You’re not alone if you’ve stood in front of a 70/30, 60/40 and 50/50 wall of fridge-freezers thinking, “Just give me the right size.” Most people pick a split, eyeball the litres, and hope. Then six months later the drawers jam with bulk buys, or the ice cream lives next to the frozen peas because there’s no room for anything else. A surprising twist: the “litres” you see on the ticket aren’t the litres you can actually use once drawers, ice makers and bins are in the mix (testing outlets like RTINGS regularly find meaningful gaps). After helping hundreds of Kiwi and Aussie households size their refrigeration, I’ve seen a pattern: capacity regret isn’t about the brand. It’s about the way we size.

\n\n

\n \n

Real-world internals often differ from the glossy litre figure on the spec tag.

\n \n\n

A friend in Brisbane went “sensible” with a 70/30 because it looked balanced. Two Costco trips later, half the frozen food was in the neighbour’s freezer. Sound familiar?

\n\n

Are you asking the wrong question about capacity?

\n\n

The biggest misconception is that there’s a single “right” size by household. There isn’t. The right number is litres per person adjusted by how you shop and cook, then checked against usable space, not just the glossy spec.

\n\n

Think of freezer litres like pantry space: a 300 L pantry filled with awkward drawers doesn’t hold as much as a 250 L open-shelf pantry. Same with freezers. A 150 L upright with drawers and an ice maker may store less than a simpler 130 L chest.

\n\n

Why do people end up unhappy? Because “bigger is better” and “one-size-per-household” ignores:

Shopping rhythm (weekly vs monthly).
Whether you batch-cook or buy in bulk.
Usable vs advertised space.
Where the unit lives (kitchen vs garage and climate class).

\n\n

Smarter questions to ask yourself:

How often do I shop, and how much do I freeze between trips?
Do I bulk-buy meat, fish or garden harvests?
What proportion of the advertised litres are actually usable with drawers and ice hardware?

\n\n

What are the numbers that actually matter?

\n\n

Here’s the rational backbone so you can run the maths with confidence.

\n\n

Per-person rules of thumb vary from roughly 30-100 L depending on habits:\n
- Light frozen-food user: about 30-50 L per person (IKEA guidance).
- Average weekly shopper: roughly 50-75 L per person (midpoint ranges commonly cited).
- Heavy bulk/batch user: about 70-120+ L per person (Appliances Online AU).
\n
Usable space can be 10-30% less than advertised; some designs deliver as little as ~40-75% of the claimed space once drawers and ice hardware are accounted for (RTINGS comparisons).
Combo splits change your actual freezer litres instantly: Freezer litres = Total litres × freezer percentage. A 300 L 60/40 gives ~120 L of freezer; a 50/50 gives ~150 L.
Energy and cost: a fuller freezer holds temp better, while an oversized, half-empty unit costs more to run over years. ENERGY STAR-certified freezers typically beat baseline energy use by ~10%+; in AU/NZ look for higher stars on the Energy Rating Label to cut running costs.
Conversions: 1 cubic foot ≈ 28.317 litres. Litres = cubic feet × 28.317; cubic feet = litres ÷ 28.317.

\n\n

Each of these affects your day-to-day life and your power bill. Overshoot capacity and you’re paying for cold air. Undershoot and you’re making extra grocery runs or fighting freezer burn from overcrowding.

\n\n

What happens when you get it wrong (or right)?

\n\n

Picture a Saturday night. You’re trying to slide a tray of home-made lasagne into a cramped 90 L freezer compartment. Drawers squeal, frost dusts your fingers, the peas avalanche, and you end up re-wrapping the lasagne into three smaller parcels that never stack quite right. Next week you find one at the back with ice crystals and a mystery date. Annoying, a bit wasteful, and it steals time.

\n\n

Now picture the same kitchen with the right capacity and layout. You batch-cook on Sunday, flatten sauces into stackable pouches, stand them like books in a labelled bin, and slide in a box of ice blocks for the kids without Tetris. You shop biweekly, so you’re not mid-week dashing to the servo. Pride replaces the rummage. It’s still just a freezer, but it supports the way your household eats.

\n\n

Maya in Wellington went from a 70/30 to a 50/50 after a winter of garden harvests and soups. She didn’t “go big” overall; she rebalanced the split and gained about 60 L of real freezer space. Happiness came not from more total litres, but from freezer litres that matched her rhythm.

\n\n

What’s the smarter way to choose capacity?

\n\n

Use the FROZE framework to size once and buy right.

\n\n

Family and food style: pick a baseline litres-per-person.\n
- Light user: 30 L/person.
- Typical: 50 L/person.
- Bulk/batch: 90 L/person.
\n
Rhythm of shopping: adjust for cadence.\n
- Weekly = ×1.0
- Fortnightly = ×1.25
- Monthly/bulk = ×1.5 to ×2.0
\n
Organisation/usable space: subtract 10-25% if the model has lots of drawers, an ice maker or narrow shelves. Look for measured “usable” stats in reviews (RTINGS-style testing).
Zero-degree performance: verify it holds −18°C (0°F) under load; if it’s for a garage/shed, check climate class (SN/T) or “garage-ready”.
Efficiency and fit: pick the smallest size that truly covers you, aim for high stars on the AU/NZ Energy Rating Label (or ENERGY STAR where relevant), and measure the cavity plus door swing.

\n\n

\n \n

Organisation multiplies usable space more than a few extra litres ever will.

\n \n\n

Keep these questions handy in store or online:

What is the net freezer volume in litres, and what’s the split?
How many usable litres do the drawers/shelves give me?
What’s the kWh/year and star rating, and at my tariff, what’s that per year?
Will it maintain −18°C when full, and in my room/garage temperature?

\n\n

How do you turn this into a purchase you won’t regret?

\n\n

Step-by-step sizing formula:

Required freezer litres ≈ (baseline L/person) × (household size) × (shopping multiplier) × (batch/bulk multiplier).

\n\n

Baseline picks:

Light user: 30 L/person.
Typical user: 50 L/person.
Bulk/batch user: 90 L/person.

\n\n

Multipliers:

Weekly = 1.0; fortnightly = 1.25; monthly/bulk = 1.5-2.0.
Add 10-50% if you batch-cook, hunt/fish, or freeze garden produce regularly.

\n\n

Worked examples:

Couple, weekly, typical: 50 × 2 × 1.0 = ~100 L.
Family of four, fortnightly, heavy/batch: 90 × 4 × 1.25 = ~450 L. You’re in large upright/chest territory or a combo plus a separate freezer (Appliances Online AU).
Single, light, weekly: 30 × 1 × 1.0 = ~30 L. A compact compartment or small standalone is fine.

\n\n

Quick reference for common households (rounded):

Light user: 30 L × people (weekly). Example: 2 people ≈ 60 L.
Typical user: 50 L × people. Example: 4 people ≈ 200 L.
Bulk/batch user: 90 L × people. Example: 4 people ≈ 360 L (consider >350 L or an extra freezer).

\n\n

Fridge-freezer split on a 300 L combo:

70/30: ~210 L fridge, ~90 L freezer (fresh‑food focused).
60/40: ~180 L fridge, ~120 L freezer (balanced).
50/50: ~150 L fridge, ~150 L freezer (freezer-priority).

\n\n

Using totals and splits:

Freezer litres = Total litres × freezer percentage. If you need 200 L of freezer and you’re considering a 300 L 60/40, 300 × 0.40 = 120 L. That won’t cut it; look for 50/50 or add a standalone.

\n\n

Adjusting for usable space:

For drawer-heavy models or those with ice makers, assume 10-25% less usable space than advertised unless you can find measured internals (RTINGS). If the spec says 150 L, plan on roughly 115-135 L usable.

\n\n

Converting specs:

Litres = cubic feet × 28.317

Cubic feet = litres ÷ 28.317

\n\n

When to prioritise freezer vs fridge:

Go bigger on freezer (50/50 or separate unit) if you bulk-buy proteins, batch-cook, or shop monthly; aim 70-90 L per person as a starting point (Appliances Online AU).
Favour fridge space (70/30 or 80/20) if you mostly eat fresh, host often, and freeze just staples (IKEA’s 30-50 L/person is usually enough).

\n\n

Energy, access and layout trade-offs:

Chest freezers are often more energy-efficient because cold air doesn’t spill out when you open the lid, but uprights make it easier to find and rotate food. Pick energy savings vs convenience based on your household.
A fuller freezer is generally more stable and efficient; aim for around three-quarters full so air can still circulate. Overpacking harms temperature distribution.
In AU/NZ, compare star ratings and kWh/year on the Energy Rating Label; choosing the smallest freezer that truly fits your needs saves money every year. ENERGY STAR listings (where used) typically beat minimum standards by ~10%+.

\n\n

Controversies to be aware of:

Litres-per-person ranges differ because cultures shop differently and some advice assumes a separate freezer. Your own habits beat any generic rule (IKEA vs retailer guides).
“Bigger reduces waste” vs “bigger wastes power” is a live debate. The winner is the size you keep organised and well-used at your electricity price (ENERGY STAR and energy.gov perspectives).
Manufacturers’ “total” vs “usable” litres can diverge. Look for independent measurements and examine the internal layout before buying (RTINGS-style testing).

\n\n

Purchase and measuring checklist:

Track frozen use for 2-4 weeks: list items and volumes.
Calculate litres: baseline × people × multipliers.
For combos: Freezer litres = total × freezer%; then subtract 10-25% for a usable estimate if drawer-heavy.
Check efficiency: high AU/NZ star rating (or ENERGY STAR), and consider chest vs upright based on energy vs access.
Measure the cavity: width, height, depth, ventilation clearance, and door swing. For garages/sheds, check climate class or “garage-ready”.
Temperature: confirm it holds −18°C under load; keep a thermometer inside.

\n\n

Don’t start with the appliance. Start with your rhythm. Run the FROZE framework, do the two-minute calculation, pick the split that delivers the freezer litres you actually need, and sanity-check usable space. You’ll shop less often, waste less food, and your freezer will finally work the way your household does.

How Big Should Your Freezer Be? (AU/NZ)