Freezer Buying Tips

• There are two basic freezer styles: upright (front loading) and chest (top loading). Chest freezers are 10-25 percent more efficient than uprights because they are better insulated and air doesn't spill out when the door is opened. However, you should also consider convenience when selecting a freezer; chest models can be more difficult to organize.
• Manual defrost freezers are more common than automatic defrost models. Manual defrost models consume 35-40 percent less energy than comparable automatic defrost models. Because a freezer is opened less frequently than a refrigerator, frost will not build up as quickly as it might in manual defrost refrigerators. Automatic defrost freezers may dehydrate frozen food, causing freezer burn.

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