Freezers

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Chest, Upright & Drawer Freezers: What is the Best Type for You?

Much rarer than refrigerators, freezers are also present in some homes, but are more common in businesses. Separate freezers have a more efficient freezing system than the freezer compartments of most refrigerators.

They are ideal for spacious homes, large families and people who usually freeze large quantities of food or drinks.

Need a freezer, but don’t know how to choose? This guide will help you find the perfect model for you.

Types of freezers

Freezers are classified by the door opening system:

Chest freezers
Chest freezers have a door on top that opens upwards. They have a greater capacity, but it is harder to access their whole height. So they are more recommended for storing big quantities of the same types of food and drinks.
Upright freezers
Upright freezers have a door on front that opens sideways. They can be as tall as a regular fridge or as a minibar.
Drawer freezers
Drawer freezers are shorter, easy to access and can be installed under a countertop. Most models are supposed to be built-in between the under counter cabinets, so just the doors are finished. The doors can also be covered with the same finish as the cabinets.

How to determine the dimensions and capacity for your freezer

An appliance capacity is simply its size.

If you are buying a freezer for an existing room, you can start checking the dimensions of the available space and determining the maximum dimensions for the appliance.

Also check the required offsets to what is around the freezer, to ensure adequate ventilation. You can find this information in the manual that comes with the product and is also available on the manufacturer’s website.

Pick the ideal type considering the available height and width. Go upright in narrow and tall spaces, or drawer in short ones. Chest models need a wide and tall space, and should be used in large houses only.

If you are planning a new kitchen or laundry room and can have the appliances in whatever size suits your family, you can start determining the ideal capacities and then planning all the layout according to their dimensions.

You will find the capacity in liters or cubic feet, depending on the unit system used in your country:

  • Compact/small: up to 150 liters or 6 cu.ft. Drawer and shorter upright models.
  • Midsize: 150 to 400 liters or 6 to 15 cu.ft. Bigger upright and smaller chest models.
  • Large: larger than 400 liters or 15 cu.ft. Bigger chest models.

Features

Unlike other appliances, freezers have limited functions available. The the most common are:

  • Frost free: automatic defrost system. It eliminates ice layers created by cold air, improving the operation and increasing the appliance life span. Models that include this function are more expensive, but otherwise you need to manually defrost, i.e. empty and turn off the freezer every time the ice layers get to a determined thickness.
  • Ice maker: it can make cubed or crushed ice.
  • Safety lock: important for commercial use.

Finishes

The possible finishes are also limited, the most common being white, black, gray, silver, stainless steel and mirrored.

These colors are neutral and can match with any covering. Just try to get all the appliances for the same room in similar finishes.

Once you decide on the best type, capacity, features and finish for your freezer, you can go ahead and pick the model you think looks better or has the best price.

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