Buying a freezer

It's worth remembering that the necessary location for a chest freezer may not be that convenient in terms of kitchen adjacency and that although they sometimes contain a number of wire baskets, they have no internal shelves, so making it trickier to divide the space up into sections for different types of food. 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.

If you require extra freezing space or space is at a premium, you may want consider a small and compact mini freezer.

An integrated freezer has a front panel that matches the rest of your kitchen units, so when the door is closed, the freezer will be completely hidden.

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.

Temperature
All freezers have a built-in thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temperature, but top of the range models will have this on the outside rather than inside.

Shelves and 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 because the compressor motor doesn't have to work so hard to keep a constant temperature.

We also quote annual running costs; this is calculated by multiplying the number of kW used by the average national cost of electricity + VAT, but please bear in mind these costs may vary according to how much you pay for your local electricity supply.

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.

Please remember that in your home energy consumption may vary from the figure quoted, owing to factors such as how well stocked the appliance is, its location and how well ventilated it is. Make sure your freezer stays airtight by keeping door seals clean.

All refrigeration appliances stocked by John Lewis are free of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons, potentially damaging to the ozone layer), and many are also free of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons, which may have an effect on global warming).

Alternatively, you can take your old appliance to a local recycling centre to be recycled free of charge (visit www.recycle-more.co.uk to find you nearest site).

If you live outside a delivery area, then your new appliance will be delivered by one of our couriers who are unable to collect, so you will need to take your old appliance to a local recycling centre.

When installing your new freezer, keep it upright at all times and allow at least 6 hours for the gases inside to settle before switching on. It is best left overnight to reach the correct temperature before being loaded with food.

Note: manufacturers do not recommend you keep a freezer in the garage or any other outbuilding, as it may have to use much more energy. Most models require a minimum ambient temperature of 10°C (50°F) to operate efficiently. If the outside temperature is any lower, the freezer will struggle to keep your food chilled – it may even start to defrost. If it does break down, the appliance may not be covered by the guarantee.

Large American style fridge freezers are becoming increasingly fashionable, because of both their huge capacities and dynamic styling. They are tall and normally configured side by side with doors opening in opposite directions from the centre. They're frost free and may have several cool zones at different temperatures. The freezer section usually has ice and chilled water dispensers but the appliance must of course be plumbed in within one metre of a water supply. Do bear in mind the sheer size of the evaporator in these large appliances will create a slightly higher level of background noise.

Click here for the fridges buying guide for more information