Freezer & Ice Maker Buying Guide

Purchasing a Freezer & Ice Maker

Deep Freezers are secondary freezers that offer additional storage for frozen foods. Upright and chest freezers are two types of freezers that are available in various sizes and offer different benefits based on the need of a family or individual.

Why invest in a Deep Freezer?

There are many reasons to invest in a deep freezer. Many families shop in bulk stores or stock up during grocery sales to get the best value from their food shopping. It is easy and convenient to freeze these additional items, especially larger items such as roasts and birthday cakes, in the second freezer until ready for use. When cooking large meals, you can create easy frozen dishes by storing them in the additional freezer space. Deep freezers are great for college students who are short on dorm space, and are ideal for hunters, fishermen and gardeners that have a surplus of food at the end of the season. Using a deep freezer can help save time and money throughout the year!

Types of Freezers

There are two main types of freezers available; chest freezers and upright freezers.

Chest Freezers

Chest Freezers tend to have very good, tight seals as they are top-loading appliances. They offer plenty of usable storage space and are energy efficient.

Advantage of Chest Freezers

Abundant Food Storage - Because there aren't many shelves and compartments, chest freezers offer ample storage for frozen food.

Energy Efficiency - Chest freezers are equipped with manual defrost as opposed to an automatic defrost which makes them the most energy efficient freezer type available.

Disadvantages of Chest Freezers

Floor Space - Chest freezers take up more floor space than upright freezers.

Clutter - With a lack of organization features such as shelves and storage compartments, it is harder to organize food. Even though plenty of food can fit in a deep chest freezer, accessing food from the bottom can be more difficult.

Upright Freezers

Upright Freezers open from the front and are equipped with shelves and compartments for food organization. This type of freezer is heavily organized, making accessing food an easy task.

Advantage of Upright Freezers

Space - Because upright freezers stand tall, they don't take up a lot of floor space. They can easily be stored in a corner of your house, a garage or in the basement.

Easy organization - Upright freezers can hold shelves and bins which makes organization and therefore finding food much easier.

Disadvantages of Upright Freezers

Less Food Storage - Upright freezers store less food than chest freezers, as shelves and compartments take up some of the space.

Not Energy Efficient - Upright freezers often use automatic defrost, making sure the freezer is regularly defrosted.

Ice Makers

When entertaining, it is essential to have enough ice to keep refreshments cool. There are 3 types of ice makers, Built-In, Freestanding and Drop-In. Installing an ice maker separate from your refrigerator unit will ensure you never run out of ice. Installing an ice maker into your refrigerator might be the most convenient but depending on your needs, there are other options available.

Built-in Ice Makers

Built-in Ice Makers need a permanent water line and should be installed by a professional plumber. Some of the units use a drain line to easily drain residual water from the ice makers.

Freestanding Ice Makers

Freestanding Ice Makers are ideal for larger families or offices, as often a standard refrigerator/freezer can't keep up with the ice demand. This type of ice maker can be installed underneath a counter, and provide different types of ice, such as cubes, crushed or nuggets. In addition, many freestanding ice makers provide extra storage for beverages and other items that need to be kept cold.

Ice Maker Features

Self Cleaning feature automates the process of cleaning the ice bin and then adding a cleaning solution to the ice making cycle.

Filters can ensure that pure and clean water is being used to make ice cubes. Ice cubes made with unfiltered water can occassionally smell and taste funny, and therefore effect what they are being used in. Having a filter in place helps avoid this issue.

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