How to Choose a Small Freezer – Buying Guide

How to choose a small freezer

Freezer is a very popular appliance in many households, restaurants and hotels. It helps you preserve food, especially fresh food, vegetables, fruits for a long period of time and still retain good quality. This article will give you useful information on how to choose the ideal small freezer for your family.

Before buying a compact freezer, you must have an overview of small freezer.

Overview

The compact or small freezer is a type of cold storage device with a heat pump system that transports temperature from the inside of the freezer to the outside environment and the chamber is insulated. Compact freezer sizes from 5 to 9 cubic feet. Freezers provide temperatures that are usually cold below 0 degrees Celsius.

Why should you buy a small freezer?

A small refrigerator has some advantages over a fridge. It is much more durable and also much cheaper than a fridge. With a small capacity, a compact freezer is suitable for households with 3 to 4 people.

Some main types of compact freezer

The compact freezer has three main types including chest freezer, upright freezer, and portable freezer. Here are some pros and cons of each type.

Chest freezer

Small chest freezer

Small chest freezer comes with a lot of benefits

Pros:

  • Large food storage area
  • More flexibility for a variety of food sizes
  • Cheaper than an upright freezer of the same size
  • Large capacity

Cons:

  • Taking more spaces
  • Poor aesthetics
  • Difficulty in getting the items below

Upright freezer

Small freezer

Small upright freezer helps housewives freeze much food

Pros:

  • High aesthetics
  • Compact design and takes up little space
  • There are separate compartments for easy access to each type of food

Cons:

  • Not as flexible as a chest freezer
  • The price is more expensive than a portable freezer and chest freezer

Portable freezer

Pros:

  • High mobility
  • Suitable for many long trips such as boating, hiking, or camping
  • Good price

Cons:

  • Small capacity
  • Less extra utilities

How to select a suitable freezer – What factors to consider?

Price

In terms of price, you should pay attention to whether your purpose is a long-term or short-term investment.

For example, if you only buy a compact freezer to serve one or two outings, you should prefer a portable freezer with an affordable price, few extra utilities, and not too large capacity.

And if you would like to use frozen food for a long time, then investing in a chest freezer or upright freezer with more utilities (It will consume more energy) is a good thing to do.

Since it is a long-term investment, you should spend a lot of money to ensure that the small freezer runs smoothly and works well for a long time.

Size

Depending on your needs as well as the amount of food you will store in the future, you can decide to buy a suitable freezer. If you need a compact freezer with a small area but still ensure a large capacity, you can give preference to an upright freezer.

But if you have a lot of space to put compact and only care much about capacity, then a chest freezer is not a bad choice for you.

Energy use

The chest freezer is the energy-saving type that many people prefer. Because the structure of the chest freezer has a horizontal opening, cold air rarely escapes.

Meanwhile, the upright freezer has a vertical door, so keeping it cold for 24 hours takes more energy. To be able to choose a compact freezer to save electricity, you can choose those that meet Energy Star standards.

Noise

In general, compact freezers with manual defrost functions are quieter than self-defrost. You should consult experts first about the type of compact freezer you want to buy.

Self-defrost or manual

You should choose a compact freezer with a self-defrost mode to ensure that bacteria do not enter the food after defrosting the in-room environment.

Further reading:  Should You Buy an Upright Freezer or a Chest Freezer?

Besides, if you have a frequency of using frozen food often, you should use an upright freezer because it is easier to get food than a chest freezer. Thus, your defrosting process will also become easier and more convenient.

Temperature

The standard temperature of the freezer is usually 0 degree F.

Before buying, you should carefully read whether the compact freezer has a temperature control mode to know the exact temperature of the compact freezer.

Extra utilities

You should choose a compact freezer that comes with many conveniences such as wheels for easy movement or a temperature control panel right outside to suit each type of food.

You should give preference to compact freezers that have a drainage hole design to allow excess water in the freezer to drain on its own without pooling. This way, when cleaning, there will be no residue of dirty water.

You may also like: Should You Buy an Upright Freezer or a Chest Freezer?

Best small freezer – Our top picks

Best chest: Arctic King

Dimension:                  33.5 x 24.9 x 21.7 inches

Capacity:                     5 cubic feet

Shelves:                      2

Inverter:                      No

Lock type:                   Key

Arctic King chest freezer will not let you down because the interior and exterior are perfect in every detail. It has multiple baskets for serving food division and has a manual-defrosting system that keeps noise to a minimum.

This freezer has solid pattern and gets cold very fast. It is great unit to have for an apartment or even a house. It is not only quiet but also deep for you to store many kinds of food.

Best for narrow space: Koolatron Chest Freezer

Dimensions:                           22.25 x 20.75 x 33.25 inches

Weight:                                   60 pounds

Capacity:                                3.5 cubic feet (99 liters)

Defrost:                                   Manual

This freezer is a good choice for small areas like basement, apartment and small kitchen. With removable wire baskets, you can store and organize frozen food properly. Leak-proof and external plugs enable users to defrost and clean freezer easily.

Best upright: Whynter upright freezer

Capacity:                     2.1 cubic feet

Dimensions:               17.5″W x 20″ D x 27.5″ H

Noise:                          38 dB

Defrost type:               Manual

Whynter upright freezer is suitable for the garage because it does not take up much space but still ensures many functions such as freezing and defrosting like a chest freezer.

Best portable: Costway portable freezer

Dimensions:                    27 x 13.5 x 21 inches

Weight:                            36 pounds

Capacity:                         55 Quarts

Finish type:                    Glossy

Adjustable temperature:   Yes

The Costway car refrigerator is the perfect choice for long trips with freezing temperatures from -4 degrees F to 50 degrees F with a separate dual-zone, shockproof design.

Best overall: GE chest freezer

Capacity:               7 cubic feet

Dimensions:          37.25 x 21.25 x 33.5 inches

Weight:                  122 pounds

Defrost type:          Manual

Drawers:                7

Warranty:              10 years for main components

GE Garage upright freezer will give you a great experience thanks to many extra utilities, stable 0 degrees F until 110 degrees F. There are LED lights inside for foraging as well as keeping food frozen for 2 days after the blackout. Its price is also relatively affordable.

Further reading: How to Organize a Small Chest Freezer Efficiently

Related questions

Which type of small freezer should I buy?

If you love traveling, you want a compact freezer for trips or camping, you should choose a portable freezer.

When you want a small freezer with a compact size and beautiful design, you can invest in an upright freezer.

If you are a frugal person and appreciate the power factor more than other factors, the chest freezer is a great choice for you.

What is the price of a 5 cubic foot freezer?

The price of a 5 cubic foot freezer ranges from $150 to $300 depending on extra utilities, self-defrost function, and size.

Which brand of compact freezer should I choose?

You should choose to buy compact freezers from popular brands such as GE, Arctic King, Whynter, etc.

Final thoughts

Hopefully, through this article, you will have useful information for yourself and know how to choose the right compact freezer for your family today. Good luck.

Thank you for reading this post.

Reference

Freezer buying guide,

Jenny Brown
Hi, I’m Jenny. On my blog, you will find helpful advice about using and organizing the kitchen appliances. You will also receive the recommendations on choosing a compact refrigerator or freezer that best fits your demands. Besides, frozen meals from the freezer bring many incredible benefits because they ensure freshness, deliciousness, and full nutrients. Many helpful tips from experts on frozen meals will also be found.