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| TopTenReview |
The Ant Story - Why You Need an Upright Freezer
An Aesop’s fable tells
the story of an idle grasshopper and a hardworking, ever-prepared ant. During
the warm months, the grasshopper wastes its time doing frivolous things while
the ant hastily prepares for the cold months. When the cold winds hit, the ant
is prepared and lives comfortably while the grasshopper perishes from
starvation. The moral of this story is, “Prepare for want before it comes.”
Today, we have the technology to never be wanting. Upright freezers have taken
the food storage world by storm claiming to be the answer to storing perishable
items. While this is very true, there are also some things to consider.
Upright Freezers: What to Look For
Functionality
The most important factor in an upright freezer’s list of specifications is its capacity. To get the best bang for your buck, we found the ideal capacity is 20.1 to 20.6 cubic feet, which will hold approximately 711 pounds of food. While initially you may not think you need this much space, as time goes on you may change your mind and welcome the extra space; an extra bag of frozen peas here, just one more carton of ice cream there, can add up quickly. Luckily, those “extra” items are easily organized with interior shelves, baskets and bins. The best organization method we found was in the Kenmore Elite 28093 which also included an interior light, special shelf for storing pizza, bookend organizers and tilt-out door baskets.
The most important factor in an upright freezer’s list of specifications is its capacity. To get the best bang for your buck, we found the ideal capacity is 20.1 to 20.6 cubic feet, which will hold approximately 711 pounds of food. While initially you may not think you need this much space, as time goes on you may change your mind and welcome the extra space; an extra bag of frozen peas here, just one more carton of ice cream there, can add up quickly. Luckily, those “extra” items are easily organized with interior shelves, baskets and bins. The best organization method we found was in the Kenmore Elite 28093 which also included an interior light, special shelf for storing pizza, bookend organizers and tilt-out door baskets.
You’ll also
want to look for a freezer with a high-tech temperature monitor. The best
temperature monitors alert you with an audible sound when the door is left
ajar, when the power goes out and when the temperature rises above a certain
degree. To protect your frozen food investment even further, look for a
built-in lock and an Energy Star qualification.
Features
What more can an upright freezer do besides freeze your food, you ask? A lot. The best upright freezers are equipped with external temperature controls and a power on light; a Fast Freeze setting that quickly freezes food to seal in freshness; and a Soft Freeze Zone that keeps certain foods, like ice cream, at a warmer temperature. The best freezers also have a Frost Free setting that makes it so you never have to defrost a freezer again. The Frost Free setting defrosts your freezer on a daily basis, preventing icy buildup. Additional features like including storage gates, being icemaker ready and having a defrost indicator are just icing on the cake.
What more can an upright freezer do besides freeze your food, you ask? A lot. The best upright freezers are equipped with external temperature controls and a power on light; a Fast Freeze setting that quickly freezes food to seal in freshness; and a Soft Freeze Zone that keeps certain foods, like ice cream, at a warmer temperature. The best freezers also have a Frost Free setting that makes it so you never have to defrost a freezer again. The Frost Free setting defrosts your freezer on a daily basis, preventing icy buildup. Additional features like including storage gates, being icemaker ready and having a defrost indicator are just icing on the cake.
Appearance
While we didn't weigh the appearance category very heavily, it is still an important attribute. When purchasing an upright freezer, you are looking for an appliance that will last you 10, 15 or 20 years. If you don’t like the way it looks today, we’re willing to bet you definitely won’t like it in 20 years. We recommend looking for a freezer with a stainless steel finish or at least a rust-free finished and contoured door. For convenience purposes, it’s also nice if the door has reversible hinges to allow you to decide which way the door will swing open.
While we didn't weigh the appearance category very heavily, it is still an important attribute. When purchasing an upright freezer, you are looking for an appliance that will last you 10, 15 or 20 years. If you don’t like the way it looks today, we’re willing to bet you definitely won’t like it in 20 years. We recommend looking for a freezer with a stainless steel finish or at least a rust-free finished and contoured door. For convenience purposes, it’s also nice if the door has reversible hinges to allow you to decide which way the door will swing open.
Be the ant in "The Ant and the Grasshopper" story, preparing for a
time when perhaps you will need a little cushion of food for your family.
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