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Where would cooking be without the freezer? It seems like an everyday appliance, but this modern marvel makes summer fruits available year-round, lets you batch and freeze meals, and keeps steaks, ice cream deliveries, and seasonal herbs preserved and ready to go. Buying and eating frozen foods can even help fight food waste and climate change.
Most American kitchens have a freezer attached to the refrigerator, but that's just not enough for large families, bulk buyers, and folks who hunt or fish. We tested a group of chest freezers and researched a range of upright and other models to compile this list of the best freezers. If you find yourself lacking in cold storage, here are our solutions.
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In our tests of chest freezers, this basic Insignia model stood out for its simplicity and value. It's nearly identical to a GE chest freezer we also loved, but it costs $200 less. The 7-cubic-foot capacity is an ideal medium size, a generous amount of space for a family that won't take up your entire garage or basement. The temperature is adjustable from -10 to 10°F, and the freezer can operate in exterior temperatures up to 110°F.
A chest freezer is great for long-term and secondary storage because its low-to-the-ground design and heavy lid help hold in cold, but it's more difficult to keep track of all your items. You have to stack everything up and then dig through it to find what you need, and the Insignia only comes with a single removable basket to hold a few items close at hand. Some freezer-friendly food storage containers are highly recommended.
Type: Chest | Capacity: 7 cubic feet | Dimensions: 33.5 x 32 x 21.7 inches | Weight: 63.9 pounds
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If you're looking for a higher level of organization in your deep freeze, an upright model could be a better choice than a chest freezer. This GE freezer has adjustable (and removable) shelves, pull-out drawers, and in-door storage, letting you keep track of items both large and small. It's also enormous, with more than double the interior space of the Insignia chest freezer above in roughly the same footprint.
This freezer is garage-ready, so it can handle exterior temperatures from 0°F to 110°F. It shouldn't need to be moved into a climate-controlled area in all but the most extreme conditions. The heavy-duty insulation is also capable of keeping food frozen for up to 48 hours in a power outage.
GE is a popular kitchen appliance brand for fridges, freezers, ranges, and more. The downside is that GE products tend to be expensive. This freezer is on the pricey side for uprights, which are more expensive than chest freezers to begin with. The door isn't reversible and only opens left to right. That's not the biggest deal, though it does limit exactly where you can place the freezer.
Type: Upright | Capacity: 17.3 cubic feet | Dimensions: 64.9 x 32.9 x 31.25 inches | Weight: 181 pounds
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Frigidaire's slender upright freezer can squeeze into a spare corner of a laundry room, pantry closet, basement, garage, or even kitchen. The door is also reversible, so you can place it in any orientation. At 6.5 cubic feet, it has a similar capacity to a medium-sized chest freezer, at roughly the same price, which is much cheaper than most other upright freezers.
The Platinum Design Series freezer has five wire shelves to make keeping track of everything inside easy. However, they're not removable or adjustable. If you're looking to store a whole ham, large Thanksgiving turkey, or other oversized item, it simply may not fit. This is a better option for packaged items and individual servings of pre-prepped meals.
Type: Upright | Capacity: 6.5 cubic feet | Dimensions: 21 x 23 x 56 inches | Weight: 95 pounds
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Short of a restaurant-level reach-in or walk-in, this is one of the largest freezers you can get. Its many shelves and baskets (including a special pocket-sized for frozen pizzas) are all removable and adjustable. If you're a hunter who needs to fit a whole deer's worth of venison, you can turn the interior into one huge space, but you can also use all that different storage to organize ice cream, produce, soups, and sauces separately.
Another big advantage of this Whirlpool freezer is that you'll rarely have to worry about relocating all its contents to unplug and defrost it. It controls the humidity inside to prevent frost buildup, a feature few other standalone freezer models offer.
On the other hand, a freezer this big is, well, big. It's wider, deeper, taller, and heavier than others on our list, not to mention more expensive. If you're not going to use all the interior space, you're better off with a smaller-capacity option. Freezers work most efficiently and produce the least frost when they're close to full.
Type: Upright | Capacity: 19.7 cubic feet | Dimensions: 66.75 x 33.25 x 30 inches | Weight: 197 pounds
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In a surprisingly small space, this freezer lets you stock up on steaks next time there's a sale. The Igloo 3.5-cubic-foot model was another top finisher in our chest freezer tests because it gave us no trouble and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. This freezer doesn't have as much storage as the others in this roundup, but that's a good thing if you don't have that much to store.
The concern we have about the Igloo is that the manual doesn't specify a maximum external temperature. While many “garage-ready” models are explicitly able to handle 100°F or higher, this one should probably stay in a basement, kitchen, or somewhere else indoors and fully protected from weather.
Type: Chest | Capacity: 3.5 cubic feet | Dimensions: 21.9 x 18.9 x 32.5 inches | Weight: 48.2 pounds
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Technically, this isn't just a freezer. Hestan's modular outdoor drawer system can be set up with dual refrigerators or a refrigerator and a freezer. The editor-trusted luxury brand is known for high-tech kitchen innovations (we love its copper cookware) that more than deliver on extra features. And who couldn't use a little extra fridge space next to the built-in grill for their dream outdoor kitchen?
Hestan offers a large selection of bright colors (or standard stainless) for the front of this stacked fridge and freezer combination. The drawers make access easy while cooking, and the heavy-duty slides pull out seamlessly even when your freezer is packed and it's 100 degrees out. A digital temperature display allows you to adjust the freezer drawer from -10 to 10°F, while the refrigerator drawer can be adjusted between 33 and 42°F.
The best thing about this freezer system is its durability; it's designed to live outdoors year-round in all kinds of conditions. The weather-resistant exterior is tough, and the heavy-duty insulation lets it operate in any weather. If you're looking to upgrade your outdoor kitchen or match your outdoor pizza oven, we recommend this splurge-worthy modular unit. It's just very pricey, and that's before you add on the cost of the contractor you'll likely need to put it in.
Type: Drawer | Capacity: 5.2 cubic feet | Dimensions: 24 x 23.88 x 34.31 inches | Weight: 467 pounds
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Sometimes, you need to keep a full season's supply of summer produce frozen for the whole winter; other times, you want to hold a dinner party's worth of Champagne and charcuterie merely chilled and ready to serve. If this sounds like you, a convertible refrigerator/freezer could be a great option. This Samsung model can switch back and forth between temperature ranges of -8 to 5°F and 34 to 44°F, making it two appliances in one. And it's garage-ready, capable of operating in exterior conditions up to 110°F.
We love Samsung's four deep sliding baskets; these are the best way to see and access a lot of items all at once, and most competitors only have one or two. The baskets, main shelves, and door shelves are all removable and adjustable, so this is a versatile appliance in many ways. It's over six feet high, which helps pack a lot of capacity into a fairly slim unit. But that's significantly taller than a standard refrigerator or freezer, which means it may not fit under cabinets or into a frame built for one of those.
Type: Upright | Capacity: 11.4 cubic feet | Dimensions: 27.4 x 23.4 x 73 inches | Weight: 161 pounds
Factors to Consider
Freezer Style
The are two main shapes for freezers: A chest freezer is a low, wide appliance that opens from the top, while an upright freezer is taller, more narrow, and it opens from the front. Because heat rises, a low chest freezer keeps food cold more effectively and uses less electricity than an equal-capacity upright, especially if you use it for long-term storage and don't open the lid often. It's a good choice as a secondary deep freezer for large cuts of meat, bulk groceries, and similar items. But it's harder to keep a chest freezer organized, as you have to dig deep down through piles of frozen items to find what you need, especially since most models include few baskets and shelves.
Upright freezers generally have more opportunity for organization, thanks to (often-adjustable) storage that keeps items separate but still visible. They're also generally larger in capacity than chest freezers, though there's a range of sizes available for both styles. However, upright freezers are more expensive than chest freezers in general, thanks to the more powerful motor needed to keep the inside cold. This also makes them less energy-efficient.
Freezer Size and Capacity
There are dorm room–friendly mini freezers that hold just one or two cubic feet, as well as family-sized models with a capacity of 20 cubic feet or even more. Consider how much food you plan to store and choose something that will be mostly full all the time; a half-empty freezer wastes electricity and builds up frost quickly. A larger-capacity freezer is also more expensive and takes up more total space.
Because they're taller than chest freezers, upright models have more capacity for the same footprint and may be a good option if floor space is at a premium. Of course, they're also more expensive and use more electricity.
Freezer Energy-Efficiency
A freezer has to stay plugged in and running all the time, which means it can use a significant amount of electricity. Thankfully, most freezers (and other large appliances) have a federally mandated EnergyGuide tag that gives an estimate of how much power they use. Check the product listing for a big yellow tag giving the approximate annual electricity usage and cost, along with where the model falls in comparison to others. Larger-capacity freezers generally use more energy, but the exact design of the motor and insulation determines how efficient it is. You can also look for an Energy Star certification, which indicates that a freezer is at least 10 percent more efficient than legal standards.
Keep in mind, though, that a freezer's energy use depends on its environment. One that's in a hot garage in the summer will naturally consume more electricity than a model in a cool basement. Your energy prices may also be higher or lower than average, so the label's cost estimate might be off.
Freezer Features
Freezers are pretty simple appliances; there aren't a ton of fancy bells and whistles available.. But there are a few things you might want to look for. Many freezers have a simple key lock, which is helpful in homes with small children or in an open garage where curious wildlife might try to break in. An adjustable temperature dial can be useful to dial in the right setting to keep food frozen while avoiding frost, and LED lighting is helpful in finding items in a dark basement or garage.
Organization is one of the main features that vary from freezer to freezer, as some have lots of adjustable shelving and baskets while others have none. These items reduce the total amount of space available, but do make it easier to stack and keep track of everything inside the freezer. If your freezer has insufficient shelving, you can pick up some of our favorite fridge organizers and freezer containers to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the difference between an upright freezer and a chest freezer?
The difference is just the shape. Both styles of freezer (as well as refrigerators) work the same way, by using a compressor motor and refrigerant to transfer heat from the inside to the outside of the appliance.
A chest freezer is wider and lower to the ground, with a lid on top that opens upward. It has more open space for larger items and is more energy-efficient, but it can be tough to dig through all the items inside to find what you're looking for.
An upright freezer is taller and not as wide as a chest freezer, with a door that opens outward. It usually has more shelves and drawers to keep the contents easily accessible, but it uses more electricity than a chest freezer and often costs more for the same capacity.
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Why do I need a dedicated freezer?
If your existing freezer can't hold everything you need, a dedicated model will add storage space. Frozen food can keep for a very long time, and an extra freezer can hold years' worth of garden produce, pre-prepped meals, bulk items you bought on sale, or the results of a successful hunting or fishing trip. In addition to proteins and produce, you can even freeze things like bread and cheese to prevent spoilage. It's a big one-time investment that can pay off in savings over the long run.
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What are the most important features to look for in a freezer?
The most important thing to look at is the size and orientation of the freezer compared to your storage needs and your space. You'll likely want to decide between a chest or upright model and determine the rough capacity you want before you start shopping. It's also a good idea to grab a tape measure and make sure the place you want to put the freezer can actually hold it — most models need a few extra inches of open space at the sides and back in addition to their exact dimensions.
Other features like a door lock, storage drawers and shelves, adjustable temperature, and interior lighting can be helpful, but these are fairly minor considerations and generally don't affect the cost much. Some models have them, and others don't.
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How do I clean and defrost a freezer?
Whether or not your freezer has an automatic defrost mode, if there's a layer of ice built up on the inside, it's time for a manual defrost. The first step is to transfer everything out of the freezer. It needs to stay frozen for a few hours, so you should transfer it into another freezer, a refrigerator, or an insulated cooler. (This is a great opportunity to check expiration dates and throw out expired or freezer-burnt food, too.)
Next, you'll want to turn off and unplug the freezer, and prop open the door while the frost melts. Check the manual for directions on how to drain the resulting water; most models have a simple plug that's connected to a hose. Once the ice has melted completely, you can also wipe down the interior and shelves with a damp cloth or sponge.
After thoroughly drying the freezer interior, plug it back in and let it come down to temperature before reloading with food. This can take anywhere from one to several hours, depending on the model.
Our Expertise
Jason Horn is a journalist who's spent nearly 20 years covering food, drinks, and all the stuff you use to make them. He's a recent Costco convert, and the small freezer drawer attached to his fridge is currently overstuffed with bulk ground beef and chicken thighs.
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