Home » Product Reviews » Freezers » Under Counter Freezer » Russell Hobbs Table Top RHTTFZ0E1B Mini Freezer review
The Russell Hobbs RHTTFZ0E1B is a compact, tabletop mini freezer designed to give you a bit of extra frozen storage without needing to reshuffle your whole kitchen. With a 31-litre capacity, it is aimed squarely at small homes, student flats and anyone who needs overflow space for batch cooking or frozen treats.
Russell Hobbs is well known in the UK for practical, budget-friendly appliances, and this model follows that formula: simple, no-frills freezing at an accessible price. It skips the bells and whistles but covers the basics well.
With an impressive 4.7 out of 5 rating from over 1,100 owner reviews, it is clearly a well-liked little workhorse, especially for the money and the small footprint.
This mini freezer is ideal for anyone short on space but desperate for more freezer room. If you live in a flat, studio or shared house and can’t squeeze in a full under-counter freezer, its compact footprint and 49.2cm height make it easy to perch on a worktop, shelf or even a sturdy table.
It also suits households that already have a main freezer but regularly run out of room. The 31-litre capacity is roughly a full carrier bag of shopping, so it’s perfect as an overflow freezer for batch-cooked meals, extra bread, chips or ice cream.
Budget-conscious buyers should find it appealing too. It keeps the feature list sensible, which helps keep the price low while still offering a proper 4-star freezer that can safely store food long-term.
If you’re after advanced features like frost free technology, digital displays or fast freeze modes, this won’t be the right choice. But as a straightforward, reliable extra freezer for everyday use, it’s very well targeted.
The 31-litre capacity is a sweet spot for a tabletop model: big enough to be useful, but small enough to sit neatly on a counter or in a tight corner. Two internal compartments make it much easier to separate items, so you’re not just piling everything into one deep box.
A proper 4-star freezer rating means it’s suitable for long-term storage, not just ice cubes and short-term bits. That makes it far more versatile than some very basic mini freezers.
The reversible door is a genuinely practical touch, letting you swap the hinge to the left or right. That flexibility can be the difference between it fitting comfortably or not at all in small kitchens.
Power failure safe storage for up to 16 hours is a standout at this price point. In a power cut, your food should stay safely frozen for most of the day, which offers real peace of mind.
User feedback is a major plus: a 4.7/5 rating from over 1,000 reviews suggests strong reliability and satisfaction with day-to-day performance.
This is a manual-defrost freezer with a static cooling system, so you’ll need to defrost it periodically. There’s no frost free system, which some buyers may expect, even in smaller models.
With an E energy rating and 147 kWh annual consumption, it’s not the most efficient mini freezer on the market. Running costs are still modest due to the small size, but if energy efficiency is your top priority, you might want to compare alternatives.
There’s no interior light, display, temperature warning or open-door alert. None of these are essential, but they do highlight the fact that this is a very basic, functional appliance.
The 1-year manufacturer’s warranty is on the short side. Many large appliances now offer longer cover, so it would be nice to see at least two years here.
Day to day, the RHTTFZ0E1B is about as straightforward as a freezer gets. You plug it in, set it up on a stable surface, and it quietly gets on with the job. With a noise level of 41 dB, it’s audible but not intrusive, roughly in line with a quiet under-counter fridge, so it should be fine in open-plan spaces or bedsits.
The compact dimensions (H49.2 x W47.2 x D45 cm) and adjustable feet make it simple to position on a level surface, even in older kitchens where worktops aren’t perfectly flat. At this size it’s easy to move around if you decide to rejig your layout, though you’ll want to empty it first.
Inside, the two compartments and metal shelf give a bit of structure to your storage so items are less likely to avalanche when you open the door. There are no complicated controls or modes – just basic temperature adjustment – which many users will appreciate.
The main bit of maintenance is defrosting. Because there’s no frost free system, ice will build up over time and you’ll need to occasionally switch it off, let it thaw and wipe it clean. With a 31-litre cavity this isn’t a huge job, but it is worth factoring into your expectations.
As a 4-star freezer with a 31-litre net capacity, the Russell Hobbs RHTTFZ0E1B is fully capable of freezing fresh food and keeping it safely stored for the long term. It’s best thought of as an extra drawer of your main freezer rather than a full replacement – ideal for top-up shops and overflow storage.
The static cooling system is simple and reliable, maintaining an even temperature in a small cavity. While it does mean manual defrosting, there’s less to go wrong compared with more complex frost free systems. The climate classification of N-ST means it’s designed to work properly in typical UK room temperatures, from 16°C up to 38°C, which covers most kitchens and utility rooms.
The reversible door is a real usability feature, especially in tight spaces. Being able to choose which way it opens gives much more flexibility for tucking it under a counter, next to a cupboard or in a utility corner without blocking walkways.
Power failure safe storage for up to 16 hours is arguably the headline feature. If the power goes off overnight or while you’re at work, your food should stay frozen for a good stretch of time, helping reduce waste and stress.
Beyond that, the spec sheet is deliberately basic: no digital display, no fast-freeze button, no alarms or child lock. In a crowded category of under-counter and mini freezers, this model positions itself as a simple, dependable option rather than a feature-packed one.
At its price point, this Russell Hobbs mini freezer represents strong value for anyone who needs extra space but doesn’t want to invest in a full-size unit. You’re paying for compact, practical freezing rather than smart features, and on that front it delivers.
The feature set is basic, but crucially you get a 4-star freezer rating, reversible door and 16-hour power failure protection – not always guaranteed at the budget end of the market. Those touches lift it above the very cheapest, no-name mini freezers.
The running costs, while not class-leading due to the E energy rating, remain reasonable thanks to the modest 31-litre capacity. For most households, the convenience of extra freezer space will outweigh the small difference in annual electricity use.
The very strong owner rating of 4.7/5 from over 1,100 reviews is a major part of the value story. When that many people report being happy with reliability and performance, it makes the purchase feel like a safe bet.
The Russell Hobbs RHTTFZ0E1B is a well-judged mini freezer that does exactly what most people want from a tabletop model: it adds genuinely useful extra freezing space without demanding much room or money. Its compact size, reversible door and straightforward controls make it very easy to slot into small kitchens, student digs or busy family homes that just need a bit more freezer capacity.
You do have to accept a few compromises. There’s no frost free system, the energy rating is only E, and the warranty is limited to one year. If you want a feature-rich, ultra-efficient freezer, you’ll need to look higher up the price ladder.
For anyone who simply wants reliable, compact extra storage with strong owner satisfaction behind it, this Russell Hobbs model is a very solid choice and one of the more sensible budget buys in the mini freezer category.