Why You Want A Chest Freezer

As a qualified tools tester, my kitchen (and basement…and flooring, if I’m fair) fills up speedy with gizmos and devices. All of this trying out additionally finally ends up stocking my larder with the quite a lot of meals required to guage stated apparatus. For instance, after I examined petty knives I needed to mince a ton of shallots (I’m nonetheless discovering baggage tucked away in my freezer), whilst cleavers concerned slicing up bone-in hen breasts, and my evaluation of the Traeger Ironwood XL supposed I used to be consuming ribs for weeks. Blended with my proclivity for impulse purchasing (hi discounted turkey from the day after Thanksgiving) and you’ll see how this can be a garage nightmare. Input my chest freezer, which shall we me stash racks of ribs, hen, or even minced greens from knife trying out. It is helping save you my relatively small major freezer from overflowing, and mitigates meals waste—and it allow you to, pricey reader, do these items, too.

What’s a Chest Freezer Just right For?

I don’t find out about you, however my backside freezer is, smartly, relatively small and fills up temporarily. Input the chest freezer, which opens from the highest and is available in quite a few sizes. Fairly clearly, chest freezers are nice for meals garage, however they particularly turn out to be useful while you’re web hosting. Ever purchased a large turkey or ham, returned house, and idea, the place the heck am I going to position this? A chest freezer solutions that query. It’s additionally simply great to not have your major freezer packed to the brim.

So far as the place to position the chest freezer, I’ve a dust room that I stay mine in, however you’ll additionally stash it on your storage or basement like other people frequently do with further fridges. Simply control it if it will get truly chilly out (since, paradoxically, the chilly is dangerous for freezers and will in reality lead them to close off ), and provides it an ordinary cleansing to stop ice buildup. 

What’s the Best possible Chest Freezer?

Whilst we haven’t officially examined chest freezers, I relatively like my 5-cubic foot Magic Chef freezer, which is solely the suitable dimension for my two-person family (it’s additionally moderately reasonably priced, with the present worth at $190). On the other hand, you’ll in finding freezers as massive as 16 cubic toes (or even larger), despite the fact that those are most commonly utilized by avid hunters or business kitchens. One thing to keep in mind past capability is the place you need to stay it and the colour—I’ve a white freezer that presentations filth, particularly the place I seize the lid to open it. A black freezer could be a better choice in the event you’re enthusiastic about aesthetics. The chest freezer will have to be simple to make use of, and the lid will have to keep up so you’ll rummage round. I can notice that since you’re attaining down into the freezer, it may be tricky to search out issues, as stuff has a tendency to get buried. 

The right way to Use a Chest Freezer

Neatly, duh, it’s possible you’ll suppose—you freeze issues in it. However through the years I’ve realized some sensible guidelines for storing stuff within the freezer, particularly a chest freezer, which is at risk of turning into a black hollow for frozen items. Listed below are a couple of guidelines:

• Act like a chef and label and date the entirety (you’ll write without delay on freezer garage baggage or label one thing with freezer tape)—that manner you’ll know what that baggie of freezer-burned thriller meat is, and if it’s time to toss it. 
• If you’ll, you ought to be strategic about organizing stuff in it; this may well be so simple as striking larger stuff on the backside and smaller stuff on the best. 
• After all, don’t be like me and steer clear of confronting the inevitable process of cleansing your freezer—ice buildup can heat it up, resulting in smells and doubtlessly spoiled meals. 

FAQs

What’s the easiest way to scrub a chest freezer?

Unfortunately, you’ll have to drain it out—so I like to recommend both consuming away on the meals in it or shifting it on your major freezer. Then, unplug the freezer and let it thaw out—you probably have a large number of ice buildup, it’s possible you’ll need to take it outdoor or position it on a luxurious towel. As soon as it’s thawed, dry it off and use cleansing spray and a rag or towel to sanitize and blank it. 

What dimension chest freezer is absolute best?

It is dependent upon your wishes, however for a two-person family, my five-cubic meals freezer is greater than sufficient.

Why We are the Mavens

• Grace Kelly has been a trade editor for Severe Eats since 2022.
• Previous to this, she labored at The us’s Take a look at Kitchen, the place she reviewed tools and arranged style exams.
• She’s reviewed masses of goods and carried out dozens of style exams, and a chest freezer is very important to her task. She’s had hers since 2021.