For a cellar, garage or utility room, start by comparing the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures with the climate class of the model you’re considering. If it’s suitable, choose a chest freezer for a large stock of food if you have enough floor space, an upright freezer for more organised access, an under-counter freezer for a smaller stock, or a fridge freezer if there’s no room for a separate appliance. Then compare the models that are suitable for your room by their freezer capacity, energy consumption in kWh/year and installation requirements in the manual.
If the temperature in your cellar, garage or utility room varies with the seasons, first check that the freezer’s climate class covers the temperatures the room actually reaches. Choose the type and capacity only after checking this.
If you want to store large quantities or bulky items, consider a chest freezer if you have enough floor space. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the trade-off between its generous capacity and the easier access to compartments in an upright freezer.
If there isn’t room for a large, separate freezer, compare how much storage you need with the freezer capacity of an under-counter freezer or fridge freezer. Also measure the space needed to open the appliance.
The first thing to check is whether the appliance can cope with the room’s temperatures. Once you’ve identified suitable models, the choice of type mainly depends on how much you want to store, the floor space available and how you prefer to access your food.
Consider one: if you want plenty of storage and have enough floor space.
Bear in mind: it takes up floor space, and food at the bottom may be less accessible depending on how the inside is organised.
Consider one: if you want to organise food in compartments and find it easily.
Bear in mind: it generally offers less storage than a large chest freezer, and you’ll need space to open the door and pull out the drawers.
Consider one: if you only need a small amount of storage and space is limited.
Bear in mind: its capacity is limited, so check that it can hold the amount of food you want to store.
Consider one: if you want to combine fridge and freezer storage because there’s no room for a separate freezer.
Bear in mind: the total capacity isn’t the same as the freezer capacity, so check the latter separately.
| Criteria | What to check | What matters to consumers |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature and installation | Compare the room’s extreme temperatures with the model’s climate class; check the manual for installation requirements. | In an unheated room, I first want to know whether the freezer is designed for the temperatures it reaches. Around 31% of consumers put this compatibility first. |
| Capacity and floor space | Compare the usable capacity with the appliance’s dimensions, allowing for access and the space needed to open it. | To build up a large stock of food, I need to fit the appliance in without making the room difficult to use; this is the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Access to food | Check the baskets or drawers, as well as how easy it is to reach food stored at the bottom. | If I check my stored food often, being able to find and take it out matters more than having extra capacity. Around 25% of consumers put ease of access first. |
| Space-saving option | Check the freezer capacity of the under-counter appliance or fridge freezer, then compare the energy consumption in kWh/year of appliances used in a similar way. | If there’s no room for a large, separate appliance, I’m looking for a more compact freezer that I can use every day. Around 19% of consumers put this space constraint first. |
The climate class indicates the range of ambient temperatures the appliance is designed to operate in, in accordance with delegated regulation (EU) 2019/2016. An unheated room may fall outside the range specified for a particular model.
Record the minimum and maximum temperatures over a representative period, then compare them with the climate class listed for the exact model you’re considering.
A chest freezer can offer plenty of storage, but it also takes up more floor space. The room needed for the lid to open, access around the appliance and installation requirements matter just as much as its external dimensions.
Measure the space and delivery route, then check the clearances specified in the manual before choosing a model.
UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between the open storage space in a chest freezer and the compartments in an upright freezer. Depending on what you store, whether you need to reach food at the bottom of a chest freezer or remove drawers from an upright model could affect your choice.
Think about the size and shape of the food you store, and how often you’ll need to find or take it out.
ADEME points out that a freezer runs continuously. An energy-efficiency rating on its own isn’t enough to compare appliances with different capacities and uses.
Once you’ve checked that the models are suitable for the room, compare the energy consumption in kWh/year of models with similar storage capacity and intended use.
No. The model must be designed for the range of temperatures the room actually reaches. Check the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures, then look up the freezer’s climate class in its documentation.
Follow the clearance requirements in the manual for the model you’ve chosen rather than relying on one measurement for all appliances. Check them before deciding where to put it, especially if the room is narrow.
UFC-Que Choisir states in its installation advice, published in 2010, that earthing is essential. For connecting your chosen model, also follow its manual and have the electrical installation checked if necessary.
Once you’ve checked that both models are suitable for the room, compare their annual energy consumption in kWh/year. Take the freezer capacity and intended use into account: ADEME points out that freezers run continuously, but a model’s energy consumption also depends on factors such as its size and how it’s used.