Home » Product Reviews » Freezers » Upright Freezer » Fridgemaster MTZ55153E 143cm Small Upright Freezer review
The Fridgemaster MTZ55153E is a 143cm tall upright freezer designed for households that want extra frozen storage without taking over the whole kitchen. With a 153-litre capacity and a narrow 55cm width, it strikes a balance between usable space and a compact footprint.
Fridgemaster generally sits at the budget-friendly end of the market, and this model follows that template: straightforward, no-frills and focused on doing the basics well. It’s not packed with fancy tech, but it does include practical touches like a reversible door and 20-hour power cut protection.
With a 4.8 out of 5 rating from over 1,200 owners, it’s clearly a well-liked choice. The feedback suggests that if you’re after a reliable, simple upright freezer at a sensible price, this one is firmly in the running.
The Fridgemaster MTZ55153E is ideal for small to medium households that need extra freezer space on top of an existing fridge freezer. Its 153-litre capacity (around eight bags of shopping) is generous enough for batch cooking, frozen veg and a good stock of convenience food, without feeling oversized.
It’s a strong option for budget-conscious buyers who want a separate freezer but don’t need premium extras like frost free or digital displays. You’re paying for solid everyday performance rather than advanced tech features.
With a height of 143.4cm and a slim 55cm width, it suits narrower kitchens, utility rooms or garages (within the specified climate class), where a full-height tall freezer might be too imposing. The reversible door makes it particularly handy if you’re working around awkward corners or tight layouts.
If you’re a larger family that buys in bulk every week, or you hate defrosting appliances, you may eventually want something taller or frost free. But for couples, smaller families and anyone adding a second freezer to the home, this model is very well judged.
The 153-litre capacity is a sweet spot for many households, giving you useful extra space without demanding a huge amount of floor area. Five separate compartments make it easy to organise food, so you can keep meat, veg, leftovers and ice cream in their own drawers and actually find what you’re looking for.
Power failure safe storage of up to 20 hours is a real bonus at this price. If there’s a power cut, your food stays safely frozen for a good length of time as long as you keep the door closed, which is reassuring if you tend to keep the freezer fully stocked.
The reversible door and adjustable feet make fitting it into your space much easier. Whether your kitchen layout forces the door to open a particular way or your floor is slightly uneven, the MTZ55153E can be tweaked to suit.
Noise levels of 40 dB are fairly modest for a budget upright freezer, so it should blend into the background hum of a typical kitchen. Combined with simple mechanical temperature controls and a straightforward static cooling system, it’s easy for anyone to get to grips with.
Finally, the very strong user rating and large number of reviews suggest this model has proven reliable in real homes, which is reassuring when you’re entrusting it with a freezer full of food.
The main drawback is that this is not a frost free freezer. As a static cooling model with manual defrost, you’ll need to empty and defrost it periodically to prevent ice build-up, which some buyers may find inconvenient.
The energy rating is E with an annual consumption of around 188 kWh. That’s acceptable for a budget appliance, but not particularly frugal by current standards. If you’re looking to minimise running costs over many years, a more efficient model could be worth considering.
There’s no digital display, temperature warning or over-temperature alert, so you won’t get a visual or audible warning if the door is left ajar or the temperature rises. You simply set the dial and leave it to get on with the job.
The one-year manufacturer warranty is on the short side; some brands offer longer cover on cooling appliances. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s something to be aware of if you like extra peace of mind.
Day-to-day, the Fridgemaster MTZ55153E is straightforward to live with. The front temperature controls are simple and familiar: you turn the dial to your preferred setting and let the freezer settle. There’s no learning curve or complicated menu system to get in the way.
Five drawers give a good sense of order inside. Because the unit is 143.4cm tall rather than full height, access to the top and bottom compartments is easier than on very tall freezers; most people will be able to see and reach everything without stretching or crouching too much.
At 40 dB, the noise is more of a gentle background hum than an intrusive buzz, so it’s perfectly acceptable in an open-plan kitchen-diner. The static cooling system tends to distribute cold air evenly as long as drawers aren’t overloaded, which helps keep food properly frozen.
The trade-off is manual defrosting. Over time, you will see frost and ice build on the walls and in the drawers, so planning an occasional clear-out and defrost session is part of owning this freezer. The compact size makes that task a bit less daunting than with very large uprights, but it is still a job to factor in.
Installation is uncomplicated: you level it using the adjustable feet, set the door to open from the side that suits your room, leave it to stand, then plug it in. With no built-in ice maker or plumbing to worry about, most people will find setup quick and painless.
With a net capacity of 153 litres and a 4-star freezer rating, the MTZ55153E is built for proper long-term storage rather than just short-term freezing. A 4-star rating means it can freeze fresh food and keep it safely stored for extended periods, ideal if you batch cook or buy meat in bulk.
The static cooling system is simple but effective. While it lacks the continuous air circulation of multi-airflow or no-frost systems, it does a solid job of keeping a stable, low temperature throughout the cabinet. The adjustable thermostat lets you tweak the coldness if you find items too soft or too hard-frozen.
Power failure safe storage of up to 20 hours is a stand-out feature in this price bracket. If there’s an outage, the insulation is good enough that food stays safely frozen for most of a day as long as the door remains shut, reducing the anxiety around losing a full freezer’s worth of food during a power cut.
The cabinet design is practical: five compartments give plenty of separation for different food types, and the included ice cube tray is a small but handy extra. The reversible right-hand hinge makes it adaptable for left- or right-opening use, so you’re not forced to arrange your room around the door swing.
There are no smart features, displays or alarms here, and no antibacterial lining or multi-airflow system. This places the MTZ55153E firmly in the “no-nonsense workhorse” category: it prioritises core freezing performance and usable storage over tech-heavy extras.
At its current price, the Fridgemaster MTZ55153E offers strong value for money. You’re getting a decent 153-litre capacity, good internal organisation and reassuring 20-hour power cut protection without paying a premium for features that many households can happily live without.
There are cheaper small freezers on the market, but few combine this size, upright format and such a strong owner satisfaction score. The 4.8/5 rating from well over a thousand reviews suggests that buyers generally feel they’ve had their money’s worth.
Its main compromises – manual defrosting and an E energy rating – are typical at this end of the market, so they don’t significantly undermine the value proposition. If you specifically want frost free or the very lowest running costs, you will need to spend more. For most budget-conscious buyers looking for an extra upright freezer, the MTZ55153E lands in a very appealing sweet spot.
The Fridgemaster MTZ55153E is a quietly capable upright freezer that focuses on what really matters: usable space, straightforward controls and reliable freezing. It won’t wow you with gadgets, but it will hold a family’s frozen essentials in a compact footprint without fuss.
Its combination of 153 litres of storage, five well-laid-out compartments, reversible door and 20-hour power failure protection makes it a practical choice for smaller kitchens, utility rooms or as a second freezer. The overwhelmingly positive user feedback backs up the impression of a dependable, everyday appliance.
If you want frost free technology, ultra-low energy use or a longer warranty, it’s worth considering a higher-spec alternative. But if your priority is a sensibly priced, no-nonsense upright freezer that just gets on with the job, the MTZ55153E is an excellent option.