If your bulk-bought frozen food and prepared meals fit in a fridge-freezer’s freezer compartment, it’s still a sensible choice, especially if you also need to replace your fridge. If your supplies regularly overflow, consider a separate freezer. An upright model makes it easier to organise and access food regularly, while a chest freezer means checking you have enough floor space and thinking about how you’ll find what you need. In either case, start with the amount of space you actually need for frozen food and the constraints of the room.
You buy in bulk, eat plenty of frozen food or prepare several meals in advance. Start by working out the maximum amount you need to store between shops, rather than choosing a capacity based solely on the size of your household.
You access your freezer often and want to keep bags, ready meals and bulky items separate. Depending on the model, drawers, removable shelves or large baskets can help you keep everything organised.
In a narrow kitchen, utility room, cellar or garage, dimensions alone won’t settle the question. You also need to be able to open the appliance, allow for ventilation and check the permitted room temperature for the model you choose.
First, estimate how much space your supplies take up when they’re at their fullest, then choose a format that suits how often you access your food and the space available. A fridge-freezer’s high total capacity doesn’t necessarily mean it has a large freezer compartment.
Worth considering: if you’re replacing your fridge too, and the freezer compartment can hold your maximum stock.
The trade-off: total capacity is shared between the fridge and freezer, so compare the litres allocated to frozen food separately.
Worth considering: if you access your supplies often and want to organise portions and packets in easy-to-reach compartments.
The trade-off: allow enough height, depth and clearance to open the door and pull out the drawers.
Worth considering: if you want separate storage and have a suitable space for a freezer with a top-opening lid.
The trade-off: reaching items at the bottom and rotating your food takes some organisation, for example using baskets.
Worth considering: if the height beneath a worktop determines where it can go and you’re looking for extra storage.
The trade-off: check its freezer capacity before relying on it for a big family shop.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Storage capacity | Compare the capacity of the freezer compartments, in litres, with the space taken up by your bulk buys, portions and large packs when your freezer is full. | When food shopping and prepared meals build up between shops, I want to avoid running out of room. Around 31% of consumers would put this capacity first. |
| Access and organisation | Look at the drawers or baskets and check whether your dishes and bulky packs will fit. | If I often need a particular portion, I want to find it without moving everything else. Easy access and organisation would be the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Installation | Measure the appliance and the space needed to open it, then check the manual for ventilation requirements and the permitted room temperature range. | In a cramped kitchen or unheated room, I need to be able to install and use the appliance in the conditions specified for that model. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise this consideration. |
| Everyday use | For comparable freezer capacities, check annual energy consumption in kWh, noise in dB(A) and the defrosting method. | If I only need extra freezer space occasionally, I want to weigh up the benefits of a second appliance and the maintenance it requires. This would be the main consideration for around 19% of consumers. |
Some of that capacity is for chilled food, so it won’t be available for your frozen food or prepared meals.
Take stock of the maximum amount you need to store and compare it with the freezer compartment’s capacity in litres. According to the European Commission, the energy label lists the capacity of each compartment separately.
Whether it can operate in a cold room depends on the model, not simply its format. The temperature ranges stated by Beko or Liebherr for certain models don’t apply to their entire ranges.
Note the temperatures the room may reach and compare them with the ambient temperature limits in the manual for the exact model you’re considering.
An upright freezer might fit in its space but leave too little room to open the door and remove the drawers; a chest freezer needs clearance above its lid.
Also check the delivery route and the ventilation requirements in the manual. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the importance of allowing air to circulate around the appliance.
A separate freezer runs continuously, and the cooling system affects the maintenance it needs.
Compare annual kWh consumption and defrosting methods across models of a similar capacity. If you choose an appliance that needs manual defrosting, make sure you’re prepared to do it.
These examples highlight features to compare on specific upright freezers; they don’t describe every model from each brand.
The GSN54EWCV is worth a closer look if you’re after a high-capacity upright freezer with flexible storage options.
The FNd 7026 Plus is an upright freezer to consider if you need to install it in a cold room.
The RFNE448E55W is a high-capacity upright freezer worth considering for family supplies kept outside a heated room.
The WHFF 6403 W4E is worth considering if you want to divide a large stock of frozen food between several drawers.
These appliances offer two ways to store your food: keep chilled and frozen food together in a fridge-freezer, or add a chest or upright freezer. Before choosing a format, compare the capacity you need for your supplies with the installation requirements.
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Worth considering if you also need to replace your fridge and want to keep your frozen food in the same appliance.
The product title lists a total capacity of 467 L, Total No Frost and an E energy rating. Compare the freezer compartment’s capacity separately with your maximum stock.
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Another fridge-freezer option if you want to store frozen food without installing a separate freezer.
The product title lists a total capacity of 360 L, Total No Frost and an E energy rating. Check the capacity actually allocated to frozen food and the installation dimensions.
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For separate storage with easy top access, provided you have enough floor space and clearance above the lid.
The product title lists a capacity of 291 L, a removable basket, an E energy rating and fridge and freezer modes. If you’re considering a garage or cellar, check the permitted ambient temperature for this model.
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For separate storage that you’d rather organise in an upright freezer than at the bottom of a chest freezer.
The product title lists a capacity of 161 L, three freezer drawers, No Frost and a C energy rating. Check the dimensions, clearances and ambient temperature range before deciding where to put it.
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Worth considering as an additional chest freezer if 140 L is enough for the amount you usually store.
The product title mentions a basket, a counterbalanced lid and an E energy rating. Allow enough room to open the lid, and check the permitted ambient temperature range if the room is unheated.
First compare the capacity allocated to frozen food, then annual energy consumption in kWh, the energy rating and noise level. According to the European Commission, the label lists the capacity of each compartment separately, so a fridge-freezer’s total capacity alone doesn’t tell you how much frozen food you can store. To assess energy use, compare appliances with a similar function and capacity.
No. Check the minimum and maximum permitted ambient temperatures in the manual for the specific model. Beko and Liebherr state that certain models can operate down to -15 °C, but this feature isn’t available across all their models or on all chest and upright freezers.
Compare the stated storage time during a power cut for each model you’re interested in; don’t assume it based on the appliance’s size or format. UFC-Que Choisir also assesses this in its testing protocols. Check the conditions attached to a stated figure before comparing two appliances.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the legal guarantee of conformity applies to a new freezer sold to an individual in France by a business. This is separate from any commercial guarantee offered by the retailer or manufacturer. Keep your proof of purchase and a description of the model delivered in case you need to report a lack of conformity.