Betta Buying Guide - Chest Freezers

What are they?

A chest freezer is a box-shaped, horizontal alternative to an upright freezer, with a door that opens upwards like a lid. Chest freezers range in capacity from around 145 litres to 500 litres.

What are the benefits?

The best thing about chest freezers is that they offer a lot more storage space than other types of freezers so are ideal for storing bulky frozen items. For example, a chest freezer would make a good second freezer i.e. if your main kitchen fridge-freezer is chock full, a chest freezer in the garage could be used to store long-term frozen goods that you don’t cook with as often.

Chest freezers tend to be better at storing frozen food than upright freezers because they have less temperature variation, thanks to their horizontal design. Also, the box shape means less cold air escapes when the door is opened.

Buying tips

With chest freezers being different in shape to the traditional fridges and fridges, the most important purchase consideration is size. Measure the floor area and space you’re planning to put the freezer in, and make sure the doorways in your home are wide enough.

Look for a freezer that comes with a removable basket as this will make organising food much easier. One con is that the depth of a chest freezer means it can be difficult to reach the items at the bottom, so make sure you stack items in order of necessity.

Also consider energy-efficiency. Check energy-rating stickers; the more stars, the more energy-efficient the freezer. The top rating is six stars. 

If your family regularly buys meat in bulk or cooks and stores meals in bulk, then a chest freezer is worth having. If you don’t do as much home cooking, it may not be a necessity for your household.