How to Choose a Freezer for Raw Dog Food

Choose a freezer around the actual packs you plan to store, the usable space inside it and the room where it will run. There is no dependable kilograms-to-litres rule for a raw food order: packaging, pack shape, drawers, baskets and space for other food all affect what fits.

Start with your order, not the freezer's advertised litres

Write down your dog's established daily food amount and how many days you want each order to cover. Daily grams × days ÷ 1,000 gives the net kilograms needed. Use the feeding amount already appropriate for your dog, rather than choosing a ration to fit a freezer.

For help with portions, use the raw plan builder as a starting recommendation and check the food label and your dog's individual needs. Our monthly raw food cost guide covers the separate question of food budgets.

Plan around the Southcliffe packs you actually buy

A standard Southcliffe mixed box holds 24 × 454g blocks: 10.896kg of food. A 30-block box holds 13.62kg. Those figures describe food weight, not the size of the delivery box or guaranteed freezer capacity.

Compare the 24-block complete-labelled mixed box and 24-block complementary mixed box before choosing. They share a block count but have different feeding roles. The pack comparison below also sets out the net weights of 3-, 5- and 10-box deals.

• Measure the sealed packs you intend to buy and the usable width, depth and height of each drawer or basket.
• Check whether the packs fit through the opening and sit comfortably without forcing the drawer or lid shut.
• Allow for dividers, baskets, appliance ventilation requirements and any other food you store.
• Keep individual labels and sealed food packaging intact when unpacking an outer delivery carton.
• Trial a smaller order before committing to a large bulk deal if the available space is uncertain.

A nominal 100-litre or 200-litre freezer is not a promise that a particular deal will fit. Ask for the relevant pack dimensions if you do not yet have a pack to measure, then check them against your chosen appliance.

Chest freezer or upright freezer?

Either layout can work. Compare the actual model, dimensions and energy information instead of assuming that every chest freezer uses less electricity or that every upright model has the same usable space.

Check temperature, location and running costs

The Food Standards Agency's freezing guidance recommends a freezer around −18°C. Follow the food label and appliance instructions, and use a freezer thermometer to check the temperature. A small ice compartment is only suitable if its specification meets the food's storage requirements.

If the freezer will stand in a garage or outbuilding, check the manufacturer's permitted ambient temperature range for that model. Check the installation clearances, access to a suitable power supply and the space needed to open it. A model being sold as a freezer does not establish that it is suitable for every room.

Compare annual energy use on the product information sheet. Estimated annual cost is annual kWh × your own electricity unit price in pounds. This is a comparison using your tariff, not a fixed running-cost promise.

Keep stock visible and avoid ordering more than fits

Keep a simple count by recipe or batch, use older suitable packs first and check the dates on each label. Store pet food separately from food for people. A dedicated drawer or freezer can help organisation, but it does not replace good hygiene.

Read our raw dog food storage and defrosting checklist for the freezer-to-bowl routine. If a delivery arrives partly thawed, follow the delivery arrival checks rather than assuming that putting it in the freezer settles a safety concern.

You can also plan a smaller order more often instead of buying a larger freezer immediately. Check delivery and collection options and how repeat deliveries work. Choose the food type, quantity and delivery frequency that suit both your dog and the space you actually have.