Smeg FC182PXNUK fridge freezer review

This product is no longer available. Find more best buys in our review of the best fridge freezers.

First impressions of the Smeg FC182PXNUK fridge freezer

The exterior on this fridge is all sharp angles and smooth surfaces, it's a fridge freezer that will blend comfortably into a modern kitchen rather than standing out among your cabinets and countertops, enhancing a minimalist look. Compared to the retro Smeg, the interior is more generous on space, with sufficient room for all the typical fridge contents.

Is the Smeg FC182PXNUK fridge freezer easy to set up?

Like most fridge freezers, this simply requires a period for the coolant to settle before plugging in and then a wait for the appliance to cool before adding food. The instruction booklet is big and key information isn't obvious.

What is the overall quality like?

This fridge freezer exhudes quality, doors and drawers run smoothly, plastic fixtures feel sturdy and the no-nonsense appearance has a quiet functionality about it.

Capacity vs usable space

The fridge holds 230 litres, placing it among the larger we tested without the external dimensions being noticeably bigger. Due to the sensible arrangement of the shelves and drawers, this allows for maximum usage. The freezer holds 94 litres and is equally practical.

What's the handle like?

Smeg have opted for recessed handles in the side of the doors, creating a stylish and uncluttered appearance. The handles could potentially be a little deeper to get an extra firm hold but there's a textured pleasant feel to them which helps with grip.

What are the shelving options in the fridge?

There are three useable glass shelves, plus a fourth, which is covered by the meat drawer. You can easily remove this, should you prefer to use all four. There is some option to adjust the height of the shelves but with good spacing, this will only be necessary when storing unusually tall items.

There are three door shelves at fixed heights. This is not a problem though as the spacing is really good and you can easily fit in taller items like a two-litre bottle of soft drink or wine bottle with the cork in.

How are the fridge drawers?

There are two fridge drawers running the width of the appliance. A smaller meat drawer sits above a larger produce drawer. The latter is not especially deep but it has enough room for larger items like an iceberg lettuce or cauliflower among other fruit and veg. It also has a humidity control with a guage that you slide one way to close the vents and the other to open.

As different fruits and veg tend to require different levels of humidity, we're not sure how useful this is when there's only one drawer. However, we found that the produce we stored in this fridge had a slight edge over the majority of others.

What benefits does the freezer offer?

There are three freezer drawers of more or less the same depth. There is no fast freeze feature but the appliance automatically defrosts.

How's the overall visibility?

Visibility in the fridge is very good, excepting a partial obscuring of the bottom drawer by the meat drawer above. The freezer is good enough, with a clear plastic front to each drawer.

Is it easy to control and monitor temperature?

The fridge temperature can be adjusted using buttons, from one to five. Five is the coldest and two is recommended. Selecting the mode is straightforward but it doesn't give you an actual temperature selection or reading. There's an economy and super cool option - the instruction booklet does not elaborate on these sufficiently. There's no option to adjust the freezer.

Is there a door alarm?

Yes, and you can't switch it off. The light also dims and brightens which is a bit annoying if you need to leave the door open for a while to fill the fridge.

What is its footprint?

The footprint is 191.5cm (H) x 66.5cm (W) x 73cm (D). Recessed handles provide maximum space in the kitchen when doors are closed.

Is it easy to clean?

The shelves and drawers are easy enough to get out but with drawers being made up of two parts rather than one solid piece of plastic, we felt there was potential for food build-up. There are also some indentations where the drawers run, and at the back of the fridge there are vents, all of which could attract food.

Are there any accessories?

There are two removable egg cup holders and two ice cube trays.

Are there any accessories available for purchase?

There aren't any additional accessories.

Overall star ratings for the Smeg FC182PXNUK fridge freezer

Quality 5/5
Practicality 4.5/5
Capacity vs usable space 5/5
Temperature control 3.5/5
Ease of cleaning 3/5
Value for money 4.5/5

Overall score: 4.3/5

Our conclusion

For smartness and simplicity, both in appearance and functionality, this fridge freezer gets full marks. It could offer more control over temperature but if you tend to leave your appliances to get on with the job, this isn't a problem.

This product is no longer available. Find more best buys in our review of the best fridge freezers.

Product specifications at a glance

Dimensions: 191.5cm (H) x 66.5cm (W) x 73cm (D)
Capacity: fridge 230 litres, freezer 94 litres
Energy efficiency class: A ++
Annual energy consumption per year in kWh: 263
Fast freeze: No
Automatic defrost: Yes
Reversible door handle: Yes
Fridge can be switched off separately: No
No. of fridge shelves: 3
No. of fridge door shelves: 3
No. of fridge drawers: 2
No. of freezer drawers: 3
Digital display: No
Separate controls for fridge and freezer: Temperature control for fridge only.

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This review was last updated in January 2021. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.