How to select a chest freezer that suits your needs

Choosing the ideal chest freezer capable of satisfying your bulk-food storage needs is easy when you match your requirements with the available options.

This guide provides an overview of the features and points to consider when buying a chest freezer.

You have two alternatives in terms of stand-alone freezers: chest and upright styles (which look like traditional fridges).

• Chest variants are less expensive and more energy efficient when compared to uprights, but take up extra space and require tilting to pass through doorways.

Although chest freezers provide large storage capacity suitable for bulk items, they can present challenges when you need to retrieve food sitting at the bottom.

• Chest freezers come with built-in coils that eliminate the need for circulating cold air with fans, which tend to make the freezer loud.
• The majority of models available have built-in thermometers that indicate the current temperature.
• Some freezers come with bin-type buckets, but you should be prepared to pay more for this feature.
• The fast-freeze feature allows you to adjust temperature settings after placing freshly prepared food in the freezer. It helps maintain lower temperature despite the introduction of warmer food. You can choose between manual and automatic fast freeze.
• Models with frost-free capability eliminate the need for defrosting by preventing formation of ice crystals. Manual defrost of chest variants generally takes up to 24 hours.

Some units are designed to work as integrated or built-in freezers in order to fit in seamlessly into the decor of your kitchen.

• These customized styles generally cost more than freestanding freezers. They can use more power and there are fewer models to choose from.

Chest freezers come in a variety of sizes allowing you to match your requirements to the right size.

The ideal unit maintains low temperature without fluctuating between warm or too cold, thus maximizing the freshness of contents.

• A good freezer should not react wildly to room temperature changes.
• Make an effort to check the recommended room temperature range of a chest unit, and keep in mind that some manufacturers invalidate a warranty if a freezer is kept in a garage.

Occasionally, manufacturers offer energy cost calculation tools for determining the annual cost of running your unit.

• Energy efficiency is linked to the amount of storage space provided in relation to power costs.
• It is also worth taking into account the capacity of a freezer to keep food frozen for 24 hours in the event of a power cut.

With the range of features to choose from, and keeping in mind these important considerations, you can find the perfect chest freezer to fit your bulk-food storage needs.