Altimo vs Hotpoint Freezers

Altimo and Hotpoint overlap at the undercounter and tall end of the market. Altimo's AFZ5542W undercounter costs £159 and its AFZ1435542W tall freezer £219, while Hotpoint's 102-litre H55ZM1120W undercounter is £249 and its 228-litre UH6F2CG frost-free tall freezer is £449. Hotpoint's 263-litre freestanding UH8F2CWUK is £489, which puts it well above the Altimo tall model but offers more frost-free convenience.

Hotpoint's main technical advantage is frost-free operation on its tall models, which removes manual defrosting, along with Fast Freeze that drops the temperature to -24°C. Its range also includes adjustable shelves, removable drawers and door balconies, and most models carry A+ to A+++ energy ratings. Altimo's freezers are simpler, with manual defrosting and basic controls, and the brand is white only. Hotpoint's H55ZM1120BUK offers a black finish at the same £249 as the white model.

Altimo suits students, flats and anyone who wants the lowest price for occasional overflow food, accepting that defrosting is a regular chore. Hotpoint suits families who want a frost-free tall freezer for batch cooking, and its standard 1-year guarantee can be extended to 5 years. Running costs matter because a freezer runs all year, and Hotpoint estimates a typical A++ model costs £30 to £45 a year to run. Choose capacity to match what you actually freeze. Hotpoint's frost-free range suits a kitchen where the freezer is opened often, since no ice blocks the drawers and the adjustable shelves stay easy to reach.

Bottom line: choose Altimo if you want the lowest price, from £89 to £219, and do not mind manual defrosting. Choose Hotpoint if you want frost-free convenience on a tall model and more capacity, starting at £249 for a 102-litre undercounter and rising to £489 for the 263-litre freestanding freezer.