Chilling Nicely (Hotpoint FFA52P)

Member Name: kerrypanda

Product:	Hotpoint FFA52P
Date:	12/06/09 (352 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: the price, the fast-freeze feature and incorporated ice trays.

Disadvantages: two deeper freezer drawers would have been a better use of the space.

I needed a new fridge freezer when my knackered second-hand Zanussi finally packed up after 10 years of faithful service.

Comet were running sale ads on TV featuring a Hotpoint FFA52 fridge freezer. It looked like it would be suitable for my needs and when I went onto the Comet website to look at the statistics the measurements were perfect for the space in my kitchen.

Height 174.0cm, width 54.5cm, depth 58.0cm
The fridge and freezer are the same size. The net fridge capacity is 5.3 cu.ft and the net freezer capacity is 2.8 cu.ft. Energy efficiency grade A. Energy consumption is 317 kW. It's partially frost free.

I bought it for £299 at Comet. I had a quick look on google and at the moment the price varies from £299 at Dixons and Comet to £362.10 at Argos.

The fridge freezer was delivered within the time agreed, it didn't come with any packaging whatsoever, it was literally wheeled straight into its space and switched on. I read the manual after the delivery person had left as I didn't trust some of his advice. He told me a button above the fridge door was there so you could defrost the freezer and continue to use the fridge, when actually it is the on/off button that allows you to fast-freeze fresh food in the top freezer compartment!

The manual is flimsy compared to the phone book sized guides my Mum and Dad used to get with new appliances. The first double page gives positioning, levelling and installation advice, and tells you how to remove and change the plug if you need to. Page four explains how to reverse the doors. I didn't have to so I can't tell you how easy it would be, but there are only two illustrations provided and it looks quite fiddly.

The appliance description page is a labelled diagram of the appliance pointing out where to find your egg tray, salad crispers, etc. One handy feature for me is the in-built ice trays. My son always wants ice in his drinks and someone told me that exposed ice trays in your freezer cause frost to form, it's also unhygienic. There are two trays which each hold 10 ice cubes, they are enclosed, and they slot into the freezer drawer tops.

The rest of the manual consists of advice on how to start and use the appliance, how to defrost the freezer, change the fridge light bulb, etc. Then there is a list of safety tips, including 'do not touch your appliance with your bare feet' which gave me a giggle, I don't think I could remove the milk carton with my feet if I tried, and a trouble-shooting list, then the guarantee information. I'm sure it covers everything you would need to know, but I was surprised they managed to fit it all within 12 pages.

After the fridge freezer was installed the motor was running continuously and quite loudly for almost 48 hours. It did settle down and now runs very quietly, silently sometimes. There is a temperature regulating knob above the fridge door and they recommend it is kept midway at 3. 1 is the warmest, 5 is the coldest.

Condensation builds up on the back panel of the fridge, sometimes it is water, sometimes ice, but it drains away through an outlet hole and the heat produced by the compressor causes it to evaporate. There is a little tool included for cleaning the outlet hole.

I only have two little gripes. The fridge door has a lidded shelf for eggs, butter, etc, and one shelf for cans/jars, then a bottle shelf that can hold large milk cartons, and soft drink bottles. My son will take something from the fridge and let the door swing shut as he used to with our old one, but it won't always fully close, especially if there are several items being stored in the door shelves making it heavy. I have found it left slightly ajar several times.

My other issue is with the freezer compartment depth. My old fridge freezer probably had drawers originally, but not by time I acquired it. I used to just stack the boxes up and there was plenty of space. Drawers are more convenient as I don't have to deal with an avalanche when I open the door but the drawers on this appliance don't seem very deep.

One drawer now contains a standard supermarket tub of icecream, a bag of frozen vegetables, and a packet of 10 fish fingers. I could probably fit in one more packet of fish fingers but I don't think that's very good considering the size of the fridge freezer. It would have been a better idea to have two larger drawers.

If you are on a budget and you need a new fridge freezer, this one has a very roomy fridge, it runs quietly, the controls are simple to use, the fast freeze feature is good, it only uses one unit of energy a day, and I think it is good value for around £300.

Summary: A good basic model.

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