Willow WTL55W Tall Larder Fridge

Is the Willow WTL55W Tall Larder Fridge worth buying?

Yes, the Willow WTL55W Tall Larder Fridge is worth buying for a family kitchen that wants 241 litres of fresh food, five door trays and a wipe-clean white finish for £239.99. That comes to £1.00 per litre, which is five pence more per litre than the 242-litre Fridgemaster MTL55242E at £229. There is no ice box and no freezer drawer, so the whole cabinet works for the food you eat fresh.

You are paying a little more for layout rather than for litres. Five door trays puts bottles, jars and condiments in the door, which frees the three toughened glass shelves for plates and containers, and the mark-proof finish shrugs off daily handling. Its 4.4 average from 74 owners comes with a two-year manufacturer's warranty, so the first two years of ownership are covered rather than the statutory one.

How much does the Willow WTL55W cost per litre of fridge space?

Divide the £239.99 by the 241 litres and you get £1.00 per litre. The same sum gives £0.95 a litre for the Fridgemaster MTL55242E at £229 and £0.87 a litre for the COMFEE' 230L at £199.99, so on price per litre the Willow sits in the middle of that trio and pays five pence more per litre than the Fridgemaster for one litre less.

The second number in the same cabinet pulls the other way. It draws 192 kWh a year, against 102 kWh for the COMFEE' 230L, which is close to double the running cost for a fridge that holds a few more litres now but costs more to keep cold every week.

What are the dimensions and weight of the Willow WTL55W?

It measures 54 cm wide, 55 cm deep and 144 cm tall, so it fits the standard 55 cm gap most kitchen runs leave for a tall fridge. With the door swung open it reaches 56.6 cm from the wall, which is the figure to check if a worktop edge or a cupboard door sits close to the front. It weighs 39.5 kg, so two people should carry it in and stand it upright.

Inside the cabinet you get three toughened glass shelves, five door trays and a crisper tray, all of which lift out for cleaning. The door is reversible, so the hinge fits either side of the run, and the recessed handle keeps the front flat instead of proud of the neighbouring units. A 220 V supply through a standard Type G plug is all it needs, and Willow covers it with a two-year manufacturer's warranty.

Where does the Willow WTL55W fall short?

Three glass shelves gives you fewer split levels than the four-shelf Fridgemaster MTL55242E at £229 or the four movable shelves of the HADEN 242L at £269. Door trays hold bottles and jars rather than trays of food, so a big roasting tin or a tall cake box has fewer places to slot in. That is the trade for the depth of the door storage.

It also runs at up to 42 dBA, a hum you will hear in an open-plan kitchen or a studio flat, even though it sits well under the 60 dBA of ordinary conversation. And because there is no freezer compartment anywhere in the cabinet, frozen food, ice and chips need a second appliance, which is worth costing before you replace a fridge freezer with it.

How does the Willow WTL55W compare with the Fridgemaster MTL55242E and the COMFEE' 230L?

The Fridgemaster MTL55242E is £10.99 cheaper at £229 and carries 242 litres, one more than the Willow, at £0.95 per litre. It also fits four toughened glass shelves and has been lived with by 221 owners rating it 4.4, against the Willow's 74 owners at the same average. Where shelf flexibility and a long owner history matter more than five door trays and a mark-proof finish, the Fridgemaster is the better buy.

The COMFEE' 230L costs £40.00 less at £199.99 and gives 230 litres, 11 fewer, at £0.87 per litre, drawing 102 kWh a year rather than 192. What it lacks is the Willow's five door trays and its narrow 54 cm body, so it suits the buyer who wants the smallest outlay and the smallest energy bill rather than the most storage in the door.

Does the Willow WTL55W need much space in front of it?

Allow about 57 cm of clearance in front of the fridge, because the door reaches 56.6 cm from the wall when it is fully open. That matters if the fridge sits at the end of a run and a drawer or cupboard opens into the same space. In a tight galley kitchen, opening the door to 90 degrees is worth checking before delivery.