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It doesn’t take much for your kitchen refrigerator’s freezer to become overcrowded. A few ice packs, bags of veggies, boxed frozen meals, and the premium space reserved for your favorite tub of ice cream might be enough for your freezer to start saying, “Enough!”
That’s why a separate upright freezer is such a worthwhile investment, especially for large families. Upright freezers provide ample storage space for frozen goods to stock up on bulk purchases and store prepped meals without worrying about running out of room.
Upright freezers offer greater accessibility and organization options compared to chest freezers. With adjustable shelves and compartments, you can easily organize items, making it easy to find them without digging through piles of sometimes freezer-burnt food.
Upright freezers come in a variety of styles and sizes, ranging from compact under-the-counter options to extra-large models with upwards of 20 cubic feet of storage. If your primary freezer is constantly full, the best upright freezers maximize your kitchen’s food storage capacity.
The Best Upright Freezers
- Best Overall: GE FUF17DLRWW Upright Freezer
- Best Budget: Midea WHS-109FW1 Upright Freezer
- Most Shelving: Whirlpool WZF34X20DW Fast Freeze Upright Freezer
- Best Midsize: Frigidaire EFRF696-AMZ Upright Freezer
- Best Extra-Large: GE FUF21SMRWW Upright Freezer
What to Consider
The most important thing to consider when choosing an upright freezer is the interior capacity. But there are several other features to look for beyond that, including shelving options, defrost style, and durability. Also consider features like quick freeze functions, door alarms, interior lighting, and more, so you ultimately pick an upright freezer that fits your space and budget.
Capacity
The purpose of buying an upright freezer is to provide more storage for frozen foods, so it’s essential to choose one that offers enough capacity for your needs. Upright freezers come in various sizes, from under-the-counter models ideal for a home bar to larger units that fit well in a garage.
Generally, compact and small models offer around five cubic feet of storage; midsize upright freezers run up to roughly 10 cubic feet; large options go up to 19 cubic feet; and anything with more capacity is considered extra large. Compact or midsize options are ideal for storing overflow from your fridge. Larger units are perfect if you frequently buy in bulk and store pre-made meals.
Interior Storage
Beyond an upright freezer’s storage capacity, it’s important to consider its interior configuration. While most upright freezers come with a few shelves, the best models include adjustable shelves, drawers, and door bins. This wider variety of interior storage means better and easier organization. For example, adjustable shelves give you the flexibility to accommodate taller items, while drawers are perfect for storing smaller packages. Additionally, door bins are perfect for keeping frequently used items easily accessible.
Defrost Style
Upright freezers come in two main defrost styles: manual and automatic. If you buy a manual-defrost freezer, you’ll need to periodically empty out the appliance so ice crystals melt. Many upright freezers on the lower end of the price spectrum need to be manually defrosted, so decide if that’s something you’re willing to take on.
The other option is auto-defrost, also called a frost-free freezer. These appliances cycle on and off periodically, melting ice crystals and preventing them from building up. No intervention is required on your part, but keep in mind that these models use more energy and are often noisier than their manual counterparts.
Location
You might assume an upright freezer is portable enough to go anywhere in your home without much consideration. However, it’s crucial to ensure that the model you choose is durable enough for its intended location, especially if it’s exposed to extreme temperatures. For instance, if you plan to place it in your garage, check the freezer’s specifications to see if it is labeled as “garage-ready.” These freezers are designed to operate in a wider temperature range, ensuring that your food remains frozen during hot summer days and the coldest winter nights.
Other Features
The primary purpose of an upright freezer is to keep your food and other perishables frozen. While this may be sufficient for most users, many top models include features that further enhance the overall experience, such as temperature alarms, adjustable feet or casters, frost-free technology, and more.
- Energy Star-Certified: Appliances with this certification meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The term indicates that the freezer consumes less electricity than standard models, potentially reducing your energy bills.
- Temperature alarm: If you accidentally leave the door open or the temperature rises above a certain point, a temperature alarm alerts you.
- Leveling legs or casters: If your floor isn’t perfectly level, leveling legs help balance the upright freeze, preventing items from falling to one side. And casters allow you to easily move the freezer for cleaning or rearranging.
- An interior light: Not every upright freezer has an interior light. Having one helps with visibility and finding what you’re looking for.
- Safety lock: A lock not only keeps people out of your freezer but is also an important safety measure for children.
- Frost-free technology: Frost often accumulates in a freezer, leading to freezer burn, which affects the overall quality of stored food. Frost-free technology periodically raises the temperature inside the freezer to melt any frost buildup.
- Turbo freeze: A quick-freeze feature rapidly lowers the temperature inside the freezer quickly to freeze items faster. This feature can be helpful when freezing prepped food, including meat or fish, because it better preserves the food’s quality.
Many of these features are designed for convenience rather than necessity, so if you find an upright freezer you like that doesn’t include all of these features, don’t worry. As mentioned, the primary purpose of an upright freezer is to keep your food frozen, and all the models on this list meet that essential requirement.
How We Selected
Selecting your ideal upright freezer is a crucial decision that depends on both your budget and available space. To pick the best upright freezers, we conducted extensive research on a wide range of highly-rated models from reputable brands like GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire. We evaluated each model based on capacity, defrost style, and durability. We also considered features such as safety locks, leveling legs, and temperature alarms. To gain insights into long-term performance, we analyzed reviews from actual owners, providing us with valuable information about how these appliances hold up over time.
Pros
Two drawers- Garage-ready design
- Glass shelves
Cons
- Small door shelves
GE’s garage-ready upright freezer is the closest thing to perfect we found. It features a spacious 17.3-cubic-foot interior, safety locks, frost-free technology, an interior light, plus ample shelving to store frozen foods.
There are four glass shelves, two of which are adjustable, and two slide-out bins. It also includes four door shelves for storing smaller items like frozen snacks.
In the event of a power outage, GE says the food inside will remain frozen for up to 48 hours. If the door is left open or the temperature gets too high, an alarm sounds, notifying you to address the situation.
While the freezer offers a spacious interior and numerous features, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t have a reversible door. This limitation may affect where you place the freezer in your home.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 31.2 x 64.8 x 32.8 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 17.3 cu. ft. |
| Shelves | 4 freezer shelves, 4 door shelves |
| Defrost Type | Frost-free |
2
Best Garage-Ready
Frigidaire 20-cu ft Garage-Ready Upright Freezer
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Pros
- Can withstand extreme temperatures
- Large capacity
Cons
- No safety lock
If you know you’re putting an upright freezer in your garage, we like this Frigidaire model. It has an impressive 20 cubic feet of interior space, giving you plenty of storage for kitchen overflow.
It handles temperatures ranging from zero degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer’s frost-free technology means there won’t be any ice buildup over the long term.
The Frigidaire also has four adjustable wire shelves and five door shelves. Plus, there’s a basket on the bottom for bulkier items. Other features include a temperature alarm and turbo freeze to quickly freeze fresh food, along with a reversible for flexibility.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 28.25 x 71.75 x 32.62 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 20 cu. ft. |
| Shelves | 4 freezer shelves, 5 door shelves |
| Defrost Type | Frost-free |
Pros
- Garage-ready
- Large capacity
Cons
- No safety lock
This garage-ready upright freezer from GE is nearly identical to our best overall pick, but with 21.3 cubic feet of interior space. That makes it a great value, particularly for larger families that shop in bulk.
This freezer offers turbo freeze, which rapidly lowers the freezer’s temperature to quickly freeze newly added items. The turbo freeze feature is particularly useful for preserving food quality by minimizing ice crystal formation.
Other highlights include a temperature alarm and power-on indicator, a safety lock, and glass shelves. There are also two bottom bins and four door shelves for snacks and small bottles.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 31.2 x 76.6 x 32.8 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 21.3 cu. in. |
| Shelves | 4 freezer shelves, 4 door shelves |
| Defrost Type | Frost-free |
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Pros
- Reversible door
- Stylish design
Cons
- Manual defrost
This well-constructed, midsize upright freezer from Frigidaire is a great all-around choice for most storage needs. It’s reasonably priced with a relatively small footprint to tuck into a corner, but it still has a very decent 6.5-cubic-foot capacity to store plenty of food on its six wired shelves.
Top features include a sleek design, flat back, recessed handle for a streamlined appearance, and reversible door. It operates relatively quietly and features an external dial to control the temperature, but one potential downside is that this freezer requires manual defrosting, which may be a dealbreaker for some.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 21 x 23 x 56 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 6.5 cu. ft. |
| Shelves | 6 |
| Defrost Type | Manual |
Pros
- Ample shelves and storage
- Reversible door
Cons
- Wired shelves
This Whirlpool upright freezer offers 19.6-cubic feet of well-organized space. Along with frost-free technology, it has adjustable and removable shelves, plus a removable basket and six door shelves for small items like pints of ice cream. You also have the option of mounting the door hinge on the left or right, and there’s an electronic temperature control right up front.
What this freezer lacks is extra convenience features, like leveling legs or security locks. The Whirlpool also isn’t garage-ready. That said, it’s still an excellent choice with flexible shelving and ample storage to maximize freezer capacity.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 29.12 x 66.25 x 33.25 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 19.6 cu. ft. |
| Shelves | 4 freezer shelves, 6 door shelves |
| Defrost Type | Frost-free |
Pros
- Space-saving design
- Modern finish
Cons
- Few additional features
Upright freezers are often big and bulky, so not ideal for smaller kitchens or apartments. This space-saving midsize model from LG is a viable alternative, at just 20 inches wide, Despite its slimmer design, the LG freezer still offers a capacity of 5.8 cubic feet, six freezer shelves, and six door shelves.
The LG also boasts a platinum finish, giving it a more modern look. While the freezer boasts a space-saving design with ample interior storage, it lacks many of the features found in our other picks. You also have to manually defrost it, which is usually a time-consuming and inconvenient process. But despite these limitations, it still offers reliable performance in a relatively compact package.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 23.88 x 41.23 x 20.23 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 5.8 cu. ft. |
| Shelves | 6 freezer shelves, 6 door shelves |
| Defrost Type | Manual |
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Pros
- Reversible door
- Removable wire basket
Cons
- Manual defrost
If you don’t want to spend a lot on an upright freezer, this compact model is your best bet. It’s fairly small with just three cubic feet of interior space, but it still has two fixed shelves, as well as a removable pull-out basket. It also features an adjustable thermostat and a child safety lock.
The freezer is available in black or white finishes, and it has a reversible door hinge, along with adjustable front feet to level the appliance on uneven floors. Despite its smaller size, it’s the ideal option for freezing a handful of items in your apartment or office.
While there’s a lot to like about this compact upright freezer, it is missing some important features. Its manual defrost is in line with the low price point—something to keep in mind if you have more to spend. It also lacks door shelves. Yet even with these shortcomings, it gets the job done if all you need is to store a few extra items.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 19.7 x 21.3 x 33.9 in. |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 3 cu. ft. |
| Shelves | 2 |
| Defrost Type | Manual |
Brandon Russell
Brandon Russell is a freelance writer covering gear and technology. He started his journey as a news writer at a small newspaper and later began reviewing smartphones, movies, and video games. In his free time, he enjoys the slower, more intentional experience of using a 35mm film camera and making short videos about movies he grew up watching.
Camryn Rabideau
Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her four years as a product tester, she's tested hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, The Spruce, Food52, and more.
