8 Best Freezers of 2023

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Upright freezers and chest freezers are great ways to store bulk purchases and preserve excess food.

We updated this article in January 2023 to ensure it reflected current prices, freezer features and more. Our top picks are based on testing from the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. We added new picks from Magic Chef, GE and Samsung.

A stand-alone upright or chest freezer provides additional food storage space whether you like to have a lot of frozen meals on hand or you tend to buy your meats in bulk. An additional freezer in your home, garage or basement helps preserve excess produce to enjoy all year round and allows you to stock up on homemade and store-bought prepared meals. If you want to reduce food waste and make your food last longer, take a look at our best freezers to buy in 2023.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we rely on decades of food-storage and freezer knowledge when evaluating freezers of various styles, storage capacities and price points. We also consider useful features like automatic defrost, flash-freeze, power-on and open-door indicators as well as included organization solutions. Our picks include best-selling models from trusted brands that we have tested and stand behind.

You can read more about how we evaluate freezers — plus everything you need to know to shop for your perfect upright or chest freezer — at the end of this guide. For more great food storage solutions, check out our guides to the best refrigerators and the best vacuum sealers.

Our favorite upright freezer provides 13 cubic feet of storage space with four adjustable wire shelves, a deep basket on the bottom and five full-width door racks. We like that the base of the door racks are rounded and closed, keeping smaller items from sliding out as you open and close the door. The door can be installed with the handle on the left or the right.

This freezer includes an audible open-door alert system, which is a helpful feature because when the door is left ajar, moisture from the air flowing in can cause ice to accumulate inside. The automatic defrost function also prevents ice build-up (which would otherwise need to be manually defrosted and cleaned out). A separate alarm is triggered when the internal temperature of the freezer rises, helping you quickly troubleshoot so that your food stays safely frozen. It has a bright interior LED light and an exterior light to indicate a power outage. The manufacturer claims that the freezer can keep foods frozen for up to two days in the event of a power outage.

​​The Kenmore 18.5-cubic-feet chest freezer is super spacious — great for stockpiling your cooking essentials — and can be used indoors or stored in a garage. It features a manual defrost and drain to easily remove melting ice during defrosting. The freezer comes with a removable wire basket and top shelf to help with organizing and storing smaller or frequently used items. The illuminated power switch lets you know when the freezer is running, and the handy cord caddy keeps the excess cord tidy and prevents tangling.

This chest freezer from Magic Chef is under $300, has a capacity of 7 cubic feet and offers a one-year parts and labor warranty and a five-year compressor warranty making it our best value pick. We love that it comes with storage solutions like a sliding storage basket for items that you reach for often and a removable interior divider that can hold items like bags of fruits or veggies so that they don't get lost at the bottom of the freezer. Better yet there is an interior light to help see everything inside, a defrost water drain and external temperature control so there's no need to open the freezer to change the temperature.

According to the manufacturer, this freezer is not designed for garage storage because garage temperatures can fluctuate a lot, often outside of the required temperature zone of 32°F to 100°F for efficient freezer operation. If you need a chest freezer with a smaller or larger capacity, Magic Chef also makes a 5-cubic-foot version and an 8.7-cubic-foot version for under $350.

Kenmore has been known for its reliable appliances for more than 100 years. With a 21-cubic-foot capacity, four adjustable and sturdy glass shelves, two see-through slide-out bins and four door bins, this freezer provides a ton of storage. The temperature control panel is easy to use. It includes a high-temperature alert light, a digital temperature display, a quick-freeze button, a freezer-to-fridge conversion button (we love a double-duty appliance!) and a control panel lock so that you don't accidentally alter your selections.

The temperature can be adjusted to convert the freezer to a refrigerator and back, using the quick-freeze function that reduces the temperature to the maximum freezing point of 11ºF. The best part is that it comes with an automatic defrost function that prevents ice build-up and saves you the trouble of having to thaw and clean this giant freezer.

Depending on the time of year, you may need more freezer space to store meats or other favorite foods, or you might need more refrigerator space for fresh produce. That's why the Galanz convertible freezer and refrigerator caught our eye: With just the flip of a switch, you can turn the upright freezer into a refrigerator.

The adjustable thermostat ranges from 33℉ to 45℉ in refrigerator mode and -8℉ to 5℉ in freezer mode. The single-door unit has slide-out, adjustable glass shelves and a transparent crisper drawer for keeping fruits and veggies fresh. The LED light is helpful when grabbing items, and the narrow shape is great for smaller kitchens. Keep in mind that some reviewers noted that this model can be noisy so it's best to put it in a location where it wouldn't disturb anyone.

It might be mini, but it sure is mighty. This freestanding Energy Star-rated freezer has a capacity of 2.1 cubic feet and can be stored in small or tight spaces. It's ideal for storing items like ice cream, pet food or other small frozen foods. The sleek stainless steel unit has a reversible swing door, so you can choose to have it open from either the right or left side, and the recessed handle gives a clean look. The two removable slide-out shelves make it easy to access and organize food. The manufacturer claims it has low noise levels, and it also features a lock that comes with two keys (in case you want to keep your frozen goodies to yourself!).

Not all freezers are designed to be stored in a garage's conditions, but this chest freezer from GE is garage-ready, meaning it is tested by GE to perform in ambient temperatures from 0°F to 110°F. GE also claims that if there is a power outage, food will remain frozen for up to 48 hours in this freezer. This 7-cubic-foot model is a good fit for a one-car garage.

This model has over 1,300 five-star reviews on Lowes.com alone, with one reviewer referring to this as an "excellent garage freezer," saying, "Living in the Sonoran desert, temperatures get into 115 and my garage will reach 100 degrees in the summer. This freezer maintains its temp and doesn't run hard doing so." There is an external power-on light that lets you know that the freezer is on, but some reviewers wish that it showed the exact temperature of the freezer on the outside.

While most freezers have a few baskets or bins for organization, Samsung's 11-Cubic-Foot Convertible Upright Freezer provides superior organization. It houses three adjustable shelves, four removable drawers and three adjustable door bins to keep your proteins and frozen veggies in sight. According to the manufacturer, this model features multi-vent technology that keeps items evenly cooled no matter what shelf they are on.

If you need additional refrigerator space, this model is also convertible and can be switched from freezer temperatures to refrigerator temperatures. This sleek stainless steel freezer has LED lighting for good interior visibility. It also has a reversible door so you can choose what side it opens from, but reviewers have noted that it was difficult to make the switch.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've been testing large kitchen appliances like refrigerators and ranges for decades. When we test a standalone freezer or a freezer attached to a refrigerator, we test for performance by scoring how easy it is to use and its ability to regulate temperature and keep ingredients frozen.

Through our in-Lab and at-home consumer testing, as well as our product experts' extensive research and industry experience, we're able to recommend specific models that tested well for us and recognize models with the details that stand out most.

✔️ Type: The two main types of freezers are upright freezers and chest freezers, and the main difference is how they are oriented. An upright freezer has a vertical design with shelves, drawers and extra storage space on the door. A chest freezer is a low-profile box-shaped freezer with a hinged lid that opens from the top. Inside is a wide open space that may have baskets or dividers for storage.✔️ Size: The capacity and the dimensions of a freezer are important to consider, both when it comes to having enough storage space for your food and ensuring it will fit in your space. Manufacturers recommend 2.5 cubic feet per person. For example, a 10-cubic-foot freezer is ideal for a family of four. In addition, we recommend that you plan for at least 3 inches of space behind and on each side of the freezer to allow air to circulate around it. Freezers have compressors that get warm as they work to keep the inside cold, so they need to air space to prevent overheating. ✔️ Location: The location you choose to keep your freezer can help determine which freezer you should select. Some freezers are garage-ready meaning they can withstand extreme external temperatures, while others should be kept indoors in less extreme temperatures. The space that you select will also determine how big of a freezer you can select. If it will be up against a wall, it's good to ensure that your upright freezer has a reversible door so it can be opened easily. ✔️ Additional features: There are a variety of nice-to-have features, but keep in mind that some of these features may come with a higher price point.

✔️ Upright freezers look a lot like conventional single-door refrigerators with shelves, drawers and extra storage space on the door. They usually come with an automatic defrost function which makes them better for short-term storage. Even if you open the door multiple times a day, the automatic defrost function will help prevent ice from accumulating.

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Cons:

✔️ Chest freezers are low-profile box-shaped freezers with a hinged lid that opens from the top. They have a wide open space with removable baskets and dividers, offering more usable space than an upright freezer. During power outages, chest freezers will stay colder for longer. They usually need to be manually defrosted to clean out built-up frost. When assessing your space, add a few inches to the depth of the chest freezer to account for the space the lid needs to open all the way.

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Both types of freezers come in a range of prices, dimensions and energy efficiency levels, and they both include features like manual or automatic defrost, drain plugs, temperature controls and a flash-freeze function.

Myo Quinn is a former freelance writer and analyst for the Kitchen Appliances Lab that researched top picks and consulted with the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab Nicole Papantoniou to write this story.

Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. She updated this story based on extensive research and experience testing similar products. She has tested a wide variety of kitchen appliances and gear — from gas ranges to microwaves to kitchen scales to blenders and more.

Myo Quinn is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, food writer and on-air talent. When she's not cooking or planning her next meal, Myo chases her three boys around Central Park in New York City. She is on an endless hunt for the best vanilla ice cream – it should be speckled, aromatic, not too sweet and the perfect balance of creamy and icy. She is also dipping her toes into improv.

Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.

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