Guide to fridge sizes

The right sized fridge can save you effort and money.

Need a new fridge? Want a hand choosing the right size fridge to suit your family? Here’s our guide to fridge measurements, and some tips and advice to help you choose the right fridge size for your household.

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Why worry about fridge size?

Because if you don’t get it right, it’ll cost you money, one way or another.

A fridge that’s too small for your needs can be a real hassle in the home. You either keep running out of food and having to replace it (and frequent shopping leads to higher spend on other impulse purchases), or you end up overfilling the fridge’s small space, resulting in uneven cooling, an overworked compressor, and increased running costs.

On the other hand, a fridge that’s too big for your needs can also be problematic. Big fridges often cost more to buy upfront and occupy more of your kitchen’s valuable real estate. This is fine if you need a large-capacity fridge, but if you don’t, you'll end up paying higher running costs for cooling a bunch of empty fridge space.

How is fridge size measured?

There are two ways in which a fridge’s size can be measured: its external dimensions, and its internal capacity or volume.

1. The fridge's external dimensions

The dimensions of a fridge are the same ones your mathematics and/or woodwork teachers should have taught you in school – height, width and depth, each measured in centimetres.

Use these to determine if a fridge will fit into your kitchen’s available space, whether that’s a gap between kitchen benches, a section of kitchen floor space, or a purpose-built cavity in your cabinetry.

Remember to leave a little extra space at the sides and rear of your fridge for proper airflow and ventilation (about 5cm should do), and to make sure there’s also room for the door to freely open and close, without blocking off your kitchen’s high-traffic areas.

2. Internal capacity or volume

The capacity or volume of your fridge describes its total internal space with the shelves and other accoutrements removed and is typically measured in litres.

This may sound a bit strange, as a fridge is neither a drink bottle nor a petrol tank, but think of it this way: imagine a container in the shape of a cube, measuring 10cm by 10cm by 10cm – that’s one litre.

A 200L fridge with the shelves removed could therefore hold 200 of these imaginary cubes. Or, for a more everyday example, 100 2L drink bottles (though, in practice, the shape of the bottles would prevent you from fitting 100 of them into the space!).

At Appliances Online, you can instantly narrow your search for a new fridge by setting either your preferred volume or dimensions.

Can't find the details of your old fridge?

If you want to replace an old fridge with a new fridge of a similar capacity, but you don’t have the old fridge manufacturer’s volume measurements handy, open up the old fridge, remove the interior shelving, and use a tape measure to work out its internal dimensions (height/width/depth) in centimetres.

Multiply these dimensions together, then divide the resulting total by 1000, and you have your fridge’s approximate volume in litres! This figure might not be exact, but it should serve as a good guideline for your next purchase.

How large a fridge capacity do I need?

There’s no hard and fast rule to answer this question, as it greatly depends on the unique needs of your particular household and how you plan to use your fridge.

But for a decent guideline, check out the following table comparing fridge capacity in litres to the number of people in your home:

Remember to take your lifestyle into account when selecting your fridge. For example, even if only one or two people live in your home, if you regularly host parties or entertain guests, you may want to opt for a larger fridge up to 530L to accommodate this extra use. French door and multi-door fridges are especially handy for entertainers, due to their wide shelves that accommodate large platters.

Regardless of what size fridge you select, it’s always a good idea to look for a model that includes adjustable shelving – this can make a big difference when it comes to accommodating all of the food and drink for your household!

Need more help?

After deciding on the right size, you'll be in a better position to narrow down your search by price, feature and energy efficiency.

Appliances Online stocks over 400 fridges from dozens of leading brands including Bosch, Whirlpool, Smeg and Liebherr.

Appliances Online can get your new fridge to you sooner with our legendary FREE delivery to 95% of the Australian population - and we can usually get it there by the next day (weekdays) as long as it's in stock. Plus, for those times when you just can’t wait, we now offer paid Same Day Delivery in NSW, QLD, and VIC metro areas if you order before 12pm Mon-Fri.

We'll also take your old fridge or freezer away for recycling, for free, which is something most retailers won’t offer you. For more tips on choosing the best fridge for you, read our Fridge Buying Guide, and if you still have questions, call our friendly team 24/7 on 1300 000 500, or message us via the chat icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Mark Bristow

After joining Appliances Online, Mark learned more than he ever expected to know about washers, dryers and fridges, and discovered a knack for solving everyday problems using typical household appliances. When he’s not toiling at his day job, Mark tries to find time to write the next bestseller and draw satirical cartoons, but is too easily distracted by TV, music and video games.