The 6 Best Freezers to Instantly Expand Your Food Storage Space

© VIA MERCHANT 15.5ft Garage Freezer

Best freezer overall

Frigidaire Garage-Ready Upright Freezer

Hood recommends upright freezers because they are easy to organize, have a smaller footprint and offer both automatic and manual defrosting. That's why her choice for best freezer overall is the Frigidaire Garage-Ready Upright. It's built to be stored in a garage, meaning it can handle fluctuations in outdoor temperatures. It also holds a lot of food (15.5 cubic feet), and is easy to organize thanks to its multiple shelves and drawers. This best freezer pick comes with plenty of bells and whistles, like an EvenTemp cooling system and door-ajar alarms.

Pros

• Great value
• Excellent storage capacity
• Garage ready
• EvenTemp cooling system
• Door-ajar alarms

Cons

• Might be too large for most kitchens

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Best budget freezer

GE Garage-Ready 5 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer

Farrell chose this small chest model as the best affordable freezer. "This GE chest freezer is a great budget pick," she says. It's on the smaller side, which makes it ideal for tight spaces. "It really shined in our temperature control and uniformity tests, and it's also pretty quiet," she adds.

A convenient lift-out storage basket makes it easy to access food from the bottom of the freezer and keep smaller items organized up top. Exterior temperature controls allow you to adjust the freezer temperature without opening it, so you can keep the cold air inside. This best budget freezer is Energy Star certified, too, so it costs less to run.

Pros

• Affordable
• Small enough for tight spaces
• Great temperature control
• Quiet

Cons

• Might be too small for some families
• Must be defrosted manually

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Best value freezer

Danby Diplomat Garage-Ready Chest Freezer

"When buying a freezer on a budget, you should try to get as much capacity as your space will allow," says Hood. While that might not always be the cheapest option, it doesn't mean you need to spend an arm and a leg. Plus, "you will make up for the cost in bulk food savings," Hood points out. Her best value freezer pick is the Danby Diplomat, which does exactly what you need a second freezer to do—keep lots of food ice cold.

"It lacks the bells and whistles like an internal light, freezer lock and baskets, but it has almost 9 cubic feet of storage, which is more than enough for a family of four," she notes.

Pros

• Wallet-friendly for the capacity
• 9 cubic feet of storage space
• High quality at a reasonable price point

Cons

• No shelving or organizational drawers

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Best freezer on Amazon

Midea Upright Freezer

If you are shopping for a smaller freezer, Amazon's best-selling freezer is an excellent choice. While Midea isn't quite as well known as other refrigerator brands, its small but mighty chest freezer comes highly recommended; over 6,500 satisfied Amazon shoppers have given it stellar reviews and a 4.6-star average rating.

"This little freezer is great!" says one verified buyer in their five-star review. "It cooled right down to the required temperature and was so quiet, we weren’t sure it was running. It has plenty of room for our daughter's frozen meals, her ice cream, etc. She loves it and will take it with her when she moves on her own. We are very happy with it!

Pros

• Highly-rated on Amazon
• Available in three sizes: 1.1, 3.0 and 5.3 cubic feet
• Three color options: white, stainless steel and black
• Reversible door that can open from either the left or right

Cons

• Not rated for outdoor use

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Best large-capacity freezer

Hisense Frost-Free Upright Freezer

If you are in need of an upright freezer chic enough to place in your kitchen, look no further than this Hisense model. The sleek white-and-chrome freezer boasts a whopping 21.2 cubic feet of space for all your items. Keep things in order with ample organizational shelves, drawers and bins. It has plenty of top-notch features, including technology that eliminates frost build-up, LED lighting and a fast freezing option that drops the temp down to -11 degrees. This Energy Star-certified efficient freezer also comes with a two-year warranty, which is longer than other brands.

Pros

• Extra-large capacity
• Attractive design
• Frost free
• Fast freeze option
• Adjustable shelves and bins

Cons

• Might be too tall for some kitchens

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Best chest freezer

Kenmore 18.5-Cubic Foot Chest Freezer

This super-sized chest freezer is ideal for freezing a lot of food, with a whopping 18.5 cubic feet for storing frozen goods. Ample organizational tools like wire baskets and shelves will prevent you from having to dig through your freezer every time you're looking for something, and bright LED lighting makes it easy to find what you're looking for. A convenient lock feature ensures the freezer won't pop open, and makes it child safe as well. Energy Star certification means you'll use less electricity (and less money!) to keep your food frozen while minimizing your environmental impact.

Pros

• Large-capacity chest design
• Ample organization features
• Lighting and locking mechanisms
• Adjustable temperature

Cons

• Manual defrost only
• On the expensive side

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What to consider when buying a freezer

Before purchasing a second freezer, consider which style would best meet your needs. Where do you want to put it, and how much space do you have? Freezers come in different styles—upright, chest and under-counter—and the one you pick will mostly be determined by where you can fit a second unit.

"The most popular places for a second freezer are the kitchen, basement and garage," says Hood, adding that you should never put a freezer in a humid room, near a heat source or by sunny windows, as this can affect your freezer's cooling capacity.

Next check the specs: size, capacity and energy usage. "We've found that neither type has the advantage in terms of performance, but some models have convenience features like tiered bins and adjustable drawers and shelves that are nice to have," Farrell points out.

Another consideration? Budget. "Whatever your budget allows, freezers are available in a wide range of price points, so there is something for everyone," says Hood.

Types of freezers

• Upright freezers: The best thing about upright freezers is that they come in a variety of finishes, says Farrell. "That means if you want one to put in your kitchen, you may find one that matches your other appliances," she continues.
• Chest freezers: Chest freezers typically have more usable space. "And they tend to keep food frozen longer than uprights if the power goes out, which is an important consideration if you live in an area that's prone to power outages," Farrell maintains.
• Under-counter freezers: Also known as built-in freezers or drawer freezers, under-counter freezers are compact models designed to fit, well, underneath a counter. Typically installed flush with cabinetry by professionals, they're an excellent choice if you're remodeling your kitchen and want to keep more frozen food close at hand.

How we found the best freezers

As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we're only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product's quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.

FAQ

How long do freezers last?

If maintained properly, frost-free and chest freezers can last at least 10 to 14 years or longer, says Hood.

What temperature should the freezer be at?

According to Hood, the ideal temperature for a freezer is zero degrees Fahrenheit. Food kept in a freezer at the proper temperature will keep safe indefinitely, though the texture and flavor will deteriorate the longer it's kept. Make sure you know what foods not to freeze for future delicious meals.

Sources:

• Mary Farrell, home and appliances reporter for Consumer Reports
• Shirley Hood of ABT, a leading national appliance retailer based in Glenview, Illinois

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