The Best Chest Freezer

The most obvious things you will look for when searching for a good chest freezer are useful features and organization. If your freezer isn’t user friendly, it will give you a headache rather than become a helpful tool. The most appreciated features include a power on indicator, interior lighting, an alarm to alert you if the interior becomes too warm, and a locking door. Inside of the chest freezer you will want to find plenty of adjustable shelving and hanging baskets to keep your food organized and easy to find.
When it comes to the chest freezer’s functionality, you want one with a consistent temperature. The best chest freezers can hold a steady temperature throughout the entire interior even when the outside temperatures fluctuate. Noise is another issue to consider. Manual defrost freezers are quieter than auto-defrost models, but they require more physical labor. If you decide on the manual defrost option, make sure it has a drainage hose or port to make the job easier.
Above all else, you want a low energy chest freezer. Use the Energy Guide labels and manufacturer’s description to get a good idea of how much energy each model uses. It also needs to be reliable. The best chest freezers will be able to keep food cold for 24 hours during a power outage. Make sure the manufacturer offers good customer service. This will make any problems you might face less frustrating.

What to Know

Before you begin your search for the perfect chest freezer, you need to think about what you are going to use it for. Chest freezers can help provide additional freezer space, but they are ideal for when you want to buy food such as meat in bulk. Look for a model that offers a quick freeze feature. This will freeze large amounts of food fast and lock the flavor in when freezing vegetables. Some will have a soft-freeze zone where ice cream can be kept scoopable. If you have small children, a locking door is a must.

Freezers come in four basic sizes.
- Compact: 5 Cubic Feet
- Small: 6 to 9 Cubic Feet
- Midsize: 10 to 18 Cubic Feet
- Large: 19 Cubic Feet or More
The bigger the freezer is, the more it will cost you to run it. Do not purchase a chest freezer with more space than you can possibly use. Consider a compact freezer for storing ice, a large freezer for holding meat and bulk foods, and use the small or midsize models for average household use.

Think about where in your house you will place your chest freezer. Measure the space to see how large of a freezer the space can accommodate. Remember to add a few inches of space for air circulation along with enough room for opening the door. You also need to make sure it will fit through all of the doorways and hallways necessary to get it inside.

Chest freezers are rated for the range of temperatures they can be subjected to. If yours is going into an unheated area such as the garage or basement, check to make sure that it can handle the temperature range it will be exposed to. Most can handle conditions between 32° F and 100°F. If you are planning to keep the chest freezer in the living area of your home, opt for a quieter model.

Manual defrost chest freezers are quiet, and they won’t dry the food out as fast as others can. They are also a more energy efficient choice, but you have to be careful not to allow too much ice to build up inside of it. This causes you to lose some of the energy efficiency. Those that do not have the time to defrost a freezer at least twice a year should seriously consider an auto-defrost model.
Getting the Best Value

Many people purchase a chest freezer to help them save money. Your personal amount of savings will depend on how you use the chest freezer and which model you choose. A good rule of thumb is to buy the smallest freezer possible for your individual needs. Empty space leads to ice build-up and energy loss. When figuring out how much money you can save, remember to consider the operating costs. The average chest freezer can cost anywhere from $25 to $50 to run per year.
The best money savings are seen when the chest freezer is used to keep produce fresh, store hunting catches, buying food in bulk, and stocking up on items during sales. Another way a freezer can save money is to prepare dishes ahead of time and freeze them for future use. This also saves you time and will provide a way to avoid unhealthy convenience foods when you are in a hurry.

Recommendations

The Igloo 5.1 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer with Dry Erase Board is one of the best all-around chest freezers for the average home. This model includes many of the most popular features such as a power on indicator, removable wire basket, and adjustable thermostat. What makes it stand out from all other chest freezers is the dry erase board on the lid. This allows you to easily keep track of the contents by making notes of what you put in or take out. It comes in black or white for a mid-range price of $217.
Those looking for a high-end option can pick up the Frigidaire FFFC22M6QW for just under $800. This chest freezer has a 21.5 cubic foot capacity with LED lighting. Special features include the power on indicator and a capacity adjustable temperature control for energy efficiency. If space and money are no option, you may also like the Summit SCFF220 Commercial Chest Freezer for a whopping $1,868. It provides 21 cubic feet of storage with a factory installed lock and frost free operation.

Those that are budget minded consumers will appreciate the affordable Midea WHS-185C1 Single Door Chest Freezer. For a low cost of $175, you can have 5 cubic feet of storage space with a removable wire basket. Special features include a mechanical control and adjustable thermostat. The smaller capacity is ideal for the over flow from your refrigerator’s freezer space.

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This page about Chest Freezer was composed by V. Tobies and published by Alternative.me.
It was last updated on 2024-12-22 08:19:14 and has been viewed 3864 times.