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How to Buy a Freezer A freezer can be a worthy investment and time-saving appliance, helping you reduce the number of trips to the grocery store. Freezers are available in 5.5 cubic feet to 25 cubic feet of food storage space. Adjustable racks and baskets simplify storage and allow for maximum cold food storage. There are three basic designs to choose from: chest, upright, or compact.

Chest freezer

A chest freezer opens from the top. It usually costs less to buy than an upright freezer. This type of freezer can store more food per cubic foot of freezer space compared to upright freezers, because there are no shelves. Packages can be placed in baskets that lift out to make it convenient to locate food. The capacity of a chest freezer ranges from 10 to 25 cubic feet of food storage space.

Upright freezer

An upright freezer has a door that opens from the front and looks similar to a refrigerator. It also requires less floor space than a chest freezer. You can choose between a left-opening and right-opening door. The shelves on this type of freezer provide a good view of the contents and make it easy to find and remove food packages. The capacity of this type of freezer ranges from 10 to 20 cubic feet.

Compact freezer

If you have limited space, this type of freezer may work best for you. The food storage capacity is less than 10 cubic feet.

Buying Tips

1. Consider the amount of space that you have available for a freezer. Ideally, you should place it in a location away from sunlight and heat-producing appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, ranges, and ovens.

2. Decide the capacity that you need. Multiple the number of people in your family by 1.5 cubic feet. Each cubic foot of freezer space can hold about 35 pounds of food. The most popular size purchased is 15 cubic feet.

3. Consider your lifestyle. Do you cook and freeze foods for future use? If your new freezer is replacing an old one, was the previous one large enough for your needs?

4. Check the energy guide labels when you shop to find the most energy efficient freezer for you and your family. Look for the lowest annual operating cost among freezers of similar size and defrost systems.

5. Remember that a full freezer is more efficient than an empty one. Try to keep your freezer two-thirds full.

6. Consider buying a freezer with convenience options, such as adjustable temperature control, textured steel doors that hide fingerprints, a magnetic door seal that is safer and more dependable than traditional latches, and a child safety lock. Also consider one with a self-defrosting feature, as generally, freezers need to be defrosted about once a year. The more the door is opened, the more that ice builds up, so a freezer that is frequently used may need defrosting more than once a year. Chest freezers, though, are only available with manual defrost. More Editorials