Photo: Frigidaire

The decision that faces many couples when they buy their first home is what kind of freezer to buy. Shops have so many different options, with each promoter vying for your attention. The only one who can make the decision for you is yourself as the decision between a chest or upright freezer depends on what you need. Important things such as the accessibility of the freezer, how much space you have and efficiency must be taken into consideration when a freezer is bought.

Chest freezers

Chest freezers are usually short and wide. They are generally cheaper then upright freezers but they take up more floor space than an upright freezer and you have to manually defrost your items. Chest freezers also come in a variety of sizes so you can buy one that is just as big as what you need; they also tend to be quieter than their upright equivalent. Chest freezers tend to be the better choice for consumers who buy in bulk as one can store food for long periods of time. They can also become extremely disorganised, though, as chest freezers do not have shelves.

Upright freezers

Photo: Bosch

Upright freezers are tall and narrow and tend to resemble kitchen refrigerators. Most upright freezers have a self-defrosting feature but many also have problems where they struggle to maintain a constant temperature which may cause food to thaw and spoil. Upright freezers also tend to be more expensive than chest freezers. If you are a consumer who usually buys small quantities of food, upright freezers would be the better choice. They are also easier to organise as they have shelves, but it will be difficult to fit it bulkier items. Upright freezers take up less space than chest freezers but according to reviewers the door placement and design make them less efficient.

Making a decision

When it comes to energy-efficient freezers, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy have reported that chest freezers are better than upright freezers because they use less energy as very little cold air escapes, although the difference in amount of energy that is used is not much less than an upright freezer. The most reliable and popular brands on the market at the moment are Frigidaire, Whirlpool, Bosch and Hotpoint.

Tags: chest freezer, energy efficient, freezer, upright freezer