How to Meal Prep | Foods with Long Shelf-Life | Foods to Buy in Bulk | Cheap Meal Prep Ideas | Meal Prep Recipes | Meal Prep Containers | Meal Prep Services | Best Freezers
One of the most challenging aspects of eating healthy is simply ensuring there's enough nutritious food in the house. Beyond the inconvenience of frequent grocery tips, there's the expense that comes with buying natural foods, fresh produce, and lean meats. Buying in bulk can potentially solve both of these problems if you purchase foods with long shelf life, but only if you actually eat the food you buy. If half of it gets thrown away, then buying in bulk is simply wasteful.
That's why it's so useful to have a good freezer. For fit and active people, finding the best freezer can be a real lifesaver, providing a simple way to keep your fresh, nutritious foods edible for longer and minimizing waste. Investing in a good freezer can revolutionize your approach to meal prep and enable you to develop healthier culinary habits.
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The Best Freezers - Our Top Picks
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- Best Overall: Arctic King 7 Cubic Feet Chest Freezer
- Best Chest Freezer: Frigidaire 14.8 Cubic Feet White Chest Freezer
- Best Budget Freezer: 3.5 Cubic Feet Compact Freezer
- Best Upright Freeze: Frigidaire 15.5 Cubic Feet Brushed Steel Upright Freezer
- Best Deep Freezer: R.W. Flame 7.0 Cubic Feet Deep Freezer
What to Look for in a Freezer
Dimensions
Before actually buying a freezer, think about where in your home or garage you're going to keep it. Clean out the area where your freezer is going to go, then measure the available space with a measuring tape. The last thing you want is to buy a freezer that you can't actually accommodate in your home! In addition to overall dimensions, you'll also want to consider the amount of interior space available for storing food. Large chest freezers usually offer the most storage space, as they are basically just giant, frozen boxes where you can stash your bulk-order food.
Interior Compartments
Do you need a freezer that comes with separate compartments, shelves, or drawers to keep your food items organized? If so, then looking into unique interior compartments is important. The trade-off is that having separate compartments often translates into less storage space overall.
Controls
Some freezers only have the most rudimentary temperature controls, like "high" and "low." Others will offer finer controls so you can calibrate your freezer temperature more carefully.
Best Overall - Arctic King 7 Cubic Feet Chest Freezer
SPECS
- Dimensions: 32.1"L x 21.7"W x 33. 5"H
- Form: Chest
- Color: Black
- Warranty: N/A
- Special features: Recessed handle, wire storage basket, adjustable legs
For sheer storage capacity and overall utility, it's tough to beat a really deep chest freezer. The Arctic King 7 Cubic Feet Chest Freezer is a great example of this, and our pick for the best freezer overall. This is the one you want for keeping nutritious foods fresh and vibrant, or for loading up on supplies for a holiday party or big family gathering.
The style of the freezer ensures plenty of room, while a wire storage basket makes it easy to organize your food items. A simple, intuitive control allows you to tweak your temperature settings. There are also a number of features that make this freezer easy to set up in your basement or garage, including two adjustable legs and a sleek, recessed handle.
What We Like
- Lots of storage space
- Intuitive temperature controls
- Sturdy, long-lasting design
What We Don't Like
- Won't work as well in more compact spaces
- Not recommended if you need more interior organization options
Buy: Arctic King 7 Cubic Feet Chest Freezer
Best Chest Freezer - Frigidaire 14.8 Cubic Feet White Chest Freezer
SPECS
- Dimensions: 55.75"L x 29.56"W x 32.5"H
- Form: Chest
- Color: White
- Warranty:N/A
- Special features: External temperature control, removable baskets, lock
For a simple and effective chest-style freezer, consider the Frigidaire 14.8 Cubic Feet White Chest Freezer. With 14.8 cubic feet of storage space, this will be more than enough space for even larger families to keep fresh, healthy foods at the ready.
Though there aren't a ton of bells and whistles here, there is an external temperature control that makes it easy to tweak your settings without opening the freezer. A manual defrost mode can come in handy sometimes, and wheels make it easy to transport this freezer from one corner of your basement or garage to another.
What We Like
- Simple, elegant design
- Generous amount of storage space
- Manual defrost mode
- Wheels for easy transportation
- Lock with pop-out key
What We Don't Like
- Higher price point
- Not recommended if you want a lot of separate interior spaces
BUY: Frigidaire 14.8 Cubic Feet White Chest Freezer
Best Budget Freezer - 3.5 Cubic Feet Compact Freezer
SPECS
- Dimensions: 21.2" x 21.8" x 31"
- Form: Chest
- Color: Black/chrome
- Warranty: N/A
- Special features: 7-level temperature control knob
Smaller freezers save you space as well as money. Just take a look at the 3.5 Cubic Feet Compact Freezer. Compact in its dimensions, it nevertheless offers more than 3 cubic feet of usable space, and you can get it for a modest price point. The list of features is limited, but what's here is pretty impressive for a budget freezer. The manual temperature control knob makes it easy to toggle between seven settings.
What We Like
- Space saver
- Modest price point
- Sleek design
- Great manual temperature control
What We Don't Like
- Won't be enough space for everyone
- Light on special features
BUY: 3.5 Cubic Feet Compact Freezer
Best Upright Freezer - Frigidaire 15.5 Cubic Feet Brushed Steel Upright Freezer
SPECS
- Dimensions: 29.13" x 67.75" x 27.75"
- Form: Upright
- Color: Brushed steel, white
- Warranty: N/A
- Special features: EvenTemp cooling system, door ajar alarm, interior organization
While the most common additional freezers people get are typically chest-style freezers, there are also upright options available. If you're looking for a freezer in this style, we recommend you take a look at the Frigidaire 15.5 Cubic Feet Brushed Steel Upright Freezer. Not only is this a good pick for people who want more internal organization in a freezer, but it's also good for people who don't have the right kind of floor space for a chest freezer.
There are a lot of features that set this freezer apart, including the EvenTemp settings and an alarm that will let you know if it isn't fully closed. A frost-free design helps you to enjoy your foods without a lot of hassle, and a flexible interior storage system allows you to make the most of the generous 15.5 cubic feet storage capacity.
What We Like
- Generous storage capacity
- Flexible interior organization
- Sleek stainless steel design
- Frost-free
- Door-ajar alarm
What We Don't Like
- Not as much storage space as a chest-style freezer
- Won't work as well in extreme temperatures
BUY: Frigidaire 15.5 Cubic Feet Brushed Steel Upright Freezer
Best Deep Freezer - R.W.Flame 7.0 Cubic Feet Deep Freezer
SPECS
- Dimensions: 35.63" x 21.65" x 33.46"
- Form: Deep
- Color: Black, white
- Warranty: N/A
- Special features: Low-noise, energy efficiency mode
Deep freezers are so named because they tend to be tall and spacious, allowing you to store lots of food but requiring you to reach deep in order to get the items you need. The R.W.Flame 7.0 Cubic Feet Deep Freezer is an excellent example, providing 7 cubic feet of storage with a relatively compact footprint.
We love this model for its low-noise, energy-efficient operation, plus its stylish black and white color options. There's also a hinge-style door that opens wide and stays open, making it easy to reach in and get what you need.
What We Like
- Space saver
- Generous storage space
- Hinge-style door
- Low-noise
- Energy efficient
What We Don't Like
- Not everyone will like reaching down into a deep freezer
- Not a lot of options for interior organization
BUY: R.W. Flame 7.0 Cubic Feet Deep Freezer
FAQs About Freezers
What is the best temperature for a freezer?
In order to keep your food safe for as long as possible, government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend keeping your freezer set at 0° F (-18° C).
What are the best freezer bags?
Some of our favorite brands of freezer bags include Stasher and Qinline (if you're seeking something reusable), or Hefty and Solimo (for something disposable).
What kind of freezer is best for a garage?
As you seek the best freezer for your garage, it really comes down to space availability and how much food you plan to store. If you have sufficient room, the ideal options are typically large capacity upright freezers or chest freezers.
What upright freezer is best?
The Frigidaire 15.5 Cubic Feet Brushed Steel Upright Freezer is our pick for the best upright freezer.
How to Meal Prep | Foods with Long Shelf-Life | Foods to Buy in Bulk | Cheap Meal Prep Ideas | Meal Prep Recipes | Meal Prep Containers | Meal Prep Services | Best Freezers