Upright Freezers

Upright freezers

Among larger self-defrosting uprights, the 20-cubic-foot Maytag MQU2057BEW (*Est. $680) is a good choice, reviews tell us. This freezer is ENERGY STAR qualified for lower utility bills and can handle up to 588 pounds of food. The Maytag has six fixed door bins, four shelves, a large sliding basket on the bottom, adjustable temperature control, a fast-freeze setting to cool contents quickly and an interior light. The exterior is made of a textured steel cabinet that resists fingerprints and dents, and also has a keyed lock for safety. Consumers praise this freezer's roominess and say it is both extremely quiet and cools down quickly.

Another option is the Whirlpool EV201NZR (*est. $750), a 20.1-cubic-foot freezer that is ENERGY STAR qualified. This upright freezer is self-defrosting with six door shelves, a bottom storage basket and four removable wire shelves. Other useful features include a temperature alarm, adjustable temperature controls, an interior light and a power-on light. The "fast freeze" setting quickly reduces the temperature of the freezer and the model is ice-maker ready (though not included). For convenience, the freezer has casters and two font-leveling legs. While there are few consumer reviews, those posting to Sears.com give it good overall ratings and praise its many features.

A similar model is the Whirlpool EV209NBTQ which has a 19.6-cubic-foot capacity. Like the EV201NZR, this upright freezer is ENERGY STAR qualified and frost-free. Differences are mostly minor. There are door storage bins and a slide-out tub. But there is no adjustable temperature control, no storage basket and there are three shelves instead of four. However, this model also has two doors (resembling a top-freezer refrigerator), a feature rarely found on upright freezers. If you tend to store foods both long-term and short-term, this arrangement lets you put longer-storage items in one section and more frequently accessed foods in the other, saving you from opening the entire freezer each time you need to get to the ice cream. A door-ajar alarm makes certain that both doors remain closed.

If you don't need something as large as the above models, the Kenmore 26743 (*est. $630) has a 16.7-cubic-foot capacity with an interior light, four fixed shelves and five shelves on the door. In addition, you can lock the door with an included key. Reviews at Sears.com are mixed, but there are only four comments. Three of the four report problems requiring repair.

A still smaller option is the 13.7-cubic-foot self-defrosting General Electric FUF14DTRWH (*Est. $450) (*est. $450). This model scores highly with a few owners at HomeDepot.com, who say it is just the right size for most families -- not too small, but not too large. It offers three cabinet shelves, five freezer door shelves (two juice shelves) and an interior light. Similar GE freezers have extra features like a lock and door alarm. This particular GE freezer is not an ENERGY STAR model.

Manual-defrosting upright freezers are less convenient, but they are easier to defrost than a chest freezer. With 15.9 cubic feet of interior space, the Maytag MQU1654BEW (*Est. $430) can handle up to 456 pounds of food, has four fixed door bins, a lower storage gate, full-width epoxy-coated shelves and an interior light. It also has two adjustable front legs for leveling, a defrost drain and a locking door. Consumer reviews praise its deep and wide shelves, tight seal, interior light and quiet operation. This is one of the few uprights that has such low energy use that it is ENERGY STAR qualified.

Similar to the Maytag MQU1654BEW is the Whirlpool EV161FZRQ (*Est. $480) , which is also an upright, manual-defrost freezer that is ENERGY STAR qualified. This 16.0-cubic-foot freezer has five shelves on the door, three fixed interior shelves, a bottom storage basket, power-on light and two front-leveling legs. There is also a fast-freeze setting not found on most freezers. A drain is included for easier defrosting.

The Kenmore 26722 (*est. $530) is another alternative if you want an upright manual-defrost freezer. At 17.1 cubic feet, this Kenmore freezer is a little larger than the Maytag above, and also slightly more expensive. It is the successor to the Kenmore 24722, which was highly rated in our previous freezer report. This model has three fixed interior shelves and five racks on the door. Other features include a slide-out basket, a security lock and a power-on light. User feedback on this freezer is limited thus far, but mainly positive.

If you want a very compact upright freezer for an office, dorm or small apartment, the Sunpentown UF-160W Upright Compact Freezer (*Est. $225) is worth considering. This 1.6-cubic-foot manual-defrost mini-freezer has a reversible door, one wire shelf, an adjustable thermostat, front leveling legs, an ice cube tray and a keyed lock. Reports we've seen say this little unit is surprisingly quiet and works well. If you want a stainless steel finish, consider the Sunpentown UF-160S (*Est. $235) which costs only $10 more.