FREEZER BUYING GUIDE: TYPES, CAPACITY & FEATURES

From meal prep to holiday fixings, the right freezer can help keep your favorite foods fresh, frozen and ready to heat. Read through the guide below to discover different types of freezers and what features to consider during your search for the best freezer to buy for your needs.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FREEZERS

You can choose from standalone freezers, including chest and upright configurations, or a refrigerator freezer combination to find the best fit for your family. Standalone freezers are appliances that are solely dedicated to frozen food storage, while refrigerator freezer combinations are divided into frozen and refrigerated food storage compartments.

Types of freezers to choose from include:

Chest freezer
Upright freezer
French door refrigerator freezer

Side-by-side refrigerator freezer
Top-freezer refrigerator
Bottom-freezer refrigerator

Whether a standalone freezer—like these deep freezers from Maytag brand—or a refrigerator freezer combination like Maytag^® French door refrigerators is right for you depends on your space, capacity and installation needs.

TYPES OF FREEZERS COMPARISON

FREEZER TYPE	DESIGN	TYPICAL SIZE	TYPICAL CAPACITY	OFTEN IDEAL FOR
CHEST FREEZER	Horizontal with a hinged lid that opens from the top	Between 31-36+ in. height, 25-60+ in. width and 22-30+ in. depth	4 to 25+ cu. ft.	Storing large or bulky frozen items
UPRIGHT FREEZER	Vertical with a hinged lid that opens like a door	Between 33-72+ in. height, 22-33+ in. width and 22-32+ in. depth	3 to 20+ cu. ft.	Organizing various sized frozen foods
SIDE-BY-SIDE REFRIGERATOR	Two-door vertical appliance that keeps frozen items at eye level	Between 67-70 in. height, 29-35 in. depth and 30-36 in. width	20-30 cu. ft.	Generous freezer storage at eye level
FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR	Three or four door vertical appliance featuring a fridge compartment with double doors up top, and a pull-out freezer drawer below	Between 67-70 in. height, 29-35 in. depth and 30-36 in. width	20-28 cu. ft.	Storing large platters of food and keeping frozen items at a bird’s-eye view from the freezer drawer
TOP-FREEZER REFRIGERATOR	Two-door vertical appliance with a larger refrigerator compartment at the bottom and a smaller freezer compartment on top	Between 65-69 in. height, 24-33 in. depth and 23-36 in. width	11-18 cu. ft.	Storing frozen food at eye level
BOTTOM-FREEZER REFRIGERATOR	Two-door vertical appliance with a larger refrigerator compartment at the top and a smaller freezer compartment on bottom	Between 65-69 in. height, 24-33 in. depth and 23-36 in. width	11-25 cu. ft.	Storing refrigerated food at eye level

*Sizing and capacity ranges are rough estimates. Some models may vary.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A FREEZER?

The layout of your home and existing suite of appliances can influence which freezer you choose. You'll also want to consider the freezer size and capacity you’ll need as you choose between a deep freezer or refrigerator freezer combination. Also be sure to take various configurations, feature sets, styles and energy efficiency ratings into account. Dig deeper into a handful of these and other factors to help find a freezer that stands up to your family’s daily routines.

1. SIZE AND CAPACITY

Ensuring you have enough capacity for your family’s food habits may be the first box you check when buying a freezer. You can roughly determine the minimum cubic foot capacity you’ll need in the freezer by multiplying the number of people in your household by 2.5. For example, a freezer with at least 10 cubic feet should comfortably accommodate the storage needs of a family of four.

If your family is large or you prefer to shop sales, buy in bulk, hunt and store game or need long-term storage options, consider buying a deep freezer. These standalone upright and chest freezers roughly range from 3 to 25+ cubic feet and are ideal for storing bulky items or a surplus of frozen foods from your refrigerator freezer unit.
Chest freezers are short but wide and require more floor space than their upright counterparts, making them best suited to set up in the basement or in the garage (if you opt for a garage-ready freezer). These options offer wider storage width, making them ideal for freezing hunted game or bulky items. Keep in mind that as capacity increases, chest freezers tend to get wider—and upright freezers tend to get taller—rather than deeper.
Standard refrigerator freezer combinations range in size from roughly about 21 to 28+ total cubic feet, but designated freezer space varies by configuration and model. Side-by-side refrigerators tend to feature more freezer space than French door, top-freezer or bottom-freezer models, but it depends on the make and model.

Person loading food into a chest freezer

Maytag^® chest freezers

Keep food cold and fresh for the long haul

Maytag^® chest freezers can help you store bulk grocery items and premade meals

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2. CONFIGURATION

Whether you opt for a deep freezer or refrigerator freezer combination, each type features unique ways to store frozen goods. But they differ in how you access your frozen items, size, installation requirements and organization options. Configurations include:

CHEST FREEZERS

These short and wide deep freezers feature a lid that opens upward and tend to have plenty of open space for large or bulky frozen items. Because of their horizontal layout and larger width, these freezers typically take up more floor space compared to other configurations.

UPRIGHT FREEZERS

These standalone deep freezers resemble the height and width of a standard refrigerator with built-in shelving that makes it easy to organize frozen foods. The vertical design of upright freezers keeps your frozen items at eye level and typically offers shelving for organization.

FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR FREEZERS

This refrigerator freezer combination positions the freezer drawer on the bottom and features wide compartments for large items like frozen pizzas. The drawer-style freezer door also gives you a bird’s-eye view of your frozen items, while the French-style refrigerator doors offer the space to store larger serving platters of food.

SIDE-BY-SIDE REFRIGERATOR FREEZERS

A side-by-side refrigerator freezer has two doors that open from the center with the freezer on one side. These models feature slightly more freezer space than other refrigerator freezer configurations and typically include adjustable shelves and bins for easy organization. Side-by-side refrigerators also help keep both your frozen and refrigerated foods at eye level.

TOP-FREEZER REFRIGERATORS

With the freezer above the refrigerator, this configuration keeps frozen foods at eye level with basic shelving and door bins. These models are often available at entry-level price points.

BOTTOM-FREEZER REFRIGERATORS

A bottom-freezer is similar to a top-freezer configuration but swaps the placement of the refrigerator and freezer, with both the freezer and refrigerator doors opening from the side. This configuration is usually available at entry-level pricing. These models can either have a drawer-style freezer door or one that swings on a hinge, so you can choose which configuration is best for your kitchen layout and organizational preferences.

SHOP MAYTAG^® CHEST FREEZERS

Maytag brand offers chest freezers with a 3-Basket Storage System that makes digging for frozen goods a thing of the past. Keep your freezer organized with the 3-Basket Storage System.

3. ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The right freezer can deliver more than convenient organization and capacity. Some energy-efficient refrigerator freezer combinations feature an ENERGY STAR ^® label certifying that a refrigerator model is about 9 percent more energy efficient than models that meet the federal minimum energy efficiency standard.¹

ENERGY STAR^® certified appliances can help lower utility bills and even help protect the environment. Pay close attention to each appliance’s Energy Guide label as you shop around for the right freezer. You’ll find this yellow label on or inside of an appliance with information about the appliance’s energy use and expected cost of operation.

4. FEATURES

When choosing a freezer to help you store your frozen favorites, consider options with features that help streamline your routine. Find the right freezer by considering the following features available on select models:

Temperature alarm

An alarm notifies you of a rise in temperature. This feature is helpful as proper frozen food storage guidelines require food to be stored at 0°F or lower to maintain the food’s safety and quality.

garage-ready

This is a type of freezer that’s designed to maintain the proper temperature in a non-temperature controlled environment. Select Maytag® freezers are Garage Ready, built to withstand the fluctuating temperatures of a garage environment, ranging from 0°F to 110°F, so you can place them in your garage to help maintain the optimal temperature inside your freezer without compromising food quality. If you plan to install your freezer in a garage, be sure to check that it is designed for that location.

Learn more about garage-ready freezers and compare them to garage-ready refrigerators to find the best option for your space.

fast freeze

You may want to opt for a freezer that has features that allow you to quickly lower the temperature to help preserve your frozen foods.Select Maytag^® freezers offer the Fast Freeze Option, so you can lower the freezer temperature with the push of a button to freeze items so they’re ready when you need them.

LED LIGHTING

Bright LED lighting is often more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs.

Select freezers from Maytag brand feature BrightSeries^™ LED Lighting to illuminate your freezer by casting a bright, white light that helps you find what you need while using less energy than traditional bulbs.

flexible installation

Upright freezers sometimes offer reversible doors so they can open from the right or left. This capability gives you flexibility on clearance requirements during installation.

locking

Some models offer a key-locked door or lid that keeps food secure. This feature helps prevent theft and can give you added peace of mind.

Automatic defrost

This is a feature designed to help prevent ice buildup. It allows you to avoid manual defrosting, helping to remove one more task from your list of appliance maintenance chores.

organization

Organization options can include baskets, shelves, racks, drawers or compartments to store the items you keep on hand. Upright freezers typically come with adjustable organizational baskets, shelves, drawers, racks or door compartments to help you store smaller items, while chest freezers often leave the interior more empty to increase usable storage capacity.

Finish

Depending on the model, refrigerator freezers are often available in a number of finishes—from black and white to stainless steel in a variety of shades—while deep freezers frequently offer fewer finishes to choose from. If creating a cohesive look in your kitchen is important to you, you may want to consider freezer options in finishes that match the other appliances in your space.

SHOP MAYTAG^® UPRIGHT FREEZERS

Maytag brand offers upright freezers with Frost Free Defrost, which helps prevent icy buildup and also helps you avoid the slushy mess of defrosting.

FREEZER FAQS

If you’re still not sure which freezer configuration will best suit your frozen food storage needs, consider the answers to frequently asked questions below.

Frost-free freezers can save you the hassle and mess of manual defrosting as they automatically help reduce the frost buildup on freezer walls. Freezers without this feature typically require a manual defrost at least once per year or once the ice on the walls is more than ¼ inch thick.

Manual defrosting requires you to turn off and unload your freezer, allow ice to melt, then clean up the melted ice, turn on the freezer and return frozen foods. However, no frost freezers can cost slightly more, as they work to monitor and automatically get rid of frost buildup.

Most freezers can keep food frozen at or below 0°F (-18°C), but some freezers include features designed for rapid cooling. For instance, select upright deep freezers from Maytag brand include the Fast Freeze Option that lowers the freezer temperature with the push of a button to freeze items so they’re ready when you need them.

To make sure your freezer can fit in your chosen space, measure the install location and compare it with the dimensions of the appliance you choose. Also, measure any doors or pathways along the delivery route to make sure your appliance will fit through. And keep in mind that freezers need 1-3 inches of space on all sides for proper airflow.

Whether you choose to opt for an additional, separate freezer or to upgrade to a larger refrigerator depends on your frozen food storage needs and the size of your home. If you frequently bring home large game from a hunting trip or stock up on bulky items, you may want to opt for a standalone freezer.

If you just need a little more freezer space, consider upgrading to a refrigerator with a larger freezer compartment.

Preventative maintenance can help keep any deep or refrigerator freezer running smoothly for its intended lifespan. Perform regular maintenance like defrosting (if necessary), cleaning the condenser (if applicable), cleaning door gaskets and seals and ensuring your freezer stays level from front to back and side to side.

EXPLORE MAYTAG^® FREEZERS

Whether you plan to deep freeze for the long haul or store everyone’s frozen favorites right in the kitchen, upright, chest and refrigerator freezers from Maytag brand deliver dependable performance day after day.