HOTPOINT ************* I have heard a lot of positive things about Hotpoint and when we were given a freezer last year we needed an accompanying fridge. The freezer was also made by Hotpoint and seemed to work very well. We looked around but liked the look of the Hotpoint RLA34 fridge in Argos, so purchased it.
Many Hotpoint appliances look easy to use and sales assistants seem quite positive about the products. We felt that the fridge looked a lot better than its competitors. Hotpoint have been an established company since 1911, and are now owned by Indesit (a famous brand based in Italy). Hotpoint are best known for their washing machines.
APPEARANCE ***************** The fridge is less than a metre in height (about 0.85m) so fits nicely under a work top. It is about 60cm wide and cm deep. It does not stick out too much which is very useful for small kitchens. It would suit someone living in a small home e.g. studio flat/bed-sit.
The Hotpoint RLA34 fridge is available in white or graphite; we have the white one as it was cheaper at the time, although I much prefer the graphite one. The fridge consumes about 150 kWh per year which costs approximately £20 a year to run. It is in the 'A' energy category which is the best rating. On a scale of A-G, A is more environmentally friendly and G is least. I am unable to find the sticker which says that it is 'recommended' as an endorsed product (awarded by the Energy Savings Trust) but only the best appliances get a sticker like this so I doubt it is one of the few awarded this status.
The legs on the fridge are basically screws with rubber pads, I have found that used on lino floor these legs leave permanent marks which is obviously a negative point.
FEATURES ***************
The fridge has 3 shelves which are made of 'safety glass'. The shelves can be lowered or raised so we can fit more items in. At the bottom of the fridge there is a salad tray where we mainly keep the salad although if short of space we will store items such as yoghurts, cans of drink and any food prepared for a meal e.g. stuffed chicken.
On the door there is a bottle rack at the bottom, it has a raised ridge so the bottles are kept secure. We can usually fit about 4 bottles of wine e.g. 2 bottles of wine a 2 litre bottle of coke and a 4 pint carton of milk. Above the bottle rack there are three compartments, two small without a cover and one large with a plastic cover. One of the small compartments doubles up as an egg rack which is fairly useful. If we are struggling with space we tend to place eggs in here, otherwise they are left in the cardboard box to stop broken eggs and spillages.
The interior walls of the fridge are smooth, which I personally believe makes it easier to clean, especially if milk/yogurt is spilt inside as it can smell. The fridge does have antibacterial protection but I still think it is helpful if cleaning is made easier. This does also help eliminate bad odours from smelly foods such as fish or strong cheese.
There is a temperature indicator, we rarely use this feature but it is nice to know that it is there in case we do need to use it.
COST ******** We got the fridge from Argos priced £239.85 last year, it currently retails at £212.29. It is also available from electrical stores such as Comet, Currys and most online electrical stores.
The cheapest I have seen this fridge is £169 at Co-op in the electrical section and the most expensive at £219 in the local electrical store, so in comparison we did pay a little more.
OVERALL ************ The fridge is easy to use, we found it quite easy to set up and have no problems with it yet. It fits nicely in our kitchen and is very useful as we already have a separate freezer. I would say that it is useful to people looking for a fridge only but would agree that a fridge freezer would be more cost efficient. If like us you have little space for a huge fridge freezer then this is definitely a good buy.
Highly recommended.
More details
User's Manual
Good
Safety
Very safe
How much did you pay?
£239.85
Any repairs?
none required
Special features?
egg rack, good energy rating
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