The Best Freezers

Buying Guide

Whether you like to prepare soups and stews in bulk and freeze them to have on busy weeknights or need to have large boxes of burgers and chicken nuggets on hand for quick and easy meals, a freezer is a valuable gadget to have in the kitchen. While freezers attached to fridges give you some space, it’s never enough to freeze all the things you need to. A stand-alone freezer provides your family with more flexibility and usability so you never have to worry about having enough freezer space.

When it comes to freezers, there are two main types to consider: upright and chest. An upright freezer is configured similar to a fridge, so it takes up less floor space as it is vertical. There are shelves and bins inside so it’s easier to organize your food and find what you need quickly. Upright freezers have a major con, which is that they enable more cold air to circulate around food, leading to higher chances of freezer burn. These types of freezers are typically available in multiple finishes, such as stainless steel and slate.

Chest freezers are horizontally configured and take up more floor space. They have a wide open area with a few hanging baskets, so you have a lot of usable space to play with. However, these types of freezers can be hard to organize, especially when everything is stacked on top of each other. While this causes less freezer burn, you may end up forgetting about food at the bottom of the freezer.

Be sure to think about where you will place the freezer carefully, because once it’s in place it will not be easy to move. While many people prefer to put the extra freezer in a basement or garage, it’s important to keep temperature top of mind. Most freezers should not be exposed to temperatures above 110° Fahrenheit or below 0° Fahrenheit, otherwise they could be damaged.

• What size of freezer will you need? This depends on how many people you typically feed, how much extra food you like to have on hand and how often you shop for food. Freezers usually come in variations of three different sizes. Small freezers have a capacity of five to nine cubic feet, medium freezers have a capacity of 12 to 18 cubic feet and large freezers have a capacity of over 18 cubic feet.
• With a freezer full of food, the last thing you want is a power blackout or brownout. In most cases, freezers can keep food frozen without power for about 24 hours if the door remains shut. In some cases, upright freezers begin to lose temperature more quickly, at around nine hours. This is important to consider if you live in an area that frequently has power outages.
• Do you need to minimize the amount of frost in the freezer? Then you’ll have to open the door less often and for a smaller amount of time. When the door opens, moisture gets inside. Be sure to have a freezer inventory list on the door and keep it updated so you know what’s inside. This way, you’ll be less likely to open the door and glance inside because you will already know what the contents are.
• If you’re having issues with freezer burn, it could be because the food is not wrapped properly. It’s best to have at least a couple of layers of plastic wrapping, especially on meat.