To store more shopping and prepared meals, choose an upright freezer if you want everyday access to food in drawers, or a chest freezer if you have floor space for a large capacity and bulky items. A large fridge-freezer is a better choice if you’re also planning to replace your fridge; if so, compare the capacity of the freezer compartment alone. Whichever style you choose, check the installation requirements, power-cut storage time, noise level and energy consumption of the specific model.
If you regularly freeze prepared meals or bulky items, compare the net capacity, the space needed for larger items and how easy it is to reach your food. If you’re placing the appliance in a cellar, pantry or garage, also check the ambient temperature range allowed for the model.
An upright freezer with drawers makes it easy to organise food close to the kitchen. However, check that there’s enough room to open the door and pull the drawers all the way out.
A fridge-freezer, multi-door fridge-freezer or American-style fridge-freezer combines refrigeration and freezing in one appliance. To see if it will hold your food, compare the freezer compartment’s net capacity and layout, as well as the dimensions of your kitchen.
Worth considering if: you check your food often and want to separate shopping and prepared meals in drawers.
Bear in mind: the drawers and door need room to open; an upright freezer doesn’t offer the same open storage space as a chest freezer.
Worth considering if: you store food in bulk or have bulky items, and enough floor space.
Bear in mind: food at the bottom takes some organising, particularly with baskets.
Worth considering if: you’re also replacing your fridge and want both compartments in the kitchen.
Bear in mind: the total capacity is shared between the fridge and freezer, so it doesn’t represent the space available for frozen food.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and size | Compare the net freezer capacity with the external dimensions, then measure the delivery route and the space needed to open the appliance. | I want to store several batches of shopping without blocking access to the pantry with an appliance that’s too wide. Around 30% of consumers who choose primarily based on capacity and available space may feel the same. |
| Everyday storage | Look at the drawers or baskets and check whether they can be removed; see if it has No Frost if easy maintenance matters to you. | When I take out a prepared meal, I want to find it without moving all my other food. Organised access is thought to be the priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Replacing your fridge | For a combined appliance, check the net capacity of the freezer compartment alone, along with its layout and installation dimensions. | If I’m already replacing my fridge, I’d rather consider one appliance than make room for a second. Replacing an existing appliance is thought to be the main need for around 20% of consumers. |
| Installation and use | Check the permitted ambient temperature range, storage time in hours, noise level in dB(A) and energy consumption in kWh/year for the specific model. | If the room temperature varies or my food could be affected by power cuts, I want to know the operating conditions and storage time before choosing. These factors are thought to come first for around 20% of consumers. |
According to Que Choisir, chest freezers are commonly 110 to 140 cm wide and around 70 cm deep. Their capacity doesn’t tell you whether the appliance will fit through your doors or if its lid will open where you plan to put it.
Measure the delivery route, the available floor space and the clearance above the freezer. If you have more room vertically, compare the dimensions of an upright freezer.
The climate class or permitted ambient temperature range depends on the model. If the room falls outside the specified range, the appliance may not work properly.
Check the room’s minimum and maximum temperatures throughout the year, then compare them with the manufacturer’s specifications for the exact model.
The energy rating alone doesn’t tell you how much an appliance that runs continuously will use in a year. Capacity, style and usage also matter when comparing models.
Compare the kWh/year figures for appliances with a similar style and capacity. To estimate the annual cost, multiply the consumption by your electricity tariff.
A large fridge-freezer splits its capacity between the fridge and freezer. Its total capacity therefore doesn’t reflect the space available for frozen meals and food.
Check the net capacity of the freezer compartment alone, then look at its drawers, storage time in the event of a power cut and freezing capacity.
A brand to consider when comparing freestanding upright freezers for vertical storage.
A brand to consider when looking at large-capacity chest freezers, including some models that the manufacturer says are suitable for use in cold rooms.
A brand to consider if you’re planning to fit an integrated upright freezer in a fitted kitchen.
A brand to consider if you’re replacing your fridge and comparing fridge-freezer, multi-door or American-style models.
A brand to consider when looking at the differences in storage between upright and chest freezers.
These Joybuy models illustrate the three options covered here: replacing your fridge too, adding an upright freezer with drawers, or installing a chest freezer. Smaller-capacity chest freezers are better suited to extra storage than to keeping very large quantities of food.
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Worth considering if you’re replacing your fridge too: the freezer compartment has a listed capacity of 156 L out of 467 L total, with two drawers.
The product details list Total No Frost, a freezing capacity of 10 kg/24 h, 10 h of storage time in the event of a power cut, 35 dB(A) and 290 kWh/year. Check that the listed dimensions of 181,5 × 83,3 × 65,0 cm, the delivery route and the clearance needed to open the doors all suit your kitchen.
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For storing plenty of shopping and meals, this 291 L chest freezer has a removable basket. Make sure you allow enough room for the lid and for access to food at the bottom.
The product details list dimensions of 1100 × 597 × 872 mm, 38 dB, 226 kWh/year and a choice of fridge or freezer mode. Select the mode that suits the food you’re storing and check the ambient temperature range before installing it in a cellar or garage. If power cuts are a concern, check the storage time too.
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If you regularly want to find meals and shopping by category, this 161 L upright freezer has three drawers and two shelves.
The description lists No Frost and an adjustable temperature range from -14 °C to -22 °C. Before choosing a spot for it, check its dimensions, the clearance needed for the door and drawers, the ambient temperature range, storage time in the event of a power cut and annual energy consumption.
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This 95 L chest freezer is suited to extra storage. If you freeze lots of meals or batches of shopping, compare its capacity with the amount of food you actually plan to store.
The product details list a removable basket, dimensions of 550 × 475 × 848 mm, 38 dB and 165 kWh/year. The appliance switches between fridge and freezer modes. Check which mode you need, the ambient temperature range and the storage time in the event of a power cut for your installation.
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This 140 L chest freezer is worth considering for extra storage rather than if you’re simply looking for the largest capacity. Its basket helps keep smaller items separate.
The product details list a counterbalanced lid, castors and dimensions of 637 × 556 × 846 mm. If you regularly add lots of fresh food, check the freezing capacity in kg/24 h. Also check the annual energy consumption, noise level, storage time and ambient temperature range for the room you plan to use it in.
No. Compare the actual temperatures in the room with the climate class or ambient temperature range listed for the specific model. Bosch, for example, states that climate class SN covers 10 to 32 °C, ST 18 to 38 °C and T 18 to 43 °C; some appliances combine several classes. Whirlpool lists operation down to -15 °C for its W3RHS37EW1, but this does not apply to other chest freezers.
It indicates how long the freezer can keep food cold under the conditions used for the measurement, and should not be confused with freezing capacity, which is expressed in kg/24 h. In its test procedure, Que Choisir measures the time it takes for the temperature to rise from -17 °C to -9 °C without power. Compare the stated times for the models you’re considering, taking into account how much food you store.
Compare the energy efficiency class, annual energy consumption in kWh/year, freezer capacity and noise level in dB(A), ideally between appliances with a similar style and capacity. Energy labelling for refrigeration appliances is regulated by the European Union; the energy class alone doesn’t tell you the annual energy consumption of a specific model.
If you buy from a professional seller in France as a private consumer, an appliance that doesn’t match its description may be covered by the statutory guarantee of conformity. The French Ministry of the Economy states that this guarantee applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a professional. Keep the product listing, order confirmation and installation documents so you can explain the discrepancy.