# Stand alone Freezer



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Chum had one that went out and looking to replace it. Any recommendations on which make or model is the best these days? Thanks.


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

Chest freezers generally are cheaper .


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

I had a chest but now have a stand-up freezer. A stand-up is much better for sorting out your food. The chest got annoying.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

There are pros & cons with both type of freezers. An upright is easier to organize and find what you're looking for, but will defrost faster when the power goes out. A chest freezer can usually hold more food, they also have dividers available to help with some organization and it won't thaw out as fast without power, but having to bend over to reach to the bottom for something is a real pain. 

As for brands....honestly I don't really know what's available anymore since in the past I had usually bought my appliances from Sears (Kenmore??) and never had a problem with them. Currently I do have a small chest freezer that hubby had picked up from a garage sale a few years back. It's an old Whirlpool, with emphasis on OLD but it still does the trick.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

There are freezers available that run on both 120 volts or 12 volts DC. They are VERY expensive but are a great idea for a prepper with an off-grid power system.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Appliances are not built for 10 - 15 years of use like they used to be. The all have a short lifespan of several years and are now built around electronic circuit boards. Buy the one you like that is on sale.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Does Consumer Reports have info on freezers?


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

look around the used market - freaking ton of them around - if you can move it - just don't get some old electrical sucking monster ....


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## SGT E (Feb 25, 2015)

We just got rid of a upright 10 cu foot and got a 5.5 cu foot chest. Advantages of the chest is you open the door and it does not need to run to cool the food even if you have it open 5 or ten minutes....the cold air just lays in it. With an upright every time you open the door you lose it all and have to start from scratch...My upright would run a half hour every time we had the door open looking for something....Our chest hardly ever comes on. Power consumption of the chest per year is a third of an upright. As mentioned its a bit more of a bother going through a chest but considering I can keep it going forever off a small invertor and a couple small solar panels it's the best choice for me. BTW I got an Igloo from Sams club.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

We have two chest type, a 5 cu ft and a 7 cu ft. Both came from Sears. 
One is 12 years old, one is 10. They both work just fine.
Since we are Southern ********, they are both out on our front screen porch. :tango_face_smile:


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## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

SGT E said:


> We just got rid of a upright 10 cu foot and got a 5.5 cu foot chest. Advantages of the chest is you open the door and it does not need to run to cool the food even if you have it open 5 or ten minutes....the cold air just lays in it. With an upright every time you open the door you lose it all and have to start from scratch...My upright would run a half hour every time we had the door open looking for something....Our chest hardly ever comes on. Power consumption of the chest per year is a third of an upright. As mentioned its a bit more of a bother going through a chest but considering I can keep it going forever off a small invertor and a couple small solar panels it's the best choice for me. BTW I got an Igloo from Sams club.


I don't know about an Igloo, other than they are supposed to be really good brand & very popular right now........but another thing with a chest freezer is that you can rinse out & refill milk jugs with water about 3/4 full (gotta leave room for expansion), and leave them in the bottom of the freezer. During a power outage or???, those jugs will also help to keep things frozen for longer time before having to use a generator or alternate power source.......and when they melt, you also have extra drinking water.

If you coordinate your trips into the freezer, so you're not opening it all the time, it will stay colder longer as well. And if you live in an area that snows in the winter, you can pile in the snow to extend it's freezing capability........can't really do that with an upright.

I guess all in all, a chest freezer can be a preppers best friend. Even a non-working freezer can come in handy for extra storage space or even a chick brooder, just don't close the lid all the way.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Have a Frigidaire upright, for about 10 years. No issues.
Buy a name brand.
Do some research


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Chipper said:


> Does Consumer Reports have info on freezers?


I looked at that site. They seem to want money or to steal my identity. They did not seem very helpful.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Chipper said:


> Does Consumer Reports have info on freezers?


Yes they do. see below...

I do not have a chest freezer but have more refrigerators than I ever thought I would. I probably spend more money on running the refrigerators than if I had an efficient chest freezer but I got what I got.

But the question is...How do I get Mrs Slippy to let me put one on the front porch like [/COLOR]@rice paddy daddy? :tango_face_smile:

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/freezers/buying-guide/index.htm


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Slippy said:


> But the question is...How do I get Mrs Slippy to let me put one on the front porch like @rice paddy daddy? :tango_face_smile:


:vs_lol:


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Slippy said:


> Yes they do. see below...
> 
> I do not have a chest freezer but have more refrigerators than I ever thought I would. I probably spend more money on running the refrigerators than if I had an efficient chest freezer but I got what I got.
> 
> ...


But the question is...How do I get Mrs Slippy to let me put one on the front porch like @rice paddy daddy? :tango_face_smile:

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/freezers/buying-guide/index.htm

You just say, "Honey, you're the prettiest, sweetest creature i have ever known or even thought possible in all my dreams...Now, I am the man, I love you, and you as my wife must obey me. So we're getting a fridge on our front porch because I want one and that is all."


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Tip of the day:

If you fully trust your wife with your very life, maybe a chest freezer is best. If you want to insure you never end up in a freezer without playing the odds, get the upright. :tango_face_wink:


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Slippy said:


> Yes they do. see below...
> 
> I do not have a chest freezer but have more refrigerators than I ever thought I would. I probably spend more money on running the refrigerators than if I had an efficient chest freezer but I got what I got.
> 
> ...


Well, you could always mention that with a freezer or two out on the porch, there wouldn't be room for a sofa, too.
(All y'all Northerners don't pay me and Ol' Slip any mind)


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## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

A Watchman said:


> Tip of the day:
> 
> If you fully trust your wife with your very life, maybe a chest freezer is best. If you want to insure you never end up in a freezer without playing the odds, get the upright. :tango_face_wink:


now dammmit, you done gave away the other reasons for a chest freezer to come in handy. sheesh


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

My chest freezer is in the basement and is seldom opened, maybe 3 or 4 times a week. There really isn’t much insulation in a freezer so I improved mine. I bought 4 by 8 sheets of foam insulation board and cut and glued an additional 1 inch of insulation on the outside of the unit. Just make sure not to cover up the vents into the compressor area. I made a removable box-type cover for the top that extends down over the lid gasket area a few inches. This significantly reduced the power the freezer uses, important because I try to use my solar panels as much as possible to power this freezer.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Hubs was asking me if I wanted one of those chest freezers a while back but instead, I got a second Presto 23 quart pressure canner. For the most part, I'd rather have the food sitting a the shelf.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Chiefster23 said:


> My chest freezer is in the basement and is seldom opened, maybe 3 or 4 times a week. There really isn't much insulation in a freezer so I improved mine. I bought 4 by 8 sheets of foam insulation board and cut and glued an additional 1 inch of insulation on the outside of the unit. Just make sure not to cover up the vents into the compressor area. I made a removable box-type cover for the top that extends down over the lid gasket area a few inches. This significantly reduced the power the freezer uses, important because I try to use my solar panels as much as possible to power this freezer.


I don't know if that is a good thing. It could be.
But, if you notice, most small chest freezers will get warm to the touch on the back of the unit when they are running. In fact, that's how I tell if the one of ours with the broken "power on" light is running after a power outage - I feel it.
Your unit may be different. But I wouldn't want to seal that heat in on mine.


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## preppermyA (Aug 19, 2017)

A Watchman said:


> Tip of the day:
> 
> If you fully trust your wife with your very life, maybe a chest freezer is best. If you want to insure you never end up in a freezer without playing the odds, get the upright. :tango_face_wink:


We have a small chest freezer, but unless she gets the chainsaw out, I'd never fit.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I don't know if that is a good thing. It could be.
> But, if you notice, most small chest freezers will get warm to the touch on the back of the unit when they are running. In fact, that's how I tell if the one of ours with the broken "power on" light is running after a power outage - I feel it.
> Your unit may be different. But I wouldn't want to seal that heat in on mine.


I didn't quite explain things enough. My freezer has condensing coils on the back. Some freezers don't have coils but do have a cooling panel on the back (like yours) where the waste heat is expelled. Yes, you are correct. Do not cover this area with insulation! I installed extra insulation on my freezer on both sides, the front, and the lid. Not on the back and I did not cover the vented area that supplies cooling air to the compressor unit. I'm sorry I didn't explain things better in my post. Good call on your part!


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