Freezer Buying Guide

Freezers are a must-have purchase for households of any size. Whether used for additional storage or an easy-to-heat-up meal, freezers are a modern convenience that can significantly aid in food preparation. 

Freezers have a lifespan of up to 20 years, with the average one lasting around 11 years. That’s a long time to have an appliance, which makes your decision about buying a freezer all the more critical. This buying guide will give you all the information you need to choose the right freezer for your home and ensure you get the most out of your purchase. 

Determine the Freezer Size You Need

Because every family is different, you’ll want to identify some key features that your household wants in a freezer. In order to do that, you’ll have to answer some questions:

• Do you eat out a lot? 
• Do you typically serve frozen meals? 
• Do you like to have space for food storage? 

Your answers to these questions will help you determine the features and freezer size that is best for your family. You may just need a freezer that is attached to a fridge, or you may want a separate freezer that offers more space. 

Once you know what your household’s requirements are, it’s time to determine the freezer size that will best suit those needs. If you don’t have a lot of space, you might settle for a fridge/freezer combo, but if you have space and require more storage, you could consider purchasing a deep freezer instead.

Types of Freezers

A joint fridge-freezer is one the most common freezer purchases because it comes in a variety of combinations, including units with freezers on the top, bottom, or side. For more information about the refrigerator side of this traditional combo, check out the RC Willey Refrigerator Buying Guide.

Sometimes your family may need a little extra space, and that’s where a chest or upright freezer can come in handy. Separate from your refrigerator unit, these are freezers that can store anything from frozen meats to pizza dough.

Chest Freezers

Chest freezers maximize storage space and are slightly cheaper than upright freezers. They are typically short and long, but also come in smaller, more compact options like the Danby Chest Freezer, which is only 5 cubic feet and perfect for small spaces. Air doesn't circulate as much in a chest freezer as other models, which helps prevent freezer burn better than uprights. The downside to them, however, is that the lack of shelving means you may have a harder time finding particular items since everything tends to get lumped together.

Upright Freezers

If room and organization are your concerns, then an upright freezer might be the solution for you. They take up less physical area than a traditional chest freezer and offer more shelving options for organization. However, this can also be a downside for some buyers as more shelving also means less space to put your frozen treats. Upright freezers also have a shorter lifespan compared to chest freezers, with an average upright freezer lasting only about 5 years.

Freezer Features

There are many add-on features to consider when making a freezer purchase. It’s critical for you to pick and choose between all the available “bells and whistles” and select the ones most important to you and your household’s needs. 

Alarm 

Some self-defrosting upright freezers come equipped with their own alarm system to alert you when the interior gets too warm. This feature can be a real cost and time-saver by helping you take fast and preventative action whenever your freezer stops working before all of your frozen treats go bad.

Door Lock 

If you have kids in the house and like to keep alcohol or other valuables in your freezer, you may want to consider buying an appliance with a door lock. This will also prevent your freezer door from ever being left open on accident. 

Manual vs. Self-Defrost

Ice build-up on the walls of your freezer can be notorious for decreasing its efficiency and increasing your energy bill. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your freezer’s defrosting capabilities. A manual-defrost freezer (which is the option available with chest models) will typically be more energy-efficient and less likely to cause freezer burn than a self-defrosting model. However, the downside of this is that manual-defrost uprights often have trouble keeping their door shelves as cool as the rest of the interior. Self-defrosting uprights, on the other hand, do a great job at keeping the entire freezer nice and cool. Plus, they save you the inconvenience of having to actively defrost. 

Quick Freeze vs. Soft Freeze

If you are the type of person who hates having to wait for your ice cream to thaw after taking it out of the freezer, you may want to opt for a freezer model that is equipped with a soft freeze feature. On the flip side, if you’re looking to freeze large quantities of food all at once, a freezer with a quick freeze option might make more sense for you. 

Power-on Light 

The last thing you want to do during a power outage is open your freezer door and let all of the cold air out. Instead, you can check whether your freezer is functioning properly by glancing at the power-on light. It’s an essential feature of any freezer that takes the guessing game out of the equation. 

Ultimately, freezers are a pretty “meaty” purchase (get the frozen food pun?) for any shopper, so making sure you select one that fits all your needs is a must. For more information about freezers and to talk to a sales representative, visit your nearest RC Willey location today.