Having an extra freezer on hand is so convenient! Who doesn’t indulge in a frozen pizza every once in a while? Let’s discover which freezer best fits your needs.
Manual vs Self Defrost
Chest Freezer: Most chest freezers do not have the self defrost feature, meaning you must manually defrost it. Approximately once a year, you must take everything out of the freezer and allow the ice in the freezer to melt and drain. Ice and frost can disrupt the freezer functions and ruin your food. Fortunately, manual defrosting is much more energy-efficient than self-defrosting.
Upright Freezer: Most upright freezers are self-defrosting. The temperature fluctuates between 0 to 33 degrees Fahrenheit multiple times a day. This inhibits ice and frost from forming. This is much easier than defrosting your freezer yourself, but it does take more energy. Freezers with self-defrosting abilities are noisier to run.
Convenience
Chest Freezer: Chest freezers are great for long-term storage. They are deep and wide, yet tend to have minimal shelves and organization. Chest freezers are perfect for storing large and heavy items, but not the best for everyday use. They take up much more floor space, so if your freezer is going in a small room, a chest freezer may not be the best choice.
Upright Freezer: Upright freezers are not very deep, making accessing the back of the freezer a breeze. These freezers are perfect for everyday use and make organizing your food easy. These freezers also have reversible doors, meaning you can decide which way the door swings open. Some upright freezers even have ice makers!
Energy Efficiency
Chest Freezer: Chest freezers use less energy to run! Thanks to the lid, less cool air comes out when it is opened. They are 40 percent more efficient than upright freezers.
Upright Freezer: Upright freezers let more cool air out when opened. It also takes quite a bit of energy to self defrost.
Cost
There are three levels of prices when it comes to freezers. The lowest and cheapest level is manual defrosting chest freezers. The next most expensive is manual defrost upright freezers. Finally, the most expensive freezers are self defrost upright freezers. All freezers last around 11 years. The price is basically determined by convenience.
Food Preservation
Freezer burn is caused by temperature changes. Less air escapes from chest freezers, but chest freezers tend to have more ice and frost buildup. How much freezer burn you have on your food is dependent upon how often you defrost freezers and how often you open your freezers.
Now that you have the facts, which freezer do you think fits you best? Find it here! To learn more, watch our video!