FREEZER BUYING GUIDE

Throughout this guide dashed links will take you to filtered product lists.

 

INTRODUCTION

Let's take a look at some of the features and factors you should consider when buying a freezer.

STEP 1: PICK A STYLE, ANY STYLE

Start by thinking about how your family plans to use the freezer. Will you be storing a few weeks worth of food, or a few months' worth? What kind of food will you store – packaged food that is easily stacked, or sides of venison you prepare yourself? Will you dig into it every day, or only occasionally? This will help give you an idea of what feature tradeoffs will be important to you.

Upright Freezers: Upright freezers are designed to open like a refrigerator, and take up considerably less floor space than chest freezers. The major benefit of this style is that it includes shelves and storage containers that make it easy to keep your food organized. Shelves let you to see the food, making it easier to manage and to take out specific items quickly. The downside is that shelves can reduce the amount of useable space within in the freezer by about twenty percent. In the event of power loss, upright freezers don't maintain freezing temperatures quite as long as chest freezers do.

Chest Freezers: If you want the maximum internal storage space for a given-size unit, then a chest freezer is what you want. These models can hold more food per square foot  than their upright counterparts. They open like a trunk or suitcase, which keeps the door more tightly sealed. (If you live in an area that is prone to power failures or brownouts, chest freezer will keep your goods frozen for 24 hours or more with the power off.) Chest freezers tend to be more energy efficient than upright models, and they also tend to cost less to buy. On the other hand, the disadvantage of this design is the difficulty of organizing the food inside the freezer. You will find yourself having to pull goods out in order to reach foods at the bottom. Removable baskets are a big help here. Most chest freezers are only available with manual defrost configurations. 

You will also need to decide between the manual defrost or automatic defrost configurations. Manual defrost models are more energy efficient and quieter in operation; but several times a year you will have to take all the food out and turn off the freezer for several hours to defrost it. To make defrosting easier, you should put these models close to a drain.

Automatic defrost models don't require this maintenance because they remove the ice buildup automatically. Each day, a timed system sends warm air over the cooling coils, where frost forms, warming the coils to just above freezing so the ice on the coils melts. The system then returns to its chilling task. The advantage is obvious: no more manual defrosting. On the other hand, frost-free or automatic-defrosting freezers use more electricity, and the slight warming of the interior compartment during the defrosting cycle means frozen foods don't last quite as long as they do in a freezer without this feature.

STEP 2: FITTING YOUR FAMILY’S NEEDS – CAPACITY AND FLEXIBILITY          

After you have chosen a style of freezer, then you need to determine what size freezer your family needs. Freezers are available in four sizes: compact (5 cubic feet), small (6-9 cubic feet), medium (12-18 cubic feet), and large (more than 18 cubic feet).

A general rule of thumb is to multiply the number of people in your family by 1.5 cubic feet. Also, one cubic foot in a freezer can hold about 35 pounds worth of food, which will help you make calculations if you like to buy food in bulk.

For maximum efficiency, you should keep your freezer at least three-quarters full.

STEP 3: ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Here are some common desirable extra features.

Interior Lights: Almost all upright freezers and some chest models have interior lights which make it easier to both see and organize the food.

External Power Indicator: Assures you that the freezer is on without you having to check by opening the door and letting the cold air out.

Door Lock: This feature keeps your feature tightly sealed both preventing your food from spoiling and conserving energy at the same time. If you have small children you will want to strongly consider a model with door locks as a safety feature because it can keep kids from leaving the door open and spoiling the food or from accidentally falling inside of the chest models. Note: Another safety feature designed to protect small children is a child safety latch. This is a removable latch and hook that you can purchase separately from your freezer, and is designed to secure doors to prevent them from being opened by small children.  

Temperature Control: Temperature control allows you to adjust the temperature within the freezer so that it is exactly right for the food you’re storing.

Alarm: Some freezers are equipped with alarms that sound if the temperature within the freezer changes to rapidly. This feature will let you know if you haven’t closed your freezer all the way.

Adjustable Shelves and Storage Baskets: These shelves allow you to organize your food so you can see what is new and old and thus eat accordingly.