Up right or chest freezer?

[elks96]

Pros and cons to each. We have 2 smaller Chest freezer. Currently out of freezer space as we are now butchering our own chickens, rabbits and add in all the game. Our 2 freezers are full. Looking at a new freezer. I kind of want an upright for inventory reason and ease to find things. But feel that chest are more efficient etc.

So what's you vote? Thinking about about getting one big chest and selling the other 2?

 

[elkantlers]

Upright.
They are much easier to arrange and find things.
If you have a chest freezer for 10 years, there will be something at the bottom that has been there for all 10 years.

 

[elks96]

Upright.
They are much easier to arrange and find things.
If you have a chest freezer for 10 years, there will be something at the bottom that has been there for all 10 years.

Yeah I just cooked up some deer meat from 2009 for the dogs... It was in the bottom...

 

[Tristate]

Upright is better for organization. Not good for kids that don't understand shutting doors.

 

[whiteantlertip]

I like a chest freezer, just turn the contents over 1 time a year that way you don't end up with old meat on the bottom, works for me .

 

[Homer]

I like a chest freezer, just turn the contents over 1 time a year that way you don't end up with old meat on the bottom, works for me .

That takes organization and discipline……god bless you

 

[coloradoman]

Upright.
They are much easier to arrange and find things.
If you have a chest freezer for 10 years, there will be something at the bottom that has been there for all 10 years.

Agreed.

 

[RookieWYhntr]

I have one of each.

 

[EVILNR]

Chest.

 

[coloradoman]

I will admit I do have a very small chest freezer for odds and ends. (5 CF I think) but I try to keep it organized in baskets and even with that little space it’s a pain in the ass.
I couldn’t imagine managing a big one.
So pick your poison.

 

[SS!]

Why not have both?

 

[tailchasers]

Chest. The new uprights don't seem to last. They hold more and are more energy efficient too.

 

[Focoelkman]

One of each - had the upright for a long time!

 

[Snoopdogg]

My 20 CF upright is about 22 years old. Still kicking ass and it's easier to find items.

 

[woodruffhunter]

I have both; I would choose Upright.

I am not very organized!

 

[Jgill19]

Each time I kill something I rearange/organize. New goes on the bottom, old moves to the top. When I need room, Elk goes in, Deer goes to the neighbors/acquaintances haha. More room for meat in a chest, and more efficient. Upright is easier to get stuff out of, and takes up less floor space. Pros and cons. Chest are cheaper also I think.

 

[Homer]

Each time I kill something I rearange/organize. New goes on the bottom, old moves to the top. When I need room, Elk goes in, Deer goes to the neighbors/acquaintances haha. More room for meat in a chest, and more efficient. Upright is easier to get stuff out of, and takes up less floor space. Pros and cons. Chest are cheaper also I think.

who else's wife stacks so much shiit on top the chest freezer that you can't get in it?

 

[Thill]

Definitely want one of each. One for wildgame and fish and the other to make the wife happen. My wife keeps threating to use her lock on the upright. Since her freezer is so organized, I can't help but violate it with things I expect to eat or take hunting in the near future.

 

[roadrunner]

Chest freezer, more efficient when the door is open for longer periods of time. If you compartmentalize it, stuff doesn't get buried or lost.

 

[elks96]

who else's wife stacks so much shiit on top the chest freezer that you can't get in it?

Oh that is a never ending issue in our house and every drawer is full of random crap that has a home someplace else...

 

[BrowningRage]

I don't know about efficiency compared to a chest freezer, but I've my upright for ease of access...

 

[Tristate]

One more tip. Don't buy one made in China.

 

[antlerradar]

upright if is better for organization, Chest is better for keeping stuff cold. For convenience go with the upright, if you live where the power is often out you might want to consider a chest.

 

[Snoopdogg]

upright if is better for organization, Chest is better for keeping stuff cold. For convenience go with the upright, if you live where the power is often out you might want to consider a chest.

Well, I was evacuated a month ago because of a big fire up in my neck of the woods--we were cleared out for 10 days and the last 5 days they cut the power.

I made out like a champ with my upright as the only thing I lost was 3 quart-size bags of birria that I put in cheap plastic bags and it melted (the liquid). The rest, after 5 whole days, was still mostly frozen and obviously stuff towards the bottom of each shelf was still frozen pretty good. I was happy and I didn't lose I cape I had in there too.

Caveat, my freezer is pretty full most of the time with various game plus whatever my wife stuffs in there too--I know that helped.

 

[smokepolejohnson]

I use 2 chest freezers makes organizing must easier also can run one for the times when 2 isn’t needed, usable top is convienant. But also nice not putting the kids otter pops under the moose liver. I’d stress about someone not closing an upright when I I’m not around and losing meat.

 

[JPickett]

both. i have a work horse chest freezer that's form the 60's if not older. things never failed me. but for getting stuff out it sucks to dig. if your making a lot of meat you need the storage, but for getting to and seeing whats in there upright is the way to go. i just cycle from the chest to the upright when bins get low

 

[cgmoonsky]

I've had both and I will say that it's nice to have the undivided space of a chest freeze, but like most people have said, the stuff at the bottom just gets forgotten way too easily. You end up freezing your hands while all the blood rushes to your head as you bend over it searching for stuff lol. I currently have an upright and I think I'm sold on the face that I can get things organized easier and it's way easier to clean out/off a shelf at a time as well.

 

[BigChiefJ]

I prefer chest, but it's a battle to not see how much crap I can stack on the lid.

Whatever you choose make sure it's not on a GFCI outlet and an alarm is always good.

 

[wstrntines]

Chest will be better if you lose power at keeping the cold but uprights are great for organizing like others have said.

 

[JPblind]

Have both use the upright for veggies birds and fish. The chest for elk, deer and bigger cuts of meat for smoking.

 

[mtmuley]

Chest will be better if you lose power at keeping the cold but uprights are great for organizing like others have said.

Dedicated circuit for freezers and refrigerators. If not, something bad will happen. mtmuley

 

[DeerMadness]

Dedicated circuit for freezers and refrigerators. If not, something bad will happen. mtmuley

My Sis lost a whole Moose from breaker trip.

 

[MountainSqwabler]

We have a smaller chest for burger only, then a larger stand up for everything else.

 

[Chesterwyo]

A pressure canner, and a bunch of jars and lids really help with creating freezer space.

 

[BroadHead]

Another vote for the upright. The door pockets are extremely handy for small/medium size items that can easily get lost in a chest freezer if you don't have a system to organize them.

Although like others have suggested, if you can get both, the chest freezers are excellent for huge bulky things like gallon sized containers and odd shaped packages.

 

[eelgrass]

We have a chest freezer, but I'd like an upright to go along with it. Having two freezers for just the two of us seems like over kill though. Plus, I'd worry about offending Greta and contributing to the climate change crisis.

We keep a lot of frozen water jugs in the freezer to make it more efficient and extend the time in case of a power failure.

 

[treedagain]

I have a medium size standup and 2 small chest

Just bought the 2nd chest to freeze a couple elk until I have time to grind them. Going forward I will use for capes and excess from the other 2, plus i will do like eelgrass and use frozen jugs to fill it.

 

[eelgrass]

I have a medium size standup and 2 small chest

Just bought the 2nd chest to freeze a couple elk until I have time to grind them. Going forward I will use for capes and excess from the other 2, plus i will do like eelgrass and use frozen jugs to fill it.

The frozen water jugs can also act as a short-term emergency water supply.

 

[Servehim]

We work so hard, Invest so much money into bringing home critters that we fully expect to enjoy on the dinner table during the off season, the fear of a power outage and losing it prompted me to spending some money. Wife and I decided to put in a solar system that was off grid and feeds batteries. We run 3 freezers that are separate from our home power grid. I sleep much better these days

 

[dvolmer]

Every time you open an upright freezer you dump all of the cold air and it has to re-cool. This process over time and time again causes freezer burn much faster than a chest freezer that holds the cold air when opened. Uprights are easier to organize and see but stuff lasts longer in a chest freezer. I had both but sold my upright when I lost my second freezer full of wild game when young kids left the door open. Don’t store your kids otter-pops in the same upright freezer you keep your meat in.