We're going to start buying 1/2 cows with another family and I'm looking for freezer recs(brands, models, etc.).

I'm thinking 15 cubic feet. Any suggestions? I need something with a lock and am willing to pay more for longevity. I really don't want to be buying another one of these in 5-10 years. It'll be in the garage.

This is the first one I've come across.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Garage-Ready-15-7-cu-ft-Manual-Defrost-Chest-Freezer-in-White-FCM16SLWW/305143876

My advice is to not get a chest freezer.

Have had both and hate my chest freezer for anything other than storing deer heads until I can boil them.

Why?

Because you have to bend in there to get food out. The biggest pita is when you do clean it out you will find a few hundred dollars of unused food that is 2 or more years old.

Go stand up style. Easier to keep track or what's in it. You will end up adding more stuff to the chest freezer and end up letting stuff go bad at the bottom.

Something like this?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Garage-Ready-14-2-cu-ft-Frost-Free-Defrost-Upright-Freezer-in-White-FUF14QRRWW/317602290

Yes, and size matters.

I have a 14cf Frigidaire chest freezer and a 21cf Frigidaire upright frost free. Both have been in my garage for the past 14 and 18 years respectively. The chest holds more than the upright. Like others have stated, you can see what you have stored easier in the upright. I use milk crates in the chest freezer to keep things organized. My chest is mainly for wild game. I can't complain about either one.

Main advantage with a chest freezer is when you open it, you don't lose the cold like you do with an upright

Used chest freezers for decades. Great for storing meat. You need milk crates or boxes of some sort for ease of use. Energy efficient compared to uprights. Just stay on top of your "pantry" and **** won't go bad.

I just get the right size at Sam's club.

Southern boy nailed it. Very easy to keep piling new stuff on old stuff.

I appreciate the feedback. I'm looking at a Frigidaire 20 cu. ft. after digesting this.

southernboy1 said:

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Because you have to bend in there to get food out. The biggest pita is when you do clean it out you will find a few hundred dollars of unused food that is 2 or more years old.

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We bought some metal baskets off of Amazon and use those in ours and it's helped a lot with preventing this. Ground beef goes in one, chicken in another, veggies on one, etc. Briskets and ribs just go in the empty space.

Don't want to me sexist here but us men like our meat separated. The women in our lives tend to put stuff everywhere. Next thing you know you have frozen veggies, old birthday cakes, leftovers, a Dairy Queen blizzard and it goes on. When I first got the upright each shelf had different meats on it. I finally gave up.

Whatever you do, get a monitor. And not one that disconnects from your wifi, then your freezer goes kaput.

Happened to me last weekend. Everything gone, was not pleasant.

I now have a digital monitor on my fridge that tells me temps, and whenever i get a new freezer i will find something that is not named Govee to tie to my phone as well.

The garage is a man's place. Problem solved.

I don't understand the wifi connected alarm. I've got an audible alarm that we'd hear in the house even if we weren't in the garage every day. If we're out of town and the worst happens, what are we gonna do about it? Send the in-laws that we were gonna ask to check on the place every couple days anyway?

Op...I finally transitioned from a chest freezer to an upright a few weeks ago. Do no buy a chest freezer. Ease of use, volume/floor area efficiency, not losing track of contents. The benefits go on...

Chest freezers are great if you fill it all at the same time and do not add stuff throughout the year (deer from hunting season). At any time, you know it was from Nov/Dec from last year. Clear the freezer before the next add.

In this scenario, they work great.

How about hanging a clipboard nearby and keeping an inventory like a restaurant walk-in freezer? Account for type, weight and date when it goes in, mark it off when it comes out. Keeps track of everything and also is something to peruse for dinner ideas.

That's one list my wife made that I appreciate.

normaleagle05 said:

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I don't understand the wifi connected alarm. I've got an audible alarm that we'd hear in the house even if we weren't in the garage every day. If we're out of town and the worst happens, what are we gonna do about it? Send the in-laws that we were gonna ask to check on the place every couple days anyway?

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The wifi is a little module you put in the freezer that monitors temps and what not. It's supposed to send a notification to my phone and alert me if the temp gets above whatever I had it set at (30d F I think). But since it decided to disconnect from my wifi network, I never received a notification. My freezer itself didn't have an audible alarm...so it all went bad before we knew it.

It isn't a new thing, I just would not recommend Govee to anybody after my experience.

Some of you act like a chest freezer is akin to launching a satellite into space.

It really isn't that hard, it really isn't. Both uprights and chest have plusses and minuses, for a pure storage of items you aren't getting into regularly or a place to put briskets and pork butts when you get them on sale - chest freezers are far better. For your steaks and chicken and things you use more regularly, upright all the way.

Easy solution is to have both.

What brand did you end up getting? Or you still looking? Saw your thread a while back, but didn't follow it long enough.

Pepper Brooks said:

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Something like this?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Garage-Ready-14-2-cu-ft-Frost-Free-Defrost-Upright-Freezer-in-White-FUF14QRRWW/317602290

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That's basically what I have - keep in garage and it's been great. Frozen meat and pizzas, etc. for the kids.

I have both. Much prefer the upright freezer due to the reasons previously stated.

The chest freezer will hold more and is the cheaper initial option, but you have to make sure you stay on top of what is in there.

I try to clean mine out every year if I can just to make sure there isn't anything ancient lost in the bottom.

Would y'all cook it? Says I bought it almost 3 years ago. Was gunna smoke it this weekend.

Absolutely.

Vacuum looks decent. Should be nothing wrong. Especially if you're going to season it heavy and smoke it, you won't be able to taste any freezer burn or off-flavored fat.

Any recommendations on where to buy grass fed ground beef, chicken, etc. in bulk? Shipping to DFW or pick up within an hour.

Upright is frost free!

strohag said:

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Go stand up style. Easier to keep track or what's in it. You will end up adding more stuff to the chest freezer and end up letting stuff go bad at the bottom.

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Bingo!! I have had both, and the stand-up is by far the way to go, takes up less space in the garage as well and much easier to keep everything organized

If you want to store meat, you are better not getting a frost-free freezer.

https://www.thekitchn.com/the-problem-with-frost-free-freezers-247588

Got a chest deep freeze in the garage. Power cord is a couple feet short of the wall socket.

Easiest thing to do would be rig up an extension cord and not worry about it.

Second option would be to tear into it and replace with a longer power cord for a continuous run.

Manufacturer says go directly in the wall with it and have always heard it as a bad idea to use extension cords on critical electronics. Would you risk running an extension cord on a deep freeze or does it matter?

Small freezer so not drawing a lot of amps.

Search "Appliance Extension Cord", my inlaws use one, no problems.