If you mainly eat your prepared meals within the next few days, prioritise enough fridge space for your containers. If you regularly freeze portions to keep for longer, compare the capacity of a separate freezer too. In either case, check the usable capacity of each compartment and the space available for the appliance. Anses recommends keeping sensitive foods in the coldest part of the fridge, at 4 °C, and avoiding overfilling it.
You cook several portions in advance and mainly eat them over the following days. You need enough fridge space for your containers without blocking airflow or preventing sensitive foods from being stored in the coldest part, in line with Anses advice.
You prepare meals to keep beyond the next few days. Freezer capacity and storage that makes it easy to find portions then matter more than fridge space alone.
A narrow kitchen or utility room may influence your choice between a fridge-freezer, upright freezer and chest freezer. Measure the available space, access route and clearance needed to open the appliance. Also check its climate class if it will be used in a particular type of room.
First, work out which portions will be kept chilled and which will be frozen. Then compare your needs with the usable capacities and the space available for installation.
| Consideration | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge capacity | Compare the fridge’s usable capacity in litres and the space between shelves for your containers, rather than looking at the appliance’s total capacity. | If my meals are for the next few days, I want to store them without stacking containers on top of one another. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise having this much chilled storage space. |
| Freezer capacity | Check the freezer’s usable capacity in litres and the size of its drawers or baskets for the portions you plan to store. | When I prepare more portions than I can eat quickly, I want to organise them and find them easily. Around 27% of consumers would put this need for freezer space first. |
| Storage and temperature | Identify the coldest part of the fridge and use sealed containers without blocking airflow. Anses recommends monitoring the temperature, keeping this area at 4 °C. | If I keep prepared meals and other sensitive foods chilled, I want to be able to store them separately and control their storage conditions. Around 20% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Installation | Measure the appliance, the access route and the clearance needed to open it. Check that its climate class is suitable for the room where you plan to install it. | In a space with limited room, I need to be able to open the appliance and reach my portions before choosing a larger capacity. Around 20% of consumers would prioritise these installation requirements. |
A fridge-freezer splits its capacity between the fridge and freezer. For the KGN36VXCT, for example, Bosch lists 218 l of fridge space and 103 l of freezer space. The total alone doesn’t tell you where your portions will fit.
Estimate separately how many containers you’ll keep chilled and how many portions you’ll freeze, then compare the relevant usable capacities.
According to Anses, airflow and access to the coldest part of the fridge matter when storing prepared meals and sensitive foods. Full shelves are no substitute for enough capacity.
Store prepared meals in sealed containers, leave enough room for sensitive foods and avoid blocking airflow.
A chest freezer needs floor space and room to open its lid. Its advertised capacity alone won’t tell you whether it’s right for your room.
Measure the width and depth, the clearance needed to open the lid and the access route to the installation spot. If you’re planning to use it in a garage or utility room, check the climate class in the manual.
If access is too narrow or the lid can’t open fully, you may have to move the appliance or rethink your planned layout.
Anses explains that freezing at −18 °C stops bacteria from multiplying, but doesn’t necessarily destroy micro-organisms. It can’t make a meal that has already been stored for too long safe indefinitely.
If a portion needs freezing, do so as soon as it’s prepared when appropriate. Then follow Anses guidance on defrosting, and don’t refreeze food once it has been defrosted.
These models offer useful points of comparison for appliance formats and capacities. The specifications listed don’t apply to every appliance from each brand.
The KGN36VXCT fridge-freezer lets you compare its chilled and frozen storage space separately.
Two Whirlpool formats illustrate the difference between a fridge with plenty of chilled storage and a built-in appliance with two compartments.
The FNe 4605 Pure NoFrost upright freezer is a useful reference for comparing vertical storage for frozen portions.
These appliances combine fridge and freezer storage. Compare them if you want to keep some meals chilled while freezing other portions. Their total capacities don’t replace a comparison of the capacity of each compartment.
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Worth considering if you want to keep some meals chilled and freeze other portions in the same appliance.
The title lists a total capacity of 360 l and Total No Frost. Compare the capacity of each compartment with your needs, then check the installation clearances and the manufacturer’s temperature guidelines.
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Worth comparing if you’re looking for separate access zones for chilled meals and frozen portions.
The title lists a total capacity of 467 l and Total No Frost. Check how the capacity is split between compartments, whether there’s room for your containers and how much clearance is needed to open the doors.
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Worth considering if most of your prepared meals will be kept in the fridge, while you still want room to freeze some portions.
The title lists a total capacity of 495 l. Before choosing this model, check the door configuration, capacity of each compartment and interior layout to make sure they suit your containers.
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Worth comparing if you want to keep meals for the next few days and frozen portions together in one fridge-freezer.
The title lists a total capacity of 282 l and a bottom freezer. Before buying, check the usable capacity of each compartment, ventilation clearances and temperature guidelines.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for an appliance with several zones for chilled meals and portions to freeze.
The title lists a total capacity of 474 l and a three-temperature drawer. Check the usable capacities of the fridge and freezer compartments, as well as the settings suited to the foods you plan to store.
Anses recommends keeping the coldest part of the fridge between 0 and +4 °C. Store prepared meals and other sensitive foods there, and check the temperature if your appliance doesn’t have a suitable indicator.
No. A week in the fridge isn’t automatically suitable for every meal: the recipe, use-by date where applicable and preparation conditions all matter. For sensitive foods, Anses recommends not waiting more than two hours before refrigerating them. If you plan to keep portions for longer, consider freezing them as soon as they’re prepared rather than waiting until they’ve spent a long time in the fridge.
An upright freezer is a good choice if you prefer drawer access and keeping portions organised. A chest freezer is better suited to storing larger quantities, provided you have enough floor space. Que Choisir compares these two formats. Before deciding, measure the space and plan how you’ll organise and find meals in a chest freezer.
For a new appliance bought from a professional seller in France, you can claim the legal guarantee of conformity for two years, according to the Ministry of the Economy. Any commercial warranty is separate and doesn’t replace it, as the DGCCRF explains.