When you have made up your mind to invest in freezers then the next step is to choose between the chest freezer and an upright freezer. But a chest freezer seems to be an excellent option for storing large volumes of food items at a sub-optimal temperature.
The chest freezers are large and wide open and they also have hanging baskets or dividers to offer a lot of usable space than the upright freezers. They are also highly efficient and are great for small kitchens and student dorm rooms. They are also quieter than most upright freezers. So, let us discuss the best small chest freezers in detail here.
How Should You Choose Your Chest Freezer (Some Tips to Consider)
Chest freezers are capable of holding more food per square foot and these freezers also have door mounts along the back edge of the chest with a vertical swing for rendering a tighter seal. The cold air stays deep inside a chest freezer and cools food appropriately. But before choosing to buy a chest freezer ask yourself the following questions:
- How much free space do you have at home?
- What are your food shopping habits?
- Where are you planning to keep the freezer? Kitchen, dorm room, bedroom, or garage?
- What are your food preparation habits? Do you prepare food and stock them for future months?
The following are the most important features to look for your in your purchase:
- Frost-free options: Choose chest freezers with automatic defrosting options and drain options so that the interiors of the freezer are kept clean and dry all through the day.
- Alarms: Make sure the chest freezer has temperature alarms to monitor the freezer temperatures round the clock and gives an alarm when the inside temperature rises above optimal freezer conditions.
- Lock: Most freezers come with cylindrical locks and keys and this can be of great help in protecting small children from gaining unauthorized access to the freezer
- Lights: Choose units with interior lights, so that it is easy to see the food inside and pick them up instantly
- Power on lights: These lights are generally found on the exteriors of the freezer, next to the thermostat. These power lights allow the users to know if the freezer is functioning appropriately, without having to open the door every time, increasing its energy efficiency.
- Wire racks: Freezers with hanging racks help to organize the ice creams and other important items within close reach.
Also Check: Best Small Upright Freezers
Best Small Chest Freezers 2022
People love to buy small chest freezers for home as it helps them to stock frozen food items easily and within reach. But while choosing a freezer it is important to access its temperature uniformity and thermostat controls and the ability of the freezer to maintain a uniform temperature at all times. Here are the top five best small chest freezers from the leading brands:
#1. Northair BD-100B-E-white Chest Freezer – Best Overall
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 9.6 |
| Controls and Functionality | 9.1 |
| Build quality | 9.2 |
| Energy efficiency | 9.2 |
| Value for money | 9.4 |
| Customer support | 9.1 |
This is an excellent chest freezer with an internal capacity of 3.5 cu. feet. It features two removable baskets and a quiet compact freezer with seven different temperature settings. Unlike the other freezers, it works with a modern design and a whisper-quiet compressor. Thus, with this chest freezer at home, you can feel relaxed in your home with a very low level of noise distractions. It features an optimal storage capacity to hold a sizeable amount of food and this freezer is also pretty easy and light to move
Two baskets in this freezer come as a bonus and we can regulate the temperature in this freezer easily with the help of an adjusting thermostat that is located on the exterior of the freezer. There are seven different temperature settings to choose from with temperatures that range from -4 to 6.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, this chest freezer consumes very little energy that mounts up to 0.45 kWh for 24 hours and these are extremely environment friendly and helps in saving on the utility bills as well.
The lid of this chest freezer is of special mention, as it helps in hands-free usage. The lid will remain open until we are done loading or unloading the chest freezer. The door holds itself at 45° to 90° angles, helping with a hands-free action. Also, the door mechanism has been designed to be very quiet, both opening and closing.
What do we like about the Northair BD-100B-E-white chest freezer?
- The chest freezer comprises a reach-in freezer style with two removable baskets
- Its quality airlock system locks the temperature inside the freezer with zero escape mechanism
- An easy defrosting system with seven settings for temperature control.
What do we don’t like about the Northair BD-100B-E-white chest freezer?
- No wheels underneath for portability
- Highly sensitive to external temperature differences
Also Check: Best Upright Freezers for the Home
#2. Midea MRC04M3AWW Single Door Chest Freezer – Best Budget Choice
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 9.2 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8.9 |
| Build quality | 8.8 |
| Energy efficiency | 8.9 |
| Value for money | 9.7 |
| Customer support | 9.1 |
This expert chest freezer from the Midea brand has a capacity of 3.5 Cu. ft. and comes in an awesome white color. It features mechanical controls for adjusting the thermostat, which helps users to fix the temperature in the freezer between -12 to -28 degrees. This little chest freezer can be of great use in storing frozen food, ice cubes, ice creams, etc. It comprises one hanging wire storage basket to keep the items organized.
Its counterbalanced hinge style door remains open at an angle of 45 to 75 degrees, when you are busy with the freezer, helping in a hands-free operation. This unit holds a special cooling system with cooling pipes and layers for optimal cooling efficiency. The chest freezer holds a recessed handle that makes it easy to open and close the door efficiently. The chest freezer comes with a defrost drain, to make sure that the interiors of the unit are kept clean at all times.
This 3.5 cubic feet chest freezer can be a great accompaniment for the bedroom, living room, garage, and even kitchen. And it can be of great use in the home, dorm room, offices, etc. As it comes with only one wire basket, we can arrange the most important items that are to be taken out often on them while using the base for items requiring long-term storage.
What do we like about the Midea MRC04M3AWW chest freezer?
- The built-in door hinge helps to handle food in two hands
- Helps in an efficient and strong cooling system.
- The freezer runs extremely cold and quiet.
What do we don’t like about the Midea MRC04M3AWW chest freezer?
- Comes with only one wire basket
- The cooling function can be affected by the ambient temperature of the environment.
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#3. ADT Compact Top Door Chest Freezer – Editor’s Choice
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 9.1 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8.8 |
| Build quality | 8.6 |
| Energy efficiency | 8.9 |
| Value for money | 9.1 |
| Customer support | 9.2 |
This chest freezer operates extremely quietly unless other chest freezers and combines modern technology with a whisper-quiet compressor. With no low-level hums, it is possible to stay calm and relaxed at home with minimal noise distractions. The optimal storage space in this freezer is about 3.5 cubic feet and this unit is also compact enough for small homes. It is light, easy to move, and good enough to stock a decent quantity of food.
There are two baskets in this freezer to help stock the frequently used items on top and the bottom rack is also quite spacious. It is possible to adjust the temperature efficiently with the help of the thermostat located on the exterior of this freezer. We can choose a number between 1 -7 on the dial and set the temperature between -4 to 6.8 degrees Fahrenheit. This efficient chest freezer also consumes only 0.45 kWh for 24 hours and is also environmentally friendly, helping to save on the utility bill.
The steady lid of the freezer helps in hands-free operation, as it suspends at 45 to 90-degree angles. The door also opens and closes seamlessly for a hassle-free operation. Its interior space is very spacious that you can stock about six frozen turkeys inside. The recessed door handle helps in easy lid operation as its arc design is based on pure ergonomics. There is also a drain to collect the defrost water to help keep the freezer insides clean and dry.
What do we like about the ADT Compact chest freezer?
- Cools with a powerful R600a refrigerant
- The temperature ranges at which it cools food is great for long term storage
- Temperature control is possible with a mechanical thermostat system
What do we don’t like about the ADT Compact chest freezer?
- There is no interior light
- It is not garage-ready.
Check out: Best Chest Freezers for Garage
#4. Koolatron KTCF99 Compact Chest Freezer – Great for Home Use
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 9.1 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8.9 |
| Build quality | 8.5 |
| Energy efficiency | 8.9 |
| Value for money | 9.1 |
| Customer support | 9.2 |
This chest freezer with the adjustable thermostat is compact, and spacious with ample room to store enough frozen food. This freezer features a flip-up lid with enough room to store all of the frozen food and meat efficiently. This chest freezer can fit against the wall snugly to store a lot of space in the home and apartment. Its removable wire basket helps to keep the small and commonly used items very close and highly organized.
As this chest freezer is energy-star rated, it helps with an energy-efficient cooling system. It features a reliable and efficient compressor technology with an environmentally friendly and CFC-free refrigerant, that is capable of attaining a temperature between o and -24 degrees Celsius. Its external thermostat controls help to customize the temperature easily without having to open the door every time. There is also a defrost drain that helps to drain the excess water to keep the interiors of the chest freezer clean and dry at all times.
This chest freezer also features an adjusting leg to be placed on any surface, an external temperature control system, and a removable wire basket. With its 3.5 cu. ft capacity it holds a lot of room to store all of the frozen foodstuffs. Its top hinge style door design equips to pick the favorite food and beverages, without having to hold the lid.
What do we like about the Koolatron KTCF99 chest freezer?
- Makes use of a CFC free coolant
- The external thermostat helps to control the temperature easily
- Large storage capacity to stock all frozen food items
- Removable wire basket
- Defrost drain to drain excess water.
What do we don’t like about the Koolatron KTCF99 chest freezer?
- Prone to damage while shipping and transit
Check out: Best Mini Upright Freezers
#5. Moosoo MD35-B Compact Chest Freezer – Good Alternative
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 9.3 |
| Controls and Functionality | 9.1 |
| Build quality | 8.8 |
| Energy efficiency | 8.7 |
| Value for money | 9.1 |
| Customer support | 9.1 |
This is an excellent chest deep freezer from the Moosoo brand that comes with a removable basket, a five-gear temperature control system, and a whisper-quiet cooling technology. It has one removable storage basket which can accommodate small items at the top allowing big packs or items at the bottom saving more space. It is indeed a compact freezer with an optimal storage space of 3.5 cubic feet of capacity. This freezer is equipped with a movable handing basket to store ice creams and other frequently used frozen items in an organized manner.
It is designed with huge space for accommodating your frozen items like ice cream, fruits, meats, chocolates, and other such items. A whisper-quiet consumption compressor helps it cool much quicker than other products. Its five-level adjusting thermostat helps to store food items at a temperature between 10.4 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit. With the help of its R600a compressor, it is possible to circulate air and temperature evenly. And thus this chest freezer is great for storing cold drinks, ice cream, meat, and other frozen products easily.
This chest freezer is highly energy-saving and operates at very low noise. Its whisper-quiet consumption compressor helps this chest freezer to cool quickly without making much noise. Its top hinge style door design equips it to remain open from 45 to 90-degree angles to pick the favorite food and beverages, without having to hold the lid.
What do we like about the Moosoo MD35-B chest freezer?
- MOOSOO deep freezer has an adjustable thermostat which helps us to decide the temperature based on convenience.
- It is designed with five levels of adjustments to control temperatures
- It cools up within 2 hours of plugging it onto the power.
- Features an inbuilt high-quality R600a compressor that enables fast cooling to make it more effective.
What do we don’t like about the Moosoo MD35-B chest freezer?
- The unit has to be left idle for 5 hours before plugging in.
- Has a single small wire shelf.
Also Check: Best Refrigerators for Basement
Final Words
Choose chest freezers with advanced insulation options, so that the freezers are capable of consuming less energy. Also, check the energy star rating and certification of the freezer so that they can help you with lower utility bills along with offering access to fresh frozen food items. We hope our product recommendation and our buying guide help you in choosing the best small chest freezers for your use.
