Best Chest Freezer To Buy

"To achieve a well-organized and decluttered freezer, skip the boxes and place frozen items directly into freezer bins," says Trent Jacobi, Executive Director of Product Management for Refrigeration at GE Appliances. For sauces and liquids, allow the food to freeze flat in a plastic bag to then place in a storage bin that prevents them from slipping. Label it right away with the contents and expiration date using masking tape and marker. To avoid freezer burn and frost, fill at least one half of your freezer."

best chest freezer to buy

"Turn the temperature control off and unplug the freezer. Remove all food from the freezer. Food may be temporarily stored in large, corrugated boxes, insulated bags, picnic coolers, etc. Use towels and newspapers for insulation as needed. Some chest freezers have a convenient drain at the front with a hose adaptor. Check the owner's manual for specific model information," says Jacobi.

This depends on your model. GE's upright and chest freezers. "The exact amps that an individual freezer draws are listed on the rating plate and should be used if placing the freezer on a generator or other auxiliary power source," says Jacobi. "Freezers typically draw extra current during start-up, approximately twice the running amp draw. The freezer should be on a dedicated circuit. This is recommended for best performance and to prevent the overloading of house wiring circuits."

Chest freezers generally all perform about the same and tend to be reliable, so any model you buy should work fine. That said, we like the GE FCM11PHWW because it has all the most critical features you should expect from a chest freezer, including a power-on indicator light, a safety lock to keep kids out, and an interior light. It also has leveling legs for uneven flooring, three sliding storage baskets, and front temperature controls.

Chest freezers, which look sort of like coffins, are great for this purpose because they offer more usable space than upright freezers, tend to cost less, use less energy, and better avoid freezer burn.

The amount of storage space may not sound like much compared with that of our upright picks, but chest freezers offer more usable space per capacity, so those 10.6 cubic feet go a lot further than they would in an upright model. If you want more space, look at our runner-up pick.

Some people may find the manual defrost system to be a hassle, but all chest freezers need to be manually defrosted. The trade-off, compared with a frost-free system, is that you have a lower risk of freezer burn, less energy use overall, and a lower price.

When defrosting the machine, keep the door open, remove the drain plug, and place a pan beneath it to collect meltwater. The process will probably take several hours. Make sure the interior is completely dry (using paper towels) before turning the freezer back on, as any leftover water will just refreeze as frost once the freezer gets back down to 0 F.

If you like cooking make-ahead meals to save time on busy weeknights, purchasing meat and other groceries in bulk, or satisfying your insatiable ice cream cravings, then a chest freezer is just about the best investment you can make. But, like with any major appliance purchase, there are things to consider to ensure you get the best chest freezer for your particular needs.

To help keep things visible and organized, this freezer comes with two rust-resistant sliding baskets that not only maximize storage space, but also keep different types of food grouped together. This large, sturdy unit comes on rolling caster wheels, which makes it easy to move when you need to clean the floors. A small drain located on the bottom makes it easy to drain out excess water when defrosting.

This compact chest freezer measures barely over 21-inches wide, making it one of the best chest freezers for small kitchens. Two hanging wire baskets help maximize every square inch of storage space, and a hinged lid will keep the top open when you need to move them aside to grab things that are stored down at the very bottom.

If you live in an area with frequent power outages, a power-on indicator light will let you know when your freezer is running just as it should, and when you need to keep the lid shut until the power comes back on. An alarm will warn you if the freezer temperature is rising, so you can always be sure your deep-frozen foods are staying in tip-top condition. Next, invest in these products that make freezing food easier.

Keeping your chest freezer organized is easy thanks to two levels of rails that allow you to position its four sliding storage baskets at different heights. To keep your frozen foods safe, this chest freezer has a lock and key system that will prevent young children or wild animals from getting inside.

Chest freezers open from the top, meaning the ones that provide the maximum amount of storage have a larger footprint than the average household refrigerator or upright freezer. What they lack in compactness, they make up for in energy efficiency. As you may recall from elementary school science class, hot air rises, and cold air sinks. That means when you open the top of a chest freezer, most of the cold air stays inside instead of escaping. When the freezer is packed with frozen foods, frigid air stays trapped towards the bottom of the unit, keeping the temp below freezing without needing to pull extra energy.

Our favorite upright freezer provides 13 cubic feet of storage space with four adjustable wire shelves, a deep basket on the bottom and five full-width door racks. We like that the base of the door racks are rounded and closed, keeping smaller items from sliding out as you open and close the door. The door can be installed with the handle on the left or the right.

This freezer includes an audible open-door alert system, which is a helpful feature because when the door is left ajar, moisture from the air flowing in can cause ice to accumulate inside. The automatic defrost function also prevents ice build-up (which would otherwise need to be manually defrosted and cleaned out). A separate alarm is triggered when the internal temperature of the freezer rises, helping you quickly troubleshoot so that your food stays safely frozen. It has a bright interior LED light and an exterior light to indicate a power outage. The manufacturer claims that the freezer can keep foods frozen for up to two days in the event of a power outage.

This chest freezer from Magic Chef is under $300, has a capacity of 7 cubic feet and offers a one-year parts and labor warranty and a five-year compressor warranty making it our best value pick. We love that it comes with storage solutions like a sliding storage basket for items that you reach for often and a removable interior divider that can hold items like bags of fruits or veggies so that they don't get lost at the bottom of the freezer. Better yet there is an interior light to help see everything inside, a defrost water drain and external temperature control so there's no need to open the freezer to change the temperature.

According to the manufacturer, this freezer is not designed for garage storage because garage temperatures can fluctuate a lot, often outside of the required temperature zone of 32F to 100F for efficient freezer operation. If you need a chest freezer with a smaller or larger capacity, Magic Chef also makes a 5-cubic-foot version and an 8.7-cubic-foot version for under $350.

The temperature can be adjusted to convert the freezer to a refrigerator and back, using the quick-freeze function that reduces the temperature to the maximum freezing point of 11ºF. The best part is that it comes with an automatic defrost function that prevents ice build-up and saves you the trouble of having to thaw and clean this giant freezer.

Depending on the time of year, you may need more freezer space to store meats or other favorite foods, or you might need more refrigerator space for fresh produce. That's why the Galanz convertible freezer and refrigerator caught our eye: With just the flip of a switch, you can turn the upright freezer into a refrigerator.

It might be mini, but it sure is mighty. This freestanding Energy Star-rated freezer has a capacity of 2.1 cubic feet and can be stored in small or tight spaces. It's ideal for storing items like ice cream, pet food or other small frozen foods. The sleek stainless steel unit has a reversible swing door, so you can choose to have it open from either the right or left side, and the recessed handle gives a clean look. The two removable slide-out shelves make it easy to access and organize food. The manufacturer claims it has low noise levels, and it also features a lock that comes with two keys (in case you want to keep your frozen goodies to yourself!).

Not all freezers are designed to be stored in a garage's conditions, but this chest freezer from GE is garage-ready, meaning it is tested by GE to perform in ambient temperatures from 0F to 110F. GE also claims that if there is a power outage, food will remain frozen for up to 48 hours in this freezer. This 7-cubic-foot model is a good fit for a one-car garage.

While most freezers have a few baskets or bins for organization, Samsung's 11-Cubic-Foot Convertible Upright Freezer provides superior organization. It houses three adjustable shelves, four removable drawers and three adjustable door bins to keep your proteins and frozen veggies in sight. According to the manufacturer, this model features multi-vent technology that keeps items evenly cooled no matter what shelf they are on.

If you need additional refrigerator space, this model is also convertible and can be switched from freezer temperatures to refrigerator temperatures. This sleek stainless steel freezer has LED lighting for good interior visibility. It also has a reversible door so you can choose what side it opens from, but reviewers have noted that it was difficult to make the switch. 041b061a72