Which Type of Freezer Is Best For Me?

How would we ever live without our freezers? Perfect for everything from meal prep to bulk buying, freezers make it easy to stock up on all your favourite food without having to worry about short use-by dates. They’re a great way to minimise food waste too, potentially saving you money in the long run.

Because freezers have become such a vital part of the modern kitchen, choosing the right one is important. You want an appliance that’s big enough to accommodate your weekly shop with room to spare, but not so large that it dominates your kitchen and costs a bomb to run. You want an appliance that’s stylish and easy to organise – and you want to make sure it’s reliable.

With so much to consider before shopping for a new freezer, where should you start? In our opinion, the first step should be to work out what type of freezer is best for you, allowing you to narrow down your selection right from the off.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a handy guide to the most popular types of freezer on the market today, along with their pros and cons. Read on to find out all you need to know about the various styles of freezer available – and work out which one is right for you.

The most popular types of freezer

Integrated freezers

Craving a sleek, modern and uncluttered kitchen? You’ll love an integrated freezer. Designed to be built into kitchen units, integrated freezers essentially take the place of a kitchen cupboard, sitting within the cupboard itself as opposed to resting directly on the floor.

That means they can be hidden from view completely, giving your kitchen a neat, uniform look. If you need a freezer but don’t want to look at one, an integrated model is the solution.

Integrated freezers come in a variety of sizes, with both tall and undercounter options available to suit your kitchen’s layout.

Tall freestanding freezers

If you have a family to feed and need plenty of storage space, a tall freestanding freezer is a great option. They can be placed anywhere in your kitchen (provided there’s a power outlet nearby), making them a flexible and convenient choice too.

Although they take up no more floor space than a typical undercounter freezer, their extra height allows you to maximise every inch of your kitchen, giving you ample room to store food for the whole family.

Undercounter freezers

Another form of freestanding freezer, undercounter models are small enough to fit beneath a kitchen worktop, just as a washing machine or tumble dryer would. Affordable to buy and simple to install, undercounter freezers are great for compact kitchens and still offer more than enough storage space to suit smaller households.

Chest freezers

A tried and tested classic, the chest freezer remains a tremendously popular choice even today. As the name suggests, chest freezers feature a top-hinged door and one large, cavernous storage compartment, allowing you to fit a surprising amount of food inside.

Although they’re no larger than undercounter freezers in most cases, they can’t be placed under a kitchen counter because of their top-hinged door. As a result, chest freezers are often chosen for sheds and garages.

Tabletop mini freezers

If space is at a premium, look no further. The ultimate space-saving appliance, tabletop freezers can be transported anywhere and used wherever there’s a power outlet, making them a remarkably versatile choice. Ideal for small apartments (or even caravans and motorhomes), these compact appliances still offer many of the same features as their larger counterparts.

Fridge freezers

Combining the features and functionality of two appliances into one, fridge freezers are a great way to save space and reduce your energy consumption. A variety of freestanding and integrated models are available in a wide range of different sizes and styles, making it easy to find a model that suits your needs to a tee.

Which type of freezer is right for me?

So, now you know which options are available to you, which one should you choose? To help you out, we’ve summarised the strengths of each style of freezer below.

Best for value

When it comes to sheer storage capacity per pound, we’d argue chest freezers are the clear winner. They may not be the most attractive – and their lack of drawers and shelves might not make them the easiest to keep organised – but in terms of value they’re hard to match. The savings don’t end at the checkout, either; chest freezers are often cheaper to run than other designs too.

Best for storage capacity

If you’re wondering what size freezer you need for a family of four, we’d recommend a tall freestanding or integrated model. For families, undercounter freezers simply aren’t big enough in many cases. Full-height models provide significantly more storage space without costing a whole lot extra, making them a no-brainer for larger households.

Best for flexibility

Want a freezer you can place wherever you like without having to alter the layout of your kitchen? A freestanding model is the way to go. If you have space beneath your worktop, an undercounter model will allow you to enjoy the convenience of a freezer without sacrificing any floor space.

Best for small spaces

This is an easy one. If you live in a small apartment and don’t have room for a regular freezer (or space in a shed or garage to keep one), a tabletop freezer is the clear winner.

Best for aesthetics

This is a subjective one. If you want to make your appliances a focal point of your kitchen, a stylish, full-height fridge freezer (perhaps even an American-style one) is a great choice. By contrast, if you want to hide your appliances out of view where possible and prefer a minimalist look, you’ll want to opt for an integrated freezer.

Best for all-round convenience

All of the freezers we’ve talked about here are convenient in their own ways, but when it comes to sheer versatility and all-round usefulness, it’s hard to match a fridge freezer. Combining two appliances into one, fridge freezers can save you money and hassle, placing all your meals and ingredients within easy reach.