Standup Freezers vs Chest Style

[moonstar]

Was thinking today, as I unloaded stuff out of my 20yr. old freezer trying to find something, I sure would like to have a stand up freezer when this one clunks out. Figure it won't be too long and I need to be deciding now what type to buy. I know I don't like the one I have because, inevitably, what your looking for will be on the bottom and everything will have to be taken out just to find it. If you have the stand up type, is there anything you don't like about it?

[ricardo]

I went from a small standup to a large chest style.

 

The reason I went from one to the other is that something

fell from one of the shelves and knocked the door open

and made everything thaw out!

 

Always lock your door no matter what kind of style you have.

 

[arklatex]

My mom and I recently had this very conversation. She purchased an upright after having a chest type for years. She wishes she had just went with another chest type now. She says that the upright doesn't hold near as much food and she also has a problem with the door staying shut so she started locking hers as well.

[brightblessings5]

I've had both.

 

I've had small, med, and large chest types. The medium was the one I liked best for a chest type.

 

Right now I have a large (larger than an average refrigerater) stand-up. I like it, too.

 

It's easier to find things in the stand up and the chest type holds more. Never had a problem with the door coming open. It does have a pretty good seal, though-have to give it a pretty good 'tug' to get it open.

 

Would like another chest to just keep meat in. Then I could just keep the odds and ends that are hard to find in the upright.

[Guest Guest]

We have a large upright, and I love it. The features I wouldn't be without is first, frostfree, and second, an alarm that tells you if your freezer quit on you.

[Guest Guest]

I'm with Mare...I've had a large upright for about 15 years...it's easy to load and find things, I've never had a problem with the door popping open either, and if I did, I also can lock mine...the alarm that goes off is helpful incase one of the kids doesn't close the door right.

[thesimplelife]

Mine is also an upright. I've had 2 other uprights, both frost free and had problems keeping ice cream and softer items frozen. Now, although it's not nearly so convenient, I'll only have ones I have to defrost.

 

With the one I have now it seemed like I really had to make an effort to make sure the door was closed. Finally, as I was defrosting it once I realized there were levelers to adjust. Putting the ones up so it sat a tad lower in back than front the door will slowly close by itself now. Voila, no more problems.

 

 

[nativeMama]

We had an old upright untill it died, then we bought a big chest freezer and love it. Not only is it cheaper to run but it holds SOO much more food. We bought cheapo plastic crates at the dollar general and use those for sorting in the freezer. One for porkchops, another for chicken ect. I didn't like the upright because everytime you open the door all the cold air falls out. With the chest, when you open the lid the cold air stays where you want it to stay. So that makes it even cheaper to run. And, though that doesn't make a huge difference now, if TSHTF it will make it easier to keep the food frozen using the generator.

 

I would stay away from a frost free if you are going to use the freezer for long term storage. While frost free is good for things like keeping icecream from being a rock, its not so good for the long term storage of meat. We just pick a really good cold day and pack the food into coolers, then set them outside.

[Guest Guest]

"While frost free is good for things like keeping icecream from being a rock, its not so good for the long term storage of meat."

 

That may be true of the old upright models, but it's not true of the new models. We package our meat with a food saver, then into the freezer it goes. When we got our newest freezer last year, we found a package of steaks from 2000, and they still looked and tasted like they had just been frozen.

 

Our previous freezer was an upright, and only 6 years old. It was damaged in the move as the guys who moved it layed it down in the truck. It worked for another year, but made all kinds of noise, then gave up on us. Fridges and freezers should never be layed down to move.

[Guest Guest]

I have 2 chest and one upright.... I use the upright with an external thermostat set right above to keep if from freezing. I use it to cure meat in. Thank You Amber!!!

 

I have two chest freezers. One is huge and I keep all meat in there that I don't need to use right away. I have a small one that I transfer meat going to be used in it. This way I can defrost the small one more frequently then I will the large one.

 

So my meat goes from curing stage (upright), packaged, into the large one. From the large one I transfer into the small one.. to use to load up my freezer in the house.

 

My freezer in the house... the one that actually defrosts.. I only keep food in there that will be used within a couple of weeks.

 

Defrosting freezers... I am sorry, I do not want one. What is the point then in having a deep freeze? the freezer heats up, starts to defrost, then turns back on and freezes again. I need my freezer to keep meat for a year or two years or three and have it taste as fresh as if I had just put it in there.

 

The uprights of course take less space then the chest models.. I have shelves above my chest type so I don't loose any space really. Great place to store those canning things.

 

I only have to defrost my large chest.. hum.. let me think... this one we bought 10 years ago.. and I have defrosted it exactly ....NEVER! my small one is 15 years old and I have to defrost it ... let me think... it is due now!

 

I realize everyone has to think about what works for them, their shopping habits, the level of maintenance they need or want to do. Not everyone has the same needs as I do nor I as them.

 

I do wish I could find a larger chest then the one I have.. it is the largest thay make... I would figure out a way to get it in my sewing room!!!! wella! instant cutting table!

[moonstar]

Thanks. Lots of info. I was considering a stand up mainly because I was tired of trying to find anything in the chest freezer and had to unload it to get to what I wanted to take out of it (I figured I'd tumble in it one day),and the fact that it takes up a lot of room. It's not self-defrosting, which I don't mind.

We live in an 800 sq.foot house (Don't laugh

 

[Guest Guest]

waiting,

 

I have to get a short ladder to get into my chest freezers... it is ok though...if I fall in.... when they find me I will be well preserved!

[moonstar]

 

Me too.