Chest freezer?

[mark]

Menards has 7Cu Ft chest freezers, manual defrost for $150.

We have a 2nd side by side refrigerator freezer in the basement that we have been using for over 20 years. It was in my parents house before that. They moved and gave it to us.

We routinely stuff the freezer full.

Is a chest freezer a pain in the ass? They look like they would be.

[LuFins Dad]

@mark my understanding is that they actually work better and more reliably than the standup...

[jon-nyc]

I’m a nipple man so yeah, a chest freezer seems like a good idea.

[kluurs]

We have both a chest and upright freezer. We bought the small chest freezer with the idea that we would responsibly use it to supplement the side-by-side freezer in the kitchen. Then we bought the largest standing freezer we could fit in the house and stopped using the chest freezer - but now we use both. A chest freezer is a gateway freezer.

We use the chest freezer for bulk things and the upright freezer for soups and all kinds of things with quick access.

[mark]

Thanks all.

[Jolly]

1. You want manual defrost. Food keeps longer.
2. Food keeps longer in a chest than in an upright.
3. Uprights are more convenient.
4. If you use a chest, buy some plastic milk crate organizers at WallyWorld. They're slimmer than a milk crate, but will still be strong enough to lift out of the freezer.
5. If your chest freezer doesn't come with a basket, buy one. Maybe two. Coupled with the crates, it cuts down a lot on digging.
6. People who are really into freezer utilization keep a list of what's in a chest taped to the lid.

[jon-nyc]

I keep a list on my iOS Notes app. It includes dates.

I can open the app and decide what I want for dinner. Or see what’s aging out and plan a meal around it.