If you’re preparing meals for the next few days, start by choosing a fridge with enough room to store them without overcrowding the coldest zone, which Anses places between 0 and +4 °C. A fridge freezer also lets you freeze some portions. If you do this regularly and already have a suitable fridge, an additional freezer is a more direct solution. Compare the capacities of the two compartments separately, then check the overall dimensions, interior layout and energy label.
If you cook several dishes in one session, first check how much room there is in the fridge and how easy it is to reach your prepared meals. The French National Consumer Institute recommends storing cooked dishes in the coldest parts of the fridge. You’ll also need to keep them separate from raw food.
If you prepare more portions than you’ll eat over the next few days, work out how many will go in the freezer. The capacity of this compartment and its drawer layout then matter more than the appliance’s total capacity alone.
If you can only fit one appliance, measure the space available before comparing capacities. Width already varies between the Bosch KGN36VLED and Liebherr CBNsdc 765i fridge freezers described by their manufacturers. Also check the depth and clearance required for the model you’re considering.
Worth considering if: you want to keep meals for the next few days chilled and freeze some portions in one appliance.
Bear in mind: the total capacity can hide a freezer compartment that’s too small for your batches of portions.
Worth considering if: your fridge is suitable for meals you’ll eat soon, but you regularly run out of room for frozen portions.
Bear in mind: you’ll need space for a second appliance and a power supply. It won’t solve a lack of room in your fridge.
To choose between these options, start by working out how many dishes you need to keep chilled and how many portions you need to freeze during your busiest week.
| Criteria | What to check | My needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge temperature | Check the actual temperature in the area where you’ll store your meals. Anses places the coldest zone between 0 and +4 °C. Leave enough room for air to circulate. | I prepare several dishes to eat over the next few days and need to be able to store them chilled without packing the shelves to the brim. |
| Separate capacities | Compare the fridge and freezer capacities in litres separately. The European Commission says the energy label shows the capacity of each compartment. | I’ll keep some of my meals chilled and freeze the rest, so the total capacity doesn’t tell me whether there’ll be room for everything. |
| Storage | Check the shelf heights, how easy it is to reach your meals and how many freezer drawers there are. Make sure the layout suits the containers you use. | I want to keep ready-to-eat meals separate from raw ingredients and find frozen portions without having to move everything else. |
| Energy and noise | Compare the energy efficiency class, annual consumption in kWh and noise level on the European energy label, taking each appliance’s capacity into account. | If I add a freezer or choose a larger appliance, its energy use and noise level will matter in my kitchen too. |
| Installation | Measure the width, height and depth, then check the clearances required for ventilation and opening the doors. | I need the appliance to fit in its space, with the drawers and doors still accessible once it’s installed. |
Two appliances with a similar total capacity can allocate space differently between the fridge and freezer. A large capacity figure alone won’t tell you whether there’s enough room for your frozen portions.
Count the dishes you’ll keep chilled and the portions you’ll freeze during a busy week, then compare the usable capacity of each compartment.
If an appliance is so full that air can’t circulate properly, its capacity alone won’t tell you how well it will keep your meals. Anses recommends keeping refrigerated food in a cold zone between 0 and +4 °C.
Check the actual temperature, set aside different spaces for prepared meals and raw food, and keep air vents clear.
If you freeze several types of dish, the interior layout will affect how easily you can find the portion you need. For example, Haier lists four drawers in its H4F240WEE upright freezer.
Compare the number and height of the drawers with the containers you use, rather than choosing on the basis of the capacity in litres alone.
Features such as No Frost or separate cooling circuits don’t, on their own, tell you the available capacity, energy consumption or how much space the appliance will need in your kitchen.
For the exact model, check the capacity of each compartment, the energy label, noise level and dimensions. Look separately for any storage or temperature-control features that matter to you.
These models show a range of configurations. Their specifications don’t apply to every appliance from the same brand.
The freestanding KGN36VLED fridge freezer is one example of an appliance that combines refrigeration and freezing in a width of 60 cm.
The CBNsdc 765i is worth considering if you’re looking for a wider fridge freezer to store plenty of fresh food and portions for freezing.
Some Beko fridge freezers have separate air circuits, which may be worth looking into if this type of setup interests you.
A Haier upright freezer is worth comparing if your current fridge has enough room for meals you’ll eat over the next few days.
These five fridge freezers are for anyone looking for one appliance to keep meals chilled and freeze portions. If you already have a suitable fridge and often freeze food in batches, also compare the option of adding a separate freezer.
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Worth considering if you want to keep meals chilled and freeze some portions in one appliance. The model is listed as 54 cm wide and 176 cm tall, with a 70/30 split. Compare the separate capacities and check the actual temperature in the area set aside for your meals.
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Its three doors may make it worth checking how easy it is to reach different foods. The model name lists Total No Frost, My Zone, Wi-Fi and energy efficiency class E. Check the interior layout, the capacity of each compartment and the space needed for installation.
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Before choosing, consider how this total capacity will be divided between chilled meals and frozen portions. The model is listed with Total No Frost and energy efficiency class E. Check the separate capacities, dimensions and interior layout.
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If you’re considering a large-capacity appliance for ingredients and prepared meals, first check that it will fit in your kitchen. This black model is listed as energy efficiency class E. Also compare how much of its 495 L capacity is reserved for freezing.
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If you have a few meals to keep chilled and portions to freeze separately, check whether its capacity suits the number of containers you plan to use. The model name lists a 120 L fridge, a 50 L freezer, 40 dB and energy efficiency class E. Check its dimensions and the actual temperature in the fridge compartment.
For food stored in the fridge, Anses recommends a temperature between 0 and +4 °C in the coldest part. The French Ministry of Agriculture recommends +4 °C for the fridge and -18 °C for the freezer. Check the actual temperature rather than relying only on the dial setting.
No. When you’re preparing meals in advance, you need to distinguish between the space for chilled dishes and the space for frozen portions. The European Commission says the energy label shows the capacity of each compartment. Compare them separately, then check whether the shelves and drawers suit your containers.
For a domestic fridge or freezer, the European energy label shows details including the energy efficiency class, annual consumption, capacity and noise level, according to the European Commission. Compare these details between appliances with a capacity that meets your needs. Don’t assume that a higher capacity automatically means higher energy consumption.
In France, the ministry responsible for environmental affairs says electrical appliances can be taken to a collection point or recycling centre, returned to a retailer, or given to a social and solidarity economy organisation. Include this in your plans when arranging to replace your fridge or freezer.