If you mainly want to store portions and access them often, compare upright freezers with drawers. If you buy in bulk and need to store bulky packaging, a chest freezer is worth considering if you have enough floor space. An under-counter model is better suited to a modest amount of extra storage, while a large fridge freezer makes sense mainly if you also need to replace your fridge. In every case, check the usable frozen-food storage capacity, the space needed to open the door or lid, and the temperature range the appliance can operate in.
If you prepare several meals in advance, think about the space containers will take up and how easy it will be to find each portion. Drawers that are the right height may matter more than one large, open space.
If you want to store large packages or build up a reserve, compare usable frozen-food capacity with the floor space available. A chest freezer has room for bulky items, but you’ll need to organise it to find products at the bottom.
In a small kitchen, under a worktop or in an outbuilding, measure the space the appliance needs, including room to open its door or lid. For a cellar or garage, also check the ambient temperatures allowed for the specific model.
First, choose a format that suits your stock and the space available. Then compare the features of models within that format.
Consider one: if you often take out different portions or bags and want to organise them in easy-to-reach compartments.
Bear in mind: check the height of the drawers and the space needed to open the door. An upright freezer won’t necessarily offer the capacity of a large chest freezer.
Consider one: if storage capacity and room for bulky items are your priorities, and you have enough floor space.
Bear in mind: food at the bottom can be harder to find. Baskets and labels make it easier to sort everything.
Consider one: if you want a modest amount of extra storage without installing a full-sized appliance.
Bear in mind: check that the frozen-food capacity is enough for your meals and that the installation meets the clearance requirements in the instructions.
Consider one: if you also need to replace your fridge or can’t install a second appliance.
Bear in mind: the total capacity isn’t the same as the freezer capacity. Compare the capacity of the freezer compartment separately.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and access | Compare the freezer compartment capacity in litres, not just the total capacity of a fridge freezer. Check the size of the drawers, shelves or open space to make sure they suit the packaging you need to store. | I want to find my portions without moving everything else. In an online questionnaire published by UFC-Que Choisir in 2014, 83% of around 1,500 respondents said they stored home-cooked food in their freezer. This reflects the respondents’ answers, not all French households. |
| Location | Measure the appliance and the clearance needed to open it. As recommended by ADEME, check the recommended ambient temperature for the model in the room where you plan to install it. | If I put the appliance in a garage or cellar, its permitted ambient temperatures need to suit the conditions in the room. |
| Electricity | The EU energy label shows details including the energy class, annual consumption in kWh and storage capacity. Compare kWh/year figures for appliances of a similar format and capacity rather than looking at the letter alone. | I want enough storage without overlooking the energy consumption of an appliance that will be plugged in all the time. |
| Maintenance and noise | Check the defrosting method for the specific model. Also look at the noise level shown on the energy label, especially if you’ll install the appliance near a living area. | Manual defrosting would be difficult to manage in my home, or I’ll be installing the appliance somewhere its noise could be an issue. |
| Power cuts and adding food | Compare the stated storage time in hours during a power cut and the freezing capacity in kg/24 h on the product specifications for the models you’re considering. Check whether there’s an alarm if the appliance won’t be in sight every day. | I store a large amount of food or regularly freeze several batches of meals and shopping at once. |
Its large, open space can accommodate bulky items, but portions at the bottom may be hard to find.
If you use a variety of meals each week, compare how easy an upright freezer with drawers is to access. For a chest freezer, use baskets and label the containers.
The permitted ambient temperature range depends on the model. The fact that an appliance is a freezer doesn’t guarantee it will work in a cold outbuilding.
Compare the usual temperatures in the room with the limits given for the exact model in its product details and instructions.
The class alone doesn’t tell you how much food the appliance can store or its stated annual energy consumption.
For models with a similar format and capacity, compare the kWh/year, freezer capacity and noise level shown on the EU energy label.
A larger stock can make it harder to identify what you’ve prepared. Anses points out that freezing at −18 °C does not eliminate most micro-organisms.
Write the contents and date on each portion, rotate your stock and follow the storage and defrosting instructions for each type of food.
The features mentioned below apply to the stated ranges or models, not to every freezer from each brand.
In France, Liebherr offers upright and chest freezers, with features that vary between models.
Beko offers upright freezers among other products. Check installation requirements for each model individually.
Bosch offers upright and integrated freezers in its French range.
The WHFF 6403 W4E is an example of the features to compare in a large-capacity upright freezer, but it does not represent the whole Whirlpool range.
These options include a standalone upright freezer and fridge freezers to consider if you’re also replacing your current appliance. For the fridge freezers, the total capacity shown in the model name is not the same as the space set aside for frozen food.
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Worth considering if you’re also replacing your fridge and want to organise some of your frozen food in the new appliance.
The model name indicates three doors, a total capacity of 360 L, Total No Frost and an energy class of E. Check the freezer capacity separately, along with the dimensions and clearance needed to open the doors, and the ambient temperature range suited to your room.
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This fridge freezer is worth considering if you need to replace your fridge and want to look at a four-door model.
Its name indicates a total capacity of 467 L, Total No Frost and an energy class of E. Before choosing it for frozen meals, check the capacity of the freezer compartment, the space needed for the doors and the permitted ambient temperatures.
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Compare this model if you’re replacing a fridge freezer in a narrower space and want a separate place for frozen portions.
The name indicates a total capacity of 262 L, a 70/30 split, a width of 54 cm and a height of 176 cm. Low Frost appears in the name, but product descriptions differ on whether manual defrosting is needed, so ask for confirmation. Also check that the room stays within the stated ambient temperature range of 16 to 38 °C.
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This standalone upright freezer could suit you if you want extra frozen-food storage without replacing your fridge.
Its name indicates a capacity of 161 L, three freezer drawers, No Frost, a reversible door and an energy class of C. To check whether it’s right for your space and day-to-day use, look at its dimensions, ambient temperature range, annual energy consumption in kWh and storage time during a power cut.
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Consider this model if you’re replacing an integrated appliance and need to keep the same kitchen layout.
The name indicates a total capacity of 249 L, TwinTech No Frost and an energy class of E. Check the space allocated to the freezer and whether it can accommodate your portions, then confirm the niche dimensions and installation compatibility before buying.
No. Compare the room temperature with the ambient temperature range stated for the exact model. For example, one product record in the European EPREL database gives a range of 10 to 43 °C, while Beko states that its RFNE448E55W can operate at temperatures as low as −15 °C. Neither range applies to all freezers.
Look at the annual consumption in kWh, frozen-food storage capacity, energy class and noise level shown on the EU energy label. When comparing appliances for the same purpose, look at models with a similar format and capacity. The letter alone doesn’t tell you how much room you’ll have for your meals.
Yes. Compare the stated storage time for each model, especially if the freezer will be in an outbuilding that you don’t check often. UFC-Que Choisir’s test protocol looks at how long food stays below −9 °C during a simulated power cut. For example, Whirlpool states 11 h for the WHFF 6403 W4E. This figure does not apply to other models.
No. Anses says that home freezing at −18 °C stops bacteria from multiplying, but most micro-organisms survive. Date your meals so you can keep track of your stock, and follow the storage and defrosting instructions for each type of food.