Best freezers 2022: Which? Best Buys and expert advice

The best freezers will freeze food quickly to keep it in the best condition, and are cheap to run. The worst we've seen are sluggish at freezing, can guzzle energy, and be a pain to use and keep clean.

Whether you tend to buy frozen food, freeze fresh food or do a bit of both, you want whatever you put in the freezer to come out in the best possible condition. Food needs to be kept below -16°C to preserve it, and the quicker it gets down to that temperature the better.

When the best freezers cool more than twice as quickly as the worst in our tests, it’s easy to see which are likely to keep your food as nutrient-rich as possible and give you better value for money.

Looking for a fridge freezer instead? See our round-up of the Best fridge freezers.

Best Buy freezers for 2022

These freezers are the models we recommend right now. They all top the tables when it comes to our stringent lab tests but not all are newly released, proving there's no need to shop with a recency bias.

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Best freestanding freezers

Head to our freezer reviews to see more tall freestanding models.

Best chest freezer

To see more great chest freezers, take a look at the best chest freezers for 2022. 

Best cheap freezer

To see more of our top budget choices, see the best cheap freezers and chest freezers for 2022.

Best energy efficient freezer

To see more energy-saving models, go to the best energy efficient freezers for 2022.

Best freezer for a garage

To see more options for garages and outbuildings, see the best freezers and chest freezers for garages. 

Head to our freezer reviews to see all the models we've tested.

Video: how to buy the best freezer

Watch to find out about why you don't always get as much space as advertised inside a freezer and why the energy label doesn't tell you the full story. 

Freezer types explained

Find out the key dimensions of these different types of freezer and how much you'll expect to pay for each.

Upright, tall freezers

These stand at between shoulder and head height, and offer a huge amount of storage space for frozen food. However, they take up a fair amount of space and can look bulky, particularly in small kitchens. 

Tall models fit the following criteria:

• Most are 50-60cm wide and 60-65cm deep 
• Heights vary from 130cm to more than 185cm. If you choose a really tall one, check that you can easily retrieve items in the top drawer or compartment
• Prices start at around £230 for a basic model from brands such as Beko, Fridgemaster and Indesit
• Prices range to more than £1,000 for a large, frost-free Miele or Siemens with a stainless-steel finish 
• The taller the freezer, the higher the price tag when comparing models from the same brand
• Mid-height models – around 175-185cm – from brands such as Beko, Hotpoint, Indesit and Zanussi will cost £300-400. A similar Bosch or Samsung will set you back £500-600 
• Expect to pay £750 or more if you want a Miele or Siemens.

Under counter freezers

Under counter freezers fit under your kitchen worktop, so they’re ideal if you're short on space. 

• Models are 90cm high or less to fit under the average kitchen counter – but check there’s enough clearance under yours before you buy.
• Most are 60cm wide and 50-60cm deep. It’s possible to buy slim models which are less than 55cm wide and 50cm deep – these are useful if you don't have a lot of room and you don’t want your freezer to protrude on to your kitchen floor.
• The price you pay will largely depend on the brand you choose. You can pick up a cheap manual-defrost freezer from brands such as Beko, Hotpoint, Indesit, Lec and Zanussi for less than £150. While their frost-free models start at around £230.

Freestanding or integrated?

Tall and under-counter freezers are also available as integrated appliances. If you’re debating whether to design your kitchen with an integrated freezer and fridge, here are the pros and cons to help you decide.

• Pros They sit behind kitchen cupboard doors and are hidden from view, they’re not as deep as some freezers and won’t protrude into your kitchen.
• Cons Compared with freestanding models, they are more expensive and there aren’t as many models to choose from, they’re more expensive to run.

Chest freezers

With lids rather than a door, chest freezers are good for storing big and bulky items – such as large joints of meat. Plus, the lack of drawers mean that you can fit more in. On the downside, chest freezers take up a lot of room and it can be hard to find what you’re looking for inside.

Would an integrated fridge freezer be a better bet for your needs? See our guide to the best integrated fridge freezers for 2022.

Best freezer features to consider

Modern freezers have plenty of useful features, but t's only worth paying extra for features you'll actually use. Consider which of these features is most important to you before you go shopping. 

The main features to look out for are:

• Frost-free This prevents ice from forming, so you’ll never have to defrost your freezer. Affordable under-counter or tall frost-free freezers are becoming common, frost-free chest freezers are few and far between at any price. 
• Fast freeze Gives a boost of cooling power for freezing a large load of fresh food quickly. The faster food freezes, the fresher it will be when you defrost it.  
• Capacity The average under-counter freezer contains around 70 litres of usable space, while tall models tend give you an extra 100 litres on top of that. Chest freezers can contain anything between 90 and 400 litres of usable space, so you’ll need to think carefully about how much space you need. 
• High temperature warning alarm Lets you know if the freezer temperature starts to rise, so you can investigate and hopefully fix any problem before the food in your freezer starts to thaw
• Open-door alarm Lets you know if you inadvertently leave the door ajar
• Counterbalanced lid (chest freezer) Rummaging around in a chest freezer is easier with a counterbalanced door or lid because it will stay up of its own accord. 
• Control panel  A simple plastic thermostat will do the trick if all you’re doing is adjusting the temperature. But some freezers may come with a larger control panel, which will allow you to adjust settings and use warning lights to tell you if the freezer is becoming too warm. 
• Shelves and drawers Unless you buy a chest freezer, your new freezer will probably contain plastic drawers, and perhaps a shelf or freezing tray. If you tend to fill your freezer to the brim, transparent drawers might make it easier to spot what you’re looking for. Less common features include bottle shelves, humidity-controllable crisper drawers for fresh produce and chiller drawers for meat, fish and seafood.  
• Colour White is by far the most common colour for a fridge, but other colours are available. We’ve tested silver, stainless steel and black fridges in all shapes and sizes. If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your kitchen, retro models tend to be available in colours such as red and blue. 

Freezer energy label changes

From 1 March 2021 a new energy label comes into force, which replaces the confusing A+, A++ and A+++ ratings and resets the scale back to A to G. This is designed to reinvigorate the sustainability race for manufacturers by completely emptying the top A-rating to leave room for improvement. At first it will affect washing machines, washer-dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, lighting and TVs, with other appliances including tumble dryers and ovens remaining the same for now.

The new label for refrigeration (above) states the capacity of chilled and/or frozen compartments in litres and there is also a new measure for noise emissions.

The new ratings will go from A to G and is a clearer reflection of how efficient your appliance is by modern standards. Each label features a QR-code for more product information which links to the product on the manufacturer’s website. Energy consumption is presented either as kWh per year, kWh per 1,000 hours or kWh per 100 cycles, depending on the product group. This is a change from the old label, which was often based on an estimated usage over a year.

When buying a new freezer, you may spot that it comes with both the old label and the new label. This is because some retailers may have stock of products displaying both labels while the switch over happens.

What size freezer should I buy?

This will depend on the size of your household and kitchen. Whichever model you're buying, check the dimensions carefully and consider whether you need to factor in extra space at the sides, back and/or top for air to circulate.

If you're planning on freezing a lot of food you're going to need a freezer with lots of storage space inside. However, you can't rely on advertised freezer capacities, as manufacturers typically remove all of the shelves, drawers and door racks when measuring. 

We leave everything inside and measure the space you can actually use for storing food. We find big differences between claimed and actual capacities - some freezers have as much as 29% less space than advertised.

Our usable storage volumes give a realistic idea of how much food you can store inside one model when compared with another. You can find these measurements on the 'tech specs' tab of each of our freezer reviews.

Can I buy a freezer designed for the garage?

Some manufacturers, such as Beko, Fridgemaster and Hotpoint, guarantee many of its freezers will work in unheated rooms such as a garage or shed. Bosch, on the other hand, advises that its freezers aren’t kept in room temperatures that fall below 5°C – which a garage inevitably will during a cold winter.

If you want a freezer for your garage, check with the manufacturer whether the model you have your eye on is suitable. It’s also a good idea to check whether they’ll honour the warranty if you do keep it in an outbuilding.

Find out more about freezers for garages in best freezers and chest freezers for garages. 

How can I dispose of or recycle my old freezer?

Finding a way to dispose of a freezer is no mean feat, especially if you want to get rid of it in a responsible and environmentally conscious way.

Like other large household items, such as mattresses, disposing of a freezer requires a bit more care and attention. The insulation and refrigerant contained inside are classed as hazardous waste, not to mention the risk of harmful gases leaking from the appliance if it's not disposed of safely.

Read how to dispose of or recycle a fridge freezer for advice on responsibly getting rid of an old appliance.

Freezer safety

All freezers need insulation to keep cool. This insulation is flammable, so it's essential it's sufficiently protected in the unlikely event of a fire. Before July 2019, the backing that covered freezer insulation could be made from plastic, metal or aluminium laminate. But in July 2019, new British safety standards were introduced. Freezers made with flammable plastic backs do not meet these new standards, however it remains legal for retailers to sell models with plastic backing which have already been made, so there could be some still available on the market.

Our freezer reviews will tell you what type of backing each model has. If you already own an appliance with a flammable plastic back, it's worth knowing that the likelihood of a fire is very low, and the material used in the backing can allow an existing fire to spread – but it won't be the cause of a fire itself.

Read more on freezer safety.