If your weekly shop fills both the fridge and freezer compartments, compare the usable capacity of each before considering a larger fridge-freezer. If you regularly run short of space for frozen food alone, keeping a fridge that suits your needs and adding a separate freezer may be a better fit. An upright freezer makes it easier to access food in drawers, while a chest freezer is better suited to bulkier items – provided you have space for it.
A fridge-freezer can keep fresh food and a moderate amount of frozen food in one appliance. However, work out the capacity you need in each compartment separately: the number of people in your household alone won’t tell you how much space to allow for frozen food.
If your fridge has enough room but your freezer is regularly overflowing, it may be worth considering an additional appliance. An upright freezer gives you easy access to food in drawers; a chest freezer offers more room for bulky items, but takes more organising.
Before choosing a wider appliance or a separate freezer, measure the space where it will go, the delivery route and the clearance needed to open it. Also check the stated noise level and the permitted ambient temperature range for the room you have in mind.
Choose this: when your fresh and frozen shopping fits in the two compartments of a single appliance.
Trade-off: a good total capacity can disguise a freezer compartment that’s too small.
Choose this: if you’re short of space for both fresh and frozen food.
Trade-off: extra capacity is only useful if it’s distributed in a way that suits you and the appliance fits in your kitchen.
Choose this: if your fridge has enough room and you want to find frozen food easily in drawers.
Trade-off: the shape of the drawers can make it harder to store large items.
Choose this: if bulk shopping or bulky items call for a large, open freezer space.
Trade-off: it takes up floor space, and food at the bottom is harder to reach.
Start by checking which compartment is overflowing after your shop, then make sure the type of appliance you’re considering will suit the room where it’s going.
| Priority | What to check | My needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the fridge and freezer capacities in litres separately. Check the shape of the drawers and the dimensions of the shelves against the packaging you usually buy. | After my shop, am I short of space for fresh food, frozen food or both? I want to increase the capacity of the compartment that’s actually full, not just the overall capacity. |
| Access to food | For a fridge-freezer or upright freezer, check how easy it is to access the drawers. For a chest freezer, plan how to store food at the bottom and make sure the lid can open fully. | I often take frozen food out during the week, so being able to find it without moving everything else matters just as much as capacity. |
| Cooling and maintenance | Check how each compartment is defrosted. If cooling performance after a big shop is important, look for tests of the specific model: the No Frost label doesn’t measure this. | I do a big shop every week, so I want to distinguish between the stated maintenance requirements and cooling performance after loading. |
| Installation and use | Measure the height, width and depth, and allow for door clearance. Compare the kWh/year, capacities and noise levels on the labels of the appliances you’re considering; check the permitted ambient temperature range in the manual. | In an open-plan kitchen or utility room, I need to be able to fit the appliance and live with its noise and energy use. The European Commission says that fridge and freezer labels include information on these last two values. |
Two fridge-freezers with a similar total capacity can offer different amounts of space for fresh and frozen food. A larger appliance won’t necessarily solve a shortage of space for frozen food alone.
Check what fills each compartment just after your shop, then compare the usable capacities and storage layouts.
A chest freezer has room for bulky items, but takes up floor space and makes food at the bottom harder to reach.
Measure the route in, the floor space it will take up and the clearance needed to open the lid. If it’s going in a garage or utility room, check the permitted ambient temperature in the manual and organise the contents using baskets or categories.
No Frost relates to frost build-up. The label alone isn’t enough to tell you how a model performs after you’ve loaded it with a big shop.
To compare appliances on this point, look for independent tests of cooling performance after loading and temperature stability.
An energy rating on its own doesn’t tell you the annual energy consumption or how much space each compartment offers.
For appliances that meet the same storage needs, compare the A to G rating, kWh/year, usable capacities and noise levels shown on the European label.
A cooling appliance uses electricity throughout its life, so its annual consumption in kWh is an important factor when choosing one.
Bosch offers freestanding fridge-freezers in a range of widths and capacity configurations.
The GBP62PZNCN1 fridge-freezer could be a useful comparison if you’re looking for a large capacity in a single appliance.
Liebherr offers large-capacity fridge-freezers with different layouts for fresh food.
These models combine fridge and freezer space in a single appliance, from relatively narrow fridge-freezers to larger-capacity options. To choose between them, compare the space actually available for fresh and frozen food, then check the overall dimensions.
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Worth considering if you want to keep fresh and frozen food in one 360 L appliance. The product listing mentions Total No Frost, My Zone, Wi-Fi and an E energy rating. Also compare the usable capacity of each compartment with what you buy each week.
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Its stated total capacity of 437 L is worth comparing with the amount of space you need in each compartment. The product listing gives it an E energy rating; check the overall dimensions too before choosing this size.
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Its stated width of 54 cm may suit a household with limited space. The model is 176 cm high and its product listing gives a 70/30 split. Check that the freezer compartment will meet your needs, and find out what defrosting the model requires.
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This 474 L model may be worth considering if you need plenty of space for both fresh and frozen food. The product listing mentions a Flip Tray and an E energy rating. Check the usable capacity of each compartment, the dimensions and the kWh/year before comparing it with another large appliance.
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If you need a large capacity in one appliance, compare its stated 444 L capacity with the split between fridge and freezer space that suits you. The product listing mentions No Frost, an E rating and a stated noise level of 40 dB. Check the dimensions, interior layout and capacity of each compartment.
Start by estimating how much space you need for fresh food, then work out how much you need for frozen food separately. Que Choisir suggests allowing 100 to 150 L of usable capacity for one person, plus 50 L for each additional person. Adjust this guide to suit your shopping habits; it won’t tell you how large a freezer you need on its own.
A larger fridge-freezer is the more direct solution if both compartments are short of space, as long as it fits in your kitchen. If your fridge has enough room and only your frozen food is overflowing, consider adding a separate freezer instead. An upright model makes food easy to access in drawers, while a chest freezer suits bulky items if you have enough space for it.
For the relevant refrigeration appliances in France, compare the A to G rating, annual consumption in kWh, compartment capacities and stated noise level. The European Commission lists these among the details shown on the label. Compare them across appliances with a similar format and capacity that meet the same needs, rather than looking at the letter alone.
No. No Frost tells you about frost management, not how quickly a model returns to its set temperature after being loaded. If this matters for your weekly shop, look for independent test results on the cooling performance of the specific model.