Chest freezers?

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Deathwing

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Any recommendations on models/configurations/brands? Also, placement? I live in Northeast, so part of me thinks it's better to put it in the detached garage. But know a fridge puts off a fair amount of heat, so perhaps there's no real benefit to that.

Also trying to figure out if this is worth it financially. It likely is from a convenience standpoint. if you cook at home with any sort of frequency, the standard fridge does not have a big enough freezer. I'm just trying to calculate energy costs vs food saved and prep time saved(because you can make more at once). I specifically turned down a free full-size freezer from my wife's parents because it was from the 80s and I assumed it would be a beast on electricity costs.
 

Crone

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You say chest, so I assume you want a chest freezer, instead of an upright one?

I've had great success with the 7.5 cubic foot chest freezer from Costco. Haier is the brand. Was under $200 and works really well for our needs.

However, when trying to find a link for it, they don't sell them anywhere anymore. Oops... Closest I can find... and not available. Sorry...

Shop Holiday 7-cu ft Chest Freezer (White) at Lowes.com
 

Deathwing

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Chest freezer is the preference, but I'll consider anything really. If there's another design/configuration that's better, I'll listen.
 

The Ancient_sl

shitlord
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It's not a complex machine. Your most important determination is the proper size. You want it to be at least half full. For the record mine is Hauer and it's good, but I highly doubt there is much difference between brands.
 

lurkingdirk

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We use chest freezers all the time. I buy half cows/pigs at a time in order to get local, organic meat, so storage is a real issue. I got the chest freezer that's generally available at Lowes. Price was right, they haven't frosted up, and it seems to do exactly what it's supposed to. I got two of the Frigidaire 9 cubic foot freezers, and I didn't notice a change in my electricity bill.

As far as where to put it, keep it convenient. Mine are side by side in the basement, I certainly don't notice that it's warmer down there since we put it down there. Typically, freezers/fridges work better in insulated and heated areas because that is the environment for which they are designed.
 

Deathwing

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That's a good point about getting the right size, thanks. My wife generally makes a lot of soups and sauces. We'd maybe buy a part of a pig or cow if we had the extra space, but the main intention is definitely the aforementioned liquids. Does anyone have suggestions for longterm storage of such? Plastic tuperware does not fare well in the freezer. The cold temperatures them brittle and they can crack just from checking what's inside one.
 

lurkingdirk

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I typically spend the extra to get the better, heavier freezer bags. I keep liquids in there, too. Pour it in, seal it up, lay it flat, and, presto! Easy to stack/store in the freezer, and well preserved. If you get meat, don't just get it at the grocery and put those packages in the freezer. Go to a butcher and have them freezer wrap it. It makes a huge difference. I end up getting half a cow at a time, so some of it is in the freezer a while, and if it is well wrapped and quickly frozen, it's great.

Also, whatever you do, don't get an upright freezer that looks like a fridge. Inefficient and much, much more likely to ice up.
 

The Ancient_sl

shitlord
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Yeah, the heavier freezer bags are perfect for chest freezers as you typically have room to lay them flat.

Don't stress too much about the size, you can always buy bags of ice to have handy. You just don't want to overbuy and have extra space. An empty freezer is a sad freezer.
 

chaos

Buzzfeed Editor
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I got whatever the brand is at Costco, starts with a D, made by Haier I think. Cost like 179 bucks and it works great.
 

Gravel

Mr. Poopybutthole
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I've got a GE one. I'm too lazy to look at size or model for you. I'm a big fan though, and wish we'd bought one years ago. Definitely beats a stand up freezer.
 

Captain Suave

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Chest freezers are great. I filled up a 7 cuft unit buying food on sale at Costco and it probably paid for itself, including electricity, in a year. (We had 4 adults and 2 kids in the household - YMMV.)