Freezers for Sale

Freezers, whether they be chest, upright or commercial, come in a variety of shapes and sizes so selecting the right one can be a daunting task.

And, because this appliance is a major investment and you will be stuck with it for at least a decade, it is important to determine your needs objectively.

Here's some advice to help you make an informed decision...

Size

Which size is ideal for you will depend on the available floor space and the size of your family. If you have a small family or a small living space, you would be well-advised to select a small unit. An empty one is not energy efficient and can clutter the house.

If, however, you have a large, young or growing family, going for a medium-sized or large unit would probably be a good decision.

Style

There are, essentially, 2 styles to choose from - uprights and chests. Each of these has its pros and cons so weigh these carefully before selecting one or the other.

Upright models are tall, namely, they have more height than breadth and open from the front.

Advantages of Upright Freezers

• Because they stand vertically rather than lie horizontally, they occupy a much smaller floor area and it is easy to fit them into a kitchen

• The slide-out shelves, drawers and baskets make organizing and finding frozen food easy

• Many upright models are frost-free, eliminating the need to manually defrost them.

Disadvantages of Uprights

• Uprights are comparatively more expensive than chests

• During power outages, frozen food thaws faster in uprights than chests because their configuration is less energy-efficient

• Shelves, drawers and baskets eat into the storage space, sometimes by upwards of 20 percent.

A chest is a large, usually rectangular box which opens from the top with the door opening toward the ceiling.

Advantages of Chest Freezers

• Chests cost less than uprights on a foot for foot basis

• Because a chest is essentially a shell, virtually all its capacity is storage space as baskets, drawers and shelves don't get in the way. Chests are therefore ideal for freezing bulky items such as animal carcasses

• Because of their inner wall insulation and upward opening doors, chests are far more energy efficient than uprights, resulting in lower electric bills

• During power blackouts, food in chests stays frozen longer as their design enables them to better retain the chill.

Disadvantages of Chests

• Because chests have few or no baskets, it's difficult to organize and find their contents

• Most models have to be manually defrosted which is a tedious, back-breaking exercise. In addition, the unit is unavailable during the defrosting process, which could last as long as 24 hours

• Chests take up a lot of floor space. As such, most chests in the US are kept in garages. Garages, though, are difficult to access and most fall below the manufacturer's recommended temperature range during winter, straining the compressor and consequently leading to breakdown.

• Retrieving chest contents entails a lot of lifting, bending and stretching which is not recommended for those whose state of health does not permit this.

Features

Before checking out the freezers for sale, decide which features you'd like to have. Some of the feature choices include the following:

• Frost-free freezers do not develop frost, eliminating the need to manually defrost them

• A power indicator light lets you know the power status of your unit at a glance, enabling you to restore power to it as soon as you notice that it is off

• An interior light makes locating and retrieving easier, particularly in dimly lit rooms

• A lock with pop-out keys ensures that you don't forget the key in the lock, thereby enabling you to childproof the unit and guard against pilferage

• A temperature alarm alerts you when your unit's temperature rises beyond a safe level, enabling you to take corrective measures to prevent food wastage

• Electronic controls enable you to set and adjust the temperature with precision

• Energy Star qualified freezers consume less energy by using more robust compressors as well as better insulation, temperature control and defrost mechanisms. The benefits? Lower electric bills and less pollution as well as its adverse climate change effects.

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