Freezers – Upright, Chest or `Fridge Combo AND What Size?

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

We were talking about freezers on another thread, and I thought this was an interesting topic.

I love soups too, and all that you mentioned, Joel. I also have a small freezer, otherwise I'd stock up on stock.

I've been looking around at Home Depot for freezers. I think this is the year that I might splurge and buy either a chest freezer or an upright for the garage.

From someone who had a huge chest freezer and hated it for every minute I had it. You find yourself digging all through it just to find that stock you put in there last year. Go for the upright.

At one time I also had a fridge with the freezer drawer on the bottom. Grant it didn't hold as much, but that was so much easier to find what I wanted. It had a basket on top and you could slide it back to see what was on the bottom. I loved it. It also had a quirk that I just loved. Every time you opened the drawer, a light went on at each side of the freezer drawer. Made it so much easier to find what I wanted.


Just one more thing. My girlfriend had an upright. On the door outside, she would list what she put in, and when she removed something, she crossed it off. I just hate people who are so organized! I always feel very stupid in their presence.

I have a lovely GE brand `Fridge/Freezer that we purchased for our new home, but we also had a small GE Chest Freezer in storage from our old home, that went into service the minute it was unpacked.

I’m pretty certain that when this Chest Freezer goes kaput, I’ll be looking for an Upright, I think anyways.

Then another question comes to mind: What sized do I get?

I need the extra freezer space, but that’s me … howz`bout you?

 

[Andy M.]

Size is a difficult question to answer. Whatever size you buy, you'll fill it up.

Even though it's more work, I'd go with a manual defrost model over a frost free. The frost free cycle damages frozen foods and promotes freezer burn.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Size is a difficult question to answer. Whatever size you buy, you'll fill it up.

Even though it's more work, I'd go with a manual defrost model over a frost free. The frost free cycle damages frozen foods and promotes freezer burn.

I did not know this Andy, MAHALO, thank you for that!!!!
I've been searching high and low for that dang manual that came with
our Chest Freezer for the particulars on the bugger ... but as soon as
I deplete some of it's content, I can move it look at the sicker in the back of it for the model number, etc and look it up on line.

 

[Kayelle]

I was talking to Cheryl by PM about the subject, and here's part of what I had to say, for what it's worth.

Just my opinion, but I don't think you'd be happy with a chest freezer. Everything ends up at the bottom and you end up standing on your head. Ha..ask me how I know.
For just the two of us we don't need a big upright freezer and our little 3.5 works great for us as everything gets used in a timely way. We keep it in the guest room, and it works well in there, as we seldom have guests and it looks fine. I don't know if you could do that, but I know your garage must get hotter than he!! in the summer. SC keeps a running inventory of his great bargains in there and it's easily defrosted once a year. You likely know that a self defrosting freezer is no good for frozen foods, and more importantly...ice cream!

After looking online, the great thing is that small upright freezers are very affordable. The one we have is 12 yrs old and running like a champ.

PS>> Check this one out. Free shipping too.
https://www.wayfair.com/appliances/p...#p0qy2kwx6gi-2

I have a large bottom freezer with the fridge also and I make a real effort to keep it well organized, but the 3.5 freezer in the guest room is a just right addition for us.

 

[Rascal]

This is my kitchen fridge, freezer left and fridge right.



http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31475&stc=1&d=1536809359

And i have 2 chest freezers in the garage and another fridge freezer also. They are all pretty much full.

Russ

 

[Cheryl J]

I was talking to Cheryl by PM about the subject, and here's part of what I had to say, for what it's worth.





I have a large bottom freezer with the fridge also and I make a real effort to keep it well organized, but the 3.5 freezer in the guest room is a just right addition for us.

Yep, Kay, and very good advice about having the small freezer rather than a chest freezer or even an upright in the garage. I could do with a little freezer in the rarely used guest room. One question though...when it comes time to do the yearly defrost, obviously you can't do that in the guest room - so it takes a manly souschefy guy to haul it out to the yard where it can drain...?

 

[Andy M.]

...I have a large bottom freezer with the fridge also and I make a real effort to keep it well organized...

We have a french door fridge with a pull out bottom freezer. It's difficult to keep organized and we spend too much time rummaging through the freezer bins to find what we're looking for. It's like having a smaller version of the chest freezer Kayelle mentioned. I don't care for it at all.

 

[Cheryl J]

I quoted your post that included our PM's Kay, but have no idea why it came up blank in my response.

 

[caseydog]

Size is a difficult question to answer. Whatever size you buy, you'll fill it up.

Yup! If you have the space, you will fill it up. The chest style freezers are the worst, because you bury things, and forget what's at the bottom.

CD

 

[Kayelle]

Yep, Kay, and very good advice about having the small freezer rather than a chest freezer or even an upright in the garage. I could do with a little freezer in the rarely used guest room. One question though...when it comes time to do the yearly defrost, obviously you can't do that in the guest room - so it takes a manly souschefy guy to haul it out to the yard where it can drain...?

He does it all in the guest room Cheryl. He unplugs the freezer after removing the food, then puts a pot of boiling water on each shelf, with a bath towel on the bottom, and closes the door and lets it set a while. The ice sheets will have loosened enough to use a plastic cooking spatula to pry off the sheets of ice into a bucket to be dumped in the garden. He really doesn't seem to mind doing it. He says it needs to be done soon so I'll take pictures.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I have two top freezer/fridge combos and a small chest freezer. All are full. I'm ridding myself of the fridge in the garage when (if) I have my yard sale.

 

[Andy M.]

I have two top freezer/fridge combos and a small chest freezer. All are full. I'm ridding myself of the fridge in the garage when (if) I have my yard sale.

Our freezer is in the basement. It has a drain in the bottom of the freezer compartment. I connected a plastic hose to the drain outlet and run it to the floor drain in the basement. I use pots of boiling water too.

 

[jabbur]

When we got a freezer DH wanted a chest freezer since that is what his parents had. I nixed that idea right away! Not only would food get lost in the bottom, but the chance of ever opening it would be slim. It would inevitably be stacked with stuff on it as every flat surface in the house gets. We went with an upright manual defrost. The salesman said that the frost free freezers were not good for long term food storage because of the cycling to keep it frost free. Just as Andy said, it sets up freezer burn.

 

[Souschef]

Small correction- Our little freezer is a 6 cu ft not 3.5, it is a 20 year old Kenmore, and is reserved mainly for meats. I brought it into the marriage.

I keep a spreadsheet (of course) of the contents indicating which shelf each item is on.. We have a copy of the spread sheet posted inside a kitchen cabinet to keep track of what is in there and add or subtract as we go.

It allows us to take advantage of sales on items such as steaks, roasts, ribs,etc.
It works out well, even though there are only the two of us.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I was going to start a thread about chest freezers. They absolutely suck. Especially if you have one that does not have auto defrost.

My question or thread was going to be about the contents and how to store things so you can find them.
I have a table next to my chest freezer and usually have to remove most of the contents to find what I'm looking for. Its a problem and I hate to even go down there.

I was hoping someone had an idea about this. My only thought is to get some of those canvas type bags people use to take their groceries home. The un- insulated type.
Then put a string on it with a tag as to what it is attached too.
This way I could save time and extra effort to remove items until I find the item I need.

We plan to buy an upright. But for now we are stuck with this stupid design.

Any feedback is appreciated. TIA....John

 

[Andy M.]

I use a plastic bin on each shelf that fills half the shelf. The bins are good for smaller items. the rest of the shelf is for larger items. I try to dedicate each shelf to one meat: chicken, beef, pork.

Especially during the holidays, SO commandeers the bottom of the freezer for her baked goods.

I tried the Excel spreadsheet route but not everyone in the household (SO) is as committed as I am to maintaining its integrity.

 

[roadfix]

I would never buy a chest freezer again. For the 20 some odd years I've owned one only the top third of the freezer got real practical use. I don't have a dedicated freezer now as I have second fridge in the garage. But if I ever had to buy another I would get an upright.

 

[Janet H]

Over the years I've had chest freezers and an upright that doesn't defrost and now an upright that does defrost.

Chest - Hated this. Stuff gets lost in the bottom and the lid ends up as a landing zone for stuff requiring me to move the stuff to access the freezer. Had to be defrosted periodically - good for food, bad for me.

Upright: Better than chest. Still had to defrost but nothing got lost in the bottom and less bending. Easier to defrost. Takes up the same footprint as chest type and door is always accessible as no junk gets piled on top.

Upright - frost free: I recently moved and had to replace the kitchen (previous owner had left mid-demo. I choose counter depth units (Frigidaire) - these are two separate units. The freezer has an ice maker and a lot of storage (19 C. ft). It's all easy to see/access. The defrost cycle isn't quite as good for long term food storage but I'm OK with that - I don't do a lot of meat and veg freezing that needs long term storage. For the few months I store things it's great and I can see it all easily. Fan!

 

[Kayelle]

I use a plastic bin on each shelf that fills half the shelf. The bins are good for smaller items. the rest of the shelf is for larger items. I try to dedicate each shelf to one meat: chicken, beef, pork.

Especially during the holidays, SO commandeers the bottom of the freezer for her baked goods.

I tried the Excel spreadsheet route but not everyone in the household (SO) is as committed as I am to maintaining its integrity.

I know better than to mess with his Excel spreadsheet for the freezer Andy!
The integrity maintenance is entirely in the court of the SousChef. The "only" thing I do is prepare the packages for freezing and cook the food.

 

[CakePoet]

I hate chest freezer, why. Well my melons dont like the cold and when you need to find the stuff in the bottom, my melons get painfully cold.

I prefer uprights, you can see what you have and what you need.

My parents has two fridge freezer in the kitchen, fridge on top freezer type and the reason is they are old and they have everyday food in no bending reach, dad has realised they are no longer wasting produce because they can see it now and it saves their backs.