Freezer Review

Choosing between freezers

Consumers looking for a large freezer have two options: upright and chest freezers. Upright freezers are best for consumers who frequently buy smaller quantities of food they need to access quickly. Upright freezers are tall, narrow units that possess a footprint similar to a small kitchen refrigerator. They have either one or two doors that open from the front. Most models have a self-defrosting feature; manual-defrost upright freezers exist, but they're not recommended by experts. Unlike self-defrosting models, manual-defrost upright freezers often struggle to maintain a consistent temperature, which can cause food to thaw and spoil over time. Overall, most users seem to prefer upright freezers over chest models because they are self-defrosting and easier to organize, plus owners can get at them without having to bend. On the downside, uprights tend to cost more to operate than chest freezers because cold air escapes from them more easily.

Chest freezers, on the other hand, are shorter and wider, and they open from the top rather than the front. They are best for consumers who often buy bulk foods and tend to store them for long periods of time. Chest freezers take up more floor space than upright models, so users tend to store them in a basement or garage. They are not available in frost-free versions, so chest freezers have to be manually defrosted at least once a year. Chest freezers have a few advantages over upright freezers: they cost less and are more efficient to run. Since cold air flows downward and the doors open from the top, less cold air is lost when the door is opened. Since they're better at retaining cold air, they can preserve frozen food for longer than upright freezers. Chest freezers also run more quietly than upright models and are available in a wider range of sizes, so you won't be stuck buying a freezer that is larger than you really need. However, there are major drawbacks to their design; users find chest freezers more difficult to organize because you can't easily see what's inside, and their low height forces users to bend down to reach them.

Surprisingly, among kitchen appliances, we found freezers receive the least attention from professional reviewers. Still, one recent article from ConsumerReports.org evaluates 22 upright and chest freezers. Testing is straightforward, and editors offer a helpful buying guide (identifying the pros and cons of different features), but there's not much discussion about individual freezer models.

The U.K.'s Which? and Australia's Choice magazines perform thorough tests and offer helpful buyer's guides, but the freezers they spotlight aren't sold in the U.S. We also found freezer reviews at ConsumerGuide.com and Bestcovery.com. However, there's no indication that their selected freezers have been tested -- or even seen in person -- so these ratings should be taken with a grain of salt.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) doesn't discuss freezers on its website, but it does link to the Energy Star list of high-efficiency freezers to assist in choosing a more efficient freezer.

Beyond that, consumers provide the best insights on freezers. GardenWeb.com is a discussion website that has several threads about freezers and is a great place to ask questions and get specific answers. However, freezer information is scattered across the site, so consumers have to do some searching.

In terms of sites that provide the most consumer feedback, Sears.com leads the pack, but most of the reviews are of the store's Kenmore brand. Amazon.com, HomeDepot.com and Epinions.com also post user reviews.

As noted above, several reports reveal some freezers have trouble maintaining a low enough temperature. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 0 degrees Fahrenheit is the proper temperature for long-term storage of frozen foods. At this temperature, bacteria and other sickness-causing microbes can no longer reproduce, so frozen food is safe from spoilage. The temperature in a freezer may vary slightly over time as the compressor turns on and off, but food experts say the temperature in an upright or chest freezer should never reach higher than 5 degrees.

The majority of freezers in the U.S. are manufactured by three companies: Frigidaire (owned by Electrolux), Whirlpool and Haier (based in China). Frigidaire makes freezers under the Frigidaire and Gibson names, and along with Haier, it makes some freezers for Kenmore. Whirlpool makes freezers for Amana, Magic Chef, some units for Maytag, Danby and Whirlpool. Haier makes freezers for GE, Kenmore, some units for Maytag and Amana in addition to selling some models under its own name. Thus, it's no surprise that reviewers find no significant differences in efficiency and performance between brands of the same manufacturers (as long as they're new models of similar size and style). Additionally, this means some shoppers may pay a premium for high-profile names when the products are nearly identical to lower-cost alternatives. For example, Frigidaire freezers sometimes cost more than GE freezers. Still, it's important to note that manufacturing arrangements change frequently. Editors at ConsumerReports.org also point out that reliability and quality aren't always the same from one label to the next, even when they are manufactured by the same company.