Well if you are only running small loads you can get away with a small generator but just remember the start current for fridges and freezers is way above what the run current is and it is a pure inductive load at start up which is the hardest of all on generators. I bought a small "suitcase" style 1000 watt 4 stroke Honda clone to use in a portable situation and unless it was fully warmed up it wouldn't even start a 4 inch angle grinder without stalling. I run a 2.5kVa Honda as a back up power unit for my place, I'm on stand alone solar in the bush, and it will happily run a fridge freezer, computer, 32" TV and even the Espresso machine, all at once. It has a fairly large tank and is pretty efficient, will run all day on a single tank of fuel. One thing you could consider is putting in some batteries and an inverter/charger that had automatic changeover when the power went out and then you could get away with a quite small generator to recharge the batteries if the power was out for an extended time.
