Deep Freezer- stand up or chest?

[criticalbass]

Chest, and not frost free. More efficient, much greater endurance in case of a power failure, top surface is useful space.

And, of course, it's traditional. Frost free models use lots more power and warm up the contents when they are in the defrost cycle.

 

[DRC458]

I wish I had room for both. Since I don't, upright ... no doubt about it.

 

[right1911]

Big stuff fits better in a chest freezer but standups are easier to clean in my experiense.

 

[dugby]

Flat space on chest type is handy.

 

[Chard]

I hate digging thru a chest type. My inlaws always had something sitting on top of their chest freezer. My previous freezer was a standup and the replacement I purchased about fifteen years ago is a stand up. Manual defrost is more economical.

 

[Cinaet]

You get more space for the money with a chest but you inevitably find yourself digging through 90% of what's in there to get to what you want. Plus a chest freezer takes up more floor space than a stand-up. Stand-up is the way to go.

 

[OlfarmBoy]

chest freezer. No defrost system and fans that can fail on you and spoil the contents inside. Also upright freezers will eventually need an after market drain heater installed because they will freeze up. There are truly two makers of US freezers, Woods and Frigidaire...no matter what the brand name tag says on it..so don't get caught up on brand price differences. Stay away from ewave built products as you will most likely be in a bind if a part is needed. Look for an embraco compressor and stay away from anything that has a Tecumseh compressor.

 

[RickN]

Chest all the way. Harder to organize, yes. But you do not loose as much cold air when you open the door.

 

[inactive]

The guys who mention manual defrost get it. A frost free has a defrost cycle, which not only can fail, but regularly thaws the food just a small amount to prevent the frost buildup. This is just like a larger version of the freezer unit in your refrigerator, and leads to freezer burnt food. Things ultimately do not keep as long.

The manual defrost units keep food solid, and it will last indefinitely if steps are taken to preserve it (vacuum bags, or a solid double wrap with plastic and paper).

 

[XD-9Guy]

I favor upright freezers and definitely a frost free model. I get that a deep freeze stores food longer, but I don't put anything in the freezer to keep it there for years. We just use the freezer for overflow of our kitchen freezer. The meat we buy in bulk & store gets eaten within a couple months, sometimes not even that long. I say all that because what you are going to use it for has everything to do with what best meets your needs.