If you regularly reach for homemade portions, choose an upright freezer with drawers. For storing larger quantities, consider a chest freezer if you have enough floor space and a suitable room. If you also need space for fresh food, compare fridge-freezers by looking only at the capacity of their freezer compartment. In every case, start with the largest amount you need to store and check the dimensions, the model’s recommended ambient temperature range, its annual energy consumption and its stated power-cut storage time.
If you prepare meals in advance and regularly take them out of the freezer, drawers can make it easier to organise your portions. Choose a size based on the largest amount you usually keep, rather than simply the number of people in your household.
A chest freezer offers open space for boxes or bulky containers. However, measure the floor space available and plan to organise food in baskets or sections so you can reach items at the bottom.
If it’s difficult to fit a second appliance in your kitchen, it’s worth comparing a larger fridge-freezer with your current set-up. Check the litres dedicated to freezing: its total capacity also includes the fridge compartment.
Start by considering how much you need to store and how much space you have, then look at installation requirements and everyday use.
Worth considering: if you regularly reach for portions, bags and boxes organised in separate compartments.
Bear in mind: you’ll need enough height and clearance to open the door and pull out the drawers.
Worth considering: for a large reserve or bulky containers, if you have a suitable room and enough floor space.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to organise your food so you don’t have to move everything on top each time you look for something.
Worth considering: if you want more space for both fresh food and frozen food in a single appliance.
Check: the freezer compartment must hold the amount you plan to store, regardless of the stated total capacity.
| Factor | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the litres available for freezing with the largest amount of portions, bags and large packs you need to store. With a fridge-freezer, distinguish this from the fridge capacity. | I want to store my prepared meals and usual frozen food without counting the fridge compartment as freezer space. |
| Access to food | Look at the layout of the drawers, baskets or open compartments, and how easy it is to reach items at the back. | If I take out portions every day, I’d rather be able to find them without moving my whole stock. |
| Installation | Measure the appliance and the space needed to open it. Check that the temperatures the room may reach are within the ambient temperature range stated for the exact model. | If I’m putting it in a garage or unheated room, I want to check that the appliance can operate at the temperatures that room may reach. |
| Energy and power cuts | Compare kWh/year figures for appliances of a similar type and capacity, then compare their power-cut storage times, taking into account how each figure is defined. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol, for example, assesses how long food stays below −9 °C during a simulated power cut. | I want to know how much energy an appliance uses while running continuously and get an idea of how long my food will keep in the event of a breakdown. |
| Noise | Check the stated noise level in dB(A) and consider the room where the appliance will be used. | If the appliance is near my living space, its noise matters as much as where I put it. |
A large chest freezer takes up floor space, and food at the bottom is less easy to reach. An upright freezer needs enough height and clearance in front of its drawers.
Measure the width, depth and height, the route for delivery and the space needed to open the appliance. With a chest freezer, also plan how you’ll organise the food.
Whether an appliance can be used in an unheated room depends on its recommended ambient temperature range, not simply on whether it’s a chest or upright freezer.
Check the temperatures the room may reach throughout the year and compare them with the guidance in the manual for the exact model. A low-temperature feature listed for one model doesn’t apply to an entire range.
With a fridge-freezer, some of the stated litres are for keeping fresh food. For example, Whirlpool states a total capacity of 355 L for the WHK25404XBR5E, including 106 L for freezing.
Before replacing your current appliance, compare the capacity of the freezer compartment alone with the amount of frozen food you need to store.
The energy rating by itself doesn’t tell you the usable capacity, annual consumption in kWh or power-cut storage time.
Compare appliances of a similar type and capacity, then check their kWh/year figures, noise levels and power-cut storage information.
A freezer uses electricity throughout its life, so it’s worth looking at its annual kWh figure alongside the capacity it offers.
These models give you specific configurations to compare; their features don’t apply to every model from the same brand.
Bosch offers upright freezers with layouts that vary by model.
Liebherr chest freezers may suit your needs if you want to store larger quantities, provided you have a suitable place to put one.
A Whirlpool fridge-freezer may be worth considering if you need space for both fresh and frozen food.
This selection includes fridge-freezers for a mix of fresh and frozen food, as well as two compact dedicated freezers: one chest and one upright. Before choosing between these options, compare them with the freezer capacity you need.
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Worth considering if you want to store fresh and frozen food in one appliance. The product title states a total capacity of 467 L, four doors, Total No Frost and an energy rating of E. Check the freezer capacity separately, along with the ambient temperature range suitable for your room.
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This fridge-freezer is worth comparing with the other options if you also need more space for fresh food. The product title lists a total capacity of 360 L, three doors, Total No Frost, Wi-Fi, My Zone and an energy rating of E. Check the freezer capacity before deciding how much food it can hold.
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This model is worth measuring if you have limited width: the product title lists it as 54 cm wide and 176 cm tall. It has a stated total capacity of 262 L, split 70/30. Check the litres dedicated to freezing and the recommended ambient temperature for where you plan to install it.
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This chest freezer adds dedicated space for frozen food without replacing your fridge. The product title lists a capacity of 99 L, a removable basket, an adjustable thermostat and an energy rating of E. Check that the capacity suits the amount you plan to store, as well as its annual energy consumption and the permitted ambient temperature range for your room.
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This 60 L capacity could suit a small, separate reserve; compare it with the largest amount you need to store. The product title lists a reversible door and an energy rating of E, but check the storage layout before buying: the title mentions three drawers, while another description lists two covered shelves and a lower drawer. Also check the annual energy consumption, power-cut storage time and ambient temperature range.
Make a list of the portions, bags and bulky packs you have when your freezer is at its fullest, then compare this with the usable freezer capacity and interior layout. UFC-Que Choisir generally puts upright freezers at around 200 L, with some models reaching 400 L, and says chest freezers can reach 600 L. These are general size guidelines, so you’ll still need to assess how much you store yourself.
Yes, if the exact model is designed for the temperatures the garage may reach. Compare the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures with those stated in the manual. For example, Liebherr lists FrostProtect down to −15 °C for the CFd 2505 Plus, but this doesn’t apply to every chest freezer.
The annual energy consumption in kWh helps you compare appliances of a similar type and capacity more accurately. The European Commission states that domestic fridges and freezers have used an A to G energy label since 1 March 2021. The rating alone doesn’t tell you how much storage space you’ll get.
Before comparing two appliances, check what each stated figure measures. In its simulated power-cut test, UFC-Que Choisir measures how long food stays below −9 °C. A figure based on a different definition shouldn’t be treated as directly comparable.
Follow the maximum temperatures and storage instructions on the packaging. The DGCCRF notes that manufacturers set storage instructions for pre-packaged food products according to their storage temperature.