The very old non-condensing tumble dryer that I haven't got-round
(bothered) fixing this time round is currently taking up space that
could contain a desktop or under counter freezer (it's on a shelf over
the WM) and I'm both torn to go 'under counter size over 'counter top'
for better VFM (capacity and energy consumption for capacity) and as
long as the top section is just a flap rather than a draw, the height
shouldn't be an issue (especially for me as I'm both 6'2" tall and do
all the cooking ...). ;-)

The big question if I go under counter size is is the 'Frost free' or
'Self defrosting' (assuming they are the same?) ... worth having?

I can't say manually defrosting the very old Zanussi under-counter
freezer has ever really been a big issue and it doesn't even get done
very often (but probably less frequently than it really should for
good efficiency).

So is self defrosting one of those 'must have' features or just 'ok
when it works'?

The additional question of spending more on something that has a
better energy rating takes us into the unknown ... how long it might
last over the extra cost and any potential savings on running costs
and could be impacted by the whole 'self defrosting' thing. What
happens when that stops working ... is it then worse than a non
self-defrosting model?

Cold temperature working could be relevant, as could the fast freeze
feature (when doing a big frozen shop).

So, what experiences of any of the above do the panel have please?

Cheers, T i m