Choose the format based on how often you access your food and the space you actually have available: an upright freezer makes everyday sorting easier with its drawers, while a chest freezer prioritises capacity but requires more careful organisation. Also check the dimensions, including the required clearances, the room’s climate class, the appliance’s power-cut storage time and the energy label before choosing a model.
If you often open the freezer to find a range of different food categories, an upright freezer with drawers or a small, well-organised model makes sorting easier and helps prevent food from being forgotten. Que Choisir highlights the value of shelves, drawers and compartments for keeping things organised.
For bulk purchases, home-grown produce or large quantities of prepared meals, a chest freezer may be suitable if you have enough floor space. Plan to use baskets, boxes and labels, then check the model’s climate class for the intended installation location.
A tabletop or under-counter freezer can provide extra capacity when the fridge compartment is no longer enough and space is limited. Compare its usable capacity with the amount of food you genuinely want to store.
Start by estimating how much food you need to store, then check how easily you can access it and the conditions in the room where the appliance will be installed.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Storage capacity | Compare the usable capacity in litres, chest or upright format, external dimensions and the space required for opening and ventilation. | I want to store bulk purchases or prepared portions without installing an appliance that takes up too much room. |
| Storage and access | Check the number of drawers, shelves, baskets and removable components. With a chest freezer, use containers or labels for smaller portions. | I want to find a meal or ingredient quickly without moving the entire contents. The drawers in an upright freezer are particularly useful for separating different food categories. |
| Power cuts and consumption | For similar formats and capacities, compare the energy label, kWh/year, noise level, stated storage time during a power cut and freezing capacity. | I want to protect my food during a power cut and compare appliances that run continuously. The A to G energy label provides a consistent basis for comparison, according to the ministry responsible for Ecology. |
| Installation location | Check the climate class, expected ambient temperatures, ventilation clearances and the space needed to open the door or lid. | My kitchen, cellar or garage must remain within the operating range specified for the model. An unheated room is suitable only if the appliance documentation expressly says so. |
A chest freezer can hold a large stock, but items at the bottom are harder to reach. An upright freezer makes sorting easier with its drawers and compartments, but may be less suitable for storing very large quantities.
Make a list of the foods you freeze most often. Choose a chest freezer with baskets and labelled boxes for large quantities, or an upright model if being able to find portions quickly is the priority.
The operating range depends on the model: a chest freezer is not automatically designed for a cold cellar or an unheated garage.
Record the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures throughout the year, then compare them with the climate class shown on the rating plate, technical specification sheet and manual for the exact model.
The external ventilation openings must remain clear. Que Choisir recommends leaving a few centimetres around the appliance, while the manual for the model sets out the exact requirements.
Add the specified clearances, the space needed to open the door or lid and the access required for delivery to the product dimensions.
The class shown on the label is not enough to compare two freezers with different capacities or formats. Storage time during a power cut and freezing capacity can also vary from one model to another.
Compare kWh/year, noise level, storage time during a power cut, freezing capacity and installation requirements between comparable appliances.
In France, Liebherr offers chest, upright, built-in and tabletop freezers.
Bosch offers freestanding and built-in upright freezers, often organised around drawers and compartments.
In France, Beko sells upright freezers, with No Frost options available on certain references.
Whirlpool offers upright and chest freezers with drawers, baskets or No Frost options, depending on the reference.
These Joybuy options cover several formats for additional household storage: upright freezer, chest freezer, compact vertical freezer and fridge-freezer.
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Suitable for households that want to sort prepared meals and different food categories in a vertical format.
161 L, three drawers, two shelves, LED display, alarm, reversible door and an advertised temperature range of -14 °C to -22 °C. Check the climate class, clearances and storage time during a power cut before installation.
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This capacity is suitable for building up a large stock of groceries or meals, provided the top-opening design and available floor space work for you.
291 L, fridge or freezer mode, five-level digital control, LED lighting, removable basket, energy class E and an advertised consumption of 226 kWh/year. The stated dimensions are 1 100 × 597 × 872 mm; allow for the advertised 10 cm ventilation clearance.
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It may suit a medium-sized household stock when you have room for a chest freezer but not for a wider model.
197 L, fridge or freezer mode, five-level digital control, removable basket, defrost drain, energy class E and an advertised consumption of 197 kWh/year. Stated dimensions: 816 × 554 × 848 mm, with an advertised minimum clearance of 10 cm.
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This option is suitable if you are already replacing your fridge and only need a moderate amount of additional freezer space.
262 L total capacity, 75 L freezer compartment with three drawers, Low Frost, freezing capacity of 3.5 kg/24 h, advertised storage time of 10 h and 215 kWh/year. Its advertised ambient range of 16 to 38 °C makes it unsuitable for a cold outbuilding.
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This compact vertical freezer provides extra space for storing portions and frozen food separately.
60 L, three compartments, adjustable temperature, reversible door, adjustable feet and an advertised freezing capacity of 6 kg/24 h. Stated dimensions: 47,5 × 44,5 × 84,5 cm; check the clearances, climate class and storage time for your installation.
Record the minimum and maximum temperatures actually reached in the room, then check that the range shown on the rating plate or model specification covers them. Some models state that they can be used down to -15 °C, but this does not apply universally.
Yes. Follow the clearances specified in the model manual to allow air to circulate and prevent the ventilation openings from being blocked. Que Choisir recommends leaving a few centimetres around the appliance, but the manual remains the reference for the exact distance.
It is well suited to large volumes and bulky containers thanks to its open storage space. However, you will need baskets, boxes or labels to find smaller portions easily; for varied everyday use, the drawers in an upright freezer make sorting simpler.
Compare the A to G class and annual consumption in kWh/year between appliances of the same type and with a similar capacity. According to the ministry responsible for Ecology, the label provides standardised information for comparing products in the same category.
Defrost the appliance when the layer of frost becomes substantial and unplug it before starting. Que Choisir recommends defrosting when the frost reaches around 3 mm and advises against using a knife, which could damage the refrigeration circuit. For a No Frost model, check that this function is clearly specified for the chosen reference.