The Best Chest Freezer Top Reviews and Buying Guide

Our Best Pick for Top Chest Freezers of 2019: Midea WHS-258C1 Single Door Chest Freezer
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A chest freezer can be the perfect solution for the overflow from your main freezer. That little bit of extra space will allow you to take advantage of sales, shop in bulk at your local club stores, and prepare meals ahead of time. Many of the available models are compact in size. This means they will easily fit in your garage, pantry, or kitchen without taking up precious floor space. There are numerous brands and sizes to pick from. Use the following information to help narrow down your options and select the best chest freezer for your home.

Let’s Have a Quick Look of Our Top 4 Picks:

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The Midea WHS-258C1 Single Door Chest Freezer includes 7.0 cubic feet of storage space for all of your frozen foods. It comes in a solid white, and you can mechanically control it with the adjustable thermostat that allows you to easily set it to the perfect temperature for your preferences. It has a recessed handle, and a removable basket inside that helps you keep the contents organized and easy to reach. The stainless steel door on this freestanding model has a reversible, balanced hinge design.

You can buy with confidence when it comes to the Midea WHS-258C1. You will get a full one year warranty on the freezer itself as well as a two-year warranty on the compressor. This freezer measures 37.2 by 20.6 by 33.5 inches, and it weighs 72.8 pounds. It is manufactured in China by MIDEA. It uses 120 volts, and it is constructed from iron and stainless steel with an easy to clean interior.

According to online reviews, this freezer stays around zero to five degrees when the temperature control is positioned at the halfway point. A one-gallon container of water takes approximately five hours to completely freeze at this temperature adjustment. Although this model is not frost free, it is quite simple to keep the frost under control. The manufacturer recommends using a cloth to routinely wipe away any minor ice crystals that develop around the freezer’s lid. It comes with a scraper and it has a drain plug on the front of the unit for when it does require defrosting.

The compact size of the Midea WHS-258C1 Freezer allows you to reach the bottom without having to step on a stool. While being small enough of a handle, it maintains a capacity of 7.0 cubic feet. The sides are 33 inches tall with an overall width of 20 inches front to back. Those who already own this freezer state that it keeps meat frozen in the middle setting as well as storing frozen pizza, vegetables, and ice cream nicely. It also seems to easily handle being in a garage where the room temperature fluctuates. Whether it is hot outside or cold and blustery, owners of the MIDEA freezer say they have not had any problems with its interior temperature.

When you get your Midea Freezer it will be ready to go. It plugs into any standard North American three prong outlet without the need for a water line. Simply plug it in, and it will automatically turn on. It will take approximately two to three hours to reach a cold enough temperature to add your food items. It is not recommended for outdoor use. If the condenser gets too cold, it can become damaged. Inside of this unit you will find a wire basket that measures 18 by 16 centimeters on the right side. Underneath the basket, you will have 12 inches of space before reaching a shelf. The left-hand side of this freezer is one big open space from top to bottom. When the door is fully open it is 52 inches from the floor to the top edge of the door.

Online reviews are quite favorable for the Midea WHA-258C1 Single Door Freezer. It is ideal for families with four to five people. It is small, but it still offers plenty of room for extra meat, vegetables, and other food items. Owners say that it is very quiet and holds a lot of food. These factors make it an excellent choice for those that live in small spaces such as apartments. It does not come with any of the extra bells and whistles that some freezers have, but its basic design is perfect for anyone simply looking for a place to store their groceries after a monthly warehouse shopping trip. Overall, people are very pleased with their purchase of this particular chest freezer. They describe it as a great investment. It keeps food cold and is available at a very reasonable price.

The Igloo FRF434 Chest Freezer is ideal for anyone that is searching for the ideal freezer to place in their garage, pantry, or hunting and fishing cabin. Its compact top loading design offers 3.5 cubic feet of storage space for your meats, vegetables, pizzas, ice cream, and any other overflow you may have from your main freezer. It has an adjustable thermostat so that you can be sure to set it to just the right temperature for your preferences, and it is easy to clean with a drain for defrosting. The interior shelf will help you stay organized as well as make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

This freezer comes with a 115V-60Hz power supply. It measures 23.5 by 22.8 by 34.2 inches, and it weighs 64 pounds. It is manufactured in the United States by the Igloo Company. Igloo has a long-standing reputation for delivering reliable ways in which people can store their frozen food items. It can be plugged into any North American three-prong outlet, and it will only use a small current to run efficiently. Be aware that it is not designed to be used in temperatures below 55° Fahrenheit. It would not be suitable for an unheated garage that would drop below this point in the winter months.

The interior of the Igloo FRF434 Chest Freezer measures 16 by 16inches and 28 inches deep. It will need to be defrosted occasionally, and you need to remember to check the drip pan found underneath the unit. It comes with a six to seven-foot power cord which gives you a little freedom in where you can place it. Those that are searching for a freezer to hold large quantities will want to keep looking. Although this design has limited interior storage space, it works very nicely for average household frozen food items. A frozen pizza, pre-made casserole, or a nine by thirteen lasagna pan will easily fit inside. This makes it perfect for apartments and any other small space.

Online reviews state that this particular freezer is very quiet. It only makes a small clicking noise as the compressor turns on and off. Many people like how the compact size allows them to put it in a variety of places. Some have even used it in their kitchen so that it is easy to reach. Some people were hesitant when it came to buying the Igloo FRF434 Chest Freezer due to the fact that it lacks an automatic defrosting feature. Once they actually purchased one, they were pleasantly surprised. The amount of frost that was found inside of the freezer was minimal, and they could easily scrape it off every now and then to keep the ice build-up under control.

This model is ideal for couples or small families of three. They have found it to offer plenty of room for their items that won’t fit in the main freezer. This allows them to shop less frequently, especially when taking advantage of the warehouse club stores. The sides of the freezer are soft and can dent easily, but this wasn’t enough of an issue for people to give it a low rating. Overall, those that own this unit find it to be an excellent small chest freezer at a very affordable price point.

The Haier 7.1 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer is the perfect solution for all the extra frozen food items that don’t fit into your main freezer. It is all white and will hold up to 250 pounds. The adjustable thermostat allows you to set it to just the right temperature for your own individual needs while the removable storage basket keeps everything inside of it neat and organized.

The inside dimensions on this chest freezer from Haier are 37 inches wide by 21 inches deep and 33 inches high. The interior is covered in a textured aluminum that looks nice as well as provides a durable surface. The space inside of it gives you ample room for frozen pizzas, ice cream, vegetables, meats, casserole dishes, and so much more. The outer dimensions are 39.2 by 23 by 34.6 inches. The compact size fits nicely in your garage, kitchen, or basement. It is ideal for those that like shopping at the warehouse club stores, but they don’t have the room to store everything.

This particular chest freezer is not frost free, but it does come with a defrost drain to eliminate unwanted puddles from forming around the unit as well as make the job of manually defrosting it much easier to accomplish. It also has an indicator light that lets you know the freezer is functioning correctly. This and the temperature control are found on the front of the freezer so that you never have to pull the unit out for adjustments.

The Haier 7.1 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer comes with a manufacturer’s one year warranty on parts and labor as well as a separate compressor warranty. It is manufactured in China with a flat back and recessed handle. These features keep the overall design compact. It can fit nicely into your home without any obstructions. The removable wire basket is ideal for small items that can easily get lost in a chest freezer. It also frees up the rest of the interior for larger pieces.

Online reviews describe the Haier Chest Freezer as excellent. They state that it is cheap, great, and perfect for their main freezer’s overflow. They also remark on how quiet it is with a large capacity and clean lines. One of the features that most owners enjoy the most is the seal on the lid. The online manufacturer’s descriptions do not mention it, but this seal is of a much higher quality than on similar freezers found at this price point. A tight seal means that food stays frozen better, and you won’t have to defrost it as frequently as you would with other models.

This chest freezer is best suited to couples or small families of three. It does lock which is an excellent perk for those with children. Keep in mind that the power cord on the Haier Chest Freezer is rather short. It may limit your options as to where you can place it within your home. Other than that, those that had already purchased this model said that it is a wonderful value for the price they paid.

The Midea WHS-129C1 Single Door Chest Freezer is the ideal size for couples and small families. It has a capacity of 3.5 cubic feet inside of the attractive, solid white exterior. Mechanical controls allow you to easily adjust the temperature to your own desired preference. It is simple to keep clean, and the reversible hinge design will keep its balance safe and secure.

This chest freezer measures 21.7 by 33.5 by 22.2 inches, and it weighs 59.5 pounds. It is manufactured in China. You will get a two-year warranty on the compressor as well as a one year manufacturer’s warranty on the entire unit. This particular freestanding freezer runs on 120 Volts. It has a rugged construction that includes a stainless steel door and iron body. When placed on the middle setting, this freezer reaches temperatures between 0° and 5° Fahrenheit. Those that own this model say that it will freeze a full gallon of water within five hours when at these temperatures.

The Midea WHS-129C1 is a manual defrost model. The manufacturer recommends wiping around the lid when ice crystal starts to form in order to keep the frost build-up under control. The compact design makes it easy to reach your frozen items. There is no need for a stool to be able to easily lift out foods that are on the bottom. The internal dimensions are 18 by 20 by 18 inches which allows you ample room for the overflow from your main freezer. It also includes a small basket to help keep the contents organized.

Online reviews speak favorably about this freezer. Its compact design makes it ideal for small spaces such as apartments, and it is quiet when running. Most people are surprised by how much food it can actually hold. They describe it as a great buy for smaller families. Those that are looking for a place to store frozen foods so that they can take advantage of sales and shop warehouse club stores will be quite pleased with this model. It is also the perfect size for new mothers to store breast milk. Reviews state that it is one of the best investments they’ve made when it comes to food storage.

Pre-purchase considerations

How the Freezer Will Be Used

Many people prefer an upright freezer to handle the overflow from their main freezer, but a compact chest freezer is another excellent option. Chest freezers offer more storage space as well as use less energy to operate. You will also want to think about what type of features you will need. Families with young children will want one with a lock so that the kids won’t accidentally climb in. Those that are using it to keep their fresh vegetables flavorful will want to consider a quick-freeze model while units with a soft freeze zone are terrific for ice cream products.

Capacity of Top Chest Freezer

Think about exactly how much room you will need in your freezer. There are four sizes available. Compact models hold three to five cubic feet. Small freezers are six to nine cubic feet, and midsize units have 10 to 18 cubic feet. Large freezers can have 19 cubic feet of storage space, but these often cost much more to operate. If you don’t need that much room, it is more economical to buy a smaller design. If you want the freezer for large quantities of meat, you may need the midsize or large freezer while compact units are satisfactory for the overflow from your main freezer.

Placement

Before you purchase the best chest freezer, make sure you know where you are going to place it within your home. Measure the space to ensure the unit will actually fit. Remember that you will need a few inches extra around the freezer to allow for circulation as well as room for the door to open. It is also a good idea to measure any doorways that you will be carrying the freezer through on the way to its permanent location.

If the freezer will be placed in a garage or other unheated area, read the manufacturer’s specifications to ensure that it can withstand the temperature range it will be subjected to. Most freezers on the market can function well between 32 and 100° Fahrenheit. On the other hand, if you plan to keep the unit within your actual living area, look for models that run quietly. You don’t want the sound of the compressor to drive you crazy.

Defrosting

Manual defrost chest freezers are less likely to dry your food out, run quietly, and are energy efficient as long as you don’t allow excessive ice to build up inside of it. They usually need defrosted twice a year or anytime you see more than a half-inch of frost build-up. If you do not want to deal with defrosting the freezer regularly, you will want to purchase one that automatically defrosts by itself.

Value

The amount of money you will save by using a good chest freezer depends on which one you choose and how it is used. Purchase the smallest possible unit for your needs. Empty spaces allow extra frost to build up, and they waste energy. Freezers that are used regularly will earn back their purchase price with the money they save you by allowing you to preserve produce, buy food in bulk, and take advantage of grocery sales. You will also want to consider the annual energy costs when calculating whether a freezer will save you money. Many of the top freezers will cost you anywhere from $25 to $50 each year just to keep it running. You will need to be saving $3 – $5 a month on your food bill to make up the cost of the freezer.

Conclusion (Wrapping it up)

If you are looking for a reliable, best chest freezer, the gold pick will completely suit your needs. The MIDEA WHS-258C1 Single Door Freezer includes seven cubic feet of storage space with adjustable temperature control. The removable storage basket allows you to keep all your foods organized and easy to reach. Small families and couples enjoy the Igloo FRF434 Chest Freezer as well as the Haier 7.1-Cu Foot Chest Freezer. Both of these models offer you ample room for ice cream, frozen pizza, meat, and much more. Both are large enough to hold standard size casserole dishes while still being compact enough to fit in your kitchen, garage or pantry. If you simply want a handy little freezer at an affordable price, try the MIDEA WHS-129C1. It is perfect for apartments and smaller spaces.