Best freezers for 2026: our top upright, chest and undercounter picks

An unsung hero of your kitchen, garage or outbuilding, the best freezer can help you stay organised—whether you’re storing the weekly shop, prepping meals for the month, or simply keeping ice cream on hand for those moments. Plus, if you're struggling for space in your regular fridge freezer on the run-up to big family events like Christmas, a standalone freezer can be a wise investment that will last for years.

Luckily, there are plenty of high-quality options available to suit all budgets and households. If you don't have space in your kitchen for a big American fridge freezer or need something compact, an undercounter freezer could be ideal. On the flip side, a large chest freezer will provide lots of space, perfect if you've got heaps of allotment produce to store. If you have a minimalist kitchen, you can also pick up built-in freezers that will sit discreetly alongside your integrated dishwasher.

To help you choose the best freezer for your home, we’ve done the hard work for you and have thoroughly investigated all the top models. Our first stop was the Mumsnet forums, home to the largest online network of parents in the UK, where we searched for the brands our discerning users had tried, tested and loved.

We then analysed the opinions of home appliance experts and scrutinised verified reviews to see the models that score well across the board. When we had completed this triple-check verification, we then whittled down our shortlist to the very best freezers for 2026, whatever your needs or budget. 

For more Mumsnetter-approved kitchen buys, check out our guides to the best kettles and best toasters.

Best freezer UK: at a glance

• Best overall: Samsung Bespoke SpaceMax RZ32C7BDES9/EU Tall Freezer, £1,099

• Best budget: Beko UFF4584W Undercounter Freezer, £259

• Best chest: Russell Hobbs White Chest Freezer, £169

• Best integrated: Bosch Series 4 GIN81VEE0G Integrated Freezer, £1,029

• Best stainless steel: Hisense FV298N4ACE Upright Freezer, £509

• Best undercounter: Liebherr Fe1414 Under Counter Freezer, £364

• Best value upright: Beko FFG4545W Tall Freezer, £399

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What are the different types of freezers?

Chest freezers

Usually offering large capacity, chest freezers open from the top via a hinged lid. The lid is often counterbalanced, keeping it open and allowing you to search with both hands to grab the contents you need.

Ideal for bulk storage of batch cooking and larger items, chest freezers are often suitable for garages and outbuildings, making them a popular choice as an overspill from your main fridge freezer.

However, some Mumsnet users find that chest freezers get disorganised (with bags of veg and Tupperware often getting lost at the bottom). Depending on the model, they can also require more floor space than slimmer, upright appliances.

Upright freezers

Tall, vertical freezers with front-opening doors, upright freezers are the most popular choice for families. They can also be integrated to sit behind your kitchen doors for a clean, modern look in your kitchen.

While they tend to be more expensive than chest freezers, upright freezers can be easier to organise, often benefiting from a combination of drawers and shelves.

Undercounter freezers

As the name suggests, undercounter freezers sit beneath your kitchen countertop. While their capacity can vary, these more compact designs are generally best suited to couples and smaller households. 

Which size freezer is best?

The right size freezer for your home will depend on the size of your family and the amount of food you intend to store.

As a general rule, one bag of shopping holds around 10 to 20 litres of food. For smaller households or couples, a 100 to 200-litre capacity freezer should be sufficient. Larger households or those who like to batch cook may prefer a capacity of 200 litres and above. As an overflow or a second freezer in your home, you may be willing to consider smaller capacities of less than 100 litres. 

You should also pay attention to the dimensions and the gaps needed for airflow around the appliance; these usually need to be three inches, and they will prevent the compressor from overheating.

What to consider when shopping for the best freezer

As well as the type of freezer, here are some things you may want to consider when making your decision:

• Capacity: Generally, the bigger the freezer, the more space it will have for food. Capacity is measured in litres and can range from 80 litres (around three to four shopping bags) in an undercounter freezer to over 400 litres (24 shopping bags) in a large chest freezer. Remember that a partially empty freezer space is less energy efficient than a full one, so don’t be tempted to buy bigger than you regularly need.

• Integrated or freestanding?: If you want a seamless look in your kitchen with no visible appliances, you should choose an integrated model that sits neatly behind a cupboard door. Integrated freezers tend to be more expensive, and you must check which type of hinge you need, fixed or sliding. However, opting for a freestanding model will allow you more flexibility and choice.

• Frost-free/no frost: Manually defrosting a freezer can be time-consuming and messy. Luckily, frost-free models save you this hassle by preventing ice build-up. They do tend to be more expensive than manual defrost freezers though.

• Layout: Freezer drawers are more manageable to organise but tend to have less capacity, whereas shelves can be challenging to keep neat. Clear drawers are preferable, allowing you to see what you’ve stashed inside and easily grab what you need.

What is the best freezer temperature?

According to the Food Standards Agency, you should keep your freezer at a rather chilly -18°C.

Can I put a freezer in a garage or an outbuilding?

It depends on the model. Some freezers won’t work at temperatures below 5°C, so if you place them outside the home, your warranty will be void.

A freezer suitable for unheated buildings, such as garages, will continue to run without issue up to -15°C.

What’s the best way to defrost a freezer?

Many modern freezers use frost-free technology, meaning you don’t need to defrost your freezer to keep it running at its best. For manual defrost models, it is recommended you defrost your freezer at least once every 12 months to clear ice that builds up on the interior. We recommend that you run down the contents as much as possible before defrosting so that you have less to store elsewhere.

The steps to follow to successfully defrost your freezer are:

• Turn off your appliance - Unplug it at the wall for safety. 

• Empty the contents - This is a good opportunity to defrost food and use it for your next meal, but as many foods shouldn't be frozen again after thawing, you may need to beg your neighbours or use a cool box and ice block to temporarily store any remaining items.

• Remove shelves or baskets and leave the door open - This is to fully expose the whole interior of the appliance.

• Layer towels at the base - Place them ready to mop up any water as the ice melts. You can expect defrosting to take up to 24 hours depending on how thick the ice has built up. 

• Wipe down the interior - When the inside is free from ice, use the opportunity to give the inside a clean, wiping down all walls with a mild disinfectant or soapy warm water.

How we chose the best freezer

Recommendations from real Mumsnet users 

To find the best freezers for busy, hungry families, we first sought out the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users to get their feedback on the freezer brands that they have purchased, rate highly and would recommend to others based on their experiences.

Expert opinions

Next up, we scoured recent freezer reviews to see feedback from trusted industry experts as well as to learn more about what was new to the market. We want to be confident that the products we suggest are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning products or those that are well regarded in the marketplace, including those recommended by consumer champions.

Authentic consumer reviews

Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best freezers on the market, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, AO, Currys and John Lewis to get wider consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist.

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising expert guidance and authentic consumer feedback to help people make confident purchase decisions. 

Lucy is our resident kitchen expert and has written numerous articles for Mumsnet on everything from the best American fridge freezers to the most energy-efficient dishwashers, so she knows a thing or two about selecting the right appliances for your home.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.

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