To increase your frozen food storage, first choose a capacity that suits your shopping and check that the appliance can be installed and opened where you plan to put it. A chest freezer is better suited to bulky items if you have a suitable floor space; an upright freezer makes it easier to organise food in compartments and access it regularly. Consider a large-capacity fridge-freezer mainly if you’re replacing your fridge too: its total capacity isn’t the same as the space available for frozen food.
You mainly want to store large packs or significantly increase your frozen food supplies. Usable capacity and the shape of the interior matter more than having lots of features. GITEM describes chest freezers as suitable for bulky food; Haier lists a capacity of 300 L for the HCE301E.
You open your freezer regularly and want to find food in separate compartments. Check how the drawers are arranged and what maintenance is required. GITEM describes drawers as useful for organising food; Bosch Electroménager France lists 242 L of capacity and No Frost for the GSN36VWEP.
You have a narrow access route, a tightly defined space or an unheated room. Dimensions, clearance for opening and permitted ambient temperatures determine which models are suitable. Boulanger publishes the dimensions of the Beko RFNE448E55W; Liebherr France specifies FrostProtect down to −15 °C for the CFd 2085 Plus.
Best if: you store large packs or substantial quantities of food and have a suitable floor space.
Bear in mind: the lid needs room to open, and food at the bottom must still be easy to reach. Features that reduce frost don’t necessarily mean automatic defrosting; Liebherr describes SmartFrost and StopFrost as helping to reduce frost.
Best if: you check your supplies often and want to organise them in drawers or compartments.
Bear in mind: the compartments need to fit your packaging, and there must be enough room to open the door and drawers. According to Boulanger, the Beko RFNE448E55W is 70 cm wide and 81.3 cm deep.
Best if: you’re also replacing your fridge and the freezer compartment has enough space for the food you plan to store.
Check: the total capacity can disguise a more limited freezer compartment. Darty lists 538 L in total, including 168 L of freezer capacity, for the Samsung RB53DG703DS9.
| Feature | What to check before buying | Who should consider it? |
|---|---|---|
| Installation and opening | Measure the width, height and depth, as well as the delivery route; also check how much clearance is needed to open the appliance. | If the space is restricted or the room is unheated, I want to make sure the appliance can be installed and operate in those conditions. Around 25% of consumers prioritise where the appliance will go. |
| Usable capacity | Check the capacity of the freezer compartment and make sure it can fit your largest packs. | When I want to store more food, I look at the space actually available rather than the total capacity of a fridge-freezer. Around 25% of consumers prioritise storage capacity. |
| Access to food | Look at the drawers, baskets or compartments and check that they’ll still be accessible once the appliance is installed. | If I open the freezer regularly, I want to be able to find my food easily. This is a priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Maintenance and energy use | Compare annual energy consumption and the exact defrosting system for the model you’re considering; a No Frost appliance still needs cleaning. | If I want to cut down on maintenance and keep track of running costs, I check both of these details for the same model. Around 15% of consumers put them first. |
| Power cuts | Check the stated storage time in hours and the alarms available, taking note of the conditions specified for the model. | If keeping food frozen during a power cut is my priority, I compare the stated storage time for each appliance. Around 10% of consumers prioritise this feature. |
Darty lists the Samsung RB53DG703DS9 as having 538 L of total capacity, including 168 L for frozen food. It’s the latter figure that tells you how much frozen food you can store.
Check the freezer compartment capacity before choosing a fridge-freezer.
The door and drawers need clearance, and the space required varies by model. For example, according to Boulanger, the Beko RFNE448E55W needs a 3 to 4 cm gap from the wall to allow access to the drawers.
Measure the space needed to use the appliance, not just its external dimensions, and follow the model’s installation instructions.
Liebherr describes SmartFrost and StopFrost as features that reduce frost and how often you need to defrost; Bosch lists No Frost for the GSN36VWEP.
Check exactly what the feature does and what maintenance the model requires, rather than relying on the word ‘Frost’ alone.
Your statutory rights and a commercial warranty are two separate forms of protection; an extended warranty doesn’t replace your legal rights.
Before taking out a commercial warranty, check its duration, exclusions and what extra services it covers.
Dedicated upright freezers, including the RFNE448E55W, for storing larger quantities in organised drawers.
The GSN36VWEP upright freezer is a dedicated freezer model with automatic defrosting listed among its features.
The CFd 2085 Plus chest freezer is designed for dedicated frozen food storage, with a feature specified for use in unheated rooms.
The 300 L HCE301E chest freezer is designed to increase your storage capacity.
Consider the wide fridge-freezer RB53DG703DS9 if you’re also planning to replace your fridge.
This selection includes dedicated upright and chest freezers, as well as a fridge-freezer if you’re also considering replacing your fridge.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a dedicated upright freezer with drawers and shelves.
Stated capacity: 161 L. The product information lists three freezer drawers, two shelves, No Frost and a reversible door. Stated temperature range: −14 to −22 °C.
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Worth considering if you’re also replacing your fridge and want a combined appliance.
Stated total capacity: 444 L. The product information lists Total No Frost in both compartments, a stated noise level of 40 dB and an energy rating of E. Stated ambient temperature range: 10 to 43 °C.
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Worth considering if you want dedicated chest freezer storage with a basket to help organise your food.
Stated capacity: 140 L. The product information lists a basket, a counterbalanced lid and an energy rating of E. Stated dimensions: 637 × 556 × 846 mm.
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Worth considering if you need a compact chest freezer for extra frozen food storage.
Stated capacity: 98 L. The product information lists a basket, a compartment that can switch between fresh and frozen storage, and an energy rating of E.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a large-capacity chest freezer that can switch between fridge and freezer modes.
Stated capacity: 291 L. The product information lists a removable basket, LED lighting and five-level digital controls. A ventilation clearance of at least 10 cm is specified around the appliance.
No. Capacity in litres tells you how much storage space there is; freezing capacity, measured in kg/24 h, tells you how much fresh food the appliance can freeze in a day.
No. Check the permitted ambient temperature range for the exact model. Beko lists Freezer Guard down to −15 °C for the RFNE448E55W, while Liebherr lists FrostProtect down to −15 °C for the CFd 2085 Plus. These manufacturer specifications don’t apply to all freezers.
No. No Frost removes the need for manual defrosting on the models that have it, but cleaning is still necessary. Bosch recommends following the user manual for appliance maintenance.
Check the model’s annual energy consumption in kWh and multiply it by your current tariff in €/kWh. If you’re comparing several appliances, use the same annual basis for each; the result is only an estimate, as your actual consumption depends on how you use the appliance.
The statutory guarantee of conformity covers faults that appear within two years of the goods being delivered, subject to legal conditions. Service Public — DILA distinguishes this guarantee from a commercial warranty or optional extended warranty.