For large, regular family shops, choose a chest freezer if storage space is your priority and you have room for it, or an upright freezer if you want to find food easily in separate compartments. A fridge-freezer is worth considering mainly if you’re already replacing your fridge: check that its freezer compartment alone is big enough for your shopping. In every case, compare the dimensions, annual energy consumption, noise level and installation requirements.
If you stock up on multipacks, batch-cooked meals or bulky packaging, a chest freezer could be a good fit if you have enough floor space and don’t mind reaching down to find food at the bottom. Que Choisir highlights the generous storage space offered by chest freezers.
If you want to keep food separate and find it without moving other items, take a look at the drawer layout in an upright freezer. Also check how much room you’ll need to open the door and pull the drawers all the way out.
A fridge-freezer combines refrigeration and freezing in one appliance. This option is suitable if the stated capacity of its freezer compartment, rather than the total capacity, is enough for your usual shopping.
First decide whether your main need is more storage space, easier access to food or a replacement fridge. The installation location and practical features may then rule out a model that looks suitable on paper.
Consider it: for bulky shopping, if you have a dedicated area of floor space.
Bear in mind: you may need to move items on top to reach food at the bottom.
Consider it: if you open the freezer often and want to sort food into compartments.
Bear in mind: drawers may limit the space available for very large packs.
Consider it: if you’re already replacing your fridge and the freezer compartment is big enough for your shopping.
Bear in mind: the appliance’s total capacity isn’t the same as the capacity available for frozen food.
| Factor | What to check | What matters to shoppers |
|---|---|---|
| Storage capacity | Compare the litres of freezer space and measure the room needed for the appliance, including when it’s open. | When a big shop fills the freezer quickly, I want to be able to fit bulky packs too. Around 33% of shoppers concerned would put this need for capacity first. |
| Access and storage | Look at the drawers or baskets and check how easy it is to reach items at the back or bottom. | If I often take food out of the freezer, I’d rather find it without moving everything else. For around 27% of shoppers, ease of access would be the top priority. |
| One appliance | Check the freezer capacity of a fridge-freezer on its own, without confusing it with the total capacity. | When I’m already replacing my fridge, I’d like to avoid adding a second appliance, as long as there’s enough room for my frozen shopping. This would be the priority for around 20% of shoppers. |
| Installation and use | Check the permitted ambient temperature and ventilation requirements in the manual; compare kWh/year and dB(A). | If I’m installing it in a room that isn’t heated much, or near a living area, I need to know whether the model is suitable for that location and how much noise it makes. Around 20% of shoppers would put these installation and usage requirements first. |
A large capacity doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to reach food easily or open the appliance in the space you have available. A chest freezer and an upright freezer also use their storage space in different ways.
Measure the space available with the lid or door open, then check the baskets, drawers and access to items at the bottom.
Whether a freezer can be used in a room that isn’t heated much depends on the model, not simply its format. Airflow around the appliance matters too.
Check the permitted ambient temperature range and the ventilation clearances specified in the manual for your chosen model.
The energy rating letter doesn’t tell you everything about annual consumption, capacity or noise. The European Commission says the energy label provides information about these features, among others.
Compare kWh/year, freezer capacity and dB(A) between appliances that meet similar storage needs.
In France, the statutory legal guarantee of conformity that applies when a business sells goods to a consumer is separate from an optional commercial guarantee, as the Ministry of the Economy explains.
Before accepting a commercial guarantee, read its terms and check what it offers beyond your rights with the seller.
These brands offer formats that are useful for this comparison. The features below relate to the ranges or models mentioned, not all their appliances.
Haier’s French collection includes chest freezers and freestanding upright freezers.
Beko France features upright freezers with vertical storage.
Bosch offers freestanding upright freezers designed for vertical food storage.
The CFe 1870 Pure chest freezer is one to consider for installation in a room that isn’t heated much.
Electrolux fridge-freezers are worth considering if you’re looking to replace your fridge rather than add a dedicated freezer.
These products illustrate the three options covered here: add a chest freezer for extra storage, organise food in an upright freezer or replace your fridge with a fridge-freezer. Compare their freezer capacity and potential location before choosing.
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Worth considering for bulk shopping if you have the floor space and can access food from the top.
The title lists fridge or freezer modes, a removable basket, LED lighting and five-level digital control. Check the permitted ambient temperature for your room and the storage time in the event of a power cut.
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Worth considering if you often take food out of the freezer and prefer to sort it into drawers.
The title lists three drawers, an alarm, a reversible door and a C rating. Measure the space needed to open the door and check the ambient temperature range specified for the appliance.
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Worth considering if you’re replacing your fridge and want to keep frozen storage in the same appliance.
The stated total capacity is 495 L and it has an E rating. Check the freezer compartment capacity separately, then confirm the dimensions and required ventilation clearances.
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Worth considering if you want extra freezer storage without replacing your fridge, provided you’re happy with top access.
The title lists a basket, a counterbalanced lid and an E rating. Confirm the 140 L capacity in the model’s documentation, then check its dimensions and permitted ambient temperature.
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Compare it with dedicated appliances if replacing your fridge is already part of your plans.
The title lists a total capacity of 333 L and a C rating. Before choosing this fridge-freezer for the family shop, check the capacity available for frozen food, the dimensions and the installation requirements.
Compare the energy rating, kWh/year, freezer capacity and dB(A), rather than looking at the rating letter alone. The European Commission says the label provides information about energy consumption, capacity and noise, among other things. When choosing between two models, consider the capacity your household needs.
No. Check the permitted ambient temperature for the specific model and follow its ventilation requirements. Some appliances, such as the Beko RFNE448E55W and Liebherr CFe 1870 Pure, state that they can operate at temperatures down to −15 °C, but this feature isn’t available on all freezers.
Check the stated storage time for each model in its documentation; you can’t work it out from its capacity. Que Choisir also assesses this in its freezer testing, measuring how much the temperature rises when the power is off.
No. In France, the statutory legal guarantee of conformity for goods sold by a business to a consumer is separate from an optional commercial guarantee, according to the Ministry of the Economy. Before accepting the latter, read its duration, exclusions and terms for making a claim.