Rank #2 in Best Chest Freezer 2026: 9 Ranked, and Why 44 Fewer Litres Cost £15 More
Russell Hobbs 198L Freestanding Chest Freezer, White
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
At number 2 in this guide, the Russell Hobbs chest freezer is a 198-litre white, top-opening model with an adjustable thermostat, a wire rack, a counterbalance lid and a listed price of £199.00. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 260 ratings, and it is the one freezer in the guide whose model number does not round the capacity upwards: RH198CF0E1W carries the same 198 litres the spec table lists.
The number worth checking here is the bag. The listing says 198 litres "accommodates up to 11 bags of food shopping" — 18.0 litres per bag. Baridi quotes 142 litres as "over seven bags" (20.3 litres each) and Hisense quotes 297 litres as "16 bags" (18.6 litres each), so the same claimed bag of shopping is being measured 13% smaller on this listing than on Baridi's. Two further figures pull against each other inside the same page: the guarantee is headlined as "up to 5-years" but the free manufacturer guarantee is one year, with four more available on registration, and a bullet headed "energy efficient" quotes an E rating in the same line as a spec table that lists "Energy Star". On price alone, £199.00 buys 198 litres here, against £134.96 for the 143-litre COMFEE' elsewhere in this guide — 55 extra litres for £64.04. Everything on this page is taken from the Amazon listing as supplied, not from testing we carried out ourselves.
How those 260 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.5 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £199.00 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 198 litres |
| Price per litre | £1.01 at the listed price |
| Bag claim | Up to 11 bags, or 18.0 litres a bag |
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5 from 260 ratings |
| Energy rating | E in the bullet; 'Energy Star' in the spec table (as listed) |
| Guarantee | 1 year free, up to 5 years with registration (as listed) |
| Dimensions and weight | (H) 85 x (W) 77 x (D) 56 cm; 25.3 kg |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“I have had my chest freezer for almost 2 years now and I'm happy to give a proper review.This item has been of great service to me, I bought it as an emergency when I needed extra freezer for storage because I was expecting my newborn.It freezes very fast and doesn't accumulate frost. So i don't ever need to defrost it. It is not noisy at all.The capacity is good enough for what I needed it for, my the only thing is that the basket is way too small. Delivery was OK, arrived in good condition as well.I generally love Russell Hobs products and I have no regrets at all.”
Verified purchase“Really good value,Lot more space than I was expectingAnd very economical only uses half a unit a day (apx 15p a day)”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best Chest Freezer 2026: 9 Ranked, and Why 44 Fewer Litres Cost £15 More.
Questions people ask
How many bags of shopping does this chest freezer hold?
The listing states that the 198-litre capacity "accommodates up to 11 bags of food shopping", which works out at 18.0 litres per bag.
What energy rating does it have?
The bullet headed "energy efficient" states an E rating, while the spec table separately lists "Specification Met: Energy Star" (as listed).
How long is the guarantee?
The listing headlines "up to 5-years guarantee": a free one-year manufacturer guarantee, with an additional four years available on registering the product. The spec table lists "Product Warranty: 5 year manufacturer".
Can the Russell Hobbs chest freezer go in a garage or outbuilding?
The title says it is suitable for outbuildings and garages, and one reviewer who keeps theirs in a garage describes it as an overflow freezer that is compact but fits a lot in.
Does it need defrosting?
It is a manual-defrost chest freezer: the listing includes a drain hole at the front, described as making defrosting a hassle-free task. One owner reports no frost build-up in almost two years of use.
What does it cost to run?
The listing gives no running-cost figure, only the E rating. One reviewer estimates it uses "half a unit a day (apx 15p a day)".
Comments
Reader comments are not checked against the manufacturer's claims above.
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