Choose according to how much fresh and frozen food you actually buy: a fridge on its own is suitable if fresh food makes up most of your shop and you rarely need to freeze anything; a fridge-freezer handles both; and a separate freezer is useful if you regularly store frozen food, provided you also have space for a fridge. Then compare the usable capacity of each compartment, the appliance’s dimensions and the annual energy consumption of the models you’re considering, rather than looking at total capacity alone.
If you often buy fruit, vegetables, dairy products or fresh meals, start by looking at the fridge capacity and how easy it is to access the drawers. A large freezer may be less useful if you rarely store frozen food.
If you want to store both in one appliance, check the usable capacity of each compartment. The total capacity of a fridge-freezer doesn’t show how much space is available for frozen food.
If you buy in bulk or prepare meals in advance, look at the freezer’s capacity and drawers. However, a separate appliance needs extra space and won’t replace the fridge you use every day.
First decide how much space you need for fresh and frozen food. Then check that the appliance will fit in your kitchen and that its operating specifications suit your needs. Que Choisir’s guidelines — 100 to 150 litres for one person, plus 50 litres for each additional person — are a useful starting point, which you can adjust to suit your food shop.
Worth considering: if your food shop is mostly fresh and you rarely need to freeze food, or you already have a freezer.
Bear in mind: Que Choisir says a small freezer compartment isn’t enough for regularly storing large amounts of frozen food.
Worth considering: if you regularly buy fresh and frozen food and want to store it all in one appliance.
Bear in mind: the two compartments share the available capacity, so their proportions need to suit your food shop.
Worth considering: if you need to store a lot of frozen food and already have a fridge for fresh produce.
Bear in mind: you’ll need extra space for an appliance that runs continuously, as ADEME points out.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity split | The usable capacity of the fridge compartment and, if there is one, the freezer compartment; don’t rely on the total alone. | If most of my food shop goes in the fridge, I want enough space for fresh food without giving too much capacity to frozen food. Around 40% of consumers are said to prioritise this split. |
| Space and installation | Height, width, depth and door opening; for a built-in appliance, check the housing and fixing type. | If my kitchen is narrow or already has a housing, an appliance with the right capacity also needs to fit and open easily. This is said to be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Day-to-day operation | kWh/year for appliances of a similar size and capacity, as well as the stated noise level in dB. | In an open-plan kitchen, I pay attention to noise and the electricity used by an appliance that stays on all the time. Around 30% of consumers are said to put these operating factors first. |
A fridge-freezer may offer enough capacity overall but too little space in the compartment you use most. A small freezer compartment also won’t meet the same needs as a freezer designed for regular bulk buys of frozen food.
Estimate how much space you need for fresh and frozen food, then compare the usable capacity of each compartment separately. Adjust Que Choisir’s guidelines to suit the size of your household and your habits.
Appliances of different sizes or capacities don’t offer the same functionality. ADEME points out that refrigeration appliances run continuously, so it’s worth considering annual energy consumption alongside capacity.
Compare the kWh/year of models with a similar size and capacity. For applicable appliances, the energy label and EPREL database provide access to their declared specifications.
An appliance that suits your food shop may be difficult to fit if its depth, door opening or route into the kitchen is a problem. A built-in model also needs to fit the housing and the specified fixings.
Measure the space and delivery route, and check the clearances required for the model. For a built-in appliance, check the housing and fixing system too.
Cooling systems, noise levels and freshness compartments vary between models, even within the same brand. A feature listed for one model won’t necessarily apply to the others.
Before choosing, check the details for the exact model number, including the cooling system, capacities, dB level and annual energy consumption.
These ranges and models are examples to help you compare specific configurations. They don’t imply that every appliance from each brand has the same features.
The range includes freestanding and built-in fridge-freezers to consider based on the space available and the balance you want between fridge and freezer capacity.
Some fridge-freezers in the range offer large capacities and dedicated compartments. Check that their width will suit your kitchen.
Beko’s built-in fridge-freezers are worth considering if you need to keep your fitted kitchen layout as it is.
The range includes fridges and fridge-freezers to compare, particularly if a built-in appliance needs to fit a specific housing.
These Joybuy appliances combine refrigeration and freezing. Compare their capacity, size and listed specifications to find a fridge-freezer that suits your food shop and kitchen.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for one appliance for fresh and frozen food, with a stated total capacity of 495 L. The title lists an E energy rating; check the capacity split, dimensions and exact door configuration before deciding where to put it.
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Worth considering if you want to store fresh and frozen food in one appliance with the freezer at the bottom. The title lists a total capacity of 282 L and an E energy rating; compare the capacity of each compartment and the noise level of the exact model to suit your needs.
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Worth considering if kitchen width is a constraint and you buy both fresh and frozen food. The title lists 153 L for the fridge, 74 L for the freezer, a width of 54 cm, a reversible door and an E energy rating. Check the other dimensions and annual energy consumption; Low Frost may not remove the need to defrost manually.
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Worth comparing if you regularly store large amounts of fresh and frozen food in one appliance. The title lists 333 L for the fridge and 192 L for the freezer, as well as No Frost, 37 dB and an E energy rating. Check its full dimensions and annual energy consumption; this capacity is only useful if it suits your food shop.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a fridge-freezer to fit into a fitted kitchen. The title lists a total capacity of 249 L, TwinTech No Frost and an E energy rating. Check the housing dimensions, annual energy consumption and exact usable capacities: the stated total doesn’t match the combined capacity of the two listed compartments.
No. Compare the fridge and freezer capacities separately, as a suitable total may hide a compartment that’s too small for your food shop. Que Choisir recommends considering household size, how often you shop and how much frozen food you use.
Compare the usable capacity of each compartment, dimensions, kWh/year and the stated noise level in dB. For applicable appliances, the energy label and EPREL provide access to this information; above all, compare models with a similar size and capacity.
According to manufacturers, No Frost is designed to reduce or eliminate manual defrosting in the compartment it applies to. Check which compartments are covered for the exact model: not all fridges and fridge-freezers have this feature.
Start with the kWh/year listed for the exact model, then check its dimensions and the clearances it needs. ADEME points out that refrigeration appliances run continuously. Before ordering, also check the delivery and installation options available for your chosen appliance.