A Very Good Aeg (AEG SANTO 72398-KA)

Member Name: Brambles1

Product:	AEG SANTO 72398-KA
Date:	14/05/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good overall design and cheap to run

Disadvantages: The flip-back bottle holder is the only tricky thing to clean

This is a great fridge-freezer which I bought because of the generous size of the freezer section and the energy efficiency rating of A+. I had originally liked the American style side-by-side fridge freezers but was shocked by how low they all rated on energy efficiency, so the best compromise for me was this model, which is good quality, looks stylish, has generous capacity holding the weekly shop for a family of three with ease, and is easy to clean.

It is not frost-free so it operates silently (none of the guttural gurgling you often get with frost-free models!) therefore it is ideal for open plan kitchens or dining kitchens. The dark stainless steel coloured exterior is easy to clean with a sponge or cleaning wipe, it doesn't scratch and still looks like new after two years of use. This model has robust stainless steel bar handles which are also easy to wipe clean, reversible doors which you can fit to open on the left or the right, and the interior has removable shelves and racks for easy cleaning (the fitted racks inside the door can be removed and put in the dishwasher.) It also has a flip-down bottle holder on the top shelf which holds two bottles of wine at an angle and flips back when not in use to create more space. My only niggle is this section is slightly more awkward to clean than everything else inside this fridge.

The best thing about this fridge is the excellent energy efficiency. It is set automatically to the most efficient and safe temperature for food storage, and you can manually change the settings for the freezer and fridge separately if required, although I have kept mine at the recommended level with no problems. There is also a "holiday setting" so that you do not have to turn off your fridge and defrost your freezer while you are away - it automatically just runs at a very low level of energy. These energy-conscious design features make this appliance economical to run. And no more problems with leaving the freezer door ajar overnight and stepping into a puddle of water in the morning! If the fridge or freezer door is not closed properly, a beeping alarm goes off after one minute to let you know.

We paid around £699 for this a few years ago from John Lewis who were best on price at that time and offered free delivery and recycling of our old fridge which other retailers did not. I feel this is excellent value for money for such good quality, reliability and efficiency.

Summary: Good looking, smart and very energy efficient

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