If you regularly take out individual portions, choose an upright freezer with drawers to keep everything organised. For bulk shopping, a chest freezer can offer more open storage, provided you have enough floor space and a plan for reaching food at the bottom. If space is limited, a small freestanding freezer or a fridge freezer could be a good fit. Check the freezer capacity of the appliance or compartment, and don’t mistake a simple ice box for a proper freezer compartment.
If you often store meals in individual portions, drawers that fit your containers can make them easier to organise and access every day. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the difference between the organised storage of upright freezers and the more open space in chest freezers.
For large packs or bulky food, consider the usable capacity and the floor space you’ll need. If you plan to keep the appliance in a cellar or utility room, also check that its climate class is suitable for the room’s temperatures.
A compact freezer or fridge freezer lets you avoid installing a large appliance. Your choice will depend on the capacity actually available for freezing and, with a fridge freezer, the type of compartment: UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes a proper freezer compartment from an ice box designed for short-term storage.
Start with the factor that matters most to you: easy access to portions, the size of your shop, the space available or where the appliance will go. Upright freezers, chest freezers, compact models and fridge freezers each suit different priorities.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Access to portions | Number and dimensions of drawers or baskets; space for your containers. | If I regularly take out portions, I want to find them without moving everything else. Around 29% of consumers would make easy access their priority. |
| Storage capacity | Net freezer capacity in litres; dimensions of the food you want to store and the appliance itself. | Bulk shopping needs room for large packs, even if it takes longer to organise them. This would be the main requirement for around 29% of consumers. |
| Kitchen space | Dimensions and clearance required; capacity of the freezer compartment in a fridge freezer. | When I can’t fit another large appliance, I look for enough freezer capacity to fit the space available. Around 21% of consumers would put the appliance’s footprint first. |
| Installation conditions | Ambient temperature range for the climate class; stated storage time during a power cut. | If the room temperature varies, or I’m concerned about power cuts, I need an appliance suited to those conditions. This would be the priority for around 21% of consumers. |
In a fridge freezer, only part of the total capacity is used for freezing. A simple ice box also serves a different purpose from a proper freezer compartment: UFC-Que Choisir describes it as being intended to store already-frozen food for a limited time.
Compare the capacity of the freezer compartment alone, its designation and its stated temperature.
The appliance’s recommended ambient temperature range matters in a room that may be cold in winter or hot in summer.
Before choosing a location, compare the manufacturer’s stated range with the temperatures the room could reach.
Its open space can accommodate a variety of items, but small portions at the bottom may be harder to find than in drawers.
If you often take out individual portions, consider an upright freezer or use suitable baskets and labels to organise a chest freezer.
Capacity doesn’t tell you how much fresh food the appliance can freeze in a day, or how long it can maintain its temperature during a power cut.
If you often add a large shop, check the freezing capacity in kg/24 h. Look separately at the stated storage time during a power cut.
These products show three ways to store portions or frozen food: a compact upright freezer, a small chest freezer and fridge freezers. Compare the capacity available for freezing and how easy it is to access your food, based on the space you have.
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Worth considering if you want one appliance for both chilled and frozen food, with space to store portions.
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Consider this if you want to store frozen portions without adding a separate freezer.
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Its 60 L upright design is worth considering for storing portions when space is limited; check that it also suits the amount of food you store.
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Worth considering if you want a freezer compartment in a kitchen where width is a key constraint.
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Consider this if you prefer the open space of a chest freezer and have room for its lid; portions at the bottom will take more organising.
No, not if it’s a simple ice box designed to store already-frozen food temporarily. If you regularly freeze and store portions, check that the fridge has a proper freezer compartment, and check its temperature and capacity. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between these two types of compartment.
Look for a compartment labelled as a freezer, with a target temperature of −18 °C. This temperature is part of the definition of a 4-star freezer compartment in Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2019. Also check the compartment’s capacity and the appliance’s own specifications.
Yes, as long as the room temperature stays within the ambient range specified for the model. Before buying, compare the temperatures the room could reach in winter and summer with the appliance’s climate class. The fact that it’s a chest freezer alone doesn’t mean it’s suitable for that room.
It indicates how long food can stay below a given temperature without a power supply, under specified conditions. Compare the stated figures for the models you’re considering and how they were measured: the protocol published by UFC-Que Choisir in 2025 measures, among other things, how long food stays below −9 °C during a simulated power cut.