Chest or Upright?

[amyquilt]

I prefer upright due to the "black hole" issue of a chest freezer. Plus, I'm short, and if a chest freezer is a big one, I can't reach into what is in the very bottom.

 

[punkin]

I have 2 uprights - I like them best

 

[tazcat70]

Upright!

 

[skeeter]

i have an upright but im getting a chest too,I like the upright but when its full and you have to move frozen food around it dont stack up real good and the next time you open the door stuff falls out,like 20 lb frozen turkeys,
so im saying get both,you dont need a 30 cuft chest but a nice med size chest and upright should work real well

 

[ninjapoodles]

We have a refrigerator-sized upright that is really great. We were able to find a NON frost-free model, so it keeps things a lot colder (it doesn't cycle warmer to melt ice). We'll have to clean it sometime, I know, but it's been almost 3 years now that we've had it, and it hasn't built up much ice at all. It can store the meat from a couple of deer and still have room for tons of other stuff (including a frozen mallard in its natural state that my husband keeps in there for dog training--that thing is at eye level, and startles me nearly to death every time I open the freezer and he's there staring at me).

I pulled some half-chickens out of there the other day that were frozen in late 2006. I thought I'd have to throw them out, but when I looked, I could not see a single ice crystal on the meat, and no sign of freezer burn. I decided to thaw it out in the fridge and see how it looked...thawed, it looked and smelled like it did when I froze it, so I went ahead and cooked it. It was perfect and delicious. That sold me on this freezer, frost and all. Best part is we bought it from a baker who was moving for $90.

 

[consdrs]

We have a 15 cf chest freezer. Its messy but I guess I just "know" what's in there and where it is. BUT it is more energy efficient (I'm somewhat cheap...) and when we were looking to buy a freezer my aunt had a night mare story. She had butchered a beef and put it in her upright freezer. shortly afterword they left for a week and came back to a thawed out freezer. one of the packages of beef had slammed into the door and knocked it open. there was blood and goo everywhere, and smelled horrible. We got a chest... also the thought of a 5 lb frozen roast dropping on my usually bare feet was a little scary also....

 

[pdpatch]

We have both a chest and upright. A year old roo, a 10 week cornish -x and a 10 week turkey take up one entire shelf. So the chest is coming out of storage for the other turkeys and broilers. You can get more packed into a chest then upright.

Tom

 

[urbanagrarian]

Upright - easier for me. The different shelves and door bins make it easier to organize and find things.

NOT frost free - because it keeps food better by not going into defrost cycle and is more energy efficient than the frost free. I defrost it once a year in spring by moving what little is left into my regular freezer than starting all over again filling it.

I split some chickens into halves or cut up or bone breasts and thighs before freezing. It's more compact in the freezer and keeping everything separate makes meal or chicken stock prep easier.

 

[nccountrygirl]

We have a refrigerator-sized upright that is really great. We were able to find a NON frost-free model, so it keeps things a lot colder (it doesn't cycle warmer to melt ice). We'll have to clean it sometime, I know, but it's been almost 3 years now that we've had it, and it hasn't built up much ice at all.



That's the kind I have. I have to defrost it every couple of yrs but it's great if the power goes out. It will keep your food frozen much longer. I have really not notice that it uses any more power to run than my chest that I used to have.