Freezer Buying Guide

What Are the Different Types of Freezers

You can choose from standalone freezers—like these deep freezers from Maytag brand—or a refrigerator freezer combination like Maytag^® French door refrigerators to find the best fit for your family. Types of freezers to choose from include:

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, but digging deeper into a handful of other factors can help you find a freezer that stands up to your family’s daily routines. 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.

1. What Size or Capacity of Freezer Do You Need?

Ensuring you have enough capacity for your family’s food habits may be the first box you check when buying a freezer. You can 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 cu. ft. 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 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). 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 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.

2. What Freezer Configuration Options Are Available?

Whether you opt for a deep freezer or refrigerator freezer combination, each type features unique ways to store frozen goods. Configurations include: 

3. What Type of Freezer is Most Energy Efficient?

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. What Freezer Features Do You Need?

Find the right freezer by considering the following features available on select models:

Which is Better, a Frost or No Frost Freezer?

Frost-free freezers can save you the hassle and mess of manual defrosting as they automatically help reduce the frost build up 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 to operate as they work to monitor and automatically get rid of frost build-up.

Which Type of Freezer Has the Fastest Freezing Rate?

Most freezers can keep food frozen at or below 0°F (-18°C), but some freezers include features designed for rapid cooling. For instance, upright deep freezers from Maytag brand include the FastFreeze option that drops the freezer to its coldest temperature for 24 hours to lock in the flavor and freshness of frozen foods.

What is the Longest Lasting Freezer?

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