HELP : are those mini-Freezer units any good?

Need to measure the interior, very carefully, and make sure your relative will fit!

Not quite what I had in mind…..

Very droll, Aunty.

Funnily enough I was looking at freezer reviews on "Which", the other day. alun. I recall there was a very reasonably priced chest freezer at about £125, with a good review. In fact I think it came out top of the ones reviewed. Here's the comments fom "Which".

Lec CF100LW review

The Lec CF100LW is a compact and dirt cheap chest freezer - it's just 60cm wide and you can buy it for less than £150, so it might be ideal if you want a small chest freezer but you're short on space. But is this freezer any good where it counts: freezing food fast and keeping it safely frozen until you're ready to eat it? Read our review to find out.

This is a fantastic little chest freezer that packs a powerful punch where it counts: it's great at freezing food and keeping it safely preserved around the clock.

What is it?
A budget chest freezer with a counter-balanced lid, so you won't have to hold it open while you're rummaging around in the freezer's depths. Like most chest models it's not frost-free, so you'll have to defrost it when ice builds up.

This freezer is of similar dimensions to an under-counter model. We measured 97 litres of usable space inside which is a good 20 litres more than most conventional under-counter freezers offer. It has a wire basket suspended over the main cavity - ideal for storing small or frequently used items.

What's it great at?
The faster food freezes the more nutrients it retains and the longer it will last when it thaws. Any fresh food you add to this chest freezer will quickly cool to the target temperature of -18°C - so you can stock up on bulk buys and freeze large batches of leftovers and your food will be as fresh and nutrient-rich as possible when you defrost it.

Once food is safely frozen it will stay that way, no matter if the outside room temperature heats or cools.

You can rely on the recommended thermostat setting to get this freezer running at the perfect temperature for frozen food. We got the best balance between safe temperature and minimal energy use when we turned the thermostat to the 5.5 mark.

If you live in an area that suffers a sporadic electric supply then this model could be a good bet, as it's well-insulated. It'll keep food safely shielded for a day and a half before you'd then have to discard the contents of your freezer.

This freezer is cheap to run for the amount of food you can store inside it, so you shouldn't find it causes any nasty surprises when you open your energy bill.

Is there anything I should watch out for?
No, this is a great freezer.

Is there anything else I should know?
It's not particularly noisy - so you shouldn't find you're constantly listening to it humming and whirring - but there are quieter freezers around.

Should I buy it?
Yes. We can't fault this chest freezer.

Pros: Freezes food quickly, keeps food perfectly frozen in changing room temperatures, protects food for me than 24 hours in a power cut

Cons: Not frost-free

Specification criteria    Specification
Specification
Test Date    8 August 2014
Freezer type    Chest
Size (cm) hxwxd  Refers to the minimum space needed to house the freezer in the middle of a run of kitchen units or corner, including any extra space required for air circulation.    85x59x57
Width size (cm)  Refers to the minimum space needed to house the freezer in the middle of a run of kitchen units or corner, including any extra space required for air circulation.    59
Colour  The colour we give here are the colours of the freezers available at time of testing. Other colours may be released at a later date, so if you're looking for a silver freezer, but we only have the white version, check with the manufacturer. Built in appliances can have the same cupboard door attached to match the rest of your kitchen.    White
Storage volume (litres) Our measurement of the usable space, as opposed to the manufacturers' claims.    98
Energy use
EU energy label  This is given by the manufacturer for energy efficiency. An A+++ indicates the most efficient category. Our previous tests have shown that these ratings are not always accurate, so check our energy costs measurements.    A+
Annual energy cost (£) Our annual energy costs are based on a unit cost of 14.5p per kWh    39
Features
Room temperature range °C  Indicates the range of room temperatures in which the freezer is optimised to work.    10 to 43
Frost-free    No
Number of compartments/drawers    2
High-temperature alarm    No
Testing information
Testing information    This model was tested after we changed our freezer test programme in January 2014. For full details on how we've changed our testing, check out the 'how we test freezers' page - you can find it on the left-hand menu or via the search box above.
Lec CF100LW Next
Lec CF100LWLec CF100LLec CF100L
Lec CF100LW
Launch date: Sep 2012
Which? score: 84%
Top 3 of 18 retailers
Next Domestic Appliances    £139.99
The Co-operative Electrical    £148.99

Thank you Kenny.

All other relevant advice welcomed.

You're very welcome, alunn.

If I can help somebody as I pass this way, mky living will not be in vain.

One thing about freezers is that they work more efficiently/economically when they are full.

Fill plastic bottles with water, to accomplish this.

Cheers AP.

The story I'd heard, possibly wrongly, is that the 'chest' type freezer units were inefficient in comparison with the traditional fridge/freezer type model where the door opens sideways, and more expensive to run. Surely that can't be right?  I'd have thought that in these days of 'energy efficiency' all that would have been long since knocked on the head.