Freezers: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentThe editors of ConsumerReports.org evaluate more than 60 stand-alone freezers, including self-defrosting uprights, manual uprights and chest freezers. Each freezer is evaluated based on its temperature control, energy efficiency, noise level and ease of use. Some of the rated freezers have been subjected to tests, while others are evaluated based on their similarity to the tested models. Some of the listed models have additional feedback posted by users, but most have no more than a handful of reviews. The site also provides a detailed buyer's guide with information about the types of freezers and advice on how to choose the one that's right for you.

Our AssessmentAbout 70 freezers (chest and upright) are sold at Sears.com, and several of these get substantial amounts of feedback from owners. Searching the site can be a bit of a nuisance, but it is the only retail site that offers user reviews on Kenmore freezers, which aren't sold elsewhere. In general, we found more reviews for upright freezers but higher overall ratings for chest freezers. All of the top-rated freezers here are Kenmores.

Our AssessmentRCWilley.com offers only a limited selection of freezers, and most of them have only a few reviews, if any. Still, this site is a good backup resource for user reviews, especially if you're interested in a Frigidaire freezer, since they are reviewed most often.

Our AssessmentThis site offers a great deal of information on how to save energy and money when buying products for the home. There are frequent updates regarding the energy efficiency of appliances, including freezers. If you have particular models in mind, you can check the easy-to-use charts listing brand, model number and energy usage. However, the site does not recommend or rate any particular freezer models.

Our AssessmentLowes.com sells around 70 upright and chest freezers, but most of these do not receive many recommendations from users. However, we did find three chest freezers with good overall ratings from a significant number of users. Two of these are made by Holiday, a brand that does not appear to be available from any retailer other than Lowe's, and the third is a 7-cubic-foot Frigidaire. Searching the site is easy thanks to multiple sort features, and review pages include a handy list of the most commonly cited pros and cons for each freezer.

Our AssessmentCompactAppliance.com, as its name suggests, specializes in small appliances. The 60-plus freezers sold here range in size from 1.5 cubic feet to nearly 20 cubic feet and include both upright and chest freezers. Most freezers on the site receive no user reviews or only a few. However, we did find three compact freezers -- two from Edgestar and one from Avanti -- with more than 50 reviews and favorable ratings.

Our AssessmentWe appreciate consumer review sites like Epinions.com, especially when contributors find problems with products that professional reviewers might miss. However, for freezers, this site doesn't offer a lot of feedback. Although thousands of freezers are listed at Epinions.com, fewer than 30 receive any ratings at all, and none has more than a couple of reviews. Consequently, we didn't find this site much help in identifying top-rated freezers. However, it can be useful for learning more about specific models once you have narrowed your choices down, as some of the reviews here are longer and more detailed than those on most other consumer review sites.

Our AssessmentViewpoints.com, a consumer review site similar to Epinions.com, has more than 60 entries for freezers. A few models receive 20 reviews or more, but most have just a handful. One problem is that model numbers aren't always specified, so while the Kenmore Elite Freezer Chest receives about 20 reviews and high ratings, it's difficult to tell whether all the reviews apply to the same model.

Our AssessmentConsumerGuide.com's freezer reviews appear to be based on specifications and perhaps a quick once-over, as they contain no mention of actual testing. It's unclear what criteria were used to select the freezers named as Best Buys, since some freezers with perfect 5-star ratings are passed over in favor of others with 4 or even 3 stars. Moreover, the site has not been updated in nearly four years, and the majority of the reviewed freezers are now discontinued (although similar models may be available in some cases). Still, these reviews do provide a fairly thorough summary of each freezer's most useful features, as well as its weak points. The site also offers a short buying guide.