table top

09:05 Jun 20, 2014 

Thanks for all the precious info!

21:23 Jun 19, 2014 

Your first reference shows a freezer that HAS a table top, or workspace/counter.

16:45 Jun 19, 2014 

Makes more sense now:) Thx!

16:42 Jun 19, 2014 

To answer part of your question: 'surface-top' can indeed mean the same thing, though the term is perhaps the least common of all we have seen.

The kind of work surfaces one finds in a kitchen are known as 'worktop' or 'work surface' in the UK, but 'counter (top)' in the US.

However, smaller appliances designed not to be placed on the floor are almost always called 'table-top' — this is an historical relic, as long before the period of fitted kitchens, in the days when things like TVs were in large, heavy, floor-standing cabinets, the alternative was not unnaturally 'table-top'.

These appliances are not necessarily especially light, but contrast with the full-height models that could only stand on the floor. In addition, for certain types of appliance, one may find for example that the controls are repositioned to be more accessible when the appliance is mounted at work-top height.

15:31 Jun 19, 2014 

Got it;) So, after all, it is a freezer that can sit on a table. The term was also discussed in the EN-RO pair, and I had doubts about translating it with the meaning of "placeable on a table" - because there are so many images of "table top freezers" too large to be placed on a table...:)

15:23 Jun 19, 2014 

@Claudia - the first reference is a badly translated site (India), so that means nothing. The second one is a table top unit, it's just a rather larger one than usual.

15:21 Jun 19, 2014 

If table-top means it could sit on a table, how could anyone explain this:
http://www.chillingsystem.com/table-top-freezer.htm
or this
http://www.seg-electronics.de/en/household-appliance/cooling...
And is a "surface top freezer" actually a "table top freezer" ?

14:21 Jun 19, 2014 

'Table top' should not be taken literally, it can be a counter or any other piece of furniture. The key is that it is smaller and lighter in weight than a regular appliance, it does not sit on the floor, and it is not built in.

14:10 Jun 19, 2014 

I agree with JaneD because she gave the exact meaning. It means "small" it doesn't have to sit on a table because it can also sit atop a counter or a cabinet or another appliance, etc.