@Simbeano, Thank you for telling us which fridges you have tested this ! ๐ At least we know that it doesn't matter what type of fridge it is! ๐
And while that is good that you removed all your CC/Mods to test it, sometimes that is not enough as bits of corrupted data can remain behind. To fix this you will need to also delete the local thumb cache package.file (and it wouldn't help to repair you game in Origin. ). Here is the steps that you can try to make sure those corrupted bits are dealt with:
Please do all of the following in order:
1) Move the Mods Folder to your desktop
2) Delete the localthumbcache.package file in the game folder. (This is very important!) ๐คจ
3) Fix you game in Origin by logging in and go to Library, then right-click on The Sims 4 and choose the "Repair Game" option from the list. Wait until Origin finishes repairing all your packs and not just the base game.
4) Now, when you turn on your game again, it will create a new mods folder that will be empty. Check to see if your game is now working without mods/CC.
5) Now you can try adding back items from your Mods folder one at a time checking your game each time to see which item is causing your game to not work properly. If you have a lot of items, you can try the 50/50 Method.
The CC creators will usually update the CC items and Mods after these updates, so when you find out which one is the culprit, you can get the updated version from whoever made that item of CC in the first place. You should try these steps any time you have problems in your game to rule out CC/Mods problems. It is the responsibility of the Mods/CC creators to update their items anytime EA releases a patch/update, and it is the responsibility of the people who use Mods/CC to make sure they are using the most recent version, which in your case was June 10.
I will test it some more, but I have not seen the same thing where if you block off the fridge the Sims prefer they then ignore the other fridges and cook instead. Mine just go on to the next fridge if they can't get to the preferred one. ๐ค