If you buy food in bulk, you definitely save a lot of money but then arises a problem of storing the food. To solve this problem a magical machine is designed called chest freezer, which is used to store the food for long period of time. Chest freezer is similar to the freezer of the refrigerator but in its freezer you can not store a lot items as its space is too less.
This is not in the case of the chest freezer; it has a large amount of space for frozen foodstuff storage. Most of the home makers choose to buy the best chest freezer to store large items as compared to buying a refrigerator with a large freezer.
If we compare a refrigerator with a chest freezer then you may notice that chest freezer can store better because in refrigerator cold air will be lost as many times it is opened but this is not in the case of chest freezer as you will open the chest freezer only if you need any food stuff from that. Moreover, chest freezer doesn’t has a defrost cycle.
Upright v/s Chest Freezer
A chest freezer can be placed beside the refrigerator or can be placed in a garage or efficacy room that can provide lodgings to its dimensions. Most of the chest freezers have storage shelf of different sizes to help you to keep different type of food stuff separate from each other. As cold air tends to drop so the foodstuff placed in the lowest segment of the freezer tend to iced up solid and stay in that way for months.
While choosing the best freezer for you, one question will come to your mind that which freezer should be taken; upright or chest! Answer to this question depends on the freezer price, capacity, and energy efficiency n how much food you are planning to keep in the freezer. These both types of freezers are good in their own way; let us see the comparison between the both to make your decision simple and easy.
- Capacity
Chest Freezer: Its capacity range is 5.0-25.0 cu. ft.
Upright Freezer: capacity range is 5.0-21.0 cu. ft.
- Defrost Capability
Chest Freezer: It is normally available as a manual defrost element.
Upright Freezer: It is available in both manual defrost as well as frost-free composition.
- Convenient Feature
Chest Freezer: These freezers come up with a wire basket to help you to keep the content in an organized manner. By using cardboard boxes you can separate your foodstuff to organize the freezer contents in a better way. They can store the large, odd-shaped items that are difficult to store in an upright freezer and can work as best chest freezer for garage.
Upright Freezer: The best suitable feature of an upright freezer is its capability of organizing the food which makes it easier to examine and turn contents to keep the frozen food fresh. Some models have adjustable door storage bins.
- Installation Requirements
Chest Freezer: Footprint of chest freezer is large even if it is a small chest freezer so this freezer requires enough space to place it and adequate head room over the freezer to completely open the door.
Upright Freezer: It has small footprints as compare to chest freezer. It takes as much space as is required by a refrigerator. It requires a room for height and width, door swing gap and at least 1 inch gap behind it.
- Price n’ Energy Efficiency
Chest Freezer: It has high energy efficiency.
Upright Freezer: These are expensive than chest freezer and uses more energy.
Energy Consumption by a Chest Freezer
Chest freezers are 10% to 25% more efficient than upright freezers because chest freezers open from the top due to which cold air does not run away easily from them. The weight of lid also helps to lock the freezer tightly. Number of amperes drawn by a chest freezer is mainly depends on its size but during its start, it normally takes up 10-12 amps. But most of the freezers start in 68 degrees F room at about 8 amperes. Running compressor takes 2-3 amperes and when compressor stops, it draws no current, unless it is having a heated lid-lock.
Small Chest Freezer
As the name suggests, small chest freezers are small in size but do the same job as other chest freezers do. They are light enough to transport it from one place to other. Some of the small chest freezers have LED light that indicate its power (on or off). Most of these chest freezers have slots inside to keep your food in an organized manner without which you would have to take out your food one by one to get the food item kept in the bottom.
Buying tips for the best chest freezer 2020
Most small chest freezers are not about style or look, they look similar to models we are using from decades but one of the best features of chest freezer is that they use consume less energy and energy star models are always more efficient. Chest freezers have top-opening with which you can install it in a garage or a living area, utility room or any other area which suits you the best.
Before going to buy a chest freezer think of; for what purpose you need a chest freezer..!! Chest freezers can be used at home, ice cream parlours etc. According to that select a model based on its size, capacity, and price n’ energy efficiency. Here are some tips which will help you to make your decision simple:
- Location
Firstly, decide the location where will you keep the chest freezer. If you are planning to keep your chest freezer in the living area then deem how noisy it is and if you are thinking of house it in a garage then it is worth to keep in mind that it may not validate its warranty period because garage is an unheated area and these devices are not designed to work suitably under cold temperatures. Many manufacturers say that chest freezers can operate properly in the temperature range between 32 degrees-110 degrees F and they also say that they can also operate properly below 32 degree F temperature. So, if you decided to install your chest freezer in the garage then follow the manufacturer’s given operating range.
- Size
The size of the chest freezer fully depends on your budget, how much food you want to store and the amount of space where you will install your chest freezer. So, according to me you must buy the biggest freezer you can house that fits your budget. Basically, it comes in four sizes:
- Compact chest freezer-5 cu. ft.
- Small chest freezer-6-9 cu. ft.
- Medium chest freezer-12-18 cu. ft.
- Large chest freezer-more than 18 cu. ft.
- Manual or Auto-defrost
Auto-defrost models consume more energy as they go through the cycles of cooling and warming automatically to prevent the ice forming on the walls of the freezer. It degrades your food quickly.
Manual defrost models consume less energy as in manual defrosting you just unplug the freezer and put all your food items into another freezer or cooler. Then open a drain at the bottom of the chest freezer and ice starts melting from the walls. Do not forget to estoppel the drain when you are done. Most of the chest freezers are manual defrost and upright freezers are auto defrost.
- Storage capacity
Most of the chest freezers have one or more storage baskets hanged over the main box and are helpful to keep you foodstuff in an organized manner where you can find them easily. They are also perfect to store open packets of peas or any other food item without affecting them.
- Safety features
Lids come up with a child lock which keeps your food safe and prevent accidents. If the temperature in the freezer raises then a warning alarm or light activates and gives you time to solve the issue and keep your foodstuff safe at optimum temperature.
- Energy usage
Energy consumption varies according to the size of the chest freezer. Running compressor takes 2-3 amperes and when compressor stops, it draws no current, unless it is having a heated lid-lock.
Best Chest Freezer Reviews in 2020
Here are some reviews of the best chest freezer available in 2020. Consider this and choose the best one for you according to your needs and requirements.
Commercial Top Chest Freezer - Kitma 9.6 Cu. Ft Deep Ice Cream Freezer with 2 Storage Baskets, Adjustable Thermostat, Lock,Rollers, White
Features
Specifications
- It has manual defrosting function
- Its capacity is 7.0 cu. ft.
- Power ON light
- Two lift outs
- It has sliding storage baskets
- Its dimensions are 0.2” x 34.5” x 38.5”
- Its weight is 98 pounds
People have given this chest freezer 4.2 stars out of 5 stars. This chest freezer is really quiet and there is no issue with the compressor. The ice which forms inside the chest actually helps to keep it insulated and frozen for about one week.
This makes it one of the best chest freezer for garage among its contemporaries.
EdgeStar FP430 43 Qt Portable Compact Refrigerator or Freezer AC/DC
$989.99
$529.00
in stock
Features
Specifications
- 12/24 volt power lead: 6 removable power cable
- Its dimensions are 14.96″ x 11.42″ x 18.50″
- Its range is -8°F to 50°F
- Its weight is 49 pounds
- It is compact in nature
People have given this chest freezer 3.7 stars out of 5 stars. It uses a straight R134 compressor and evaporator just like your home refrigerator.
It aspects a full range digital thermostat from -8 degree F to 50 degree F and it holds a stable temperature under the most conditions.
Midea MRC070S0AWW Chest Freezer, 7.0 Cubic Feet, White
Features
Specifications
- Its capacity is 7.0 cu. ft.
- It has balanced pivot design
- Its dimensions are 37.2*20.6 *33.5 inch
- Its weight is 72.8 pounds
- Its material is iron
People have given this best chest freezer for garage a 3.1 stars out of 5 stars. Its net capacity is 198L/7 cu. ft. It is super quiet and does not take too much space to get installed.
Your thoughts on which is the Best Chest Freezer of 2020
So, you all have seen what is a best chest freezer, its features, small chest freezer reviews and its buying guide. From the above mentioned article you can easily make a decision to buy the best chest freezer for you. Go for a manual defrost chest freezer as it uses less power. Keep your food healthy and safe with the best chest freezer for garage and store in a bulk.
If you know think that we have missed some important model which we should have included in above reviews then please do share with us in the following comments.