A wooden table seen from above, laid with a dozen plates of food, bread and water glasses

Large families

American fridge freezers, double ovens, 10 kg washing machines, two-drawer air fryers and 14-place dishwashers.

American fridge freezers

From €7999 products

Two-drawer air fryers

From €129.9927 products

Samsung Series 6 640L American Fridge Freezer640L

in the Samsung Series 6: 420 L of fridge and 220 L of freezer.

See fridge freezers

In short

Large families need bigger appliances, so capacity is the first number to check. The Haier HSR3918EWPG American fridge freezer holds 521 L, with 330 L of fridge and 191 L of freezer, and our washing machine guide suggests a 9 to 10 kg drum for bigger families. Ninja two-drawer air fryers, double ovens and 14-place dishwashers handle the rest.

American fridge freezers

Side-by-side fridge freezers from 521 L to 640 L, compared on space and cooling.

Look past the litres to the extras. The Beko ASD2442VPZ has a non-plumbed water dispenser and a HarvestFresh light for fruit and vegetables; the Haier HSR3918EWPG has a filtered water dispenser and doors that stop at 90°.

Capacity

521 L

576 L: 364 L fridge, 212 L freezer

583 L: 375 L fridge, 208 L freezer

640 L: 420 L fridge, 220 L freezer

Cooling

No Frost with Multi Air Flow

Frost free, NeoFrost dual cooling

Total No Frost, All-Around Cooling

Total No Frost, Twin Cooling Plus

Water

Filtered water dispenser

Non-plumbed water dispenser

Not stated

Not stated

Also

Doors stop at 90°

HarvestFresh light, Fast Freeze

Digital Inverter, about 37 dB

Wi-Fi with SmartThings, AI Energy Mode

Capacity

521 L

576 L: 364 L fridge, 212 L freezer

Cooling

No Frost with Multi Air Flow

Frost free, NeoFrost dual cooling

Water

Filtered water dispenser

Non-plumbed water dispenser

Also

Doors stop at 90°

HarvestFresh light, Fast Freeze

Capacity

583 L: 375 L fridge, 208 L freezer

640 L: 420 L fridge, 220 L freezer

Cooling

Total No Frost, All-Around Cooling

Total No Frost, Twin Cooling Plus

Water

Not stated

Not stated

Also

Digital Inverter, about 37 dB

Wi-Fi with SmartThings, AI Energy Mode

Two-drawer air fryers

Ninja two-drawer air fryers, stacked or side by side, and the FlexDrawer with two cooking zones in one drawer.

Compare total litres and drawer layout. The Ninja Double Stack (7.6 L) and Double Stack XL stack their drawers to save counter width; the FlexDrawer's divider comes out, turning it into one 10.4 L drawer for a 2 kg leg of lamb.

From €129.9927 products

Shop air fryers (27)

Ninja

Double Stack XL 2 Drawer Air Fryer 9.5L

9.5 L stacked · 2,470 W

€319.99

3 interest-free payments of €106.66 with humm

Ninja

DualZone XL 2-Drawer Air Fryer 9.5L

Two 4.75L drawers · Sync

€279.99

3 interest-free payments of €93.33 with humm

Ninja

MAX 6-in-1 Dual Zone Air Fryer 9.5L

9.5 L · 2 drawers

€279.99

3 interest-free payments of €93.33 with humm

Ninja

Double Stack 2-Drawer Air Fryer 7.6L - SL300UK

Two 3.8 L stacked drawers

€269.99

3 interest-free payments of €90.00 with humm

Ninja

Foodi FlexDrawer 10.4L Air Fryer

10.4 L · 7 functions

€249.99

3 interest-free payments of €83.33 with humm

Double ovens and cookers

Double oven cookers, a 90 cm range cooker and built-in double ovens.

Compare the second oven too. Top ovens run from 31 L on the Beko KDVC563AK to 42 L on the Electrolux EDFDC46X. The Belling Cookcentre 90E has a fanned tall oven and main oven plus a separate 33 L grill, 174 L in all.

10 kg washing machines

Drums from 10 kg to 12 kg, plus a washer dryer that washes 10.5 kg.

Compare spin speed and the quick programmes. The Electrolux SensiCare 600, Hisense 5S, Blomberg RecycledTub and Haier I-Pro all spin at 1400 rpm; the Electrolux has a 20-minute quick wash and the Haier a 20-minute Refresh that removes odours and reduces creases.

14-place dishwashers

Freestanding and integrated dishwashers that take 14 or 15 place settings.

Check place settings, then noise if the kitchen is open-plan. The Blomberg LDV52320 takes 15 place settings; the Bosch Series 6 runs at 40 dB and the Series 4 at 42 dB, against 47 dB on the Belling and 48 dB on the Blomberg LDV42320.

Complete the set-up

The Double Stack XL air fryer, with a knife block and a wireless thermometer. Tick the ones you need.

The air fryer

Ninja Double Stack XL 2 Drawer Air Fryer 9.5L

9.5 L across two stacked 4.75 L drawers, 2470 W, for up to 8 people.

€319.99
  • €289.99
  • €109.99

Running total

  • Double Stack XL air fryer€319.99

Total for 1 item€319.99

3 × €106.66 interest-free

Each item at its own price.

8people

at most, fed from the 9.5 L Ninja Double Stack XL, which is 28 cm wide.

Ninja Double Stack XL 2 Drawer Air Fryer 9.5L

12kg

drum on the Hisense 5S washing machine, for bulky bedding and duvets.

Hisense 5S 1400rpm Freestanding Washing Machine

14place settings

in the Bosch Series 4, running at 42 dB.

Bosch Series 4 14 Place Freestanding Smart Dishwasher

How to choose appliances for a large family

From the product descriptions and our guides.

Measure the space and the route in before choosing an American fridge freezer

Our American fridge freezers guide puts size first: they are wide and tall, so measure the gap and the route in through your doors. The Beko ASD2442VPZ is 1790 x 910 x 705 mm, and the Samsung RS70 is a 91 cm side-by-side. The Samsung RS57 and RS70 use Total No Frost, so the freezer never needs a manual defrost, and the RS57's Digital Inverter compressor runs at about 37 dB.

American fridge freezers

Drawer size decides how many people an air fryer can feed

Our air fryer buying guide suggests 5 to 7 L for a family of three or four, and 8 L or more, or a dual-zone model, for bigger families and batch cooking. Sync on the Ninja MAX Dual Zone, DualZone XL, Double Stack SL300UK and FlexDrawer times both drawers to finish together, so two dishes are ready at the same time. Take out the FlexDrawer's divider and its two 5.2 L zones become one drawer that fits food for 8 or more people.

air fryers

A bigger drum means fewer washes, so check the drying side too

Our busy-family washing machine guide points out that a bigger drum means fewer loads, as long as you don't run it half-empty, and that a fast spin of 1400 rpm or more leaves washing quicker to dry. The Hisense 5S has a 12 kg drum. The Hisense washer dryer washes 10.5 kg but dries 6 kg, so a full wash dries in two goes; it also stores detergent for 24 loads. The Blomberg LWA210461W can delay its start by up to 24 hours.

10 kg washing machines · washer dryers

Choose a cooker by width, then by how it cleans

Freestanding cookers come in set widths, so measure the gap first: they run from 50 cm on the Beko KDVC563AK to 90 cm on the Belling Cookcentre 90E range. The Electrolux EDFDC46X and Beko BBDF26300X are built-in double ovens that sit in a kitchen unit. For cleaning, the Electrolux cookers have catalytic liners that burn residues away when the oven is heated to 220°C, and the Beko models use SteamShine, which softens burnt-on food with steam.

double ovens · cookers

Good to know

How much freezer space do the Samsung Series 6 and Beko HarvestFresh fridge freezers have?

The Samsung Series 6 RS70F64KEFEU has 220 L of freezer space and 420 L of fridge. The Beko HarvestFresh ASD2442VPZ has 212 L of freezer and 364 L of fridge, and the Samsung RS57DG400EM9EU 208 L and 375 L. Our American fridge freezers guide suggests these for large families, frequent entertainers and batch cooks with the kitchen space to match.

What is the difference between stacked and side-by-side air fryer drawers?

Stacked drawers save width, side-by-side drawers save height. The Ninja MAX Dual Zone is 41.5 cm wide and 32.5 cm tall, while the Double Stack XL fits the same 9.5 L into 28 cm of width and 38.5 cm of height. The 7.6 L Double Stack uses 25% less counter space than a side-by-side model and cooks on four levels with its two Stacked Meal racks.

Which washing machine programmes help with duvets and bedding?

A Duvet or a high-temperature programme. The Electrolux SensiCare 600 has a Duvet programme among its 14, and the Blomberg LWA210461W has Hygiene+, which reaches higher temperatures for sanitising bedding and towels. The Haier I-Pro Series 7 Plus has a steam programme too.

Do I need a double oven to cook for a big family?

It helps when a meal needs two temperatures at once, because each cavity has its own setting. The Electrolux LKR655200X and LKR555100B both pair a 77 L main fan oven with a 39 L top oven. The Belling Cookcentre 90E has an 81 L tall oven and a 60 L main oven, plus a separate grill.

How many place settings does a family dishwasher need?

Most families are served by a full-size 60 cm dishwasher, with about 13 to 15 place settings, according to our dishwasher buying guide. The Bosch Series 4 SMS4EMI06G, Bosch Series 6, Belling BIDW1463 and Blomberg LDV42320 take 14, and the Blomberg LDV52320 takes 15. For smaller loads, the Belling BIDW1463 and Blomberg LDV42320 and LDV52320 have a half-load option.