There are really only three freezer types on the market available to the general public:

Upright ~ This type of freezer is about the size of your typical household refrigerator, and usually has one or two doors. The benefit of this type of freezer is that they take up less floor space than a chest freezer, however they are unable to contain the cold air that escapes every time the door is opened.

Chest ~ Chest freezers take up more floor space, but they are, in general, more economical. The original cost is usually a little less, and the overall running cost will be less because it allows less cold air to escape when the door is opened. This type of freezer is, however, rather awkward; it is not easy to access the food that is in the bottom of the freezer. Many chest freezers come with sliding or lift-out baskets to assist in the organization of the freezer.

Refrigerator-Freezer Combination ~ Since this is the most common and since we kind of already went over these types in the refrigerator section, I won’t go into detail here. The freezer on a refrigerator-freezer combination unit can either be on the top, bottom, or to either side of the refrigerator. This is the most efficient type of freezer for small households that don’t freeze much.

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There aren’t a whole lot of options available in the freezer department, but here are a few of them:

Chest freezers probably come with the option of removable, sliding wire baskets. This type of freezer is notoriously difficult to keep organized, and the baskets are to aid you in that effort. Interior light is another very handy option.

Some freezers come with a lock option. This is useful if you’re extra worried about your food spoiling, or perhaps if you have small kids running around that you don’t particularly trust to keep the freezer closed at all times… However, another interesting option along these same lines is a fool spoilage warranty. This is where the manufacturer will cover the cost of any spoiled food if the freezer breaks down in a certain amount of time. Like some refrigerators, some freezers come with the option of an alarm. The alarm will sound whenever the temperature falls below an acceptable freezing level.

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It can be difficult to determine the right size freezer for your needs because there are so many variables. However, here is a general rule:

For every member in your household you need 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space. You can usually store about 45-50lbs of food in that amount of space.

Remember though, that if your freezer is not at least two-thirds of the way full you will be running a much less efficient freezer than if it were full. If you cannot manage to fill it up at least two-thirds of the way, fill plastic bottles with water and freeze those.

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… for a new freezer? There are some things you should think about before you completely commit yourself:

• Energy Star does rate freezers, so be sure to get one of those. They are at least 10% more efficient than models that aren’t qualified for the Energy Star.

The other considerations are pretty much the same as for the refrigerators, but I’ll list them again anyway.

• Size ~ Determine the capacity you need.

• Options ~ Freezers also come with special features.

• Type ~ As with refrigerators there are different types of freezers.

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