

An outbuilding changes the temperature the appliance has to withstand. Which? says most freezers are designed for rooms no colder than 10°C, and using one outside its guaranteed range can affect the warranty. Climate classes give the range: SN is 10-32°C and SN-T spans 10-43°C. The rating plate and the maker's claim for the exact model matter more than a general claim for a brand.

Of these picks, only Hotpoint says its H55Z1 112W UK FreezerProtect can be used in a garage or outbuilding down to -15°C. The Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store → listings say the Miele K 4003 D larder fridge and the freestanding Bosch GTV15NWEBG freezer should not be used in an outbuilding or garage. I wouldn't extend the Hotpoint maker claim to the similar Indesit or to any other pick. The fridge decision deserves the same care: Which? says a fridge outside its climate range may be damaged and lose warranty cover.

Where would I compare, and when would I wait?

On 3 November 2026 I opened every shop listing behind these picks. Each was in stock at two or more shops, and the price cards show live shop prices with delivery. Listings marked special order or shown as sold out were hidden. I would compare the exact model code across those cards rather than treating an ice-box fridge, a larder fridge and an integrated freezer as versions of one product.

There are tested fridges beyond these comparisons. Good Housekeeping Institute also tested the Hisense RL170D4BWE, Willow W48UCLW, Bosch KTR15NWEAG, Beko UL4584W, Fridgemaster MUR4894ES and Cookology UCIF93; none is in these price cards. Mumsnet's Swears By under-counter freezer pick, the Liebherr FE1414, is a different model from the Liebherr appliances in our listings, so I haven't treated them as the same machine.

If the current appliance can keep going, I'd follow the exact model through our Black Friday guide and price drops before choosing a shop. The Thursday email below collects deals worth knowing about.

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I would start with the H55R1 for a freestanding worktop gap that needs fresh food space. The Miele makes sense only if its extra height fits; an ice box, a separate freezer or a fitted door should earn the room and running cost each asks for.

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