Making an extra batch of meatballs or beef bourguignon and putting it in the freezer for another time is a great way of being prepared. You can make a nice big stock of prepared meals, but you can quickly run out of space. You can buy an extra freezer to stock up on all those meals. But which one do you buy? Here is our guide on choosing the best freezer to buy.
Best Table Top Freezer
RUSSELL HOBBS RHTTFZ1B
Best Upright Freezer
SAMSUNG RZ32M71207F
Best Large Chest Freezer
CAPITAL MIDAS 650 CHEST FREEZER
Best High End Freezer
Types of Freestanding Freezers
When you are choosing the best freezer to buy, you need to consider the two different types. The chest freezer and the upright freezer.
Chest Freezer
Advantages
Chest freezers are wide and open. Some have useful baskets that hang down from the top. These are for items you want easy access to. Some freezers have dividers for organisation. Therefore, they usually have more usable space than upright freezers. You will notice that chest freezers are more energy efficient too.
If you live in an area that is prone to power cuts, the chest freezer is the best option, as the food stays frozen for longer when the power goes out. Chest freezers tend to be quieter than upright freezers too.
Disdvantages
Even though some models have hanging baskets and dividers, chest freezers can be more difficult to organise than upright versions. If you are not particularly tall, you may find it difficult to reach those frozen peas at the bottom. Chest freezers also have quite a large footprint than upright freezers. So this is a major consideration when deciding what freezer to buy, especially if space is tight.
Upright Freezers
Advantages
Upright freezers don’t take up as much room as chest freezers, with regards to their footprint. The nature of their shelving systems, make upright freezers easier to organise and get to things. There are two different options you can go for when buying upright freezers. These options are manual and self defrosting freezers.
When you buy a manual defrosting freezer, you need to be aware that it take hours to defrost and you have to empty it. But self-defrosting freezers allow temperatures to rise temporarily, which might compromise its performance. Upright freezers may be more aesthetically pleasing, as you will be able to find ones with different finishes.
Disdvantages
Freezers that you have to defrost manually struggle to keep the shelves in the door as cold as the rest of their interiors. If you buy an upright freezer that is self-defrosting, you will notice that they are a little noisier and less efficient than chest freezers. One of the main disadvantages of upright freezers, is that more air circulates around food. This means that the food you are storing in them is more likely to get freezer burn. This type of freezer can’t hold as much food either, as the shelves take up space.
How to Choose The Best Freezer To Buy
There are a few things to consider when buying a freezer. Here are the things to look in to when choosing the best freezer to buy.
1. Budget
As with most things, budget is the main consideration. Choose you budget and stick to it. There will be certain features you will need to sacrifice. So, make sure the freezer you buy has the features you feel are most important to you and forego the “nice to haves” if necessary.
2. Where are you going to put it?
If you are planning to put your new freezer in a place that you are gong to spend a lot of time in, consider the noise it will make. You also need to consider how it will look and the ambient temperature if the room This is because most freezers are designed to work at room temperature. So if you are planning on putting it in a cold garage, you should check the specifications before you buy your freezer.
3. Size
The size of your new freezer is also very important. Chest freezers have a larger footprint than upright freezers. So you should do some measuring before you make your purchase.
4. Power Cut Recovery
You will find that many freezer manufacturers claim that their freezers will keep food frozen for up to 24 hours. This is something that should be taken with a pinch of salt. Some don’t last half that time.
5. Efficiency
Check the energy ratings of the freezer you are tempted to buy. This will save you money on energy bills in the long run. However, tests have proven that many freezers are not as energy efficient as their manufacturers claim.
Useful Features to Look For
Alarms
Some self defrosting upright freezers have built in alarms. This is to alert you if the interior gets too warm.
Dividers and Baskets
Chest freezers have useful dividers and baskets to help improve space and organisation
Locks
Some chest freezers come with locks. This can be seen as a safety feature to stop kids climbing in, or it could be used to prevent people eating your ice cream.
Power Light
It may seem simple, but a power light is useful to let you know if there is power getting to you freezer. Sometimes it is difficult to tell.
Freezing Options
There are some upright freezers that you can buy, that allow you to freeze large amounts of food quickly with a “quick freeze” mode. Others have a “soft freeze” mode, this is so your ice cream isn’t completely solid.
Best Freezers to Buy
Best Table Top Freezer
RUSSELL HOBBS RHTTFZ1B
Pros
- Perfect for small amounts of food
- Compact
Cons
- Very basic
Verdict
For small households, a little freezer like this is all you need.
It is probably the smallest freezer you can buy, at just 492mm tall and 472mm wide. This means, you should easily find somewhere to put it.
It is currently priced at £99, so you cannot expect too much. But it gives you somewhere to store your leftovers, some ice cream and some ice. Basically, It is an ideal freezer for storing some essentials. If you you want to store larger items, you can remove the shelf.
Features and Specifications
- Type: Table top
- Net capacity: 32 litres
- Energy rating: A+
- Height: 492mm
- Width: 472mm
Best Upright Freezer
SAMSUNG RZ32M71207F
Pros
- Huge
- Manual ice maker
- Value for money
- Frost free
- Looks nice
Cons
- Need somewhere with a high ceiling to put it
Verdict
This very tall upright freezer circulates air around its interior. This is to prevent the build up of frost and to keep the internal temperature even and consistent. According to Samsung, it has an internal digital compressor. This continually runs, making it more economical and quieter than regular compressors that switch on and off.
It is a massive freezer, with 325 liners of storage space. The brushed stainless steel finish gives it a nice look to it. So, if you have room in your kitchen for it, it will look great.
Opening the door reveals four massive drawers, a small top shelf with a flap, two shelves and an ice maker. The door also has some shelves for extra storage. This freezer has a fridge as a sister. So, you can put them side by side to make a colossal cold storage area at home.
Features and Specifications
- Type: Tall
- Net capacity: 315 litres
- Energy rating: A+
- Height: 1,853mm
- Width: 595mm
Best Large Chest Freezer
CAPITAL MIDAS 650 CHEST FREEZER
Pros
- Huge
- Convenient
Cons
- No auto defrost
Verdict
If you like to bulk buy or prepare lots of food, the Capital Midas 650 is all you will ever need. This bad boy is truly massive. This is the type of freezer you put in the garage and store sheep, cattle dead bodies or anything you want.
Features and Specifications
- Type: Chest
- Net capacity: 554 litres
- Energy rating: A+
- Height: 850mm
- Width: 750mm
- Length: 1,800mm
Best High End Freezer
SMEG CVB20RP1
Pros
- Looks great
- Massive
Cons
- Has to go with the rest of your kitchen
- Not easy to find somewhere to put it
Verdict
The Smeg CVB20RP1 freezer is definitely a statement in style. It looks great and it would look amazing next to a Smeg fridge. This freezer has two large transparent drawers and two containers with flaps. It gives you 170L of internal space with is more than sufficient for most families.
When buying this freezer, make sure you choose the right one to fit your kitchen. This is because it comes in both right and left handed opening doors.
Features and Specifications
- Type: Tall
- Net capacity: 170 litres
- Energy rating: A+
- Height: 1,510mm
- Width: 600mm
Tips for getting the most out of your freezer
Save Energy
If the specifications say it is OK to do, try to keep your freezer in a cool area, such as a basement or garage. Your freezer won’t have to work so hard to stay cold.
Reduce Frost Build up
Frost builds up when you open the door. So, to help prevent this, have a list of what is in there taped to the door. This will mean you won’t have to have the door open for long periods of time while you are looking for leftover pies.
Store Food Properly
Putting food in multiple layers of plastic wrap reduces moisture loss and freezer burn.
Which Freezer are you going to buy?
Now you have a lot of information about the best freezer to buy for you. Do any of these take your fancy? Please let us know in the comments section below.
