Upright vs Chest Freezer

always29

We're sorting out our new kitchen and will be having a under counter fridge with an icebox in there to maximise worktop space and then a freezer in the garage but am trying to decide on an upright or chest freezer in there. We will probably be using it everyday so am thinking an upright with 4 or 5 shelves / drawers makes more sense but chest freezers seem to be a lot better value for capacity. Due to the floor space in the garage, the chest freezer would be compact one 50-60cm wide. There is definitely no room in the kitchen for another appliance so it has to go in the garage but the garage is integral to the house so easy to get to.

Anyone's thoughts / experience appreciated on the best one for day to day use.

loracan1

It's got to be upright all the way! With drawers rather than pull down fronts too. Imagine trying to find that cheesecake underneath the chickens.

ariba10

On the side of the chest freezer.

Size for size. It will hold more than an upright.

Cheaper to run as there less "cold" loss when the door/lid is opened.

never_enough

For your circumstances a chest freezer. They do freak me out though, a lingering fear since being shut in our 6' one by a neighbours child when I was a kid. :eek: :eek: :eek:

However if you go for an upright I agree with previous poster about baskets, not sure if they make them without anymore, but I had one once & it drove me crazy.

nearlyrich

I have had both you can get more in a chest freezer BUT things are much easier to find in an upright, I have the tallest Bosch freezer in my utility room and I love it!

EllaKeat

I have both too, and although you can get more into a chest freezer, you also 'lose' more! I much prefer the upright, I actually use all of the food in there as opposed to discovering old packets of frost frozen peas on my annual excursion into the 'big'un'.
Great if you are super organised though:)

dander

I'd say depends what kind of things you use your freezer for as well as your own personal taste. I find the uprights are much more restrictive on the size of items you can get in them as a lot of room is taken up with shelves/drawers/general clutter. If you're someone who grows their own fruit and veg, so you might have large gluts that you need to cram in, then the chest offers more flexible space, but if you're talking just a high-turnover of packaged frozen food, then the uprights probalby make a better filing system!

loracan1

To add more:
I have a tall freezer (proline) in the utility room, seven shelves, the top two of which are just shelves with a front, the fronts fell off after a few years, all the drawers are still in one piece. If I ever needed the space to put something huge in, I could just remove one of the drawers - one or two of them have their fittings on the side of the unit.

You sound as if this is going to be an everyday freezer rather than a spare for longer term storage? I would really hate having to rifle through a chest freezer to find a solitary bag of sweetcorn, it's bad enough with the freezer I've got. I've promised myself many times that I'd be more organised over the years but it's been 17 or so now and I've still not managed it.


ETA: if the widest chest freezer you could get was 50-60cm it wouldn't hold as much as an upright anyway.

nearlyrich

My upright has one deep drawer which will take a BIG turkey no problem, I tend to use mine for meat, fish and HM meals.

always29

Thanks everyone, my instinct was an upright until I saw how cheap chest freezers are but I think all the practicality comments convince me we are going to have to spend a bit more cash and get an upright.