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Need a new freezer

Doc

Doc

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I'm shopping for a freezer and seeing conflicting info mainly on the upright ones. I wanted one that looked much like a refridgerator as it's foot print is smaller. I was looking at a 20 cubic foot one. All models have some great reviews from folks who have had them for a month or so. And bad reveiws from others who have had them for a year or more and the freezer broke or has warm areas etc.

So, I'm looking for help in the form of your experiences with both upright and chest freezers. Is one better than the other for longevity or breakdowns?

What brand have you had good or bad luck with. Know where to get the best buy on one?
 
I prefer the chest models especially if it's opened often.

Every time you open an upright all the cold air falls out and is replaced by warmer air. The compressor then runs to cool everything back down. When you open a chest model only a little cold air escapes.

Jim
 
We like the upright model better. Seems you can find items easier instead of all being stacked on top of other items. I suppose you could load stuff in wire baskets and lift those out if needed. We did have a small chest type at first. The wife said never again. The chest model also had no light inside whereas the upright does.

She also likes the upright when defrosting. I was too cheap to get frost free. She just opens the door and blows a fan inside to help it defrost quicker.
 
What brand do you guys have? Would you buy the same brand again?
 
OhioTC18 said:
We like the upright model better. Seems you can find items easier instead of all being stacked on top of other items. I suppose you could load stuff in wire baskets and lift those out if needed. We did have a small chest type at first. The wife said never again. The chest model also had no light inside whereas the upright does.

She also likes the upright when defrosting. I was too cheap to get frost free. She just opens the door and blows a fan inside to help it defrost quicker.
Click to expand...

Not cheap Jerry, you are going for long term storage. A unit that is not self defrosting will keep food longer than a unit that is frost free. Every time that it needs to defrost it has to heat up a bit to melt the ice.

We used to have a chest type freezer (have no clue on the brand) when I was growing up. Used to have to stand on your head to get stuff at the bottom. Was a real pain to defrost because the water collected at the bottom. Several years ago (15-20) my sister and I went together and bought Mom & Dad an upright Frost Free - I think Kenmore. It has been great. No issues with it at all. Like others said, these include lights and much easier to get stuff out of.

Two or three years ago someone gave Monica and me and upright freezer. I believe it is a Magic Chef. I think I remember reading that it was from 1980, but could be wrong on that. We have it crammed and it keeps right on purring along.
 
I have two upright freezers. Had both of them for a long time. I'll have to look to see what brand they are. I've also had a chest freezer and much prefer the upright for the reasons stated.
 
Doc said:
What brand do you guys have? Would you buy the same brand again?
Click to expand...

I don't know what brand the chest freezer was, but it was an off brand. The upright is a Kenmore Commercial. And yes I would buy another one.
 
My 2-cents and my thoughts will echo some of the comments already posted.
EDIT TO ADD: After seeing the length of my post, you're getting close to a nickel.

Frost-free suck. Food won't last long at all and things that are sort of soft anyway (e.g. ice cream) will get crystals growing on them.

Defrost mode. This is a switch you flick when you want to defrost the freezer. It's worthwhile but not really necessary.

Upright pros/cons. Yep, easier to get to stuff. As already noted, when you open the door, all your cold air escapes. When that happens, your freezer frosts up quite a bit and requires more times defrosting. Probably at least 3X as much as a chest. You'll also encounter a bit of the defrosting situation of crystalizing on soft items or loose items in plastic bags.

Chest pros/cons. A little harder to find things so you need to keep it organized. Don't let Mrs. Doc use it. She'll throw the weekly groceries on top for a few weeks and then you can't find anything. Let her use the upright. Again, go with a deep-freeze. No auto-defrost. Since the cold air stays in when you open the lid, it gets very little frost. I have the biggest Kenmore they make and an annual defrost may yield a small pail of frost when cleaning. Probably 5x that on a similar sized upright.

Brand. Hmmm, I have Kenmore and Frigidaire. I've never had a problem with either over many years. I run mine at right around 0° F. I also buy one of those little LCD thermometers with the wire to a sensor. The sensor is inside and the LED is outside so I can glance to make sure temp is good without opening the door.

Upright vs. Chest? If you have the floor space, get one of each. If only one, I'd get the chest if it's long-term storage and upright for short-term. The upright, opened frequently will require defrosting every few months. Long-term in a chest can go more than a year without defrost. I do it annually just to check stock and reorganize.

Cleaning. I use a plastic spatula and a towel to soak up the water. Be careful where you use a spatula on an upright since the racks are actually your cooling fins.

Thoughts. Personally, I have the biggest Kenmore chest made. Have 2 of the largest Frigidaire uprights they make. Ran out of space last fall getting a cow and had to buy a mid-sized upright for overflow. Once we eat enough beef, that one will be shut down.

So we run 4 deep-freezers as well as 2 full size fridge/freezer combos and an apartment sized fridge. Generator is a must have!
 
had the chest and loved it,went to the upright to save space and yes it does on the floor but limits the area to store stuff and the trays that pull out are just shitty and clumsy,going back to the chest real soon,the Frigidaire upright we have is tackier plastic than anything i have purchased before.
 
I have a Kenmore and a GE 20 cu. ft. uprights. Had Frigidare for years. In the basement have two 13 ft. chests. One of those is a Frigidaire and 1 a GE. Understand that almost all fridges and freezers are made at the GE appliance park manufacturing center in Louisville,KY. GE builds them and puts everyone else's labels and trim on them. Look them over close in the store and you will see they are the same with different plastic sometimes.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/07/16/ge-appliance-park-highlights/12745433/
 
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