For extra frozen food storage, choose a chest freezer if you have enough floor space and mainly store bulk buys or large containers. An upright freezer may suit you better if you often take out ready-prepared meals and want to organise them in drawers. Before comparing capacities, check that the temperature in your utility room, cellar or garage is within the model’s operating range, then measure the space needed to open it.
If you freeze large portions or lots of ready-prepared meals and have a utility room or garage, a chest freezer is worth considering. Before choosing its capacity, though, check how much floor space it takes up and the permitted temperature range for the room.
If you want to find portions by category quickly, the drawers and front access of an upright freezer may be more convenient than a large open chest. Check that your containers will fit in the drawers of the model you’re considering.
If you only need room for a few extra portions and space is limited, a compact or under-counter freezer could do the job. Its smaller capacity won’t replace a freezer designed for regular bulk buys.
If you need separate freezer storage, start by considering how much you need to freeze and how often you’ll take food out. Then check that the appliance will fit in the room and that you can open it fully.
Consider one if: bulk buys or large containers are your priority, and you only need to reach food at the bottom occasionally.
Bear in mind: it takes up more floor space, and you’ll need to organise the contents so you can find food stored underneath.
Consider one if: you often take out ready-prepared portions and want to organise them in easy-to-reach drawers.
Bear in mind: the compartments may be too small for large dishes, even if the total capacity seems sufficient.
| Factor | What to check | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and size | Compare the usable capacity in litres with the size of your containers, then measure the space available and the access route. | When bulk shopping and large portions start to pile up, I want to be able to store them without running out of room; around 36% of consumers prioritise capacity. |
| Access to meals | Check the dimensions of the drawers or baskets, and the clearance needed to open the appliance. | If I take out a ready-prepared portion every day, I want to find it without moving the rest of the food; around 29% of consumers put access and organisation first. |
| Room temperature | Compare the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures with the model’s specified ambient temperature range. Below 10 °C, look for a model with a stated minimum operating temperature suitable for colder conditions. | In a garage or cellar that gets very cold, I need to be able to use the appliance at the actual room temperature; this is a priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Compact extra storage | Check the usable capacity, under-counter dimensions, ventilation requirements and whether the door can open fully. | If I only need to add a few portions to my current storage, I’d rather keep the space taken up by the appliance to a minimum; around 14% of consumers prioritise this kind of extra storage. |
If the room is unheated, don’t assume an appliance is suitable just because it’s a chest or upright freezer. For example, Bosch specifies a range of 10 to 32 °C for climate class SN. If the room is colder, check the minimum temperature specified for the exact model. When they’re important for your setup, also compare the stated power-cut storage time, noise level and energy label.
A large capacity doesn’t guarantee that the appliance will fit through to its intended spot or that you’ll be able to reach food easily at the bottom.
Measure the access route, floor space and clearance above the lid. Before choosing a capacity, think about how you’ll store your largest containers.
The permitted ambient temperature depends on the specific model, not its shape. A room outside the specified range can affect how the appliance works.
Check the room’s temperature extremes against the climate class and any minimum temperature stated in the model’s documentation.
Defrosting technology affects maintenance; the stated storage time during a power cut is a separate feature. Freezing capacity, measured in kg/24 h, tells you something different again.
Compare these specifications separately for each model. Don’t assume that No Frost means food will stay frozen during a power cut.
In France, the statutory legal guarantee of conformity applies to goods sold by a business to a consumer, as the Ministry of the Economy explains. An extended commercial warranty is separate.
Before taking out an extended warranty, read its exclusions and check how call-outs and labour are covered. Then consider what it offers beyond your statutory rights.
The specifications below relate to particular product ranges and models; they don’t automatically apply to every freezer from the same brand.
The range includes chest and upright freezers to compare, depending on the capacity you need and where you plan to install the appliance.
The brand offers chest and upright freezers. Compare the two types based on the space available and how you prefer to take food out.
Its upright freezers are worth considering if organising meals and easy front access are important to you.
Some of the brand’s chest freezers are designed for use in unheated rooms.
These Joybuy models include chest freezers for extra capacity, upright freezers for organising meals and a compact vertical model for a little extra space. Choose one to suit your containers and how often you use it, then check that the model’s ambient temperature range and storage time are suitable for the room.
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Worth considering if you want to add generous storage with easy access from above.
The product name specifies a removable basket, LED lighting, a five-level control and an E energy rating. To store frozen food, check that the convertible appliance is set to freezer mode.
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This size is better suited to a little extra storage than to bulk buys.
The product name specifies three drawers, a reversible door, an adjustable thermostat and an E energy rating. Check there’s enough room to open the door where you plan to place it.
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Consider this model if you prefer to organise and take out meals from compartments with front access.
The product name specifies drawers, a reversible hinged door, an alarm and a C energy rating. Compare the usable dimensions of the compartments with the size of your dishes.
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This chest freezer adds extra storage with access from above; make sure you have enough room to open the lid.
The product name specifies a storage basket, a counterbalanced lid, temperature control and an E energy rating.
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Worth considering for a small amount of extra storage if you’d prefer a compact chest freezer to an upright model with drawers.
The product name specifies a removable basket, a sliding lid, an adjustable thermostat and an E energy rating. Check there’s enough room to open the lid.
Choose a model whose operating range covers the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures. Bosch specifies 10 to 32 °C for climate class SN and 10 to 43 °C for SN-T. If the room drops below 10 °C, look in the documentation for the specific model for a stated minimum operating temperature that’s suitable for colder conditions.
Not necessarily. A chest freezer is worth considering for large quantities or bulky containers, while an upright model makes it easier to organise and regularly take out portions. Compare how easy it is to reach the food with the space your dishes need, rather than looking only at total capacity.
Compare the dimensions and opening clearance, ambient temperature range, stated storage time during a power cut, freezing capacity in kg/24 h and noise level. Storage time and freezing capacity describe different features: one doesn’t replace the other.
Yes. The French Ministry for the Ecological Transition states that freezers are among the appliances required to carry an energy label in France. Use the information shown to compare appliances that meet your needs, while checking their usable capacity and suitability for the room separately.
No. In France, the statutory legal guarantee of conformity applies to goods sold by a business to a consumer, as the Ministry of the Economy explains; a commercial warranty is separate. Before deciding whether an extended warranty’s additional benefits are useful to you, check exactly what it covers.