Guide to buying the right deep freezer

Deep freezers help you save money by allowing you to buy food in bulk while also reducing trips to the grocery store. For many households, they can quickly become a necessary appliance. 

When looking to add a chest or upright freezer to your home, there are several considerations to make to ensure you’re buying the right one. Whirlpool brand offers a variety of deep freezers, each equipped with numerous features to help freeze food in larger quantities. This guide can help you research the types of freezers to decide which one might be the best fit for your food storage and cooking needs.

A deep freezer can be a worthwhile addition to your home if you often buy food in bulk, have a large family or typically eat meals from the frozen foods section. 

Deep freezers offer more storage capacity than a standard refrigerator freezer, and are also a strong option for families that don’t live close to a grocery store, and may need to store frozen items for longer.

The term “deep freezer” refers mostly to the appliance’s capacity, not its ability to reach certain freezing temperatures. It’s an umbrella category, which includes chest and upright freezers. 

Both chest and upright models provide supplemental storage space for frozen items, but keep in mind that each option has its own benefits. Regardless of which option you choose, it’s important to understand how to organize your freezer to get the most out of it.

Both upright and chest freezers can store frozen items when you run out of room in your main freezer. However, there are some differences between the two deep freezer types, so keep reading to find out which one might work best for your family.

Upright freezers are designed with a vertical orientation much like a typical refrigerator. They offer convenient in-door storage and are equipped with built-in shelving. Since items are stored within reach and tend to be more visible, they typically make the most sense for people who access frozen foods frequently. With upright freezers, most don’t have to bend to dig for food, and they tend to take up less floor space.

Explore the advantages of Whirlpool^® upright freezers to learn if it’s the right option.

Benefits of upright freezes

Upright freezers offer a bevy of benefits, including:

• Smaller floor footprint than typical chest freezers

• Interior shelves and drawers for organizing and accessing food with relative ease

• Available in white and stainless steel finish

• Automatic defrost options

Chest freezers are designed with a horizontal orientation with the lid on the top. They are a great option for larger households or for people who like to stock up on seasonal or sale items. Chest freezers generally offer greater food storage capacity per square foot, since they typically don’t contain shelving. Additionally, this allows you to store bulky items that may not fit in your refrigerator’s freezer.

Benefits of chest freezers

Chest freezers offer many benefits, including:

• Large capacity models are available

• Select chest freezers are adaptable to your storage needs1, and can be converted into a refrigerator.

• Food can often stay frozen for longer during power outages

• Cold air is often relegated to the bottom of the interior when the lid is opened

Which type of deep freezer is right for you depends on your needs and where you plan to keep it in your home. One key consideration to make is that an upright freezer takes up less floor space, and the built-in shelving makes organizing food easier. A chest freezer, on the other hand, offers more storage capacity and can hold bulkier items.

Every household has different needs, meaning they need to consider different factors when shopping for a deep freezer. Use this guide to determine which option might be the right choice for your home.

Considering how you will use a deep freezer can help you decide which configuration might be right for your home. 

• Buying food in bulk: Chest freezers provide ample interior space for storing large quantities of food.

• Freezing home-grown produce: Both types of deep freezers can help preserve some of your homegrown produce.

• Meal prepping: Like a typical refrigerator, upright freezers are designed with shelves to help organize items.

• Preparing for a power outage: If you live somewhere that experiences frequent power blackouts, chest freezers can often keep food frozen for longer without power, thanks to the tight gasket seal on the lid.

Before purchasing a deep freezer, ensure that your home has enough space for the appliance. For adequate air circulation, freezers require 1-3 inches of space on each side. Chest freezers typically take up more space because of their horizontal design. This means that homes with less floor space should consider an upright option.

You should also compare a freezer’s dimensions with the size of your home’s doorways. You want to confirm that the appliance will need to be able to fit through doors on route to where it will be installed. If you want to install a deep freezer in your garage, the appliance must be labeled “garage-ready”, meaning it is designed to withstand fluctuations in outdoor temps. 

For a deep freezer to operate optimally, it is recommended to keep it at least two-thirds full most of the time. Selecting the best-sized freezer may feel frustrating, but it’s actually quite straightforward. 

Deep freezers offer four basic capacities: 

• Compact: 5 cu. ft.

• Small: 6-9 cu. ft.

• Medium: 12-18 cu. ft.

• Large: 18+ cu. ft.

One way to determine which size is right for your household is by using this formula: 

• Multiply the number of people in your home by 2.5 cu. ft. 

For example, a household of one to two people probably only needs a compact deep freezer. On the other hand, families of six or more might need a large capacity freezer. You should also consider what food you plan to store in your deep freezer, and their quantities. If your family hunts for food or buys large portions of beef, a freezer with a medium or large capacity might make the most sense, regardless of your household size.

Select upright and chest freezers currently on the market offer an array of features, including Fast Freeze, Automatic Defrost, LED interior lighting and more.

Consider the following features to decide which are most important to you:

• Locking: Ensure your food is secure with a key-locked door or lid.

• Automatic Defrost: This feature helps reduce frost buildup, so you can avoid having to empty your freezer to manually defrost it.

• Energy efficiency: ENERGY STAR^® Certified options can often reduce energy costs associated with this appliance.

• Storage capacity: This feature is especially important for large families or any family that keeps a large surplus of frozen foods.

• Interior organization: Shelves, drawers and storage bins can help organize your food and ensure that most items are easily accessible.

• Interior lighting: Proper lighting makes finding frozen items much easier.

• Temperature alarm: An alarm alerts you when the freezer’s temperature rises, helping you maintain the appropriate freezing environment.

• Fast Freeze: With the push of a button, you can lower the temperature to cool large amounts of food.

• Style and design: Choose a similar finish for your deep freezer to match your other appliances.

• Garage-ready: These models are designed to maintain the proper temperature in an environment where the temperature can not be controlled. 

Budget should be one of the first considerations you make. The cost of a deep freezer varies based on its type and size, in addition to the features offered. The price of a chest freezer typically ranges from $500–$1,500. Upright freezers generally cost between $700–$2,500. If you’re looking for an appliance deal and shopping on a budget, browse Whirlpool^® Freezer sales.

If your refrigerator freezer doesn’t have enough room to store all your items, a Whirlpool^® Chest or Upright Freezer might be exactly what your home needs. Shop the complete line of innovative freezers from Whirlpool brand to find the right fit for your household.