When planning your new home and budgeting for appliances, you should set aside some cash for a freezer. Are you thinking that you won’t need a freezer if you have a fridge? Well, did you know about 35 million American families need to have two refrigerators as the freezer capacity is inadequate? With the gradual change in eating patterns, the need for storage for packed and processed foods is only increasing. The freezers help store fresh cuts of meat, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and cooked food ahead of parties or festivals. Today with many types and sizes of freezers available, it saves the cost of investing in two refrigerators.

Types of freezers

• Chest freezers are chest-like boxes with a hinged lid and one huge chunk of space inside. You can get chest freezers from 2 cubic feet up to 40 cubic feet. Most families place it in their garage, utility room, or basement. It is ideal for storing bulky items or large quantities of food.
• Under counter freezers are placed under your kitchen worktop between kitchen units. They are ideal for commercial kitchens so that chefs can sort and store food more organized food.
• Upright freezers look similar to a refrigerator with shelves and have additional storage space in the doors. It is ideal for large families needing more freezer space over and above than that of a refrigerator.
• Portable freezers are smaller sized freezers that use AC or DC and are ideal for picnics, sailing trips, or any kind of outdoor activities where you will need food.

Top chest freezers: The Frigidaire 19.8 cubic feet
With almost 20 cubic feet of space, you no longer have to invest in an expensive large refrigerator. It is equipped with bright LED lighting to help you see what’s inside. You can also fit it with caster wheels to move it around your home. It comes with StoreMore removable baskets for easy access to sort and store small and bulky items separately. It is fitted with a pop-up key, enabling auto ejection so that there is no risk of leaving the door open by mistake. A child lock ensures safety from accidents. Defrosting is easy and not messy, thanks to a defrosting drain. All of this can cost you just $999.

Top undercounter freezer: Dukers DUC48F
Under the counter freezers are ideal for those living in smaller spaces or studio apartments or chefs who like their kitchen in a particular way. You can fit them under your kitchen worktop and cover them like the other cabinets. The Dukers DUC88F is a great fit for under your kitchen workstation. It is made with stainless steel and has a capacity of 12.2 cubic feet, and has two doors. You can set temperatures between 0 to -8 degrees F. It has digital temperature control and an LED display. The freezer comes with two adjustable and removable wire shelves for efficient use of space. It also has automatic defrosting and a comfortable plug-in installation. The cost of a Dukers DUC88F starts from $1,927 and it is advisable to compare costs from multiple e-commerce websites before making a purchase.

Top upright freezer: Whirlpool SideKicks® 18 cubic feet
Made of stainless steel, this freezer is quite spacious is also easy to maintain. It comes with four freezer shelves, four-door shelves, and a slide-out basket. It is additionally equipped with LED lighting. Another big plus is that it is a frost-free freezer saving you from the task of manual defrosting and cleaning. It is equipped with a temperature alarm in case of a temperature rise and there is also a fast freeze option to freeze food instantly. This option comes with a price tag of $2,199.

Top portable freezer: Dometic CoolFreeze CFX 100W
With a capacity of 88 liters and weighing 70.5 pounds, this is ideal for outdoor storage for a week. It is electrically powered and you can set the temperature up to -7 degrees F. It comes with a digital control panel for temperature settings. It is Wi-Fi enabled, and you can control temperature through your phone. It has two baskets – one large and one small. The larger basket has removable dividers to help you organize storage better. The freezer’s inbuilt LED lights are ideal for outdoor activities. The CFX 100W costs $1,388 and is a good idea for those who go on trips and picnics all the time.