Freezer Buying Guide

In my previous article on Home Improvement, I have already written about how freezer works. In this freezer buying guide we will learn how to choose a freezer to buy and what are the points and tips we need to keep in mind before buying a new freezer.

Whether you are remodeling your kitchen or want a smart kitchen and are looking for the best freezer or, you freezer has lost its cool? You have a freezer at home but need another or bigger and better one because the family has grown big? This freezer buying guide is the right place for you.

As many of you must be knowing, a freezer is also called deep-freezer and has now become a part of every home appliance and it makes your kitchen smart. With a freezer in your kitchen, you can buy food in bulk and store it in your home freezer. This will save both time and money.

How to choose a freezer? Which is the best freezer suitable for my family? There are so many brands and models of freezers, which is the best model? You want to select a model that keeps your foods frozen for as long as you need.

Well, there are so many questions that need to be answered before you buy your new freezer.

To start with, you choice of freezer will depend on your food-buying and your food consumption habits and the amount of floor space available for the freezer. You may be looking for a heavy-duty freezer to store large quantities of meat, vegetables and other food items, or you just want to store and preserve your weekly stores of dinner ingredients and leftovers.

Let us now begin with the freezer buying guide that, I hope, will help you choose the best freezer for yourself and at the same you get the best deal.

There are two types of stand-alone freezers: chest and upright.

Chest freezers are wider and comparatively cheaper. Chest Freezers have large capacity, but access to food items on the bottom is possible only after removing items on the top. These freezers are more energy efficient and keep foods frozen for a longer period of time if there is power-cut. Just keep the lid shut. Disadvantage with a chest freezer is that they also have to be tilted to get through a doorway because of their width and the hinges on a chest freezer wears too quick with heavy usage. Also, all chest freezers have manual defrost, which can take up to 24 hours, and can get messy.

Upright freezers cost more than chest freezers but they have better organizing features such as drawers and shelves. But they hold less foot item than chest models. They are not too wide and can easily fit to pass through a doorway. These freezers have both manual and automatic defrost. Models with manual defrost obviously costs less that the ones with automatic defrost feature.

Sizes of chest and upright freezers: The two types of freezers are available in four basic sizes: compact (5 cubic feet); small (6 to 9 cubic feet); medium (12 to 18 cubic feet); and large (18 to 25 cubic feet).

Price: The average cost for a chest freezer ranges from $150 to $700 for a chest freezer. Cost of upright freezers range from $150 to $700 for manual defrosts and $300 to $800 for automatic defrost. (* Price varies from model to model and from brand to brand and features). Also don’t forget the delivery charges which could be around $50 to $100. Always try to get FREE Delivery.

Top and Most Popular Brand of freezers: Frigidaire freezers, Whirlpool freezers, General Electric freezers, Kenmore freezers and Maytag freezers

There are several features you should look before shopping and buying a new freezer:

1) Look for a model with temperature alarm system that sounds if the temperature reaches an unsafe level.

2) Look for magnetic door gaskets that provide an air-tight seal. This is extremely important for food preservation for a longer period of time and also for energy conservation. Freezers with energy saving feature have EnergyStar Label.

3) Freezer should have easy access controls in the interior or exterior of the freezer so that you do not have to move items to check or change the temperature.

4) A child-lock feature should be there just for the safety of your child.

5) Warranty: Most of the major appliance companies offer a standard warranty of 1-4 years. Look for a longer warranty.

7) Freezer should have power lights inside and a power-on light outside. The inside light allows you to see inside the freezer when searching for your food item. The power-on light outside the freezer tells you that the freezer is in working condition without opening the door or lid to check the temperature.

While choosing a freezer, ask yourself following questions:
1. What size of freezer do I actually need?
2. What is the space available in my house to store the freezer?
3. How many members are there in the family?
4. What food items are you going to store in your freezer?
5. Consider your eating and food habits.
6. If you buy frozen food in bulk and wish to store them in the freezer.
7. Budget.

Size of freezer to buy will depend on the size of your family. The larger you family, the larger freezer you will need. The Home and Kitchen appliance industry recommends 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space for each family member with 1 cubic foot of freezer holding approximately 35 pounds of food.

As explained above, the capacity of a chest freezer is much more than the capacity of an upright freezer because a chest freezer is basically an open box with no baskets or shelves.

Another important point to consider before buying a new freezer is whether you buy food items in bulk. If you regularly take advantage of food sale and buy food items in bulk, you will probably need a bigger freezer.

Once you have worked out all the above questions, it is time to buy a new freezer and make your kitchen smart.

I hope now you can get the best deal on freezers.