WHAT IS A CHEST FREEZER?

Chest freezers preserve food by storing it at or below 0°F (-18°C) and operate with the help of four main components: the compressor, condenser coils, capillary tube and evaporator. These components work together to remove heat from the interior and keep your food frozen.

The horizontal design is what makes a chest freezer distinct from upright models. These short and wide freezers typically feature fewer drawers, dividers and shelving than standard upright freezers, providing a large and open space for bulky and oddly-shaped items. Select models from Maytag^® brand offer a 3-Basket Storage System that helps make digging for frozen goods a thing of the past.

Chest freezers store food at or below 0°F (-18°C) with a top-opening design that makes it easy to store wide and bulky items like processed meat from a hunting trip, large frozen briskets or turkeys, or a Saturday errand to bulk-buy food at the local wholesale store. The wide-open compartment with a small number of baskets gives you flexible storage while still allowing cold air to circulate around your food. Select Maytag^® chest freezers allow you to adjust your temperature with Electronic Controls and some models are Garage Ready in freezer mode, able to tackle garage climates between 0ºF and 110ºF.

The horizontal cabinet and top-opening lid affect how you load and access food in a chest freezer. With fewer drawers, dividers and shelving than standard freezers, a chest freezer provides a large and open space for bulky items. This open design is great for storing large or irregularly shaped packages, but it can be more difficult to access items at the bottom of the freezer.

As you move up in cubic footage, a chest freezer will often get wider rather than taller or deeper. That means the freezer takes up more floor space as capacity increases, but the height still stays relatively low. You'll also want to account for lid-opening clearance, since the top-opening design requires enough overhead space for the lid to open fully.

Chest freezers are great for bulk food storage and pack a generous amount of food storage into a compact footprint since they often lack extensive internal shelving and bins, instead, offering a lot of open space to hold oversized or bulky packages that won't fit in a standard refrigerator's freezer compartment. This makes them a solid choice for surplus frozen foods and large packages your refrigerator freezer simply can't accommodate.

Available at sizes roughly 3-20+ cu. ft., (though some models may vary)  a chest freezer often provides substantially more room for frozen food items than a standard refrigerator freezer, which generally holds about 4-9 cu. ft. When deciding what to put in chest freezer, here are some common items:

• Bulk meats and seafood: Family-size packs of ground beef, chicken, pork chops or fish fillets

• Make-ahead meals and leftovers: Casseroles, soups, chili and pasta dishes 

• Frozen fruits and vegetables: Seasonal produce from berries to corn and peas

• Large or irregularly shaped packages: Whole turkeys, briskets, large roasts or warehouse-club portions

• Baked goods and dough: Extra loaves of bread, pizza dough, cookie dough and pie crusts 

• Ice and frozen treats: Bagged ice, ice cream tubs and frozen novelties

Chest freezers are especially well-suited for bulk shopping, meal prep and preserving seasonal produce. Whether stocking up on meat and seafood, storing make-ahead casseroles and soups, or freezing garden fruits and vegetables, a chest freezer can help keep everything frozen. 

Weighing chest freezer pros and cons can help you decide if this type of freezer is right for your home. If you're asking, “should I buy a chest freezer?” understanding the benefits and trade-offs can help you make an informed decision.

• High Storage Volume: Chest freezers generally offer a high volume of food storage per square foot due in part to lack of extensive shelving.

• Can keep food cold during power outages: Unlike refrigerator freezer combinations, chest freezers can sometimes keep items cold for longer, in case of a power outage.

• Well-suited for bulky and large items: The horizontal design and open compartment make chest freezers well-suited for extra-large, bulky items and deep freezer storage.

When comparing a chest vs. upright freezer, the open storage design is one of the main advantages of a chest freezer.

• More difficult to access food at the bottom: The top-opening design is great for large items but items at the bottom can be more difficult to access.

• Fewer shelves and organizational features: These short and wide freezers typically feature fewer drawers, dividers and shelving than standard or upright freezers.

• Manual defrost may be required: Some chest freezers require manual defrosting, which involves turning off the unit and letting ice melt. 

• Requires more floor space: As capacity increases, a chest freezer generally tends to get wider rather than taller, taking up more floor space.

Chest freezers come in a range of sizes and configurations to fit different storage needs. Chest freezers generally range from roughly 3 to 20+ cubic feet (though some models may vary) and are ideal for storing bulky items or a surplus of frozen foods. As you move up in cubic footage, the freezer will generally tend to get wider rather than taller or deeper. Select Maytag^® models include a Lid Lock and Key and BrightSeries^™ LED lighting.

When shopping for a chest freezer, it helps to compare cubic-foot capacity with exterior length, width and height, then match the space to the type of food you expect to store. A full freezer sizes and dimensions guide can help you find the right measurements for your space.

Chest freezer sizes typically fall into four categories:

• Compact: 3-5 cu ft, approximately 21-28 inches wide

• Small: 5-9 cu ft, approximately 29-38 inches wide

• Medium: 10-16 cu ft, approximately 54-65 inches wide

• Large: 17+ cu ft, approximately 72-84 inches wide

Many chest freezers are only about 34-36 inches tall. As you move up in cubic footage, the freezer will usually get wider rather than taller or deeper. That means a larger chest freezer takes up more floor space but doesn't necessarily get taller. You'll want to allow about 3 inches of clearance around the freezer for proper air circulation and consider lid-opening clearance for the top-opening design.

Chest freezers typically feature a wide-open compartment with a small number of baskets for organizing frozen items. Select Maytag^® models include the 3-Basket Storage System, which makes digging for frozen goods a thing of the past. Select Maytag^® models also include a Counterbalanced Lid that stays open on its own and a Power On Indicator Light that lets you see if the freezer is working without opening the door.

The following frequently asked questions can help give you clarity if you're wondering, “is a chest freezer worth it?”

SHOP MAYTAG^® CHEST FREEZERS

Maytag^® chest freezers are built tough for the long haul. Select models have Freezer-to-Fridge Convertibility, so you can stock up on what you need, when you need it, with a freezer that can convert to a refrigerator.

This article includes AI-generated content that our human team has reviewed and edited to ensure quality.