Every household has a fridge/freezer combination of some sort, but is it time to bring these into a new and up-to-date dimension with enlarged capacity? If so, Hotpoint might well have the answer in the shape of their new and extremely innovative vertical Class 7 NoFrost Fridge Freezer with an A+ energy rating. Let's take a look. Amazon UK | Amazon USA

Build & Finish

At an impressive height of 291cm and 60.1cm wide, the build quality of this free-standing Hotpoint fridge/freezer combination is very solid, with all the materials feeling substantial and up to the daily challenge of family use - they definitely have the design in the bag. The exterior finish of ours is brushed stainless steel and Hotpoint refer to this as Inox. It is also available in black (H7T 911A KS H.)  We find the stainless steel is very easy to keep clean, and it is a finish that suits most settings. The interior contoured carcass plastic is in white, and all the shelves are glass. All the removable drawers and compartments are in clear plastic of a good thickness, with stainless steel trimmings. The matching door handles can be changed from the left side to the right where necessary. 

Settings & Controls

When you first turn this Hotpoint fridge freezer on the control and temperature settings panel lights up with LEDs. Gone is the old-fashioned knob to turn - but it is not just technically advanced, it is easy to use. The fridge has 4 possible temperature levels and an Active Oxygen button that we'll write about in more detail. The freezer also has 4 levels, plus a Super Freeze button. There is an ECO function and also a super freezing function. Importantly the unit is A+ rated for energy efficiency, using a claimed 355 kWh per year. In addition to these settings, this Hotpoint fridge freezer has a warning alarm if the door is kept open for more than 3 minutes - not only does the alarm sound, but the fridge light flashes as well! There is also a warning alarm if the freezer temperature becomes too high. Thankfully we have not yet heard that.

The Fridge - Active Oxygen & a Fresh Box

If you think you know everything about fridges, think again. In the capacious 256 litre storage capacity of this frost free Hotpoint fridge there are two functions that are new to us. . .

Active Oxygen

Firstly, it has an Active Oxygen button, which when used releases ozone molecules into the interior atmosphere. Ozone is perfectly natural and helps prevent bacteria growing on food and thus prolongs its freshness and eliminates odours. We have put this to quite extreme testing and can definitely report that it works amazingly well. We find that vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, celery or even harder produce such as carrots, keep fresh for many days longer than in our conventional fridge without the Active Oxygen function. Fruit too, with apples remaining beautifully crunchy and, as evidenced by our own tests, two already ripe punnets of grapes keeping for four weeks without any deterioration (in our old conventional fridge similar grapes became soft and inedible within a week.) Added to this, the ozone gives out a fresh smell when the fridge is opened; it's wonderful to know it is actively removing bacteria. We have been genuinely amazed at how efficient this feature is. 

Zero Degrees Fresh Box

The second feature we have not seen before is a 19 litre Zero Degrees Fresh Box underneath the vegetable box. This compartment basically guarantees a zero degrees storage space that can vary between -2 degrees to +3 degrees. It's ideal for those things you don't want to freeze but that do need colder conditions than a normal fridge, such as meat or fish, but it also allows for rapid cooling of hot foods or very slow defrosting. We feel this is a great innovation.

Above the Fresh Box is a larger sized fruit and vegetable box which has a sliding open or closed barrier for humidity control. The idea being that you would open it for fruit to create less humidity and close it for vegetables to make the conditions more humid. This works OK, but occasionally we find we have both vegetables and fruit within the drawer - so just leave the control half open!

Along with the above extra features, this fridge has very good storage sections and easily adjustable shelf heights. The shelves being glass are much better than wired shelves; easy to clean and produce doesn't fall through. On the door there are several adjustable storage areas; good for standing bottles, etc., although the fridge also comes with a bottle storage rack shelf in its main body. 

Cold Water Dispenser

This Hotpoint Aqua version has a cold water dispenser built into the fridge door, and we have found the ease and accessibility of this extremely useful. Simply place your glass under the exterior tap and it automatically depresses the lever allowing the cooled water to flow. The container, accessed from the inner side of the fridge door, holds around 4 litres and can be filled whilst in place or removed for occasional cleaning. There are Hotpoint models without this feature if it is not wanted but we think it is wonderful to have lovely cooled water on tap.

The Freezer

The frost free freezer has a 4 star rating and a 194 litre capacity. This consists of a rather useful top tray shelf that pulls out and two drawers. When the tray shelf and upper drawer are removed we discover they sit on glass shelves. This makes the freezer a very clean and sturdy frozen food storage area. The drawers are nice and deep, with the bottom one slightly smaller than the upper one. The top tray is a clever innovation within a freezer and we find it extremely useful for daily use items such as opened packets of peas or packets of frozen blueberries, etc., allowing you to see immediately what you are looking for without the hassle of digging down through the drawers. The no frost environment in this freezer is particularly good with nothing ever becoming covered in that annoying layer of white that so often clings to goods within the freezer.

To Sum Up

Fresh food is a must for everyone, and this Hotpoint Class 7 NoFrost Fridge Freezer (H7 911A MX H AQUA) takes that freshness to a new level. The innovative Active Oxygen feature means less waste, with more perfectly kept fruit and vegetables being stored to use just when needed, and in day to day use the design of this tall and well-equipped cold storage facility just makes opening the fridge or freezer door a pleasure. Amazon UK | Amazon USA