Best chest freezers 2024 – recommended by appliance experts

Whether you're hosting around festivities or living in a large household, the freezer always fills up. That's when a good chest freezer comes in handy. You can prep ahead, store any overflow, and not need to worry about catering.

With this in mind, I've researched the best chest freezers on the market. I've written our guide for the best refrigerators, so wanted to find the perfect companion for when your home is that little bit busier. 

After reading through thousands of reviews, I've narrowed down the best options for every household. Whether you need a compact and portable option or one with deep, unfillable capacity, there will be one for you. From household names such as GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire, to chest freezer specialists, these are the best on the market. Some even double-up as refrigerators.

The quick list

Here's a short introduction to out top picks. If you want to find out more, we dive deep into the details further down our guide.

The best chest freezers 2024

The best chest freezers in 2024

The best chest freezer overall

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If you've owned a GE appliance before, it won't come as a surprise to you that their garage-ready, 10.7 cu ft, manual defrost chest freezer is the best on the market. The general consensus (between customers and experts alike) is that this is the most family-friendly option on the market.

A 10.7 cubic feet capacity might not sound like much, but in a chest freezer, that's considerable. It has plenty of room for a family. Online reviewers described it as 'spacious', but not so deep that you can't reach the bottom. It's often reviewed by large families and praised for its capacity. If that sounds like too much for you, GE makes an identical model, just 2 cu ft smaller, perfect for smaller families.

It also features adjustable temperature controls, which can be accurately adjusted to suit how filled and how frozen you want your contents to be. If you have a power cut and this gets disconnected, the GE will keep your contents frozen for two days and flash a warning light to let you know something is wrong. If this wasn't hardy enough, the GE can work in a range of ambient temperatures, from below freezing to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If you've got room in a garage, basement, or shed, this is perfect for putting in there.

When it comes to cleaning, this is good and bad. It's great, because there are two, interior bins, which lift out for a thorough, easy clean. However, it's a manual defrost freezer, so will need you to unplug it and defrost it to avoid any build-up of frost and ice. I wouldn't try to clean it with the bins inside either, because the lid can't prop up. It will most likely fall down onto you, which is very frustrating.

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The best value chest freezer

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Chest freezers can get expensive and, whilst I don't recommend cutting costs too much, there are places you can save money. Midea's 7.0 cu ft model is the perfect balance of cost and quality.

In reviews, the Midea is almost always praised as a durable chest freezer. It's not the biggest on the market, so the people who own one tend to describe their spaces as 'small' or 'urban'. In line with this, it's also lightweight and easy to move around the home, another perk of being a little smaller than others. 

Even though this is inexpensive, lots of customer reviews say that this has exceeded their expectations and stood the test of time. They've had theirs for years and are still enjoying it at full capacity. It's quiet, it's energy efficient, and offers an adjustable thermostat which ranges from -12 degrees to -28 degrees Fahrenheit.

Accessing the Midea is also easy. The door stays open at whichever angle you choose, so you're free to dive deep into the freezer without the lid closing in on you. Midea includes a basket for smaller foods that you might want to keep high up. Most people thought this was really useful, but some felt that it got in the way of their storage capacity. If you want capacity, this might be a bit small. I'd recommend it for homes of one person or a couple, no more.

I actually struggled to find criticism with this. The biggest issue people had was storage solutions inside: some wanted more compartments and baskets, others wanted less. It's a very personal decision, so I think Midea is probably doing a good job as they are.

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The best large chest freezer

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There's nearly 25 cubic feet of capacity inside this absolute cavern of a chest freezer, so I don't want to hear any excuses about capacity. This is close to commercial. It's great for big families or, if you hunt, game.  

With great capacity comes great opportunities to make mistakes. Luckily, Frigidaire has dodged them all. The first is storage. A huge, deep chest freezer could be hard to reach right to the bottom of. However, Frigidaire includes some useful, slide-able baskets at the top. If you have small items that you don't want to lose, they'll sit in here. For your bigger bags of ice and stackable goods, there's plenty of room lower down.

The digital temperature control is easy to use, effective, and reliable. When the temperature changes and the Frigidaire isn't sure why, it has an alarm which will let you know that something needs checking. 

Lots of customer reviews complement the temperature consistency, which holds even in ambient, fluctuating environments such as garages and sheds. Even better, it has a freeze boosting option if you need the cold to get to work, ultra fast. 

Overall, reviewers felt this was good quality, good value, and exceptionally spacious. Criticisms were few and far between. However, a few reviewers note that these arrive with scrapes and dents, so make sure you buy from a reputable stockist with guaranteed returns. Some people would have liked to see a few more baskets up top. Two seemed to be fine for most people, but you can purchase spares on Amazon relatively inexpensively.

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The best chest freezer for garages

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With the extreme weather we've been experiencing over the last few years, a garage-appropriate freezer needs to be pretty tough. Out of all those on the market, Frigidaire's 14.8 cu ft model is the best, according to both expert reviewers and everyday customers. This can keep a well-regulated temperature in unstable, hot and cold conditions, so you can leave it in the garage and you won't need to worry about it.

Everyone praises this, especially those who have big homes. It's great for large families, offering slide-able baskets and plenty of depth for big bags of frozen food. There are useful LED lights which help you to see food inside, so you can make sure you're reaching for the right bag. 

Customers also say that this is quiet and, once you've attached the caster wheels, easy to move around. When you want to close the lid, there's a lock, with a key that will pop out for safety. Lots of people liked this feature, but I found a number of people who would have liked a little more reassurance that this is properly sealed. Some freezers make a hissing noise when they shut, reassuring you that it is well and truly closed. The Frigidaire doesn't and also lacks a 'high temperature' alarm, leaving a few users on edge. 

The other drawback is that this is a relatively expensive chest freezer and yet it needs manual defrosting. Lots of customers felt that the frost builds up quicker on here than on any other chest freezer, so this is a little higher maintenance than others on the market.

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The best chest freezer for versatility

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If you can't make up up your mind between a freezer and a fridge, you need something that can perform both functions. Enter the Whirlpool: it has settings that can turn it from freezer to refrigerator and then back to freezer again. It's incredibly versatile. 

Aside from the obvious dual-function, Whirlpool has integrated lots of other well-considered features. The stay-open lid will stay in a fixed position, giving you room to root around in the freezer without needing to worry about the lid closing in on you. It's also suitable for ambient rooms, such as garages and sheds, as well as Energy Star certified. 

Customers praised the convenient baskets and storage options, finding it easy to maximise on all 9 cubic feet of space. They also liked the bright lighting inside, which made it easy to see what was inside. On the outside, the indicator lights made it easy to keep an eye on temperature and functions too. 

Criticisms fell into two categories: the first was that this makes enough noise to be 'just about heard outside of the pantry'. Other people said that they wished this had an audible alert as well as a visual alert for any temperature issues, as it's easy to miss the light.

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The best chest freezer for energy efficiency

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The Danby is only available in a black colorway. I like the sleek design and wish more chest freezers came in this colorway, but that's the first thing you should know about this chest freezer. You'll either love how it looks, or you'll hate it.

Looking past the aesthetics, this has some great eco-credentials. Danby were using an eco-friendly refrigerant (R600a, which doesn't deplete the ozone layer like other chemicals formerly used) before it became a requirement.  It has also been designed according to the US Environmental Protection Agency Standards and comes with good energy efficiency ratings. If you care about the environment (and your utilities) that will be music to your ears.

This has a reasonable 7.2 cubic feet capacity. It comes with one basket for storing smaller items in too, so it's easy to organise your storage well. In reviews, people commented on the spacious interior as well as the quality of this refrigerator. Generally, customers say this feels premium and runs very quietly.

There are some criticisms of the Danby. It has a certain 'manufacturing odor' which you'll notice as soon as it arrives. Customers all said that one clean with water and vinegar can get rid of this, but it's worth noting. Also, if you receive an old instruction manual, you'll be told that this can't be kept in the garage. If you consult Danby directly or look at their website, you'll see that it can. However, going against the instruction manual can feel a little risky. 

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The best budget chest freezer

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Whilst I never recommend skimping on chest freezers, there are some good, budget options on the market. The Midea Mini is the best of those. It comes with a small footprint and even smaller price tag. Thankfully, you won't need to make many compromises either: this is like a mini version of some of the best on this list.

The Midea is designed with lots of user-friendly features. It has a stay-open lid, so it's easy to reach deep inside the freezer. On top, there are some adjustable baskets for smaller freezer goods, but there's also a considerable 3.5 cubic feet of space for storing bigger bags of frozen food.

When working, this is really quiet. Reviewers say that it runs at 42 dBA, which will make it one of the quietest appliances in your kitchen. That makes it perfect for small apartments and studios, because once it's tucked away, you wouldn't know it's there. 

For all of the good features, this is also a little limited. It has to thaw fully before you can transport it and you'll need to keep it upright. It's pretty fragile too, so if you're moving it around, you're likely to damage the compressor. If it's out of the two year warranty, you'll have to start from the very beginning.

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The best portable chest freezer

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When you devote space to a chest freezer, you want to make sure that it's space well spent. The Whynter is a hard working chest freezer: it doubles up as fridge, is easily portable, and comes with plenty of well-considered features. It might not be the most beautiful model on the market, but it does a good job of delivering on its promises.

A 1.41 cubic foot capacity isn't much in comparison to most chest freezers, but if you live in a small space and want to move this around often, you probably don't want your chest freezer to get much bigger than this.

The Whynter is powered by either a 12 volt battery, or your outlets at home if you have it inside. This means that it can make a little more noise than some other models on the market, but nothing that would stop reviewers from recommending it.

Customers praised how easy this is to move around, but their second favorite feature is the 'fast freeze' setting, which works effectively, even when the Whynter is at capacity. People were amazed at how well this kept food cold: one reviewer said that their beer was in the freezer, disconnected from the house for four days and it was still ice cold.

The people who didn't like the Whynter as much said that the latches can be a little stiff. It's great for keeping the lid on, but when it comes to accessing food inside, you'll need to employ some arm muscle.

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The best chest freezer for versatility

There's a lot to love about this inexpensive chest freezer. It's compact, space-efficient, and excellent value. If you live in a small home, but want a little extra storage space for your food, this is perfect. Most customers say that they keep theirs in the closet or basement: it's so subtle you could forget about it, but too useful not to.

Aside from its tiny footprint, this is energy efficient and well-designed inside. There are sliding baskets for storing small, harder to access foodstuffs. Some reviewers said that they wished there were more, but when you only have 5 cubic feet of storage, baskets can end up being an inconvenience rather than a useful feature. The baskets can slide across easily when you only have a few.

At just under $200, you might not expect to have accurate adjustable temperatures, but customer reviews all praise the accuracy and efficiency of the Magic Chef. The limitations (largely determined by price) are manageable, but key. 

The first is that this is a manual defrost freezer. When it builds up frost, you'll need to empty and sort the freezer by hand. It's time consuming, but quite common. The second is that this can't go in the garage. The Magic Chef can't handle climates which are too hot or cool, so will need to be inside the house. The last issue, which isn't Magic Chef's fault directly, is that this gets damaged in transit. Lots of reviewers mentioned finding dents on their freezers, which is frustrating if you want to get started using it.

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How to choose the best chest freezer for you

Choosing the right chest freezer for you is actually really straightforward. If you know which space you'll put it in, you're already most of the way there. I wouldn't recommend going for the cheapest or first option you see though: this is an important investment.

Capacity
This depends on two factors: the needs of your home and the space that you have. Small chest freezers start around 3.5 cubic feet, but they can get even smaller. A large chest freezer would be over 20 cubic feet. Most experts aim for about 2.5 cubic feet per person.

Size and place
Capacity will affect size. Big chest freezers are harder to store: they'll be wider, deeper, and longer. Think about the space that you're willing to dedicate to your freezer. If you're going to put it in the garage or shed, make sure that it can handle ambient temperatures, because not all of them can.

Features
Most chest freezers will come with storage baskets, but their lids might not stay in place when you're looking inside, there might not be an LED light, safety lock, or a temperature control panel. Think about which you want and which features you're willing to pay a premium for.

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How we reviewed the best chest freezers

At Homes & Gardens it's really important to us that we give you good buying advice. We couldn't test these chest freezers in person, but our experts spent hours researching the best on the market. 

We've read through all the professional and customer reviews, so that we have a holistic, accurate idea of what each chest freezer is like to use. We know everything there is to know about every fault and feature and will tell you about them too. That way, if and when you order one, you know exactly what you're getting. If you'd like to know more about the process, we have a dedicated page to how we test and review appliances.

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