Small freezer

[braumeister]

I went with this one: https://www.danby.com/en-us/products/freezers-en-us/dufm085a4wdd/ and it's pretty simple and I've had no issues with it.

Thanks for the link. I looked at it and howled with laughter at the "Canadian Translator" page.

https://www.danby.com/en-us/canadian-translator/

 

[Beldar]

I went with this one: https://www.danby.com/en-us/products/freezers-en-us/dufm085a4wdd/ and it's pretty simple and I've had no issues with it. Went with it as it fits the space in my garage just right. If the power goes out, the freezer will come back on with the resumption of power.

Thanks, they have nice little chest freezers as well. And no electronic control to potentially lock up during a power glitch.

Unfortunately, they are not recommended by the manufacturer for garage/outdoor use (like we would like). You garage must be climate controlled in some fashion.

_B

 

[Gumby]

We've had a 5.8 cuft Kenmore upright for probably 10 years now and it has not given us any problems. You do need to take everything out and turn it off to defrost it about once a year. Ours is model 29502 and probably not made anymore, but I'm sure there is a new model of the exact same thing (a Google search shows model 20202, which appears identical, for $300.) We keep it in an unheated garage.

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks, they have nice little chest freezers as well. And no electronic control to potentially lock up during a power glitch.

Unfortunately, they are not recommended by the manufacturer for garage/outdoor use (like we would like). You garage must be climate controlled in some fashion.

_B

I thought all chest freezers specified being in a climate controlled environment. Are there really some that claim to work in an uncontrolled environment like a storage shed?

 

[Texas Proud]

OTOH, you probably don't live 30+ minutes from any real grocery store, on a mountain where winter weather could unexpectedly keep you from getting there for a few days. I'm also over an hour from Costco, where I like to stock up on steaks, salmon, and frozen pizzas. I've stood in a Costco or grocery store looking at something I wanted to buy, like crab legs for instance, but not at all sure I had the room for them, so I've passed. With even a small extra freezer I wouldn't have to do so. All reasons why I have been considering a freezer. But I don't freeze fruit or grains like some here do, so I can probably manage, with planning.

Just like most everything, this is an individual thing, one size doesn't fit all. Telling me what I should do while knowing very little of my situation really isn't helpful at all.

You got me on that... I have a number of grocery stores really close...

 

[Texas Proud]

I'm single and have a standalone freeze in the garage. Worked out well for me. Maybe you should try it.

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I didn't want to go with a chest freezer, that means you have to remember to check what's buried in the bottom under the other stuff once in a while. Not so much of an issue with an upright.

I went with this one: https://www.danby.com/en-us/products/freezers-en-us/dufm085a4wdd/ and it's pretty simple and I've had no issues with it. Went with it as it fits the space in my garage just right. If the power goes out, the freezer will come back on with the resumption of power.

Married with kids and have a FULL 18 sq ft freezer... when I was single I never did... never felt like having one....


BTW, we did not have a stand alone freezer for a few years after getting married... my sister gave us hers since her DH died and she was not using it anymore...

 

[RobbieB]

I eat the bugs. Extra protein -

 

[Gumby]

I thought all chest freezers specified being in a climate controlled environment. Are there really some that claim to work in an uncontrolled environment like a storage shed?

I just read the manual that came with my upright (odd, I know, but I always save those things). It does not specify that it must be in a climate controlled environment, but it does note that extreme cold ambient temperatures could cause it not to function properly. As I noted before, we keep ours in the garage, which has no heat. It has never been a problem. Maybe a chest freezer would be different.

 

[audreyh1]

I just read the manual that came with my upright (odd, I know, but I always save those things). It does not specify that it must be in a climate controlled environment, but it does note that extreme cold ambient temperatures could cause it not to function properly. As I noted before, we keep ours in the garage, which has no heat. It has never been a problem. Maybe a chest freezer would be different.

I suspect it’s one of those things that people routinely ignore. I’m not worried about cold as it almost never freezes at home. It’s more the case of reaching into the 90s inside the storage unit.

I don’t know why a chest freezer would be different than an upright in this respect.

 

[MichaelB]

We have a second refrigerator in the garage and it shuts down when the temperature gets too low. DM had a freezer in the basement. She shopped at the commissary, which had great prices, especially for meat, but was 1 1/2 hours away. It paid off as long as she was regularly cycling food in and out.

 

[cooch96]

The benefit of a chest is they stay colder longer... my BIL had a small one and the electricity went out for almost 2 days and he did not have a big thaw... I had a thaw on my upright after 8 or so hours... not bad, but water was starting to come out... got it fixed and checked and most things were still frozen but moisture on the top of everything...

Also, they take less juice to keep cold. So that’s an additional savings.

IMHO, the only reason to get an upright is if you plan on freezing many small things and don’t want to root around every time you need something. Then the extra shelves in an upright are worth it. Otherwise, a 5cf chest freezer will be superior in all regards. A freezer is a simple machine, I’d hunt for the cheapest model at A few big box stores and call it good.

If you plan on buying half a cow, or butchering a moose, get a 20cf model.

 

[mpeirce]

I was going to mention our Gladiator fridge/freezer which was designed specifically for garage use. But it's apparently been discontinued.

It's too bad, it's a great product and is rated for temperatures from 0°-110°F. Unlike our older fridge in the garage which melted items in the freezer when the outside temperature got too low, this one is built to work properly in those conditions.

Sadly, Whirlpool (the maker) has discontinued it. And looking around I don't see any other "garage rated" fridge/freezers. So either there was no demand (I doubt it) or it's another example of a good product being regulated out of existence.

Oh well. Hope ours lasts a long time!

 

[capjak]

I was going to mention our Gladiator fridge/freezer which was designed specifically for garage use. But it's apparently been discontinued.

It's too bad, it's a great product and is rated for temperatures from 0°-110°F. Unlike our older fridge in the garage which melted items in the freezer when the outside temperature got too low, this one is built to work properly in those conditions.

Sadly, Whirlpool (the maker) has discontinued it. And looking around I don't see any other "garage rated" fridge/freezers. So either there was no demand (I doubt it) or it's another example of a good product being regulated out of existence.

Oh well. Hope ours lasts a long time!

Home Depot sells Gladiator not sure if same type you have.
https://www.gladiatorgarageworks.co...ppliances-3/-[GAFZ30FDGB]-6188596/GAFZ30FDGB/

 

[mpeirce]

Home Depot sells Gladiator not sure if same type you have.
https://www.gladiatorgarageworks.co...ppliances-3/-[GAFZ30FDGB]-6188596/GAFZ30FDGB/

Interesting and good to know.

It looks like they've gone to a single upright refrigerator and a single upright freezer (along with a compactor).

The combined unit (which is what I have) has been discontinued. It has the larger freezer compartment below and the top fridge compartment is great for drinks.

Not sure I have room for both units in the garage when our old one dies...

 

[Texas Proud]

I was going to mention our Gladiator fridge/freezer which was designed specifically for garage use. But it's apparently been discontinued.

It's too bad, it's a great product and is rated for temperatures from 0°-110°F. Unlike our older fridge in the garage which melted items in the freezer when the outside temperature got too low, this one is built to work properly in those conditions.

Sadly, Whirlpool (the maker) has discontinued it. And looking around I don't see any other "garage rated" fridge/freezers. So either there was no demand (I doubt it) or it's another example of a good product being regulated out of existence.

Oh well. Hope ours lasts a long time!

I am thinking that they are saying they do not work in a garage etc. to cover themselves... I do not know if our is allowed or not, but it works just fine and we have very hot days here...

 

[ERD50]

We've had out upright freezer in the garage forever (well, 1987), gets hot in summer, cold in winter. While hot is obviously going to make it work harder, I've actually monitored the duty cycle, and it really wasn't all that much higher, even in the hottest weather, and even when in need of a (manual) defrost. I was concerned that it might be running 100% and not keeping up, but it was still fairly close to its typical 50% duty cycle.

We have a second refrigerator in the garage and it shuts down when the temperature gets too low.

A refrigerator in a cold space has a different issue. The freezer on most is set to run to keep the fridge cold ( ~ 36F ), and doesn't actually monitor the freezer section. The freezer is just cold as a by product of keeping the fridge cold. There's usually some sort of vent that controls the flow between them, that keeps them balanced at room temperatures.

But if it is below 36 F outside, the fridge never calls for any cooling, so the stuff in the freezer also comes up to outside temperature as well, and stuff in the freezer can thaw.

-ERD50

 

[mpeirce]

I am thinking that they are saying they do not work in a garage etc. to cover themselves... I do not know if our is allowed or not, but it works just fine and we have very hot days here...

The issue isn't typically too much heat (the fridge does have to work harder in that case), but rather too cold.

I'll admit it - besides the Gladiator in the garage, we also have a regular old fridge in there too (yes, total of three in the house). I always need to remember in the fall not to use the freezer compartment of that fridge as it stops "freezing" as the garage temperature falls. Ice cream melts and such. It's still fine for putting chicken bones in there until garbage day though, so I guess we get some use out of it even then.

We've talked about getting rid of the third fridge, but since it comes in handy a few times a year (Christmas dinner for the extended family!) we keep it.