Liebherr CNel4213 NoFrost fridge freezer review

Read our full review of the best fridge freezers.

In the consumer arena, Liebherr concentrates on the manufacture of fridges and freezers, so we were interested to see if this specialism gave the brand the edge over others we reviewed. It did score highly for practicality, design and functionality, and was certainly up there with others we favoured. There are some differences which are worth noting, however. The fridge to freezer ratio – more freezer (with more drawers) and slightly less fridge (with less shelves) – was a bit of a minus for us, but depending on your personal usage, this may be the layout that works best for you.

First impressions of the Liebherr CNel4213 NoFrost fridge freezer

The external appearance of this fridge freezer is smart and modern, with hidden recessed handles for a sleek look. Inside the fridge, we noted less room than in some models of a similar size, but this is due to the larger freezer. The shelves in the main compartment are quite close – but not prohibitively so – and there's a bottle rack.

The door only has two shelves – Liebherr has gone against the grain and rather than trying to cram in more shelving for a smaller space, has left sufficient room for a variety of contents, which we would argue is more practical. The digital display was easy to read and looked simple to use.

Is the Liebherr CNel4213 NoFrost 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.

What is the overall quality like?

This feels like a quality appliance – solid, with sturdy shelving and sufficiently tough plastic drawers. The handles are durable, as they're metal and recessed.

Capacity vs usable space

The fridge holds 165 litres – it's not a huge space and there's limited movement of the shelves. If you're not big into wine, we'd say an extra shelf would have been more useful than the bottle rack, as you can still fit bottles in the door.

The freezer holds 129 litres, providing more space than many fridge freezers. These ratios would be ideal for a single person or couple, those who tend to do a few shops during the week or those who freeze leftovers and portions.

What's the handle like?

The recessed handle runs the full length of the appliance, meaning you can grab the door at any height and swing it open. It offers a fairly deep groove, so you can get a good grip. It's all metal for a pleasantly cool feel. Recessed handles are ideal when you have young children or a small kitchen, as you've got maximum clearance with no hard edges sticking out.

What are the shelving options in the fridge?

There are three glass shelves in the main compartment, plus a rack for five bottles. We were disappointed that it's not possible to adjust the height, although you can swap the bottle rack around with other shelves to give some flexibility in heights for your differing storage requirements. The door only has two shelves, but there's good clearance on the bottom shelf if you want to store an opened bottle of wine or a two-litre soft drink – some of the fridges we tested did not allow for this.

How are the fridge drawers?

This model has one drawer which slides in and out easily. It's a generous size, so you can fit all your fruit and veg inside. There's no humidity control but if you're storing everything together, this wouldn't be particularly useful anyway.

What benefits does the freezer offer?

This model has four drawers and a generous capacity – ideal if this is the only freezer you're planning to have. You can pull out a drawer for double height storage on the one below. The 'NoFrost' function means you don't have the hassle of defrosting. It also offers a 'SuperFrost' option, which temporarily lowers the temperature for when you're planning to add a batch of unfrozen foods to the freezer.

How's the overall visibility?

Shelves in the main compartment are easy to view, but the drawer has a pattern and some frosting that obscures contents somewhat. The shelves also have some opaque white plastic, which doesn't provide a totally clear view. Freezer shelves are made of clear plastic. Overall, the visibility is sufficient.

Is it easy to control and monitor temperature?

On opening the door, you can see the fridge and freezer controls, plus the digital temperature display. The fridge and freezer can be controlled separately with ease. The fridge can be turned off too, saving electricity if you're planning to be away for a while.

Is there a door alarm?

Yes. This goes off after 60 seconds, but can be turned off if you need to keep the door open while stacking new contents.

What is its footprint?

The footprint is 186cm (H) x 60cm (W) x 65.5cm (D). Recessed handles and a door that doesn't have a lot of extra casing ensures it maximises on internal space while giving optimal clearance when you're skirting around it.

Is it easy to clean?

This is fairly easy to clean – all shelves and drawers can be removed. If we're being picky, there are a few plastic and metal rims which could potentially collect debris but nothing a good scrub wouldn't deal with.

Are there any accessories?

This comes with a removable egg holder and ice cube tray.

Are there any accessories available for purchase?

Yes. You can buy a second bottle rack, large egg tray, large ice cube tray, butter dish and cleaning cloths.

Overall star ratings for Liebherr CNel4213 NoFrost fridge freezer

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

Overall score: 4.7/5

Our conclusion

We were impressed both by the quality and practicality of this product, especially considering the lower-than-average price tag. The ratio of fridge to freezer space will be key when comparing this with other brands. You'll get more freezer and less fridge, so it's worth thinking about your current usage before buying.

• Available from: Appliances Direct (£478.97) and ao.com (£499)

Product specifications at a glance

Dimensions:
186cm (H) x 60cm (W) x 65.5cm (D)
Capacity:
Fridge 165 litres
Freezer 129 litres
Energy efficiency class: A ++
Annual energy consumption per year in kWh: 253
Fast freeze: Yes
Automatic defrost: Yes
Reversible door handle: Yes
Fridge can be switched off separately: Yes
No. of fridge shelves: 3
No. of fridge door shelves: 2
No. of fridge drawers: 1
No. of freezer drawers: 4
Digital display: Yes
Separate controls for fridge and freezer: Yes

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This review was last updated in September 2020. 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.