The 6 Best Chest Freezers to Store Extra Frozen Food

Vincent Finazzo, owner of Riverwards Produce, a specialty grocer with two locations in Philadelphia, advocates for chest freezers as a tool for eating seasonally without giving up variety. In fact, he relies on freezing for much of his cooking throughout the year. Whether you’re batch cooking lasagna, soup, or grains, or processing produce at its freshest, a chest freezer can make mealtime easier for you, too. Factors to consider in shopping for this appliance include size, storage, and upkeep, says Finazzo, whose expertise guided our research. We named the Midea Chest Freezer our top choice, but you will also find the best chest freezers for garages, transporting, energy efficiency, and more here.

If your freezer doesn’t seem too small, you may be using it wrong. Frozen foods are weeknight meal workhorses , ideal for preserving seasonal produce and pulling meals together quickly. Unlike upright freezers, like the kind you likely have attached to your fridge, a chest freezer opens from the top. In general, a chest freezer offers more usable space and saves more energy than an upright freezer. This type also maintains its temperature better even when open, as cold air sinks to the bottom of the unit.

Best Overall: Midea Chest Freezer

Chest Freezer

Courtesy of Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Also available at Costco.

Pros: This chest freezer is a good size for those just starting out with freezing, and its features make it easy to use.

Cons: It doesn’t have an outside power light to indicate whether the unit is on, and there’s no temperature indicator.

Those simply looking for a little extra freezer space should consider the mid-sized Midea Chest Freezer for its user-friendly design. Two removable storage baskets make organization easy, and an LED light, which turns on when you open the lid, allows you to see what you’re looking for. The door also locks open, so you don’t have to hold it open with one hands while you organize the freezer’s contents.

It has multiple freezer settings, which allow you to change the units temperature, even converting it to a refrigerator if your needs change. It’s on casters, which make it easy to move, should you need to, and a drainage hole on the bottom of the unit means easy manual defrosting.

Price at time of publish: $350

Footprint: 22.1 x 32 x 33.5 inches
Garage Ready: Yes
Capacity: 7 cubic feet

Best for Garages: GE Energy Star Garage Ready Chest Freezer

Courtesy of Lowe’s

Buy on Lowe’s

Also available at Home Depot.

Pros: This unit is not only large but also has all the bells and whistles.

Cons: Because of its size and features, this freezer is relatively expensive, and the lack of wheels can make it unwieldy when draining.

This is probably what you think of when you imagine a chest freezer. It’s large, with an internal capacity of 15.7 cubic feet, and has basically every additional feature. It comes with GE’s power outage promise, which guarantees the unit will stay below freezing for at least 48 hours in the event of a power outage. It has a temperature alarm, which sounds if the unit’s internal temperature stats to rise, and a high temperature indicator on the outside of the unit, plus a power light to indicate that the freezer is on and functioning.

Because of its size, organization is a factor, and the unit has two levels of rails, which allow you to access multiple baskets of frozen items at a time. An LED interior light ensures visibility, and a lock keeps children safe.

Price at time of publish: $979

Footprint: 33.4 x 65 x 28.5 inches
Garage Ready: Yes
Capacity: 15.7 cubic feet

Best Small for Garages: Danby Chest Freezer

Chest Freezer

Courtesy of Target

Buy on Target

Also available at Best Buy and Wayfair.

Pros: It’s ideal those with limited space, and it comes with a five-year warranty.

Cons: Users may quickly outgrow this unit’s capacity, and larger containers may not fit inside the unit.

For smaller families or those who need a little extra freezer space, the Danby 3.8 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer is an excellent option. It runs quietly and efficiently, with foam insulation that keeps it cold even during power outages. Danby offers a five-year warranty on this unit, which is relatively rare among chest freezers, so you’re covered if something goes wrong.

The unit has wheels on the rear casters, which makes moving it pretty manageable, and the spout on the bottom of the unit makes defrosting simple. The unit temperature ranges from about 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit to about -11.2. The inside temperature can fluctuate based on ambient temperature, but this unit is designed to function between 0 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Price at time of publish: $470

Footprint: 24.9 x 22.2 x 33.1 inches
Garage Ready: Yes
Capacity: 3.8 cubic feet

Best Portable: Whynter 85-Quart Portable Fridge and Freezer

Chest Freezer

Courtesy of Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Also available at Home Depot.

Pros: This portable freezer is easy to move, and it works on both AC and DV power.

Cons: For its size, this unit is expensive, and the space may feel limited compared to a regular-sized fridge or freezer.

For those often on the go, Whyner portable fridge and freezer will keep food frozen on camping trips, boats, and RVs. It comes with two power cords, one for DC, which can be plugged into a car lighter socket, and one for AC, which runs 110 voltage. For better consistent power, you can plug in both at the same time to protect against power loss. The unit has an adjustable temperature setting, which allows you to adjust it from refrigerator to freezer at the touch of a button. For organization, it has two baskets that you can remove for easy access.

Price at time of publish: $760

Footprint: 18.3 x 28.1 x 23.5 inches
Garage Ready: Yes
Capacity: 2.83 cubic feet

Best Small Capacity: Avanti Chest Freezer

Chest Freezer

Courtesy of Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Also available at Target and Walmart.

Pros: This super slim design is great for small spaces, and it offers lots of temperature control.

Cons: The slim design means bulkier items may not fit inside, plus there’s no outside power light to indicate that it’s working correctly.

At only 16.5 inches wide, this slim chest freezer is small enough to fit into your kitchen, saving you the hassle of going to a basement or garage to access your freezer items. With a 7-setting temperature control and power indicators for the unit and the compressor, this is a user-friendly freezer ideal for smaller families or couples. Smoothie lovers or people who love to batch cook will get tons of use out of this freezer, while those looking to store bulkier items, like whole lasagna or large pieces of meat may struggle with space.

The small size makes it easy to organize, and a removable basket gives you better access. Avanti offers a one year warranty on this unit, which is also Energy Star certified.

Price at time of publish: $290

Footprint: 32.8 x 16.5 x 24 inches
Garage Ready: No
Capacity: 2.5 cubic units

Best Large Capacity: Frigidaire Chest Freezer

Chest Freezer

Courtesy of Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Also available at Best Buy.

Pros: This spacious unit has room for just about anything you could want to freeze, plus it comes with wheels so you can move it more easily.

Cons: Even for its size, this unit is relatively expensive, and its size makes it easy to lose things in its interior.

For hunters or big families, this spacious freezer is the best option. 24.8 cubic ft means there’s storage for all kinds of items, and with two sliding baskets, it’s relatively easy to organize. You can also buy additional baskets if necessary.

This Frigidaire freezer has optional casters, which makes its size a little more manageable. Because it’s so large, parents can take advantage of the safety lock, which prevents children from falling in. A power light shows that the unit is functioning correctly, and an internal LED makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. A drain makes defrosting easy.

Price at time of publish: $1,250