If you’re preparing several meals and storing fresh groceries for the week, start by choosing a fridge with easy-to-reach compartments and enough capacity for the amount of food you actually store. A fridge freezer with the freezer at the bottom could meet your needs without going for a very large appliance. Consider a multi-door model if you need more room for large dishes and big shops, provided it fits in your kitchen and can be brought into your home. In either case, check the split between fridge and freezer space, as well as the energy label for the specific model.
If you cook for several days at a time, easy-to-reach drawers and shelves make it simpler to find ingredients, leftovers and prepared meals. The total capacity alone won’t tell you whether your containers will fit.
Lots of fresh produce, large dishes or drinks may call for a roomier appliance. Before choosing a multi-door model, check its dimensions against the space available and the access routes into your home.
A single appliance can combine a fridge with a freezer at the bottom. If your meals mainly use fresh ingredients, check the capacity of each compartment separately and see whether the storage layout can be adjusted.
Worth considering: if organising fresh food matters more than having a very large capacity, while still leaving room for frozen food.
Bear in mind: large dishes and big shops may mean you’ll need to check the shelf width and usable capacity of each compartment carefully.
Worth considering: if big shops and large containers need more space, and your kitchen and access routes can accommodate it.
Bear in mind: a high stated capacity doesn’t guarantee that your dishes will fit. Compare the overall dimensions and energy consumption for each model too.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh food storage and temperature | Check the layout of the drawers and shelves, then use the manual to find the coldest area and its temperature setting. Anses recommends a temperature of 0 to +4 °C at this point. | When I prepare several meals in advance, I want to keep ingredients separate and find each dish easily; around 50% of consumers might prioritise how fresh food is organised. |
| Capacity and dimensions | Compare the fridge and freezer capacities separately, check there’s room for your containers, and look at the appliance’s dimensions. Don’t forget access routes and door clearance. | To store a big shop and large dishes, I need enough room without making food hard to reach; around 30% of consumers might make capacity their main criterion. |
| Energy and maintenance | Check the energy class and consumption on the label for the exact model. If a defrost function is listed, check what it covers too. | As the fridge runs continuously, I want to take its energy consumption and maintenance into account; around 20% of consumers might prioritise these aspects. |
The Samsung RF65DG960ESL listed by Samsung France is 912 mm wide. Even if its capacity suits your shopping needs, you still need to get it into the kitchen and be able to open its doors once it’s in place.
Measure the space, doorways and access routes, then check how much clearance the doors need. Also check the packaged dimensions if they’re provided.
A compartment’s name or the presence of air circulation doesn’t replace setting the fridge temperature correctly. Anses recommends keeping the coldest point between 0 and +4 °C and checking the temperature regularly.
Use the manual to find the coldest area and follow the manufacturer’s guidance for food stored in specialist drawers.
A higher capacity doesn’t tell you whether your containers will fit or how much energy the model uses. Que Choisir notes that very large American-style side-by-side fridges use more energy than standard fridges; this doesn’t mean all multi-door models are the same.
Compare the internal layout and the energy consumption shown on the label for each model you’re considering.
The Bosch KGN39AIAU fridge freezer is designed with fresh food in mind. Bosch lists a VitaFresh XXL <0 °C> zone, Multi Airflow and Total NoFrost for this model.
Samsung France lists the RF65DG960ESL as a 646 L multi-door fridge, measuring 912 mm wide and rated E on the energy label.
LG France lists two multi-door models with different capacities: the 517 L GML643PZ6F and the 637 L GML960MBBE.
These fridge freezers and multi-door models offer two different ways to store groceries and meals for several days. Compare their formats and listed features, then check the dimensions, compartments and manual for the model you’re interested in.
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Worth comparing if you want a fridge freezer that combines fresh and frozen food storage for the week.
Stated total capacity: 344 L; energy class D. Check the split between compartments, the full dimensions and the drawer settings for the types of food you buy.
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Worth considering if your weekly shop calls for a four-door appliance with room for a range of fresh foods.
Stated capacity: 474 L; energy class E. The model name mentions a crisper drawer with three temperature settings: check the manual to see what those settings are and which foods they’re intended for. Measure your access routes before choosing this size too.
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Worth comparing if you prefer a freezer at the bottom but don’t want to start with a large multi-door model.
Stated total capacity: 282 L; energy class E. Check the space for fresh food, the shelf layout and the temperature guidance for the KGN33NLEB.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a four-door fridge with room for groceries and meals for several days.
Stated total capacity: 467 L; energy class E; Total No Frost function mentioned in the model name. The product details state that there’s no 0–3 °C zone. If this compartment is important to you, bear that limitation in mind. Check the dimensions and layout of the other compartments too.
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Worth comparing if capacity for your weekly shop is a priority and a multi-door fridge will fit in your kitchen.
Stated total capacity: 495 L; energy class E. Measure the space and access routes, then check the compartment layout and installation requirements before choosing this model.
Anses recommends a temperature of 0 to +4 °C at the coldest point in the fridge. Use the manual to identify this point and check the temperature regularly. A designated cool zone doesn’t remove the need to do this.
Not necessarily. A fridge freezer may be suitable if there’s room for your fresh food and containers in its compartments. A multi-door model is a good option when big shops or large dishes need more space, as long as you check the dimensions and energy consumption of the model you choose.
Compare the energy class and consumption listed for each specific model, rather than judging energy use by size alone. The European Union energy label rates the appliances it covers from A to G, making it easier to compare them.
In France, the seller is responsible for any lack of conformity that appears within two years of a new fridge being delivered, under the provisions of the Consumer Code published by Légifrance. Consumers can request that the product be brought into conformity by choosing either repair or replacement, subject to the conditions set out in the Code.