As your family grows, so does your need to make sure there’s always something to eat. At first, this might seem like a simple task. But, as all big families know, keeping great food on-hand can be challenging, especially when freezer space is limited. Whether you have hungry teenagers, love the budget-friendliness of buying in bulk, or just always want to have a meal option on-hand in case of guests, adding another freezer can be one of the smartest decisions you make.
Of course, knowing which freezer to buy isn’t always easy. While the size of the freezer is the obvious place to start when determining which one to purchase, there are a lot of other features to consider. Your best bet when looking at all the different options, including chest freezers and upright freezers, is understanding what really makes them different, and which features are right for your family and your home. From there, you’ll be able to make a confident decision, one that keeps food always on-hand and your family fed.
The Pros and Cons of Chest Freezers
A more traditional style, a chest freezer is typically what people think of when they hear the phrase, “We have an extra freezer in the garage”. Great for storing large items, chest freezers do take up more room, making them a tight (or impossible) fit for some spaces.
Chest Freezer Pros
- Chest freezers are typically more energy efficient than upright freezers.
- Chest freezers are usually more affordable and, therefore, a better option for families on a budget.
- Because of their shape, chest freezers offer more storage options, making them a great choice for families interested in storing larger items, like large cuts of meat and bags of ice.
- Because of the way they are designed, chest freezers are capable of keeping food fresh even during power outages.
Chest Freezer Cons
- While their ability to store a lot is great, chest freezers can be difficult to organize, which means finding what you need isn’t always easy.
- Chest freezers have a larger footprint than upright freezers, which means they’ll take up more space in your home or garage.
- Chest freezers require you to manually defrost, which can be time-consuming.
- Chest freezers work best when they’re in a cool, dry place located indoors, which means you might have fewer options when choosing where to put your new freezer.
The Pros and Cons of Upright Freezers
The beauty of upright freezers is that they are great for organizing your food. And, because of their swing-door design, upright freezers make it easier to access and find what you need, without having to lift yourself up and over the edge of a giant chest. Available in a variety of sizes, up-right freezers are more compact than chest freezers, making them a fantastic choice for small homes and spaces, including offices and apartments.
Upright Freezer Pros
- Almost all upright freezers come with an auto defrost feature, making them more convenient and easier to use.
- Because of their design, upright freezers require less floor space, making them a great choice for homes and spaces short on room.
- The design of upright freezers lends itself to better organization (almost all of them have shelves) so that it’s easier for you to find what you’re looking for right when you need it.
- Unlike chest freezers, upright freezers have a swing door, which means it’s much easier for you to reach what you need when you find it.
- Upright freezers tend to come in more options when it comes to appearance, making them easier to integrate into home spaces.
Upright Freezer Cons
- In general, upright freezers have more features than chest freezers, which means they are more expensive.
- Because of their shape, upright freezers can’t accommodate larger or oddly-shaped items.
- In case of a power outage, an upright freezer will not keep your food frozen as long as a chest freezer will.
- A lot of users note that upright freezers are noisier than chest freezers.
- Because of their automatic defrost feature, upright freezers use more energy than chest freezers.
Choosing the Danby Freezer That’s Right for Your Family
Knowing your family’s needs, as well as your home’s requirements, can help you determine which Danby freezer is right for you – a chest freezer model or an upright freezer model. While both are great options, doing your research to understand the differences between the two can help make sure that the investment you make for your family is the best one possible.
While more expensive, an upright freezer can be the perfect choice for a smaller family that loves to keep things organized. Of course, if your family is as big as it is hungry, then choosing a more economical and larger chest freezer might just be your best bet.
When measuring for your new Danby freezer, make sure that you add a minimum of one inch to the overall width in order to ensure your freezer gets the air flow it needs to operate efficiently.
Once you’ve done your research and have determined which type of freezer is right for your home, find the one you need by browsing our online catalogue or by visiting us in store to get more information about our freezer options.
Amanda, Your Appliance Expert