# What's Your Choice? Upright Or Chest Freezer



## Lee (Dec 30, 2020)

Why can they not make a self defrosting freezer. I dread that job and having an upright freezer I hate it even more. All that ice gets caught on the shelf coils.

The freezer is less than a year old and I am thinking of going back to a chest freezer rather than go through that defrost thing again.

Or maybe a bigger fridge with a good size freezer compartment.


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## Rosemarie (Dec 30, 2020)

The problem with chest freezers is being able to get at everything. Leaning down to reach into the bottom can be difficult if you're on the short side.


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## HazyDavey (Dec 30, 2020)

We have a upright freezer. I use a hair dryer to help melt the ice between the coils when I defrost it. We've never had a chest freezer so I can't say one way or the other about them..


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## hollydolly (Dec 30, 2020)

We have both... I prefer the upright freezer over all.. I know the chest freezer is easier to defrost but it's so much easier to get to things in the Upright


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## Lee (Dec 30, 2020)

HazyDavey said:


> We have a upright freezer. I use a hair dryer to help melt the ice between the coils when I defrost it. We've never had a chest freezer so I can't say one way or the other about them..


I thought about that but worried that the dripping water would cause a shock.


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## IrisSenior (Dec 30, 2020)

We have an upright freezer and there is no ice to defrost. One of the best items I invested in.


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## Ken N Tx (Dec 30, 2020)

Chest here..


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## hollydolly (Dec 30, 2020)

Lee said:


> I thought about that but worried that the dripping water would cause a shock.


Put rubber gloves on while using the hairdryer, and keep the dryer  a good 3 inches away from the coils.. as long as you don't touch the coils or allow water to splash into the hair-dryer it'll be fine. I used to always defrost my fridge like that before we had frost-free


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## Lee (Dec 30, 2020)

So I just googled frost free freezer, never realized there was such a thing and this is what I came up with. Apparently they are not good for long term storage.

https://www.thekitchn.com/the-problem-with-frost-free-freezers-247588


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## katlupe (Dec 30, 2020)

Due to space in a small apartment, the lady downstairs has a small chest freezer and it takes up very little room. If I ever got one, I would have to go with that. I used to have a large chest refrigerator (no freezer in it) and I used baskets in it to make it easier to get things out. But I didn't have to defrost it so ice was not a problem.


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## HazyDavey (Dec 30, 2020)

Lee said:


> I thought about that but worried that the dripping water would cause a shock.


My wife came home from the thrift store one day with this monster looking hairdryer. Seeing that thing gave me the idea to try it. I use it after having some pots with warm water sitting on the shelves for a while.(With towels on the bottom.) I really don't have to get that close, just kind of stand back and blast the whole shelf. This thing she brought home puts out a lot of hot air, fast. Works well.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 30, 2020)

My choice would be a sleek modern styled upright if I were designing a new kitchen.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 30, 2020)

We always had a small chest freezer that we keep in the basement in the laundry room.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 30, 2020)

SeaBreeze said:


> We always had a small chest freezer that we keep in the basement in the laundry room.


As a young child my mom would send me downstairs to fetch things out of the depressed for her, and we, too had a chest freezer (a big one), and I recall how I learned to balance my weight (feet off the floor) on the front rim of the freezer in order to reach way down to the bottom.

Safety was not number one in the 60's.


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## bowmore (Dec 30, 2020)

I have a 6 cu ft upright freezer. I have a list of what is in it taped to a kitchen cupboard door. Every time I defrost it I update the list, which is in a spreadsheet on my computer


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 30, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> As a young child my mom would send me downstairs to fetch things out of the depressed for her, and we, too had a chest freezer (a big one), and I recall how I learned to balance my weight (feet off the floor) on the front rim of the freezer in order to reach way down to the bottom.
> 
> Safety was not number one in the 60's.


We had one of those old chest freezers big enough to store bodies in when I was a kid.

What I remember most were the arguments about all of the wasted freezer-burned food that was stored in it.  We only seemed to use the food stored in the top foot or so of the freezer and would end up tossing the rest of it every couple of years.

We also rented a freezer locker, similar to the one pictured, for our homegrown beef, pork, chicken, etc...

 

These days, with proper management, my little refrigerator-freezer compartment is sufficient for me.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 30, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> We had one of those old chest freezers big enough to store bodies in when I was a kid.
> 
> What I remember most were the arguments about all of the wasted freezer-burned food that was stored in it.  We only seemed to use the food stored in the top foot or so of the freezer and would end up tossing the rest of it every couple of years.
> 
> ...


I feel the same about the freezer in our refrigerator, now that it's down to just dear hubby and me in the home, that's plenty god for the two of us, even though we do have a chest freezer downstairs.

I wonder if the new uprights of today would be more efficient at helping prevent freezer-burn as compared to the older ones of yesteryear?


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## Don M. (Dec 30, 2020)

We have an "ancient" Montgomery Wards 16 Cu. Ft. chest freezer in the basement....we bought it way back in the early 1970's, and it still works good.  As some have said, it's hard to get to stuff near the bottom, but we keep some cardboard boxes in the bottom, and just load food into the upper couple of feet.


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## IrisSenior (Dec 30, 2020)

Lee said:


> So I just googled frost free freezer, never realized there was such a thing and this is what I came up with. Apparently they are not good for long term storage.
> 
> https://www.thekitchn.com/the-problem-with-frost-free-freezers-247588


Well gee...how long am I going to keep stuff in it...certainly not for a year. I constantly check my dates and rotate for meals. Also, imagine a chest freezer and me only being five feet tall (on my tiptoes) and trying to reach something on the very bottom. Nope, not going to do that anymore and don't say get a small chest freezer because my boys and hubby eat a lot.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 30, 2020)

IrisSenior said:


> Well gee..*.how long am I going to keep stuff in it*...certainly not for a year. I constantly check my dates and rotate for meals. Also, imagine a chest freezer and me only being five feet tall (on my tiptoes) and trying to reach something on the very bottom. Nope, not going to do that anymore and don't say get a small chest freezer because my boys and hubby eat a lot.


I'm contentious about the same, Iris.


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## Wren (Dec 30, 2020)

I recently bought a Frost Free Fridge freezer, (top half fridge with a three drawer freezer beneath) it’s great and, knowing I don’t have to defrost it is a bonus


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## Jules (Dec 30, 2020)

The upright is definitely my preference.  Mine is very small, except when it’s time to defrost it.  Cleaning out every little nook & cranny takes ages.  I too do the hairdryer method.  It never goes directly into the freezer, just stand back & blast the hot air & soon chunks will be falling down. 

I‘ve been coveting a frost free model.  My freezer is 20 years old so expect that I’ll soon have the wish answered.  As they say, be careful of what you wish for.  Bet a new model won‘t last 20 years, based on the short life of fridges now.  

This is a reminder that I need to do the semi-annual defrost.  It’s cold enough that I can store the contents in the garage.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 30, 2020)

Many years ago when we had a fridge where the freezer needed defrosted, I'd boil a pot of water and set the pot inside the freezer compartment, close the freezer door, then the refrigerator door and allow the heat and steam to work it's magic.

It was still time consuming and messy, but the boiling water in a pot worked well.

I don't miss those days. Used to wash the kitchen floor when I was done, also used to pull the fridge away from the wall and wash under it the same time.


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## Wren (Dec 30, 2020)

Jules said:


> I‘ve been coveting a frost free model.  My freezer is 20 years old so expect that I’ll soon have the wish .  As they say, be careful of what you wish for.  Bet a new model won‘t last 20 years, based on the short life of fridges now.


Don’t know what age you are Jules  but I doubt I’ll last another 20 years either !


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## win231 (Dec 30, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> We had one of those old chest freezers big enough to store bodies in when I was a kid.
> 
> What I remember most were the arguments about all of the wasted freezer-burned food that was stored in it.  We only seemed to use the food stored in the top foot or so of the freezer and would end up tossing the rest of it every couple of years.
> 
> ...


"Store bodies in," LOL.  That a frequent use for those freezers - both in movies and in real life.
In one movie (with Vincent Price, I think) he killed his wife, chopped her up, wrapped each piece & stored her in the basement freezer.
Later, he heard noises in the basement.  When he opened the freezer to check, a hand reached up & strangled him.   Oooooooooh..


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## Jules (Dec 30, 2020)

Wren said:


> Don’t know what age you are Jules  but I doubt I’ll last another 20 years either !


Though I’m not expecting another 20 years, I don’t want to go through what happened with our fridges.  They barely lasted 5 years.  Fortunately two of them had a 5 year warranty.  Then a different type acted up right away.  Replaced with a different style.  I mustn’t put a hex on it by mentioning it.


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## Jules (Dec 30, 2020)

I just spent two hours doing the semi-annual defrost.  In the middle of this if I could have found the right small freezer with auto defrost, it would be arriving tomorrow.


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## mike4lorie (Dec 30, 2020)

We have a Samsung Upright, have always owned chests, but find them a pain in the a... to clean, Upright, turn it off, open the door, let it defrost, and wipe out without any problems...


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## win231 (Dec 30, 2020)

I just remembered another chest freezer episode years ago on "Adam-12."
A guy the cops were chasing ran into a garage & hid in a chest freezer.  It took several minutes for the cops to find him.
When they got him out to arrest him, he was really cold & shivering.
After handcuffing him, one of the cops said, "Let's go, Frosty."


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## Knight (Dec 30, 2020)

Samsung
27.4-cu ft Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker (Fingerprint-Resistant)

Didn't realize there were still refrigerators that had a freezer compartment. This is what we have. No defrosting no bending to unstack what is under other frozen food.


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## IrisSenior (Dec 31, 2020)

Knight said:


> Samsung
> 27.4-cu ft Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Ice Maker (Fingerprint-Resistant)
> 
> Didn't realize there were still refrigerators that had a freezer compartment. This is what we have. No defrosting no bending to unstack what is under other frozen food.


Bit those fridge freezers are so small compared to chest or upright freezers. I wish had smaller freezers just to store what I need for the week.


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## hollydolly (Dec 31, 2020)

IrisSenior said:


> Bit those fridge freezers are so small compared to chest or upright freezers. I wish had smaller freezers just to store what I need for the week.


I have a half and half in my kitchen.... most people do in the UK...our kitchens tend to be quite small  compared to US kitchens , so 1/2 and 1/2 are idea size..







 however I do have a chest freezer , and 6 foot upright freezer in the outbuidlings too..


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## rkunsaw (Dec 31, 2020)

Upright or chest? Why choose? we've got both.


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## old medic (Dec 31, 2020)

Prefer a chest to an upright... there more efficient, and dont want self defrosting... can ruin long term storage stuff.
And yes the upright is more convenient for searching for stuff, but we have ours set up with baskets for easier separation
of items and twice a year empty defrost and long dated stuff goes to the regular fridge for getting used up.


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## Tommy (Dec 31, 2020)

The laws of physics:  warm air rises, cool air sinks.  When you open a chest freezer the cold air within stays inside.  When you open an upright, it dumps onto the floor and the machine has to re-cool it.  All other things being equal, a chest freezer will use less electricity and maintain better temperature uniformity than an upright.

Our current 16 cu. ft. chest freezer is five years old and we'll defrost it for the first time this winter although the frost build-up isn't all that bad. During one of those periods when our daytime highs remain in the teens, the food will go into several large Coleman coolers placed outdoors.  Unplug the freezer, open the drain plug, and let it drain into a nearby floor drain. When all the frost is gone, wash and dry the interior, close the drain plug, and re-cool the freezer.  Return the food to the freezer and we should be good for another five years.


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## Knight (Dec 31, 2020)

IrisSenior said:


> Bit those fridge freezers are so small compared to chest or upright freezers. I wish had smaller freezers just to store what I need for the week.


The side by side I've shown has more space than we actually need. We have access to 4 major American markets & 3 major Mexican markets all with competitive pricing

example.
https://www.bonitamarkets.com/ofertas

Storage visible at eye level works. Aside from that cold filtered drinking water & filtered water for the ice maker at all times is a bonus.


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## Pinky (Dec 31, 2020)

We had one upright side-by-side fridge/freezer. We never did completely fill the freezer side, and found the fridge side was not spacious enough.


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## squatting dog (Dec 31, 2020)

rkunsaw said:


> Upright or chest? Why choose? we've got both.


Same here.


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## MarciKS (Dec 31, 2020)

*There's no way I'd want anything I have to defrost. I don't have room for a chest freezer here unless it went in the basement. It would be nice to have a side of beef in there. Or whatever they hold. That way I could just worry about the sides at the store. Our doctors lounge has a little mini fridge and one time the lead had to defrost it and found chocolates frozen into the ice on the sides. LOL*


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## Lethe200 (Jan 2, 2021)

I have the smallest frost-free upright freezer - 14 cu. ft. Love it. Use a vacuum food sealer (Foodsaver et. al.) and meats will keep a very long time without any freezer burn. Liquids, raw nuts and grains also will keep without freezer burn.


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