Chest Freezer vs. Upright Freezer

Which freezer is right for you?

We weigh 5 factors you must understand when purchasing a freezer.
• Manual defrost vs. Frost free freezer (Self-defrost)
• Convenience Factor – organization, ability to locate food, etc.
• The upfront cost of purchasing a freezer
• The energy efficiency of one over the other
• The food preservation ability.

Self-Defrost vs. Manual Defrost

Self-defrost (or frost-free) is a cleaning design feature in freezers. Self-defrosting is an automatic defrost cycling process requiring no work from the owner.

Frost-free freezer remains frost-free by warming heating coils inside the freezer adjusting the internal temperature from approximately zero degrees Fahrenheit to approximately thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, one to four times daily. It’s not at the higher temperature for long but it allows for any ice buildup to go away. Because of this cycling on and off frost-free freezers can create more noise.

Most Upright Freezers are Frost Free and look like regular refrigerators.

A manual defrost freezer does not contain any automatic heating elements to prevent the build-up of frost or ice. It requires the owner to manually defrost the freezer coils as frost builds up. It is typically recommended to defrost a freezer when the frost has become a quarter to a half-inch thick or at least one time a year.

Convenience: (Frost Free)

Upright Freezers – These freezers look like a regular refrigerator and have multiple shelves and organization is simple and easy to find the foods you are looking for. Because most upright freezers are self-defrosting consumers love the time and labor savings that brings.

Chest Freezers – Don’t have as many organizing options. It also requires more floor space to place. Most Chest Freezers are Manual Defrost. Most people defrost their freezer about once per year. To defrost a freezer, everything that is in the freezer has to come out because the freezer has to be shut off for as long as it takes to get rid of any ice/frost build up.

Upfront Cost of Freezer: (Manual Defrost)

When comparing the same size capacity. An upright manual defrost freezer will usually cost less than a frost free mostly due to less components in the manual defrost freezer. Chest Freezers will most of the time cost the least amount.

There is no difference in the lifespan of a freezer. On average a typical lifespan in 11 years.

Energy Efficiency: (Manual Defrost)

Self Defrost: Because self-defrosting freezers cycle on and off throughout the day it will use more energy than a manual defrost.

Manual Defrost: They save energy because they do not contain heating elements with the need to cycle on and off. They also maintain a more constant freezing temperature. One benefit for chest freezers is when the door opens from the top it allows much less cold air to escape creating even more savings. All Chest Freezers are manual Defrost freezers.

A manual defrost freezer may use up to 40 percent less energy than a self-defrosting model.
Both a frost free or a manual defrost freezer can carry an Energy Star Rating. This means the appliance is at least 10% more energy-efficient than the minimum federal standard.

Example:
15‘ – Chest Freezer is the cheapest to operate.
15’ – Manual Defrost maybe $10 more per year
15’ – Frost Free – Add another $30+ per year to operate.

Food Preservation: (Manual Defrost)

Food is supposedly going to freezer burn faster if kept in a frost-free freezer. This is due to the temperature fluctuations caused by the defrost cycle. Many sources are mixed as to whether automatic defrosting affects freezer burn or not. Items in the freezer with a poor barrier or covering are affected the most. Think about meat, it is usually wrapped it in plastic barrier, and then its wrapped in thick paper. It’s not to make it look neat, it’s because its a barrier from high temperatures.

Frost inside a freezer is built up by warm air entering the freezer cavity. If you are constantly opening your freezer door the buildup would happen quicker. This may be a sign that a frost free option would be better for you. If you are looking for longer freezer storage capabilities then a manual defrost may preserve your food better long term.

Summary:

Which is better? - It depends on what is most important for you. The convenience of a self-defrosting or the cost, energy savings, preservation of the manual defrost model.

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[rampmramon]

After watching a bunch of worthless videos, I finally got to this one. Extremely helpful. Thank you for posting this!

[zephyr]

I have a Beaumark chest freezer and in 2023 it'll be 30 yeas old, and it's still going strong. And throughout the years, it has never ONCE needed any repairs or service. It just doesn't want to die! My grandmother had a similar experience with her chest freezer. Her's was a Kenmore and it lasted for 30+ years as well.

[nurseratched]

Our house we bought 16 years ago came with an upright freezer. I absolutely love it. i would never go back to a chest freezer. The convenience of seeing everything you have in an upright is worth it for me. No more bending over trying to dig out something from the bottom.

[FilipvonReiche]

I have had a chest freezer for about 7 years. Bending over and in the freezer is a bit of an issue. Finding the right frozen food item is also a little more difficult. I buy plastic containers that are small, medium and large - ALL with the same lid size. I stick painters tape on top of each lid and write description and date of each container. I also stack them in "pillars", one on top of each other. This way you can store a meat, stew, soup or vegetable pillar, which makes it easy to know when and what to re-order :-)

[Francoisdp]

Chest freezers are less prone to freezer burn. They also have less components that could fail. For long term storage the chest freezer seems like a better option.

[batterynerd]

Automatic defrost is extremely underrated. I have a upright freezer with self defrost and in 10 years have had no problem at all.

[mandatorymyocarditis]

Great information. I instinctively picked the chest freezer for keeping the cold air in. Now I know why I didn't get the freezer burn that I heard about.

[huntrezz]

Gotta love this machine, with good maintenance, gives you long lasting satisfaction

[meditativedestinations]

Thank YOU💯💯💯💯💯💯%. This video was EXACTLY what I was looking for🤦🏽. Just a simple, informative comparison of the 2, so I can FINALLY purchase one.

[Fjsbdjdh]

Cold air sinks, chest freezers are like a big bucket of cold air, whereas with uprights, the cold air comes flooding out onto the ground when you open the door.

[StephenOwen]

Only video I've seen with salesperson inside of freezer, A+

[TM-twpy]

One very important consideration is the real estate required for a freezer. A freezer may take a 3' x 3' space as a minimum (about 10 SF). If your home costs $1, 000 (or $2, 000 for a 6' wide chest freezer), the real estate needed for the freezer is $1, 000. Obviously if you have plenty of unused space in your home, this is not too concerning. But, if you are sacrificing space for alternate storage or use, you do lose that space during the time of freezer ownership. (Do you really have room in your garage? - Or will you sacrifice a parking space there?)

[tracyc.]

Great video. I can't do a chest freezer, I'm too short and can never reach things at the bottom. Also they take up to much real estate. Upright for me, the organization is much better. I'm waiting on my Frigidaire Refrigerator to be delivered. I'm looking to get the same brand for a upright freezer.

[wayinke]

What is the Brand and capacity of the upright freezer in this video? Looks good for me

[chinalocaltravel]

So clear presentation, learned from you and I am practicing my explanation for the freezer from our factory in China. You have done a great job. Thumb up!

[adamhutton]

Really well done video, my friend. Just the info needed and communicated well.

[Social-gu]

So if you open the fridege frequently then chest freezers are better???

[DukeusMostchillius]

i went from thinking this guy is pretty cool to this guy is an ax murderer all in about 2 seconds..good outro

[vBDKv]

I hate chest freezers. You can never find what you are looking for, without digging through all the food.

[ebenezeryeboah]

Please with the automatic defrost, does it require the user to regulate it before it defrost?