School me on freezers

[Gelcoater]

We want to pick up a freezer for the garage.
I’ve read upright, I’ve read chest style.
A chest would fit better with minimal re-arranging.

The goal here is to get a freezer then hit up @wash11 so I can play with their meet too

Any brands one should avoid or perform better than promised?
I’m looking at an area 30-36 wide, but I’d like to keep the depth at about 2 feet, 26” max.
A stand up would have me removing stuff higher up on a wall which I’d rather not do.

And, Go!!

 

[EmpirE231]

I have a chest freezer and wish I bought an upright.... that's all I got.

 

[Bobby V]

We want to pick up a freezer for the garage.
I’ve read upright, I’ve read chest style.
A chest would fit better with minimal re-arranging.

The goal here is to get a freezer then hit up @wash11 so I can play with their meet too

Any brands one should avoid or perform better than promised?
I’m looking at an area 30-36 wide, but I’d like to keep the depth at about 2 feet, 26” max.
A stand up would have me removing stuff higher up on a wall which I’d rather not do.

And, Go!!

Some have said they prefer the stand up because it’s easier to get at the food. Instead of digging thru a coffin type freezer.

 

[Gelcoater]

I have a chest freezer and wish I bought an upright.... that's all I got.

Please elaborate.
Because digging down to find something? Space?
Efficiency?

 

[Cdog]

I have the upright GE garage freezer from Home Depot. It keeps my motherload of meat frozen in a Scottsdale garage so no complaints here.

GE Garage Ready 21.3 cu. ft. Frost Free Defrost Upright Freezer in White FUF21DLRWW - The Home Depot

With a door that locks to help keep children out, this 21.3 cu. ft. GE Chest Freezer offers optimal storage capacity for your frozen items. This Garage Ready freezer features clear slide-out freezer bins

www.homedepot.com

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

The solution is to buy a chest freezer and then just stand it up on its end. Best of both worlds.

I helped a friend move his mother in law in probably 2005 or so. We moved her chest freezer. The items at the bottom were a couple years old. Probably should have been trashed.

Fast forward to a month ago. He calls me and says the freezer failed.. all the contents are bad. Disgusting scene.

He said in the blood and meat soup at the bottom he found some stuff from 2002… the stuff she told us not to throw away in 05 .

 

[EmpirE231]

Please elaborate.
Because digging down to find something? Space?
Efficiency?

yeah just a pain to get stuff from the bottom, have to pull 1/2 of everything out to get to something you thought was down there

otherwise, no complaints... stays cold, doesn't take up much space. Not even sure what brand it is, bought it from target and at one point it fit 1/2 a cow.

 

[mjc]

Upright with coils built in the shelves and definitely no defrost,

 

[pronstar]

Chest freezers are great because you can cram a lot of stuff in them.

Chest freezers suck because you have to dig thru 3 feet of frozen items to get what you really want, which will always be at the very bottom.

They also suck because you have to de-ice them somewhat regularly.

And bottom freezers suck because you have to bend over to find anything.

Upright is so much easier to see and remove things.

 

[Gelcoater]

The solution is to buy a chest freezer and then just stand it up on its end. Best of both worlds.

Don’t be a dick

 

[Done-it-again]

chest freezers are cheaper, but a pain to fumble through. If you are organized , then I'm sure you can come up with a way to make it easier.

What type of fridge do you have? one with the freezer drawer on the bottom. If so, just think of that tying to find something in there.

 

[EmpirE231]

Turns out the brand is a Galanz? hasn't skipped a beat in 2 1/2 years

 

[petie6464]

A chest freezer will make you wish you had gone the other direction!

There is nothing more frustrating than standing on your head digging through frozen bags trying to find something, one thing is for sure you will find things you didn't know your had but unfortunately they are now too old to use.

 

[sintax]

The solution is to buy a chest freezer and then just stand it up on its end. Best of both worlds.

I helped a friend move his mother in law in probably 2005 or so. We moved her chest freezer. The items at the bottom were a couple years old. Probably should have been trashed.

Fast forward to a month ago. He calls me and says the freezer failed.. all the contents are bad. Disgusting scene.

He said in the blood and meat soup at the bottom he found some stuff from 2002… the stuff she told us not to throw away in 05 .

I can relate....

I got a call from my grandmother one day, " I think a rat died in my garage, can you please come find it ", it wasnt a rat...

Freezer died, along w/ my sense of smell for 2 weeks after I had to deal with that. I only puked like 3 times, so it really wasnt that bad.

 

[The Prisoner]

I have a stand up. That’s the way for us all the way. We stack frozen pizzas like records. The grandchild eats the shit out of that.

 

[The Prisoner]

Chest freezers are great because you can cram a lot of stuff in them.

Chest freezers suck because you have to dig thru 3 feet of frozen items to get what you really want, which will always be at the very bottom.

View attachment 1268103

They also suck because you have to de-ice them somewhat regularly.

And bottom freezers suck because you have to bend over to find anything.

Upright is so much easier to see and remove things.



View attachment 1268104

4 cheese pizza?? Hope you bought milk of magnesia!
That tempura shrimp is bad ass in the air fryer.

 

[Gelcoater]

They also suck because you have to de-ice them somewhat regularly.

Define somewhat regular.
Once a year? Less? 2 years?

 

[Gelcoater]

The solution is to buy a chest freezer and then just stand it up on its end. Best of both worlds.

I helped a friend move his mother in law in probably 2005 or so. We moved her chest freezer. The items at the bottom were a couple years old. Probably should have been trashed.

Fast forward to a month ago. He calls me and says the freezer failed.. all the contents are bad. Disgusting scene.

He said in the blood and meat soup at the bottom he found some stuff from 2002… the stuff she told us not to throw away in 05 .

You added to that post since my dick comment.
That’s hilarious.

 

[The Prisoner]

Also have ice pack city for the Sams club runs

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

You added to that post since my dick comment.
That’s hilarious.

Yes.. Better him than me

 

[pronstar]

Define somewhat regular.
Once a year? Less? 2 years?

About every couple years.
You don’t need to completely melt it…just unplug it long enough to melt slightly then chip it off.

The sucky part is unloading/reloading

 

[boatnam2]

This is one of the only times in life you will find the box is cheaper than the meat!

 

[rivermobster]

We want to pick up a freezer for the garage.
I’ve read upright, I’ve read chest style.
A chest would fit better with minimal re-arranging.

The goal here is to get a freezer then hit up @wash11 so I can play with their meet too

Any brands one should avoid or perform better than promised?
I’m looking at an area 30-36 wide, but I’d like to keep the depth at about 2 feet, 26” max.
A stand up would have me removing stuff higher up on a wall which I’d rather not do.

And, Go!!

I had the Exact same question.

Been trying to get together with @wash11 to maybe add a tutorial about this on his website?

What type, what size, what temp...

Everything a body needs to know.

 

[mjc]

Define somewhat regular.
Once a year? Less? 2 years?

Since our upright is no defrost we defrost once a year. That is when we clean out old stuff we missed and should gave eaten months before. We now have a lost hanging on the door to keep track of what we have.

 

[Gelcoater]

Since our upright is no defrost we defrost once a year. That is when we clean out old stuff we missed and should gave eaten months before. We now have a lost hanging on the door to keep track of what we have.

Im sure you meant log, not lost, and is a great idea. Thanks

 

[TimeBandit]

I went with a GE self-defrosting 14 cu ft upright for the garage about 3 years ago.

Bought a new but scratched unit for about $500? I didn't want to dig through a chest, and most are not self-defrost.

Now I need Joel's meat! I think this thing will hold a 1/4?.

 

[Cdog]

Before I had it fully loaded

 

[wash11]

Now you're in my world!

Standup over a chest without a doubt. Here's the breakdown.
*Space: There's an argument for space giving the chest freezer the advantage (I've never understood this unless you have a bizarre space in mind). Sure, it's lower than the stand up- but at some point you have to open the lid. The footprint of a standup is better 99% of the time.
*Efficiency: Sure, the tag on a chest freezer show it using less power overall than a standup. The difference would be about $5.00 annually IF you never opened the doors. Standup freezer, open door, see your shit, grab your shit, close the door.
Chest freezer, open lid and completely disassemble the everything just to find your ribeye. Lids been open for 5 minutes now and temps have risen on all that small packaging you pulled out and laid on the warm garage floor. Now it gets to run an extra 4 hours to cool everything down. Advantage=standup.
*Divorce: 9x out of 10- bulk purchasing is hubbys idea. Eventually, wifey gets to deal with it all. She's already busy with kids, work, life and your smelly ass. Don't add agony to meal planning too. Only women going through menopausal hot flashes as empty nesters enjoy bending over into a chest freezer. All others.... just don't.

I hope I haven't been unclear about choosing a standup.

Here's the hack to a great experience:
Order online from Home Depot or Lowes and take advantage of the free delivery and set up. (Give the guys a $20 tip, it's worth it) They haul off all the trash and get everything up and running too.
The best all around is a 14 cu ft or close to it but there's nothing wrong with having a 20cu ft either. Always buy "Garage Ready" as they have greater cooling capacity and hold temp longer during power outages. We have 7 of these in assorted sizes, all outdoors with zero problems.

GE Garage Ready 14.1 cu. ft. Frost Free Defrost Upright Freezer in White FUF14SMRWW - The Home Depot

At GE Appliances, we bring good things to life, by designing and building the world's best appliances. Our goal is to help people improve their lives at home by providing quality appliances that were made for real life. Whether it's enjoying the tradition of making meals from scratch or tackling...

www.homedepot.com

7 cu ft, really is too small for bulk buying of any kind. One 1/4 beef will fill it completely.
14 cu ft is good for a 1/4 beef, 1/2 a pig, 10 whole chickens and about 30lbs in assorted fish filets.
20 cu ft and above makes sense for a huge family or people that entertain alot. For a small family (2 adults, 2 kids) you will find yourself over buying and every 24 months throwing away $500-600 worth of old food.

Other things to consider.
#1 Do not pug into a GFI circuit. Freezers and GFI's don't always play nice.
#2 Call your homeowners insurance to ask if they offer coverage in event of a loss. Many do. Farm Bureau has a standard $1000 coverage with no deductible on freezer content loss. We upped ours to $10000 for something stupid like $26.00 per year.
#3 Get a sensor.

https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-Wireless-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Android/dp/B01AEQ9X9I/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=RJ3760UGLTEF&keywords=sensor+push&qid=1692747733&sprefix=sensor+push%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

We have these on every freezer we own. I get notified by the app anytime freezer temp rises above a pre-set level.
We added this to cover the distance between so many different freezers so they are all on the same network.

https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-G1-WiFi-Gateway-Anywhere/dp/B01N17RWWV/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/132-5355962-6475402?pd_rd_w=NnpLz&content-id=amzn1.sym.26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&pf_rd_p=26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&pf_rd_r=7SCKNWMH4EP3DBK3K2NM&pd_rd_wg=vqVli&pd_rd_r=e90ac2ca-f42e-45e8-a015-3a9bd612ba04&pd_rd_i=B01N17RWWV&psc=1

#4 In a power outage or your sensor tells you temps have risen. DON'T OPEN the fucking freezer. There's nothing in there for you to adjust, dick with or fix. Check power source, if you're good there- you're freezer is the one in one hundred thousand that died. Clean out the house fridge/freezer- get rid of the old corn dogs and ice cream containers and the spare bag of ice you'll never use. Let it get down to temp while you call friends, neighbors and family for short term freezer space. Now, because you were smart enough to listen to me, you bought a stand up and all your premium cuts like ribeye, tenderloin, new york, tri-tip, brisket etc are neatly organized on one shelf. Quickly move your best cuts into the house freezer first. Then your next most expensive fish or specialty items. For long term quality, this stuff has to remain frozen. Do what you can with everything else.
Most garage ready freezers will hold acceptable temperatures for 24 to 36 hours after an outage if they are reasonably full and you DON'T OPEN the fucking freezer.

Believe it or not, this is about 10% of what I know about freezers. Anyone can call me anytime with other questions Joel 928-486-4043

 

[Racey]

yeah just a pain to get stuff from the bottom, have to pull 1/2 of everything out to get to something you thought was down there

otherwise, no complaints... stays cold, doesn't take up much space. Not even sure what brand it is, bought it from target and at one point it fit 1/2 a cow.

Get some of those tree hugger reusable grocery bags and put stuff in them, then if you have to get shit from the bottom it's just lifting a few bags. Segment by meat type

Standups have the same issues when you are trying to get shit from the back and the house of cards you have stacked up comes crumbling down.

 

[petie6464]

This is what's going in the new kitchen with matching fridge...

 

[DLC]

We HAD a chest freezer!

we ate off the top of the freezer - meaning you open lid and see what’s inside on the top of the pile of frozen crap !

We now have 2 uprights, one at each home…. Way easier and efficient! Open the door and see inside the entire freezer top to bottom!

 

[wash11]

This is what's going in the new kitchen with matching fridge... View attachment 1268201

This makes me horny. Please post pics of kitchen when you’re done. True in a residential kitchen is baller for sure.

 

[Cdog]

Wash11 nailed it with a dedicated circuit/no gfi. I ran a home run myself in this location on a 20 amp breaker just for the freezer.

We have a French style fridge in the mud room. That has my chicken & ground beef in it. I’m a food pack rat. Eat at home 90% of the time

 

[mjc]

I think the no defrost is important every time it defrosts it has to heat above 32 to get the ice to melt. Heating up your food is not a good thing in my opinion.

 

[spectra3279]

I've got a ge from 96/97 and still works perfect

 

[Gramps]

Ford or Chevy???? the best I can say is the old ones seem to last forever and if you want to store meat for any amount of time do not get a frost free

 

[Gelcoater]

Ford or Chevy???? the best I can say is the old ones seem to last forever and if you want to store meat for any amount of time do not get a frost free

Care to go into any detail there about the frost free, Gramps?
I’m on a learning expedition here, already figuring out I need an electrician for a dedicated non GFI circuit.
And perhaps a magician to figure out how to fit it all in

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Upright....would never ever own a chest freezer for a multitude or reasons... Will also never have a drawer fridge/freezer combo...

 

[PlumLoco]

I went with a small chest freezer recently as it was going to sit outside and it was the only inexpensive model I could find that was "garage rated". Supposed to have better insulation to work in a hot environment. I keep real close track of what is in it and put dates on everything that is in a seal-a-meal. Most everything is meat, desserts, and ice (no ice maker in house). I probably have at least 10 racks of pork ribs, a half dozen triple-tips (Smart&Final for the BIG pack) and a couple prime ribs from the last time they were on sale. Things like vegetables and convenience foods stay inside the house for easy access. An upright would be much more convenient but more money and take up. more space on my back porch. It works for us.

 

[River Runnin]

Faster than you can write a check for a chest freezer! — A Quarter beef will have you wanting the upright!

 

[Flying_Lavey]

We HAD a chest freezer, then got a stand-up and it's so much nicer!

One of the great things about a stand-up is you don't TOTALLY lose the floor space. You can use the top for storage. For example, ours is right outside our door to the garage. On top of it is all of our extra TP and other paper goods.

 

[Socalx09]

Costco had this freezer for $350 a month ago with drawers. Hamilton beach was the brand. I wish we had this one for the 1/4 we get from @wash11 We could organize a lot better with the drawers

 

[hman442]

That tempura shrimp is bad ass in the air fryer.

That Tempura Shrimp really is the bomb in an air fryer!

 

[jet496]

Now you're in my world!

Standup over a chest without a doubt. Here's the breakdown.
*Space: There's an argument for space giving the chest freezer the advantage (I've never understood this unless you have a bizarre space in mind). Sure, it's lower than the stand up- but at some point you have to open the lid. The footprint of a standup is better 99% of the time.
*Efficiency: Sure, the tag on a chest freezer show it using less power overall than a standup. The difference would be about $5.00 annually IF you never opened the doors. Standup freezer, open door, see your shit, grab your shit, close the door.
Chest freezer, open lid and completely disassemble the everything just to find your ribeye. Lids been open for 5 minutes now and temps have risen on all that small packaging you pulled out and laid on the warm garage floor. Now it gets to run an extra 4 hours to cool everything down. Advantage=standup.
*Divorce: 9x out of 10- bulk purchasing is hubbys idea. Eventually, wifey gets to deal with it all. She's already busy with kids, work, life and your smelly ass. Don't add agony to meal planning too. Only women going through menopausal hot flashes as empty nesters enjoy bending over into a chest freezer. All others.... just don't.

I hope I haven't been unclear about choosing a standup.

Here's the hack to a great experience:
Order online from Home Depot or Lowes and take advantage of the free delivery and set up. (Give the guys a $20 tip, it's worth it) They haul off all the trash and get everything up and running too.
The best all around is a 14 cu ft or close to it but there's nothing wrong with having a 20cu ft either. Always buy "Garage Ready" as they have greater cooling capacity and hold temp longer during power outages. We have 7 of these in assorted sizes, all outdoors with zero problems.

GE Garage Ready 14.1 cu. ft. Frost Free Defrost Upright Freezer in White FUF14SMRWW - The Home Depot

At GE Appliances, we bring good things to life, by designing and building the world's best appliances. Our goal is to help people improve their lives at home by providing quality appliances that were made for real life. Whether it's enjoying the tradition of making meals from scratch or tackling...

www.homedepot.com

7 cu ft, really is too small for bulk buying of any kind. One 1/4 beef will fill it completely.
14 cu ft is good for a 1/4 beef, 1/2 a pig, 10 whole chickens and about 30lbs in assorted fish filets.
20 cu ft and above makes sense for a huge family or people that entertain alot. For a small family (2 adults, 2 kids) you will find yourself over buying and every 24 months throwing away $500-600 worth of old food.

Other things to consider.
#1 Do not pug into a GFI circuit. Freezers and GFI's don't always play nice.
#2 Call your homeowners insurance to ask if they offer coverage in event of a loss. Many do. Farm Bureau has a standard $1000 coverage with no deductible on freezer content loss. We upped ours to $10000 for something stupid like $26.00 per year.
#3 Get a sensor.

https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-Wireless-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Android/dp/B01AEQ9X9I/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=RJ3760UGLTEF&keywords=sensor+push&qid=1692747733&sprefix=sensor+push%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

We have these on every freezer we own. I get notified by the app anytime freezer temp rises above a pre-set level.
We added this to cover the distance between so many different freezers so they are all on the same network.

https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-G1-WiFi-Gateway-Anywhere/dp/B01N17RWWV/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/132-5355962-6475402?pd_rd_w=NnpLz&content-id=amzn1.sym.26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&pf_rd_p=26a5c67f-1a30-486b-bb90-b523ad38d5a0&pf_rd_r=7SCKNWMH4EP3DBK3K2NM&pd_rd_wg=vqVli&pd_rd_r=e90ac2ca-f42e-45e8-a015-3a9bd612ba04&pd_rd_i=B01N17RWWV&psc=1

#4 In a power outage or your sensor tells you temps have risen. DON'T OPEN the fucking freezer. There's nothing in there for you to adjust, dick with or fix. Check power source, if you're good there- you're freezer is the one in one hundred thousand that died. Clean out the house fridge/freezer- get rid of the old corn dogs and ice cream containers and the spare bag of ice you'll never use. Let it get down to temp while you call friends, neighbors and family for short term freezer space. Now, because you were smart enough to listen to me, you bought a stand up and all your premium cuts like ribeye, tenderloin, new york, tri-tip, brisket etc are neatly organized on one shelf. Quickly move your best cuts into the house freezer first. Then your next most expensive fish or specialty items. For long term quality, this stuff has to remain frozen. Do what you can with everything else.
Most garage ready freezers will hold acceptable temperatures for 24 to 36 hours after an outage if they are reasonably full and you DON'T OPEN the fucking freezer.

Believe it or not, this is about 10% of what I know about freezers. Anyone can call me anytime with other questions Joel 928-486-4043

Good shit right here!

 

[Gramps]

Care to go into any detail there about the frost free, Gramps?
I’m on a learning expedition here, already figuring out I need an electrician for a dedicated non GFI circuit.
And perhaps a magician to figure out how to fit it all in

Frost Free - pulls the moisture out of the items being stores resulting in freezer burn after awhile. I found that back in the 1980 when I was going a lot of long range fishing and beef buying the non frost free freezers I had were much better storage units. The down side of them is once in a while then need to be defrosted......no biggie.

 

[Racey]

I think the no defrost is important every time it defrosts it has to heat above 32 to get the ice to melt. Heating up your food is not a good thing in my opinion.

That's where freezer burn comes from. Food warms up, sweats out moisture, then refreezes. Now the moisture that was meant to be in the food is outside it as ice.

 

[angiebaby]

Having had both, I will add to the upright crowd.

Pros for the chest: more energy efficient . . . and you can set a bunch of crap on top of it.

Cons for the chest: as stated above, it's difficult to organize and find what you are looking for . . . and you can set a bunch of crap on top of it.

Pros for the upright: you can see everything easily and organize/rotate your goods. You won't set a bunch of crap on top of the door, LOL.

Cons for the uprightt: the door can be accidentally not closed all the way; it happened to me with two hogs in the freezer

 

[Rajobigguy]

They call them “coffin freezers “ because it’s where fresh food goes to die a slow fridged death.

 

[Ladsm]

I have a chest freezer and whatever I want is always on the bottom. I think there is still a turkey from a couple years ago frozen to the bottom

 

[coolchange]

As much as I want a dedicated freezer, not sure marriage could withstand it.