Fridgemaster MQ79394ES
Fridgemaster
A Narrow Footprint With a Big Appetite for Groceries
Most American-style fridge freezers ask a lot of your kitchen before they've stored a single item — many stretch beyond 90cm wide and dominate a room. The Fridgemaster MQ79394ES American Fridge Freezer takes a different approach. It squeezes a genuinely large capacity into a frame just 79.4cm across, which is closer to the width of a standard UK kitchen run than most appliances wearing the "American" label. If you've been drawn to the idea of a big, no-frost fridge freezer but ruled it out because your kitchen simply isn't built for a supersized unit, this is exactly the kind of model worth a closer look.
What follows is everything you need to know before deciding whether this silver, freestanding fridge freezer earns a spot in your kitchen — from how it's built, to how it performs day to day, to who it genuinely suits.
At a Glance: Key Specifications
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | Approx. 181.6cm x 79.4cm x 64–65cm |
| Total Capacity | 427 litres (278L fridge / 149L freezer) |
| Energy Rating | E (approx. 293 kWh per year) |
| Noise Level | Around 42 decibels |
| Power Failure Safe Storage | 12 hours |
| Power Cable Length | 1.5m |
Design, Build Quality and Physical Presence
Standing at roughly 181.6cm tall, 79.4cm wide and around 64–65cm deep, the MQ79394ES occupies a footprint that's tall rather than sprawling. That's a deliberate trade-off: you get the volume of an American-style fridge freezer without needing the wall space one usually demands. It's worth measuring your doorway and hallway carefully before ordering, though — Fridgemaster's own guidance confirms the packaged unit needs to pass through an opening matching the appliance's full height and width, since the box comes off during delivery rather than before it reaches your door.
The exterior is finished in silver with a steel door and cabinet construction, while the interior liners are plastic — a sensible, durable combination that keeps the unit lighter than an all-metal build while still feeling solid in daily use. Around the back, a metal rear panel adds a bit of extra structural rigidity and heat resistance compared with the plastic backing found on some budget models.
Four wheels are built into the base, which makes a genuine difference when you're manoeuvring nearly 100kg of appliance into a tight kitchen corner. You'll still want at least 10cm of clearance behind the unit for ventilation, and — this is easy to forget — the manufacturer asks that you leave the fridge freezer standing unplugged for around 12 hours after delivery before switching it on, to let the refrigerant settle after transit. Skip this step and you risk stressing the compressor right out of the gate.
The doors are reversible, opening from either side, which is genuinely useful if you're working around an island, a wall, or an awkward kitchen triangle. One quirk worth flagging honestly: several owners have noted that accessing the lower freezer drawers isn't always as independent as you'd expect from a four-door layout — in some configurations, you need one of the upper doors open before a drawer will pull free. It's a minor annoyance rather than a dealbreaker, but it's the kind of detail that only shows up once you're living with the appliance rather than reading a brochure.
Storage Capacity: What 427 Litres Actually Looks Like
Numbers like "427 litres" don't mean much until you translate them into groceries. In practical terms, this fridge freezer holds the equivalent of around 21 bags of shopping — enough for a large weekly food shop for a family, with room to spare for batch cooking or bulk-buying.
| Section | Capacity | What it's suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge | 278 litres | Fresh produce, dairy, leftovers, weekly shop staples |
| Freezer | 149 litres | Frozen meals, batch cooking, bulk meat and veg |
| Total | 427 litres | A full household's food storage in one appliance |
The fridge section is the larger of the two by some margin — a sensible split for households who eat a lot of fresh food but still want serious freezer capacity for stocking up. Inside, you'll find multiple adjustable glass shelves that can be repositioned to fit taller items like bottles or tall containers, along with an egg tray, internal lighting, and dedicated storage for salad and vegetables to keep produce fresher for longer than an open shelf would. Door storage runs about 10cm deep, which comfortably holds standard bottles, jars and condiments, though it's worth knowing this is on the shallower side compared with some deeper American-style door bins — very large bottles may sit a little proud rather than tucking flush.
There's no water dispenser and no ice maker built into this model, which is worth knowing upfront if that's part of what you associate with "American fridge freezer." What you're paying for here is pure storage volume and no-frost convenience, not dispensing hardware.
Core Performance: Cooling Technology Explained
Total No Frost — the End of Manual Defrosting
The headline technology here is Total No Frost, which applies across both the fridge and freezer compartments. In plain terms, this means the system actively manages humidity and airflow to stop ice crystals from building up on the freezer walls in the first place — no more setting a weekend aside to hack away at a solid block of frost with a wooden spoon. For anyone who's owned an older manual-defrost freezer, this alone is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade, not a marketing footnote.
Durable Inverter Compressor
Rather than a traditional compressor that simply switches fully on and fully off, this unit uses an inverter compressor that varies its speed to match the actual cooling demand at any given moment. The practical benefits are threefold: temperatures stay steadier (better for food preservation), the unit runs quieter because it isn't constantly kicking into a high-power start-up cycle, and the more gradual operation tends to be gentler on the compressor's long-term lifespan.
Multi Air Flow System
A network of vents circulates cold air throughout the cabinet rather than relying on a single cold spot near the back wall to do all the work. The result, in real terms, is more consistent temperatures shelf-to-shelf — no warm patches near the door and no icy zones at the back that freeze your lettuce.
Super Cool and Super Freeze
Both functions exist for the same real-world moment: you've just come back from a big shop, or you've spent the afternoon batch cooking, and you need the appliance to work harder than usual for a short period. Activating Super Cool or Super Freeze temporarily ramps up cooling power to bring fresh or frozen groceries down to a safe temperature faster than the unit's standard cycle would manage, which matters more than people expect — food that lingers in the "danger zone" temperature range for too long loses quality and safety margin.
Energy Efficiency and Running Costs
This model carries an E energy rating on the current UK/EU scale (which runs from A, most efficient, down to G) and is rated to consume around 293 kWh per year under standard test conditions. Sitting in the middle of the scale, it isn't the cheapest fridge freezer to run day-to-day, and buyers specifically hunting for a top-tier efficient appliance should know that going in. That said, large-capacity American-style fridge freezers as a category tend to sit further down the efficiency scale than compact under-counter models simply because of the sheer volume of air they're cooling — so this rating is broadly in line with what you'd expect for a unit of this size, rather than being an outlier.
Noise Levels: Is It Actually Quiet?
Fridgemaster lists this unit at around 42 decibels, which sits in the same rough territory as a quiet library or a hushed conversation. For an appliance running continuously in an open-plan kitchen-diner, that's genuinely unobtrusive — and it lines up with what real owners consistently report, with multiple reviewers independently describing the unit as noticeably quiet compared with older fridge freezers they've replaced. The formal noise emission class sits at D on the manufacturer's own classification, which is a mid-range rating rather than the very quietest tier available on the market, but in lived experience it doesn't announce itself in daily use.
Everyday Features That Matter More Than They Sound
-
Electronic temperature control with digital display — precise, visible temperature settings rather than a vague dial with no numbers.
-
Open door alert — sounds a warning if a door is left ajar, which matters more than people expect once you've lost a full freezer's worth of food to an unnoticed gap.
-
High temperature warning — flags if internal temperatures rise beyond a safe threshold, giving you an early heads-up rather than discovering a problem when the milk's already gone off.
-
12-hour power failure safe storage — during a power cut, food stays at a safe temperature for roughly half a day before you need to worry, useful reassurance in areas with occasional outages.
-
1.5m power cable — worth checking against your kitchen's socket placement before delivery, since a fridge freezer this size isn't something you want to reposition around a shorter lead after the fact.
-
Reversible doors — genuine flexibility for awkward kitchen layouts, not just a spec-sheet checkbox.
Who This Fridge Freezer Is Right For
This model makes the most sense for households that want the sheer capacity of an American-style fridge freezer but are working with a kitchen that can't accommodate the extra-wide, 90cm-plus units common in the category. Families doing a large weekly shop, anyone who batch cooks and needs real freezer volume, and buyers who are simply tired of manual defrosting will all find a lot to like here. The combination of quiet running and no-frost convenience makes it particularly well suited to open-plan kitchens where appliance noise is genuinely noticeable during dinner or in the evening.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
If a water and ice dispenser is a non-negotiable part of what "American fridge freezer" means to you, this isn't the model — it doesn't offer either. Buyers chasing the best possible energy efficiency rating should also temper expectations, since the E rating means this won't be the cheapest large fridge freezer to run over its lifetime. And if your kitchen genuinely can't spare a 79.4cm-wide, 181cm-tall footprint plus clearance space, no amount of narrow-width marketing will make this fit — measure twice before you commit.
Comparing It to the Wider American Fridge Freezer Category
Positioned against the broader American-style fridge freezer market, this Fridgemaster's defining trait is its width. Full-size American units routinely run 90cm or wider, which rules them out for a large slice of UK kitchens outright; at 79.4cm, this model opens the category up to buyers who'd otherwise have had to settle for a standard 60/40 fridge freezer with far less capacity. Compared with those smaller UK-standard units, the jump to 427 litres and genuine no-frost operation across both compartments is a significant upgrade in both storage and day-to-day convenience.
Where it doesn't lead the pack is efficiency — buyers specifically prioritising the lowest possible running costs will find more efficient options elsewhere in the market, typically at a premium. And the absence of a water/ice dispenser means anyone who's specifically shopping for that feature will need to look at higher-specification (and typically wider) alternatives.
Strengths and Weaknesses, Honestly
Strengths
The clearest strength here is how well this fridge freezer resolves the tension between "I want American-style capacity" and "I don't have an American-style kitchen." Real owners consistently back this up, describing the unit as noticeably quiet and surprisingly spacious once it's in place — one recurring theme in feedback is that it feels roomier inside than its exterior footprint suggests, a good sign that the interior layout has been designed with genuine care rather than just meeting a spec number. The inverter compressor and Total No Frost system aren't just marketing terms either; they translate directly into quieter running and one less recurring household chore.
Weaknesses
The weaknesses are real but manageable. The E energy rating means this isn't the most economical fridge freezer available, so factor that into your expectations rather than assuming "large capacity" automatically means "efficient." The freezer drawer access quirk reported by some owners — needing a door open to fully access a drawer — is a genuine design compromise rather than a rumour, even if most reviewers rate it as a minor irritation rather than a serious flaw. And the 10cm door storage depth, while functional for most items, isn't as generous as the deepest bins on rival models.
Final Verdict
The Fridgemaster MQ79394ES earns its place as a strong option for anyone who wants American-style storage capacity without an American-style kitchen footprint. It delivers genuinely large, well-organised storage, no-frost convenience across both compartments, and running noise that owners consistently describe as unobtrusive — all in a width that fits far more UK kitchens than most appliances in this category manage. The energy rating is its clearest compromise, and the minor freezer-drawer quirk is worth knowing about rather than discovering after delivery, but neither undermines the core proposition. If your priority is maximum capacity in a manageable footprint, with minimal ongoing maintenance and quiet day-to-day operation, this is a sensible, well-considered purchase.
What People Say
105 commentsBest fridge I’ve ever had the pleasure to own.
loads of space in both fridge and freezer compartments. Keeps the ambient temperature brilliantly, I have a set of independent electronic fridge temperature gages that lets me know this. It’s no where near the 42db operating noise level stated it’s nothing but a whisper. Both doors can be opened independently on the fridge, the left hand door when pushed closed slightly lifts the right hand door because it has the seal bar connected to it but this is not a fault if the fridge is tipped back 10mm
The size and the capacity it holds is great
We bought the fridge in the December sales and didn’t really want to spend a lot more n a fridge freezer. We’ve had issues from the start the light would work intermittently and then stopped working altogether. We contacted the manufacturers and have been messed around with parts that need replacing so have very little confidence that the fridge is going to last. The engineer that came out to assess the fridge has said we need the mother board, door sensors and the lights replacing.
Black fridge freezer
Honestly the nicest fridge freezer ever!! Loads and I mean loads of space, keeps everything at a nice cool temp, easy to use buttons inside the fridge to change the temperature which is fab! Love the 3 draws on both sides for the freezer, super easy to sort out. Very sturdy didnt even need to alter anything to make it stable which is always great xx 100% worth the money!!! Highly recommended it to everyone even my mother in law loves it!
So far so good
Things I like: The fridge and freezer are separate. So your not opening the freezer every time you go to the fridge. The look and fridge shelf space is good. Not a great deal of room in the doors. Would be good to be able to choose where the shelves go. Can only put small jars in the top of the door. Overall I’m pretty happy. It was the cheapest American fridge freezer so for that it has pretty much everything I want.
Excellent find
Bought this as my old fridge was on its way out. Delivered within the week and the delivery team went above and beyond. The fridge freezer is quiet and not too big. The freezer works well for me and there are options for different settings on a touch pad inside the fridge. By having the fridge and the freezer with two doors each it means that you only open the part you need rather than the whole thing. So far so good.
Great price, great service
I was going to buy this model from Very, but while I was completing the purchase the price went up to £100 more expensive.
I googled the model and found it at Argos cheaper than the original price, and free delivery.
It was delivered in under a week, great delivery drivers, kept me up to date and were polite and efficient.
Fridge is better than expected.
I've learnt my lesson, I will always check Argos first now.
Fabulous Fridge Freezer
I bought it a few weeks ago. It not only looks fabulous inside and out, I love that the top half is all fridge and the bottom is the freezer. My other one was right for fridge and left for freezer.
Having the fridge shelves being the whole length is so much nicer
Bottom vegetable and cool fresh box with multi air flow is fabulous
Fridge and freezer temperatures can be changed from with in fridge
If you expect to store freezer food forget it
The thing looks the part but it isn't
The Fridge part of the Fridge-master is Average; although if you want to leave a 1.5k pack of Chicken Breast in the meat tray you have to either squash it in or decant it into plastic boxes there is no audible sound if you leave the door open by mistake.
The Freezer on the other hand wont even store a Pizza the drawers are to small
Love this fridge freezer
Bought this as the fridgefreezer I bought a couple of months ago was too tall and not suitable, so saw this french style american fridgefreezer and decided it was the one. It looks very smart, although finger marks show up easily. It came with a few c type washers, not a clue what these are for and no mention in the instructions. The delivery guys were fantastic.
Simple and spacious
Bought this to replace and upgrade as needed more space for growing family, it does not disappoint! Big, spacious and more room to stick those children pictures on :)
Freezer draws are good size and top ones being open at the front makes them perfect for ice trays and such like.
Also rather quiet for size, I expected more noise but can barely notice it at all
New Fridge freezer
I bought this fridge freezer to replace one that we were having problems with. We find the door system works really well, plenty of shelf space in the fridge, which also has a really good light fitted!! The freezer has 6 draws which come out and locate easily for putting them back in, so easy to find what you are looking for, well good value for the price I paid!!
Spacious, stylish, and efficient
Spacious, stylish, and efficient — a great family fridge with a few minor trade-offs. If you’re after reliable performance, lots of room, and frost-free convenience at a reasonable price, this Fridgemaster is a solid pick. It’s a workhorse in the kitchen and well-suited to family life — just be aware of the energy rating and lack of built-in dispenser features.
fridge freezer is lovely
lovely bright, spacious fridge freezer.
when measuring your space please allow for when the doors open, as they don't open flush to the side of the fridge/freezer, please allow say, 1/2 inch either side.
Please make sure that you have someone at home to carry large/heavy product up any steps - delivery will not honour this even though they said they would.
Love my Fridge freezer!!
Fantastic, works beautifully and isn't too big for kitchen as some were massive. I was losing food before to poor temperature. This is amazing. Well worth the money. Shout out to the delivery guys too. Quick, free and early. They even took photos to check quality, unpacked and placed it. Very kind. Family and friends have commented on how nice it is !!!
Fridge freezer looks stunning
Fridge freezer fits perfectly into our kitchen, the style really compliments the room. Ample room in fridge, freezer holds enough for 2 people for a month.
It's very quiet, love the 4 doors, makes more of a statement than the usual style.
Due to colour it does show up finger marks but wipe off with soapy water & polish after with a micro cloth.
Happy so far
This fridge freezer is smart to look at. I like the fact there are 6 separate drawers in freezer allowing me to organise foods easily. Meat drawer, veg drawer etc. and when in freezer you only have to open 1 side. My old fridge had a bottle rack which I miss on this one. Overall happy with my purchase. Delivery men were friendly and helpful.
Great space
Bought as my double larder fridge broke... i was sceptical it would hold enough food as I feed a family of 5..plus girlfriends and friends...this is fabulous!! I have ample room and plus some...the two drawers in the fridge help a lot and I love the four doors. The freezer holds lots too.. Would recommend for a big family.
Amazing!!
I bought this a month or so ago and absolutely love it! It is the perfect addition to our kitchen, I was slightly concerned that it would look big and over power the room but I was pleasantly surprised! It has so much space inside which is perfect! Would absolutely recommend this as the value for money is great!
American fridge freezer.
The American fidge freezer I brought a month ago as a extra large fridge space great for more bottles of water for this hot summer. I like it because a use more fresh ingredients so there is more space for fresh food .the freezer side of the item is great for ice cream left over fresh food so we have no waste
Great fridge for the price!
Big capacity fridge and freezer.I like that it looks simple,but it’s do the job,good fridge!One minus is that temperature is a bit to low(cold),even on lowest temperature mode,u can’t take for example drink and drink that straight away,it’s to cold ,but over all fridge is great,looks very good on my kitchen!