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Upright or Chest freezer?

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  • ElkhornHusker
    ElkhornHusker Posts: 493
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    I am definitely going with an upright freezer.  Just ordered 1/4 of farm raised beef so I need more space.
    Elkhorn, NE
    1 large egg
    28" Blackstone
    Akorn Jr. 
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  • ElkhornHusker
    ElkhornHusker Posts: 493
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    Anyone looking for a freezer, well good luck.  Most are backordered until August. 
    Elkhorn, NE
    1 large egg
    28" Blackstone
    Akorn Jr. 
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  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,268
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    Depending on your budget, consider looking at a commercial freezer. See above. I just got one off Amazon.
    Mountain View, CA
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  • butt_juice
    butt_juice Posts: 129
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    I'll switch to upright when I get the chance. I'll probably keep my small chest freezer, primarily for game. I plan to use milk crates to keep things better organized. Right now everthing just kindof gets thrown into plastic grocery bags, which require untying and retying all the time and fall apart after a while, especially when vac bags get put in. (sharp and stiff corners). 
    South Central Kansas
    Instagram: @midwest_voyager
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  • Hntrss
    Hntrss Posts: 16
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    Upright
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  • speed51133
    speed51133 Posts: 691
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    What part of the country are you in? Keep in mind not all freezers are designed to be operated in a garage that sees hot temperatures. Some are...
    XL BGE and Kamado Joe Jr.
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    I’ve been thinking about getting an upright freezer to make a curing cabinet for charcuterie. I HAD to go to Home Depot today so while I was there I thought I might as well look at freezers. 
    Well heck....
    All the new hoarder/prepper shave bought up all the freezers. They said delivery of a freezer is probably August/September...

    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,353
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    speed51133 said:
    What part of the country are you in? Keep in mind not all freezers are designed to be operated in a garage that sees hot temperatures. Some are...

    Also keep in mind if you live up north a freezer in an unheated garage may not function properly in very cold weather.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • ElkhornHusker
    ElkhornHusker Posts: 493
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    SciAggie said:
    I’ve been thinking about getting an upright freezer to make a curing cabinet for charcuterie. I HAD to go to Home Depot today so while I was there I thought I might as well look at freezers. 
    Well heck....
    All the new hoarder/prepper shave bought up all the freezers. They said delivery of a freezer is probably August/September...

    I actually found a floor model at HD and had to do some talking so I could buy it.  Normally they don't sell their floor models.

    This market is out until maybe July
    Elkhorn, NE
    1 large egg
    28" Blackstone
    Akorn Jr. 
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  • Sweet100s
    Sweet100s Posts: 553
    edited April 2020
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    Found this in my fridge's freezer. Forgot I had put it there...

    freezermeter.com




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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,208
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    We used to have an upright, but now that we're empty nesters the freezer section of my beer fridge gives us plenty of supplemental space. When I was a pup on the farm, we had a big chest freezer and an upright. We needed the space as we raised most of our own food. Butcher a hog or a steer and you need freezer capacity. The chest was for meat and the upright for veggies. As I recall, the chest freezer was a "deep freeze" and capable of much colder temps than the upright. Not sure if that holds true any more
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • speed51133
    speed51133 Posts: 691
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    Cold air falls, hot air rises. when you open the door in an upright, the cold air "falls out". There is much less of this effect by opening a chest freezer, and it is easier to cool a horizontal freezer. A modern chest freezer is typically anywhere for 20-50 percent more efficient than a modern upright. If your current freezer is older, you can double or triple that compared to a new chest.
    XL BGE and Kamado Joe Jr.
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
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    speed51133 said:
    Cold air falls, hot air rises. when you open the door in an upright, the cold air "falls out". There is much less of this effect by opening a chest freezer, and it is easier to cool a horizontal freezer. A modern chest freezer is typically anywhere for 20-50 percent more efficient than a modern upright. If your current freezer is older, you can double or triple that compared to a new chest.

    Interesting. Even if the cold air "falls out", wouldn't it return to temp pretty quick assuming it was packed with frozen goods?
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • GabeD
    GabeD Posts: 21
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    The Technology Connections Youtube Channel just made a video about this very subject. A lot of what people have been saying here about the pros and cons of upright vs chest are discussed.


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  • speed51133
    speed51133 Posts: 691
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    good video, start at 8min if you don't have the time
    XL BGE and Kamado Joe Jr.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,898
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    Sweet100s said:
    Found this in my fridge's freezer. Forgot I had put it there...

    freezermeter.com




    I place a penny on top of a small 1 oz plastic cup of ice. If I ever find that penny has fallen into the cup - even if frozen again then I will know the freezer thawed. This cheap trick is a simple safety check for when you have gone on vacation. 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • speed51133
    speed51133 Posts: 691
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    That can work, but keep in mind ice in a freezer still evaporates. The ice level will go down. Put it in an air-tight container to prevent this....
    XL BGE and Kamado Joe Jr.
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
    edited April 2020
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    Even if the ice level goes down via evaporation the penny would still be sitting on top. I think Ron checks to see if the penny sinks down into the ice which would indicate freeze/thaw cycle(s). Either way, i like both of these easy solutions and will try it. 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,898
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    SonVolt said:
    Even if the ice level goes down via evaporation the penny would still be sitting on top. I think Ron checks to see if the penny sinks down into the ice which would indicate freeze/thaw cycle(s). Either way, i like both of these easy solutions and will try it. 
    Absolutely! BTW here's a picture from years ago of that cheap penny trick which showed me our old freezer had developed a cycling issue and had to be replaced.


    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,268
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    Hotch said:
    I had an issue with my garage fridge/freezer a while back.
    One thing I learned from that experience:
    Buy a Fridge/Freezer Monitor Alarm!!
    I chose

    https://www.thermoworks.com/RT8100MAT

    $30 for an audible alarm is better than $300 for replacement proteins!!


    Just got mine and set it up. Nice $30 insurance policy. Thanks @Hotch. 
    Mountain View, CA
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  • Sweet100s
    Sweet100s Posts: 553
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    @Hotch @dmourati et al,

    Have you scanned any fridge / freezer alarms that push phone alerts? 

    I wish ThermoWorks would partner with Samsung to develop a really good endpoint sensor like Samsung's SmartThings water leak sensor
    https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-home/smartthings/sensors/samsung-smartthings-water-leak-sensor-gp-u999sjvlcaa/

    Not having that seems lame in 2020.

    related - 
    I have several Dlink water leak sensors. However, I recently tried to buy another and discovered they were no longer available.
    Added to my task list:  Test if the phone alert feature still works using the sensors I've deployed.  i.e., Does sensor needs the cloud to detect the leak and also deliver a push alert to my phone? 

    I know it was working last year!  It detected water in my Navien instant hot water heater drainage pan.   (Problem that caused that alarm:  Condensation pipe leading outside froze and then needed blowing out.) 

    FYI - here are others: 
    https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-smart-leak-detector/
    but if / when I buy another, I'd closely look at Samsung's leak detector's reviews vs the ones Wirecutter recommends.  


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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Check craigslist.  Usually some used freezers on there.  I have 3 chest and 3 side by side and I'm running out of room.  Told SWMBO to stop buying frozen stuff.  

    Chest will survive power outages better but sucks to find anything.  
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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