How to Choose a Deep Freezer

While refrigerator freezers are great at keeping a small amount of food frozen, deep freezers have a larger capacity to hold months and even a year’s worth of food. When you have a side-by-side refrigerator, it’s hard to fit in things like pizza boxes. Likewise, a frozen turkey in a top or bottom refrigerator freezer takes up the entire space, leaving room for little else.

The purpose of a deep freezer is to provide plenty of room for several pizza boxes, large cuts of meat and anything you need to keep frozen. What makes a deep freezer different from a regular freezer is the ability to reach temperatures at or below zero degrees, which is much lower than the 32-degree temperature setting of its traditional counterpart. These appliances also have a tighter seal than a fridge freezer which helps preserve food longer.

There are two types of deep freezers: chest and upright. Upright freezers resemble a refrigerator without a freezer on the outside. Inside the vertical freezer are horizontal shelves for organizing food. A chest freezer is wider and shorter and features a large, cavernous storage space.

Which is the best type of deep freezer for you? If you have limited floor space where you intend to place your appliance, an upright freezer is likely the better option. This type of freezer also makes it easier to reach small items. On the other hand, large chest freezers can easily accommodate a whole animal or catch at once, making them essential for many folks who hunt or fish.

Another factor to consider is whether you experience frequent power outages. Chest freezers tend to keep frozen foods colder because items are piled up next to each other. Plus, the seal on this type of deep freezer is usually stronger than that of an upright because there aren’t any gaps due to door hinges.

Naturally, there are advantages that upright freezers have over chest freezer models. For instance, upright deep freezers feature LED lights that help you best see the items inside. Additionally, they are easier to defrost when that time comes. Many people also appreciate being able to have items separated by shelves. Not to mention, it’s easier to find space inside for an upright freezer, while chest freezers are often located in the garage because of their larger footprint.

If you live alone, you might not see the point having a deep freezer. But whether your household is large or small, a deep freezer can help you save money and time. The best time to buy a deep freezer is before you think you’ll need one. That way you’re already prepared to buy in bulk, freeze fresh vegetables and prepare meals in advance for quick dinners later.

Because bulk products offer a lower price per package or pound, you get more bang for your buck. You can even keep an eye out for sales and take advantage of low prices by stocking up. You can also save time before freezing things like ground beef by portioning out several meals’ worth using a vacuum sealer. This method removes the air from around the food, which keeps things fresher and helps to prevent freezer burn. If you shop strategically, you could see a significant drop in your grocery bill, and you’ll enjoy fewer trips to the store.

What’s more, a deep freezer will let you accommodate a large harvest from a backyard or garden. When tending a garden, it’s common to get inundated with too much of the same crop all at once. Suddenly, it feels like you’re eating green beans every night. But with more freezer space, its easy store them for later.

Keep in mind that the sooner you have a chest freezer, the sooner you can cut back on the number of nights you cook meals from scratch. That’s because you can make larger batches of your favorite recipes and store the leftovers in the freezer. When you’ve got a busy weeknight with work, school or extracurricular activities, simply grab a meal out of the deep freezer to thaw and heat up for dinner. If you get organized about your meal prep, you could enjoy healthy homemade food every night while only cooking once or twice a week.

Trying to decide what size of chest freezer or upright freezer to buy can feel overwhelming, given the plethora of options on the market. There are deep freezers as small as one cubic foot and as large as 24 cubic feet. That’s quite a wide spectrum.

Thinking about how many people in your family is a good place to start when narrowing down the different sizes of deep freezers you’re considering. Whether you have one or many kids, there’s one universal truth in your daily life: snacks. Modern parents know the value of having the freezer stocked with chicken nuggets, frozen waffles and popsicles at all times. When figuring out what size of chest freezer is best, factor in how many different food items you’ll want to have at the ready. By now you’ve realized how fast food disappears when you have growing children.

Along those same lines, a popular gift idea for new parents is an upright freezer that has multiple shelves for storing a backup supply of breastmilk or meals made with a baby food maker. But even if you don’t have kids, you’ll likely host dinners for your extended family during holidays and special celebrations. Plan ahead by choosing a deep freezer that has more room than you think you might need; you’ll be surprised at how quickly your chest or upright freezer will fill up and you don’t want to have to upgrade shortly after you bring it home.

It's important to be organized so you can make the most of your additional freezer space. This means labeling the homemade dinners and leftovers you put in the freezer with dates and contents. Also, you should create a storage system that ensures that older items don't get lost in the back or below larger items.

A clever idea is to keep a list near the freezer that records the dates and contents of items you’ve put inside. This helps with energy efficiency because you’re not constantly opening the door or lid to explore your options for dinner. Then when you take something out, just cross off the items as you use them.

In addition to the list that helps you open your freezer door less, there are other steps you can take to conserve energy and keep your electricity bill as low as possible. When shopping, look for freezer models with the yellow ENERGY STAR sticker. Not only have these models earned the certification by meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, but they also might qualify for an appliance rebate, saving you more money.

Furthermore, try to place your freezer in a cool area of your home, such as a basement, where summer heat won’t be as intense. There are also garage-ready freezers that are designed to regulate their temperature whether it’s cool or hot outside. It’s also worth noting that you should never put leftovers or pre-cooked meals that have not yet cooled off completely in your freezer because it makes the motor work harder to keep the temperature regulated, unnecessarily wasting energy.

Now that you know the ins and outs of deep freezers and the advantages of each type, you’re more likely to make a purchase that you feel good about. You don’t want to experience buyers’ remorse because these appliances are built to last.

If you prefer stainless steel over white, there are more models to choose from in the luxury upright freezer category. Most chest freezers are white, although there are some stainless-steel options, albeit with much smaller storage space. But if having more cubic feet at your disposal matters the most, you might not mind the limited color selection.

No matter what decision you arrive at, it’s a good idea to trust the professionals for appliance delivery and installation as deep freezers are extremely heavy. Let the pros safely probably enjoy the benefits so much that you’ll wonder what you did before you had a deep freezer.