If you regularly store home-grown produce or bulky bulk buys, consider a chest freezer if you can organise its interior and reach food at the bottom. An upright freezer makes it easier to organise portions you use often. Replacing a fridge-freezer will only give you enough extra space if its freezer compartment meets your needs. If you only run short of space occasionally, reorganising your frozen food may mean you don’t need another appliance.
If you regularly take portions out of the freezer, consider how easy it is to find them in the drawers or storage areas. Also compare freezer capacity, noise levels and defrosting features. A large capacity alone doesn’t tell you whether the freezer will be convenient to use every day.
If you need to store bags and products in a range of sizes, a chest freezer is worth considering if its interior and baskets suit the way you organise your food. If you’re planning to put it in an unheated garage or cellar, check the permitted ambient temperature range for the exact model before choosing a spot.
If you’d rather keep just one appliance, compare the freezer compartment’s capacity with the space you usually need. For example, Electrolux lists a freezer capacity of 62 L for the ENC8MC18S. This figure should be considered separately from the fridge-freezer’s total capacity.
Start by considering how often you run out of space and what you need to store. Then check the space available for the appliance and the conditions in the room.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Type of freezer and access | Compare access from above in a chest freezer with the drawers or storage areas in an upright model. If you’re replacing a fridge-freezer, look at its freezer compartment; if you only run short of space occasionally, review what you have in stock first. | I store large purchases or home-grown produce, or I mainly want to find portions I use every day quickly. |
| Capacity and space needed | Check the freezer capacity in litres, rather than the total capacity of a fridge-freezer. Measure the space, the route to the room and the clearance needed to open the appliance. | I regularly run short of space, so I want to compare this with the capacity that’s actually available without choosing an appliance I can’t install. |
| Where you’ll install it | Check the permitted ambient temperature range and installation instructions for the exact model. Make sure the room has the required clearances and power supply. | I’m thinking of putting the appliance in an unheated garage, cellar or outbuilding. It needs to work in the conditions in that room. |
| Power cuts and adding fresh food | Compare the stated power-cut storage time in hours and freezing capacity in kg/24 h on the product specifications for the models you’re considering. Check for alarms if the appliance won’t be monitored often. | After a harvest or a large shop, I freeze a lot of food at once. I’d also like to know how long it can keep food frozen during a power cut. |
| Energy use and noise | Compare annual energy consumption in kWh, capacity and noise emissions across appliances of a similar type and capacity. The European Commission says that the energy label for household fridges and freezers includes this information, as well as an energy rating from A to G. | The appliance will stay plugged in all the time, perhaps near a room in use. I want to consider its energy use and noise as well as the extra capacity it offers. |
This figure includes the fridge section and can hide a freezer compartment that’s too small for the amount you want to store. For example, Electrolux lists a freezer capacity of 62 L for the ENC8MC18S.
Compare freezer capacity in litres, then annual energy consumption and noise levels across appliances of a similar type and capacity. The energy rating doesn’t replace these figures.
The permitted ambient temperature depends on the model. Beko says the RFNE448E45W will operate at temperatures down to -15 °C, and Whirlpool says the same of the W3RHS31DW2. These specifications don’t apply to other models.
Check the permitted temperature range for the appliance you choose, along with its installation instructions, required clearances and the power supply in the room.
A deep interior can make it harder to reach food at the bottom, even if the capacity suits your bulk buys.
Look at the baskets and think about how you’ll organise the food. If you take out different types of portions every day, compare access in an upright freezer with drawers too.
These models show a range of capacities and formats. The specifications listed apply to the models named, not to every appliance from each brand.
The RFNE448E45W is a freestanding upright freezer with a capacity of 404 L, according to Beko.
Whirlpool lists a usable capacity of 308 L for the W3RHS31DW2 chest freezer.
The GSN58AWEV is a freestanding upright freezer with a stated capacity of 366 L, according to Bosch.
The ENC8MC18S is a built-in fridge-freezer to consider when replacing a combined appliance.
These models offer two ways to add a freezer: chest freezers for storing food in a deep compartment, and upright freezers for accessing food in separate sections. Compare their capacity with the space you need, then check the installation requirements for the model you choose.
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Worth considering for bulk buys if access from above suits the way you organise your food. It has a stated capacity of 291 L, a removable basket, LED lighting, five-level digital controls and fridge and freezer modes. Check the permitted ambient temperature range for the room and how long it can keep food frozen during a power cut.
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A way to add dedicated freezer space while choosing a smaller chest freezer than the 291 L AUCMA model featured here. It has a stated capacity of 197 L, a removable basket, five-level digital controls and fridge and freezer modes. Make sure you can reach the bottom of the compartment, and check the permitted ambient temperature and how long it can keep food frozen during a power cut.
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Worth considering if the stated capacity of 141 L meets your needs and you don’t want a large chest freezer. It opens from the top and has a removable basket, a seven-level thermostat and fridge and freezer modes. Check that the chest layout suits you, along with the permitted ambient temperature range and the model’s storage time during a power cut.
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Compare the stated capacity of 60 L with the portions you usually store, rather than bulky harvests or bulk buys. The reversible door lets you choose which way it opens to suit your space. Before buying, check the exact interior layout, permitted ambient temperature range and storage time during a power cut.
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Worth comparing if you want to store food separately in an upright freezer with a stated capacity of 161 L. The product description mentions drawers, a No Frost system, an alarm and a reversible door hinge. Before choosing a spot, check the dimensions, permitted ambient temperature and storage time during a power cut. Also ask what the stated temperature range of -14 °C to -22 °C refers to for this model.
No. Check the permitted ambient temperature range and installation instructions for the model you’re considering. Beko says the RFNE448E45W will operate at temperatures down to -15 °C, as does Whirlpool for the W3RHS31DW2, but these specifications don’t apply to all their models or every garage.
Compare annual energy consumption in kWh, freezer capacity and noise emissions, taking the type and capacity of each appliance into account. The European Commission says the label for household fridges and freezers shows this information alongside an energy rating from A to G. The rating alone doesn’t tell you how much space is available in the freezer.
A chest freezer is worth comparing if you store bulky items, but you’ll need to organise its interior to make the most of access from above. If you often take out small portions of different types of food, consider the drawers in an upright freezer too. In either case, the capacity and storage layout of the specific model matter.
The ADEME says that when replacing a large refrigeration appliance, you can return it to the retailer or delivery driver, or take it to the electrical and electronic equipment area at a recycling centre. Arrange for it to be collected or dropped off rather than leaving it with ordinary bulky waste.