Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K fridge freezer review
The Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K fridge freezer comes in at a very competitive price, but how did it match up when put to the test? Read our review to find out.
Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K fridge freezer
Pros: Great value for money, easy to clean, impressive quality for the price, larger than average freezer, auto-defrost.
Cons: Shelf spacing narrow if using all four shelves and bottle rack, slightly lower energy rating (A +) than the majority we tested.
Overall score: 4.2/5
Iconic US brand Hoover, whose name is now synonymous with household vacuum cleaners, is now one of the go-to brands for a variety of home appliances, and it's got plenty of refrigeration options to choose from. With over a hundred years in the business, it has a reputation to maintain, and innovation is what it wants to be known for. We tried out the Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K fridge freezer to see the results of this combination of experience and advancement.
Read our full review of the best fridge freezers.
First impressions of the Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K fridge freezer
Rather than a solid flat front, Hoover have added a subtle design detail in the angular shaping of the doors – this adds interest without being shouty. The black recessed handle at the bottom of the fridge and top of the freezer picks up the black of the Hoover logo – overall, an interesting aesthetic. Inside, the shelving is rather packed in the main compartment, but door shelf spacing is good. The freezer looks to have good capacity.
Is the Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K 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 fridge freezer appears to be good quality, and we're impressed due to the very reasonable price tag. We were tempted to take off marks for the plastic on the recessed handles, but at least in black, it can be said that this adds to the aesthetic.
Capacity vs usable space
The fridge holds 197 litres. The spacing between some of the shelves is a little prohibitive. However, if you take out one shelf or the wine rack, this all becomes a lot more functional, and the space can then be used more flexibly and efficiently.
The freezer holds 111 litres, which is on the larger side of the ones we tested. Four drawers do allow for more storage, but you might need to take one out to allow double height for bigger items.
What's the handle like?
Plastic handles can look cheap against stainless steel, but Hoover has managed to pull it off by using black plastic rather than grey. The groove is comfortably deep and the recessed handles run almost the full width of the appliance, making them easy to grab hold of.
What are the shelving options in the fridge?
There are four glass shelves in the fridge, but we were not happy with the spacing. We think to really utilise the fridge well, you would need to remove either the bottle rack or one shelf. Some of the fridges we tested only had three shelves and sometimes less is more. Having said that, this does give you options.
The door can accomodate taller items on the bottom shelf, but this means the top shelves are better suited to small jars and eggs. If you adjust them more evenly, there's no chance of fitting in an open wine bottle.
How are the fridge drawers?
There's one medium-sized fridge drawer, which is plenty deep enough for large items such as a head of cauliflower or iceberg lettuce. This runs smoothly and is easy to get out.
What benefits does the freezer offer?
There are four freezer drawers which are, by comparison with many of the brands we tried, quite shallow. They are useful enough for most purposes, although a large joint of meat might be a challenge. However, you could easily remove a shelf to provide double height in the one below – a useful feature.
How's the overall visibility?
In the fridge, all shelving and drawers are clear plastic or glass, offering optimum visibility. But, the closeness of some of the shelves detracts from this slightly. The freezer drawers have clear plastic fronts but solid white bottoms, which means you can view from the front but not above.
Is it easy to control and monitor temperature?
There's a control panel at the top of the fridge inside. You can select one to four to adjust the fridge temperature easily enough, but we prefer actual temperatures and a digital display. There's a 'super cool' option that chills the fridge further – you might want to use this if the door has been open for a while.
Is there a door alarm?
No.
What is its footprint?
The footprint is 186cm (H) x 59.5cm (W) x 64cm (D). Recessed handles offer maximum clearance when the doors are shut.
Is it easy to clean?
All the drawers and shelves are easy to remove and replace, so that facilitates cleaning. There aren't many awkward corners, but the drawers are made up of two pieces, which can potentially make cleaning harder if food has become stuck on.
Are there any accessories?
There's a removable egg cup holder, bottle rack and ice cube tray.
Are there any accessories available for purchase?
There aren't any additional accessories.
Overall star ratings for the Hoover HMNB 6182 X5K fridge freezer
Quality 4.5/5
Practicality 4/5
Capacity vs usable space 4/5
Temperature control 3/5
Ease of cleaning 4.5/5
Value for money 5/5
Overall score: 4.2/5
Our conclusion
This fridge freezer is a steal compared to many we tried, holding up well in comparison with other similar products, but beating most substantially on price. The temperature control offers less flexibility, but if you're happy to let your fridge freezer do its thing, then this is a great buy.
Product specifications at a glance
Dimensions:
186cm (H) x 59.5cm (W) x 64cm (D)
Capacity:
Fridge 197 litres
Freezer 111 litres
Energy efficiency class: A+
Annual energy consumption per year in kWh: 312
Fast freeze: No
Automatic defrost: Yes
Reversible door handle: Yes
Separate controls for fridge and freezer: No
Fridge can be switched off separately: No
No. of fridge shelves: 4, plus bottle rack
No. of fridge door shelves: 3
No. of fridge drawers: 1
No. of freezer drawers: 4
Digital display: No
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This review was last updated in June 2019. 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.
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