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

[taxlady]

Funny, I will not have a side-by-side fridge/freezer because there isn't enough space horizontally. I've had to use that style in rentals or other people's houses and it drives me nuts [emoji38]

I understand. I bought that fridge before you could get the kind with French doors. It was my only freezer. I was soooo tired of dealing with those top freezers. My only issue with it is the shelves that can't be adjusted. It helps that we have another fridge, with the freezer on top (and adjustable shelves).

 

[taxlady]

Whew!!! I almost read that sentence incorrectly...


Ross

Same here.

 

[Kayelle]

I actually like my bottom freezer in my single door fridge. The bottom drawer slides out and it has two large slide out drawer baskets inside, each one divided in two sections. Each of the four compartments are assigned for "cheese and nuts" "prepared food" "vegetables" and "meat & fish". I'm anal about everything in it's place so things are easy to find. To save my back, I often use my kitchen stool to hunt and gather. I'd never again have a side by side, or a top freezer.

 

[Andy M.]

I actually like my bottom freezer in my single door fridge. The bottom drawer slides out and it has two large slide out drawer baskets inside, each one divided in two sections. Each of the four compartments are assigned for "cheese and nuts" "prepared food" "vegetables" and "meat & fish". I'm anal about everything in it's place so things are easy to find. To save my back, I often use my kitchen stool to hunt and gather. I'd never again have a side by side, or a top freezer.

Kayelle, I'm glad you're happy with your bottom freezer. I look at a bottom freezer drawer as a mini version of a chest freezer with all the issues listed above. At 6'2" there's a lot of bending involved. I'd rather have a top freezer any day.

 

[GotGarlic]

Kayelle, I'm glad you're happy with your bottom freezer. I look at a bottom freezer drawer as a mini version of a chest freezer with all the issues listed above. At 6'2" there's a lot of bending involved. I'd rather have a top freezer any day.

Try squatting. Great exercise for your knees

 

[GotGarlic]

I actually like my bottom freezer in my single door fridge. The bottom drawer slides out and it has two large slide out drawer baskets inside, each one divided in two sections. Each of the four compartments are assigned for "cheese and nuts" "prepared food" "vegetables" and "meat & fish". I'm anal about everything in it's place so things are easy to find. To save my back, I often use my kitchen stool to hunt and gather. I'd never again have a side by side, or a top freezer.

I like mine, too. I keep it pretty organized like you do. Mine has a large divided section attached to the freezer drawer and another drawer above that that has the ice maker on one side. Since it's much more shallow than a chest freezer, it's pretty easy to find what I want.

 

[Andy M.]

Try squatting. Great exercise for your knees

My knees don't do squatting well. Has something to do with the lack of cartilage.

 

[Kayelle]

I like mine, too. I keep it pretty organized like you do. Mine has a large divided section attached to the freezer drawer and another drawer above that that has the ice maker on one side. Since it's much more shallow than a chest freezer, it's pretty easy to find what I want.

To get more freezer room, we also removed the entire ice maker and opted for a portable ice maker we keep in the garage. From that, we keep a small ice container in our freezer. It's great to free up that whole corner of the freezer. It's worked well for us.

 

[bethzaring]

Dedicated chest freezer user here. I had two in Ohio but left them with the house. Upon the recommendation of my female architect, I got a bottom freezer in my fridge. I like it. Soon after I moved in, a neighbor gave me their used upright, about a 7 cu ft one. I struggled for those two freezers to work for me, but they didn't! Last week I bought a 9 cu ft chest freezer. I have always used baskets in the chest freezers. It seems you can pack more food for the space in a chest freezer. And I don't know how much this is true or the effect it might have but upright freezers are supposed to lose their cool more when the door is opened; the cold air flows out more readily than a chest freezer when opened. Pictured is the gifted upright and my newly purchased chest freezer.

 

[roadfix]

And I don't know how much this is true or the effect it might have but upright freezers are supposed to lose their cool more when the door is opened; the cold air flows out more readily than a chest freezer when opened.

I'm sure this is true. Cold air sinks to the bottom so the chest freezer will retain the cold air. Cold air will spill out as soon as you open the door on an upright but as long a you keep a good amount of frozen mass in there it shouldn't matter....

 

[taxlady]

I agree that the cold air falls out of an upright freezer when you open the door. OTOH, I think you lose a whole lot of the cold in a chest freezer by spending a lot of time rummaging. So, probably six of one, half a dozen of the other.

 

[GotGarlic]

I agree that the cold air falls out of an upright freezer when you open the door. OTOH, I think you lose a whole lot of the cold in a chest freezer by spending a lot of time rummaging. So, probably six of one, half a dozen of the other.

+1. And I'm sure the freezer designers took that effect into account. Not that I know anything about the engineering of a freezer but if I was in charge, that's what I would do

 

[Cheryl J]

I'm happy with my fridge bottom freezer. The next fridge I get will be a little bigger, but still with a bottom freezer with the drawers that slide out. I figured since I get into the freezer far less often than the fridge, I can do the bend thing to get out what I need without much trouble to my back or knees.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I actually like my bottom freezer in my single double door fridge...

Me, too. Or, I suppose, me fourth, since GG and Cheryl like their bottom freezers, too. Rather than removable bins, mine has one adjustable divider in the deep bottom which I have in uneven halves, and also a tray that slides forward-and-back over the drawer. I freeze most everything flat, then "file" it upright in the deep part by meat type. The smaller "half" holds seafood and my water-filled juice bottles. I'm in the process of trying to clean out the freezer, so as a space shows up it will get filled in with another water-filled old OJ bottle.

We have an ice maker, but it takes no space up in the freezer. Instead, LG has shallow shelves on the interior of the left door (rather than the one that is deep enough for a gallon of milk on the interior of the right door) with the ice compartment hidden between the interior door shelves and the outside of the door. Ice and water through the chutes in the door - that's the way I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh).

 

[caseydog]

Funny, I will not have a side-by-side fridge/freezer because there isn't enough space horizontally. I've had to use that style in rentals or other people's houses and it drives me nuts [emoji38]

I have the "Baby Huey" of side-by-sides (who knows that reference?). The biggest side by sides are 26CuFt. Mine is 27CuFt. It won't fit in many kitchen fridge spaces, but since my house was custom built, I had the cabinetry made to accommodate it.

It is wide, and deep. It sticks out about 8 inches beyond the counter next to it. But, it works since I planned for it.

Interior space in any direction is not an issue.

But, it is not a fridge that will work in every kitchen.

CD

 

[PrincessFiona60]

... Ice and water through the chutes in the door - that's the way I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh).

That should be "that's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh)"

 

[caseydog]

That should be "that's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh)"

Your disco credentials are solid!

CD

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Your disco credentials are solid!

CD

Well...yeah! I spent a lot of time Panicking at the Disco.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

That should be "that's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh)"

Between my arthritic ankles and creaky knees, I had enough energy for just one round of "uh-huh"s. [emoji53] I'll try to do better next time .

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Between my arthritic ankles and creaky knees, I had enough energy for just one round of "uh-huh"s. [emoji53] I'll try to do better next time .

Truth be told...I'd have a hard time keeping up with the song these days...