The Best Small Freezer

Buying Guide

Whether you need some extra space for frozen food outside your main fridge or need a compact option for a dorm or RV, a small freezer can help meet your need. Rather than have separate places for refrigerated and frozen food like your home’s main fridge has, these compact models serve to keep your food frozen for later thawing or immediate use.

You can find small freezers in both chest and upright styles. A chest freezer has a lid that opens from the top, and you place your food down in it. This can work well for long-term storage but may be inconvenient if you want to quickly grab something. Upright freezers, on the other hand, open with a door on the front like a traditional home fridge, so you can pull something out quickly and easily see the contents.

Whether you decide on a chest or upright freezer, you’ll usually have shelves or baskets inside to help organize your food. For example, an upright freezer might have two shelves to put boxes of frozen food and one or more baskets on a bottom shelf to group smaller items. A chest freezer may have deep baskets that pull out so you can access food. You can often remove shelves or baskets as needed.

Along with considering the style of small freezer, you’ll need to decide on a capacity. Small freezers often have capacities ranging between 1.0 and 3.5 cubic feet, where a single cubic foot can mean up to 35 pounds of food. The smaller sizes can fit easily on a counter or in a tight space on an RV, while larger ones can go on the floor or under a cabinet.

Depending on your preferences, you may want to find a small upright freezer with a reversible door so you can open it from either side, or you may need a model with adjustable legs if you need to place the freezer on an uneven surface. You can also find models that operate quietly, don’t use too much energy and give you control over the temperature.

• If you feel that your small freezer just doesn’t have enough space for your food, consider some handy organization tips. Frozen food boxes can quickly fill up your space, so consider removing your items from the packaging if you can safely do so. You can use freezer bags to organize things like popsicles and appetizers and keep them from getting freezer burn. And if you store an ice tray in the small freezer, consider a standalone ice maker to save some space.
• Whether your freezer lets you adjust the temperature or not, you’ll want to be careful to maintain a safe temperature that won’t cause your food to spoil and possibly get you sick. While refrigerated foods can be safe at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, your freezer should stay at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a special thermometer to check this if you’re unsure, or your freezer may have a built-in temperature indicator.
• If you need versatility and may use your small freezer for different purposes and at different locations, look for models with features like reversible doors and removable shelves.
• When choosing the right size for your small freezer, you can keep a few guidelines in mind. Consider that you could fit up to 35 pounds worth of food in each cubic foot, but know that large boxes can mean you can’t fit as many items inside. At the same time, you’ll need to think about the space where you want to put the freezer and measure carefully. Account for some extra space on all sides of the freezer too since you won’t want ventilation issues.
• To save money on your electricity bill, you can find plenty of small freezers that have the Energy Star rating. Also, pay attention to how efficiently the manufacturer says the machine works.
• Clean your small fridge regularly to get rid of bad food and scrub away any leaks or messes. As a rule of thumb, try to check weekly for expired food and give your small freezer a deep clean every few months.