This freezer buying guide has been put together by mychoice to make it as easy and stress-free as possible to make an informed decision on your next freezer purchase. Choosing the right type of cooling appliance can be difficult, and, as it’s such an irregular purchase, customers often don’t know what to look for. Do you get a separate fridge and freezer or a space-saving fridge-freezer? How much space you have in your kitchen/utility room can be a deciding factor. If you need a large amount of storage space, standalone freezers are ideal. You must remember that you will also need in your kitchen for a separate freezer as well! Standalone freezers are also useful for offices and rented properties. You may wish to check out the freezer section of the mychoice store if you’d like to refer to our range as you read through the buying guide. There are several types of freezers available:                   

 

**Chest Freezers are usually installed in a garage or utility room because of their size and their top opening lids, and work best for large households wanting to freeze food in bulk. 

**Upright Freezers are much narrower than chest freezers and can normally be situated with the rest of your kitchen appliances. Most people will therefore opt for an upright freezer, and the size you choose will obviously depend on the size of your household and whether you'll do a lot of fresh food freezing or just need it for day to day convenience.

**Under Counter Freezers are great for storing small amounts of frozen food and usually ok for a couple.                   

**Mini Freezers are ideal if extra freezer space is needed or space is at a premium, you may want to consider a compact mini freezer.                   

**Integrated Freezers have a front panel that matches the rest of your kitchen units, so the product is completely hidden.                 

 

You can either read the full guide, or click on one of the links below to answer some of the common questions people ask.                    

 

• What Size Does My Freezer Need To Be To Fit Into My Kitchen/Utility Room?
• What Capacity Will I Need From My Freezer?                   
• How Do Freezers Keep Food Fresh And What Features Do They Have?                   
• How Much Does A Freezer Cost To Run?                   
• What Price Do I Need To Pay For My Freezer?       

 

 

What Size Does My Freezer Need To Be To Fit Into My Kitchen/Utility Room?

 

Everyone has their own needs and preferences when it comes to space in their kitchen or utility room. Most people prefer their freezer out in the open so they can easily get it, while other people have specifically designed kitchens and something of a very specific size to fit their space.                   

 

**The first decision you have to make is where in your kitchen you want your freezer to go and what size it needs to be in order to fit. Do you need your freezer out in the open (this is known as freestanding) or do you want your machine to be slotted into your kitchen units (this is known as built-in/integrated).

 

Freestanding Freezers are good if you want your machine to be seen, and they’re fairly easy to fit in as they just slot into a specific gap in your kitchen.  

Built-in/Integrated Freezers are designed not to be seen. They have a flat front and space to attach door hinges so they can be completely hidden behind a door. 

**A semi-integrated model is a freezer covered mostly by a door panel that matches the rest of your kitchen units. When closed, the machine will be completely hidden except the controls.                   

Under Counter + Upright freezers are between 50-60cm in width, with height reaching 90cm for Under Counter and 180cm for Upright. Chest freezers can be as large as 160cm in width.                   

 

You should always check you have enough room for your appliance by looking at its specification. Please note that all freezers need to be connected to an electricity supply. Select models also have reversible doors making it possible for you to have your freezer opening whichever way is most convenient for you. If you would like mychoice to connect your appliance or offer a reversible door service (if applicable to the selected model), please check our connection services for that particular model.             

 

What Capacity Will I Need From My Freezer?

 

Storage space for freezers can be hard to understand as it’s measured in total litres and cubic capacity rather than the physical dimensions of each compartment. Make sure you choose the right capacity for your specific needs.                   

 

**If you have a small family, a freezer with a 50–150 litre capacity should give you enough space to store a week’s worth of food.                  

**A 100–300 litre freezer will be perfect for a medium sized family.                

**A 300+ litre capacity freezer will probably be ideal for a large family/household.                 

  

 

How Do Freezers Keep Food Fresh And What Features Do They Have?

 

In order to keep your food as fresh as the day you bought it, it is important that it reaches the optimal freezing temperature as quickly as possible and that it maintains that temperature until you defrost it. Look out for functions that encourage this.                   

 

There are many models in the market and most have specific features that help keep your food frozen and fresh for longer. The following features come with many models:                   

 

**Temperature – Most freezers have a built-in thermometer, so you can keep an eye on the temperature, and top-o-the-range models will have this on the outside rather than inside.   

**Fast Freeze/Super Freeze – All freezers have a fast freeze option to use when freezing freshly prepared or recently purchased food. This can be used to prevent the temperature in the freezer rising when warmer items are introduced into it, and to preserve the quality of the food. Some advanced models will have automatic fast freeze which cuts in if the temperature in the freezer becomes too warm, and turns off again when food is safely frozen.     

**Frost Free – Frost free freezers enable fast freezing in all compartments so no defrosting is necessary. As food freezes, no ice crystals are formed inside, which ensures better taste and nutritional content too.    

**Shelves/Fixtures – Upright freezers are fitted with a set of shelves incorporating the evaporator tubes which create freezing conditions. Food is stored either directly on a shelf with a flap at the front to help it stay put, or in wire or bin-type drawers mounted on the shelves. The solid bin-type 'buckets' generally make a freezer a little more expensive, but they help retain cold air when the freezer door is open and so help reduce running costs.                   

 

 

How Much Does A Freezer Cost To Run? 

 

All freezers receive an energy efficiency grading ranging from A - G, with A being the most efficient. Standardised tests, monitored by Trading Standards, are carried out by manufacturers, who are responsible for grading their appliances.                   

 

You'll often find that the more expensive the appliance, the better the running costs, because energy-saving features such as thicker insulation, automatic door closing or 'door open' audible alerts will be included.              

 

If you are upgrading your old appliance remember mychoice offer a recycling service, whereby we collect and recycle your old appliance when we deliver your new one.                   

 

 

What Price Do I Need To Pay For My Freezer? 

 

Freezer prices vary from less than £200 to over £1000. Whether you need something short to fit under the counter, a tall upright model or a large chest model, there is an ideal freezer for every household. 

 

**For less than £200 you can buy a basic, under-counter model or small chest freezer in white, with a capacity of up to 120 litres. All are designed to be fast freezing – perfect for couples or if you live on your own.

**For between £200 and £400 there is more of a choice between upright and under counter freezers, which means you can get up to 220 litres of storage space, which is enough to store a week’s worth of food for 3 - 4 people. Most freezers in this band are A rated with a 4* freezing rating. Some styles are even frost free.  

**Spend £400 to £600 for a freezer and you will find most models are designed to be bulk storage, family freezers with generous capacities of up to 500 litres. Expect more built-in appliances, a wider range of colours and A+ ratings for energy efficiency.                    

**Anything between £600 and £1000 will be tall and freestanding, from the top brands. They will have large capacities suitable for the big families, and they come with A+ ratings for energy efficiency.                  

**Freezers over £1000 will get you a lot for your money. In this price range the very best features are available. Not only are the designs slick, but the colours available are exciting and can really make a feature in your kitchen. Most models are A+ rated within this category meaning they are extremely energy efficient.

 

You can call us Monday – Friday 9am-6pm on 01442 563 147 or on 0800 197 5391 at anytime from 9am to 10pm 7 days a week. Alternatively you can contact us by email on info@mychoice.co.uk and we will respond within an hour if received 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or as soon as possible outside of these times. Please phone one of our experts here at mychoice if you’d like to ask us about anything from our freezer buying guide.