How to Decide Between Upright and Chest Freezers

Before choosing a freezer, decide the place where you'll be keeping it. A chest freezer will require more space, as it has a larger footprint, whereas an upright freezer has a smaller footprint. Also, carrying a chest freezer through smaller doors could be a problem, so choose accordingly.

Many people find freezer in a normal refrigerator insufficient to store food. Buying an additional freezer, is a good option then, especially if you buy food in bulk. Although, having an extra freezer means more energy costs, you will end up saving on the purchases of meat or fruits and vegetables by buying them in bulk. Also you will be able to cook extra.

If you need an additional freezer, you might be thinking of which type to buy. There are two types of freezers to choose from, chest and upright. Deciding between the two can be very confusing, but fret not, as we have a detailed analysis for you. It is not a chest freezer vs. upright freezer war though, as both the types have their pros and cons.

It is like a normal refrigerator, with a door in front, and shelves inside to store food.

• An upright freezer is more expensive than a chest freezer.
• It will cost you more in the long run due to higher energy consumption.

• An upright freezer gives lesser space than a chest freezer.
• But a major advantage is that you can organize all the food properly. It is easier to find smaller packets, as you can sort everything properly.
• There could be a problem though, when storing big boxes, or meats like turkey.

• Upright freezers are not as energy-efficient as chest freezers.
• Since, most of them have auto defrost, more energy is consumed.
• Also, more cold air escapes, when you open the door of an upright freezer as the door is on the front side.

It is like a box, with a door on top. It does not have shelves.

• A chest freezer is an economical option, as it is cheaper.
• You will also end up saving more as a chest freezer utilizes lesser energy than an upright one.

• A chest freezer provides you with lots of space to store food.
• But you will have to spend lot of time finding stuff. This could be very difficult for shorter people, senior citizens, or children.
• You can store large or oddly shaped boxes and huge slabs of meat easily.

• Upright freezers are not as energy-efficient as chest freezers.
• Since, most of them have auto defrost, more energy is consumed.
• Also, more cold air escapes, when you open the door of an upright freezer as the door is on the front side.

Opt for a chest freezer, if you don't want to spend much. It is economical and saves more energy as well. The only problem is organizing, for which you can use cardboard boxes, or trays to sort food items.

• If organized storage is of utmost importance for you, for which you don't mind spending extra, then opt for an upright freezer.
• Also, since chest freezers have manual defrost, the process will take more time, which could be a problem for some.

It is important to choose a freezer of the right size. A freezer which is not filled up to 2/3rd of its capacity, will lead to wastage of energy. So do not buy a very large freezer, if you don't require that much space. You can also keep jars filled with water, in case your freezer is under-utilized. This helps save energy.