When shopping for a freezer, you should first consider size: the size of the freezer and the size
of your family. Consider how you and your family eat. Do you typically buy a lot of frozen foods in bulk? Do you like to freeze your garden fruits and vegetables so you can enjoy them during
the winter?

The appliance industry recommends 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space for each family member with 1 cubic foot of freezer holding approximately 35 pounds of food. So, the larger your family, the larger freezer you will need.

Be aware that a chest freezer’s capacity is much greater than an upright’s because a chest freezer is essentially an open box, without any baskets or shelves. This also means that chest freezers can more easily handle packages of odd sizes.

Another issue to consider is your fondness for frozen foods. Is your family large, you have scant time to cook, and can only grocery shop once a week for everybody’s pre-made meals? Or perhaps you like to take advantage of sales on meats so you can have them available whenever you want to throw something on the barbecue.

After considering the optimum size of freezer and amount of frozen foods you plan to store, you should then study your available space for your new freezer. The basic difference between the two types is simple: Chest freezers are wide and upright freezers are tall.