I'm ordering a pretty good quantity of meat (1/4 cow) and need a deep freezer to store it. The freezer will go in my garage. A chest freezer will fit into a space where it is against the back wall and would look better overall, but I also think an upright would be more convenient (no digging around for stuff).

Those of you who have had both, which did you prefer and why? Any brands I should avoid?

Upright is more convenient, chest is more energy and space efficient, and generally costs less. We have a chest freezer but we just have to be diligent in organizing and rotating new food to the bottom once it freezes

JCA1 said:

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Hate the chest. Stuff gets buried and it's very difficult to get to the stuff on the bottom.

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This.

+1 upright

My dad has an upright that I am hoping he sells soon. Twice he has lost everything in it. Once because the door was slightly ajar (gravity solves that on a chest) the other time power went out. Everything lost in the upright. The chest next to it remained safe entire time.

As for organization baskets make his chest much easier to find things than those on the bottom shelves of his upright.

I have a chest freezer and will be swapping out for an upright very soon

OP, consider that my upright is self defrosting. Not sure about chest freezers in that regard.

Upright. Frigidaire, 21 CF, or so the tag says. 3 shelves, 2 baskets. Stuff on the bottom levels does tend to get freezer burned faster, so we keep bread & similar down there.

Wife loves it because she can organize by food group (fish, beef, soups, vegetables, etc), and stage meals.