If you need plenty of freezer storage, choose a chest freezer if capacity and floor space are your priorities, or an upright model if you often access your food and prefer to organise it in drawers. According to the Que Choisir guide, a compact model is better suited to more modest extra storage. Before choosing an appliance, also check that it can cope with the room temperature, how long it can keep food frozen during a power cut and how much space you need to open it.
If bulk shopping or batch-cooked meals take up more space than your fridge-freezer has to offer, a separate freezer could be the answer. The Que Choisir guide highlights the storage capacity of chest freezers in particular.
If you often take food out of your freezer, access to the compartments and ease of using the drawers matter just as much as capacity. Que Choisir includes these practical features in its freezer assessment criteria.
If you plan to install a freezer in a garage, cellar or utility room, compare the actual temperatures in the room with the ambient temperature range specified for the model. Bosch distinguishes between climate classes, while some Beko and Liebherr ranges offer features designed for cold rooms.
Consider one: if you need plenty of storage and have enough floor space, as explained by Que Choisir.
Bear in mind: access from above means allowing room to open the lid and organising the contents of the freezer.
Consider one: if you open the appliance frequently and want to sort food into drawers.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to allow enough space to open the door and pull out the drawers. Check that the capacity suits the amount you plan to store.
Consider one: if height restrictions mean you need a compact appliance and you only want a modest amount of extra storage.
Bear in mind: before opting for its smaller footprint, check that its net capacity really is enough for a large stock of frozen food.
Consider one: if you can’t install a second appliance and also need to replace your main fridge.
Bear in mind: the total capacity quoted doesn’t tell you how much space is available for frozen food. Compare the freezer capacity alone with your needs.
Once you’ve decided which type to consider, compare each model with the space available, how you use your freezer and the temperature of the room. If it’s going in an unheated room, the type of appliance alone won’t tell you whether it’s suitable.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Storage capacity | Compare the net capacity in litres with the appliance’s dimensions. For a chest freezer, also allow space above the lid. | When my bulk shopping no longer fits in the freezer compartment of my fridge-freezer, my first priority is to increase my storage significantly; around 36% of consumers prioritise capacity. |
| Access to food | Check how it opens, whether it has drawers or baskets, and whether you can reach the bottom of the appliance. | If I often take food out of the freezer, I want to find what I need without moving everything else; easy access is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Room where it will be installed | Compare the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures with the ambient temperature range allowed for the exact model. | If I’m putting it in an unheated cellar or garage, I need to know whether the appliance can operate at the room temperature; around 21% of consumers put this compatibility ahead of other criteria. |
| Power cuts and energy use | Check the holdover time in hours, annual energy consumption in kWh/year and energy rating; compare models with similar capacities. | If I need to protect my frozen food during a power cut while keeping everyday energy use down, these two factors guide my choice; they are the top priorities for around 14% of consumers. |
A large chest freezer could be ideal for storing plenty of food, but its footprint, lid and depth affect how you load it and find what you need.
Measure the space, the route to the room and the clearance needed to open the lid. If you access the freezer often, also compare how easy it is to reach food in the drawers of an upright model.
A climate class specifies an ambient temperature range. If a model has a feature for use in cold rooms, it applies to that particular model only.
Find out the room’s lowest and highest temperatures, then check that the appliance’s specified range covers them. Don’t rely solely on the word ‘garage’ in a product description.
A chest and an upright freezer with different capacities can’t usefully be compared on energy rating alone. The energy label uses a scale from A to G, according to Your Europe.
To compare appliances that suit the same storage needs, check their annual energy consumption in kWh as well as their net capacity.
An alarm and holdover time during a power cut answer two different questions. By way of example, Bosch quotes 9 h for the GSN33VWEP and Beko 36 h for the CF200EWN. These figures don’t apply to other models.
Check the holdover time in hours and the freezer’s alerts separately. During a power cut, avoid opening the freezer unnecessarily and follow the relevant guidance for stored food.
Worth considering if you’re looking for a freestanding upright freezer and drawers suit the way you store food.
Worth considering if you want a chest freezer for a cold room, provided the specific model has the relevant feature.
Worth considering if you need a chest freezer for an unheated room.
These models include chest freezers in different capacities and an upright model with drawers. If you need plenty of storage, start by comparing their capacity with the amount of food you plan to store. A small chest freezer may suit more modest needs, but won’t offer the same amount of space.
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Worth considering if you need plenty of extra storage and have room for a chest freezer.
Quoted capacity of 291 L, removable basket, LED lighting and energy rating E. For your installation, check the permitted ambient temperature range, holdover time during a power cut and the clearance needed to open the lid.
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Worth considering if you prefer storing food in drawers rather than reaching in from the top of a chest freezer.
The model title lists a capacity of 161 L, three drawers, No Frost, a reversible door hinge, an alarm and energy rating C. Measure the space with the door open, and check the permitted ambient temperature range, holdover time and annual energy consumption before comparing appliances.
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Worth considering for extra storage if 140 L is enough for the amount you plan to keep frozen.
The model is listed with a basket, counterbalanced lid and energy rating E. Check the clearance needed for the lid, permitted ambient temperature range, holdover time and annual energy consumption.
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Worth considering for modest extra storage. If you need a large freezer, compare its 98 L capacity with the amount of food you plan to store.
The model is listed with a basket, counterbalanced lid and energy rating E. Also check the clearance needed to open it, permitted ambient temperature range, holdover time and annual energy consumption.
No. The model must be suitable for the ambient temperatures in the room. For example, Bosch specifies a range of 10 to 32 °C for climate class SN and 10 to 43 °C for class SN-T. If your room gets colder than this, look for an appliance that is explicitly rated for cold conditions.
It indicates how long the appliance can keep food below a specified temperature without a power supply, under the conditions used for the measurement. Que Choisir’s testing protocol, for example, assesses how long food is kept below -9 °C. When choosing a model, compare the times in hours and the conditions under which they were measured.
Yes. According to the French Ministry for Ecological Transition, freezers are among the refrigeration appliances that must carry an energy label. The scale runs from A to G, as explained by Your Europe. Also check annual energy consumption when comparing appliances with similar capacities.
No. For goods sold by a business to an individual in France, the legal guarantee of conformity applies independently of any commercial warranty, according to the French Ministry of the Economy. If you’re offered an additional warranty, check its duration, exclusions and service arrangements, and remember that it is separate from your legal rights.