Is a chest freezer worth it?
“Great capacity for big items (leg of lamb), less vulnerable to sudden defrosting if you have a power cut, and can be filled with as many loaves of bread as you like.” - Mumsnet user LynnThese4reSEXPEOPLE
You should only ever spend what you can afford, but if you have a large family and find yourself cramming food into your existing freezer and never finding anything, a chest freezer will be worth its weight in gold.
A spacious chest freezer will easily hold frozen food in the run-up to Christmas, the glut of apples your neighbour gave you for winter crumbles, and large joints of meat or whole sides of salmon. This will leave room in your kitchen freezer for everyday staples like frozen veg and fruit, meat and fish fillets, and ice cream.
Can I keep a chest freezer in the garage?
A chest freezer's natural home is the garage or an outbuilding attached to your home. However, not all models suit uninsulated spaces as they won’t work effectively under 10°C, and your warranty will be null and void.
If you have limited kitchen space, look out for chest freezers with freezer guards and ones that will work to temperatures as low as -15°C. Beko and Hotpoint are good brands to try as they have a wide range of models with this capability.
Do chest freezers have internal compartments?
Chest freezers rarely have drawers or shelves; they consist of one large space, and you place your frozen foods in one on top of the other and side by side. This can indeed feel chaotic, and when your freezer is full, finding the small items at the bottom can be challenging.
Most chest freezers, even compact models, will have a storage basket that sits over the rim for goods such as ice creams and small portions of leftovers. A large-capacity chest freezer may have two or three of these compartments; it is also possible to buy extras.
“Be completely ruthless about labelling things. NO, you won't remember what the brown stuff is, and even though it looks the same as the other brown stuff, it won't be, and someone will be having gravy for lunch.” - Tip from Mumsnet user LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow
“A hint here, from one who has spent far too much of her life rummaging through a chest freezer to find the thing I want: get a few bags for life, one for veg, one for meat, one for bread, one for sweeties etc. Makes it much easier to find anything.” - Advice from Mumsnet user Carolamc
What size chest freezer is best for my home?
This depends on the space you have available. Before you decide on your new appliance, double-check each freezer’s size and the measurements of where it will sit. Remember, models with the same capacity may not have the same dimensions.
If you’re deliberating between two sizes, choose the one with the lower capacity. A nearly full freezer is much more efficient than an empty one as there is less circulating air to cool.
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How long does a chest freezer last?
If you look after your chest freezer by defrosting it when needed and keeping it in an appropriate environment, it can last 15-20 years.
As a reflection of this expected longevity, most appliances will come with a warranty of at least a year, and some high-end models will have a 10-year parts guarantee.