A freezer unit is a vital piece of technology in any modern home. These equipment pieces give you the opportunity to buy food and other items in bulk, and to store these until you are ready to use them. You'll also be able to plan your food purchases carefully, getting the most out of your meals and making food preparation that much easier.
To get the best out of your home chest freezer, you need to find the model which best suits you and your needs, as well as the configuration of your interior space. This is why we prepared this handy buying guide, to help you find the perfect chest freezer, with minimal hassle or trouble. Over the coming sections, we'll be exploring everything you need to consider during your search for the best chest freezer, as well as some other handy tips which are worth considering. When you're ready, dive in, and let's get started.
What is a Chest Freezer?
A chest freezer is arguably the most basic of all the different types of freezer units available to today's buyers. The freezer type takes its name from the layout of the unit, which is basically an old-style chest, which sits on the ground and is accessed via a hatch at the top.
This is a popular choice among freezer buyers, thanks to its numerous advantages over other unit types. We'll be exploring these in more detail in the next section. Also, it is worth noting that even though these units are at the simpler end of the freezer spectrum, there are still plenty of options and features available to you as a buyer. How many of these you take advantage of depends on how much you want to spend.
What Makes Chest Freezers a Great Choice?
There are many reasons why people choose a chest freezer as their ideal piece of freezing equipment. To help you make a more informed choice when it comes to your freezer device, we've covered some of the key plus points below.
Chest freezers can handle more
If you have a big family or need to use a freezer to store food for a communal space, then you need a lot of storage capacity, and you can't afford any possible storage space to be wasted. Chest freezers are an ideal choice in this situation, as they are simply able to hold more food per square foot than any other type of freezer.
Consider your storage needs before you buy. If you think you could use that extra bit of storage space, this is the unit for you.
Chest freezers are more efficient
As the door of a chest freezer opens and closes vertically, the weight of the door itself helps to create a tighter seal than you might achieve with another type of freezer. This makes the seal itself more reliable and reduces the chance of any cold air escaping - a potentially expensive mishap that can add to your utility bills.
Because cold air sinks rather than rises, and the hatch is at the top of the unit, cold air is less likely to escape when you open the door to access the contents of the freezer. This is another important factor that makes the unit more efficient to run than other types of freezers.
Chest freezers are kinder to users
Chest freezers are less likely to frost up around the hatch entrance, which makes them kinder to the hands of users when it comes to reaching in to access the contents stored inside.
You may also have experienced the horrible realization that you have left the freezer door open, causing damage to the freezer mechanism and any of your stored food inside. With a chest freezer, it is very difficult to leave the freezer door open by accident without intentionally blocking or wedging it open with another object. This translates to increased peace of mind when using the equipment in your home.
Chest freezers are less likely to damage food
You are looking to purchase a freezer unit because you want to keep your food and ingredients fresh and usable. With this in mind, you don't expect your freezer unit to damage the items you wanted it to protect. This can happen with some freezer units, as freezer burn and frosting ruin ingredients. However, the configuration of a chest freezer makes this less likely to be the case.
A Few Downsides to Chest Freezers
Of course, chest freezers are not right for everyone, or for every purpose. In this section, we've listed a few of the downsides associated with this type of freezer, to help you get a better picture of how this kind of freezer will fit into your space and into your plans.
Chest freezers are not so economical on space - While some freezers stand upright and take up only a small amount of floor space, even leaving some room on the top for additional storage if required - this is not the case with a chest freezer. Instead, a chest freezer will take up much of your precious floor space, something which can be problematic if your home is small. You also will not be able to put anything on top of the freezer as storage, because this is where your access hatch will be.
Chest freezers are difficult to organize - A chest freezer is, generally speaking, simply a large box in which cold air is circulated. Anything you want to keep frozen is then placed in the box. This means that it can sometimes be difficult to organize the items you are freezing. While other types of freezers come complete with shelves, drawers, storage areas, and other handy organizational features, chest freezers do not. This means you will sometimes be required to search through piles of frozen produce as you hunt for what you need.
Chest freezers are not as good-looking as other types - Modern upright freezers and other freezer types are sleek, attractive units that look great in your kitchen or in your utility area. A chest freezer is not going to be so attractive. As a result, chest freezers are often hidden away in garages or in storage areas, which is fine if you have the space to accommodate this, but less ideal if the storage room is at a premium. This means getting something out of the freezer may mean a trip to the back room, rather than simply reaching into a cabinet in your kitchen.
