Whether you need extra freezer space for bulk groceries or meal prep, these standout models earn top marks for energy efficiency, thermostat performance, and more
Most freezers can operate in a room where the temperature can reach up to 110° F. But check product specifications if you plan to put the freezer in an uninsulated spot such as a garage.
By Daniel Wroclawski
The freezer compartment of a standard refrigerator can be woefully inadequate if you buy food in bulk to save money. That’s one good reason to consider a stand-alone freezer. After testing dozens of models—by filling them with boxes of frozen spinach for six weeks—we found 11 chest freezers and 10 upright freezers we recommend for the job.
These two freezer types, chest and upright, each have their own advantages.
Chest freezers have a bigger footprint than upright freezers, with more open space. But that space can make them harder to organize. Chest freezers tend to keep food frozen for longer during a power outage, too.
Upright freezers take up less floor space, and they’re easier to organize. But they have a harder time keeping their shelves as cold as the rest of the interior. Plus, in our labs, we’ve found a large temperature uptick only 9 hours after the power is shut off.
Our test results are folded into an Overall Score for each model and appear in our freezer ratings charts. For more information on the pros and cons of each type, their features, and other tips, check out our freezer buying guide.
Best Chest Freezers
If you’re planning to put your freezer in a basement or another out-of-the-way place, consider a chest freezer. They don’t have a self-defrosting feature, which means you’ll need to take the food out periodically to defrost it manually. Also, be aware that the deepest of these deep freezers can be difficult to organize.
Below are the top-rated chest freezers from our tests in four size categories: small, midsized, large, and extra-large.
Insignia NS-CZ70WH0
Size: Small, with 6.7 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $45
Best Buy’s compact Insignia NS-CZ70WH0 is the highest-rated small chest freezer in our tests. It receives excellent ratings for thermostat performance and temperature uniformity, as well as very good ratings for noise, handling power outages, and running in hot garage environments. It’s also very energy-efficient, though some larger chest freezers are even better at that. Its only weak spot is ease of use, where it receives a subpar rating because it lacks features like storage dividers and bins. That said, it does come with LED interior lights and a power-on light to know the freezer is running.
Insignia NS-CZ10WH6
Size: Midsized, with 10 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $40
Another top pick from Best Buy, the midsized Insignia NS-CZ10WH6 gets exemplary scores in most of our tests, including for thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, energy efficiency, and its ability to run in hot garage environments. Your food will be safe during a power outage; this model does very well in that test, too. On the downside, it lacks compartment dividers and interior lights, leading to a poor score for ease of use. But it does feature a power-on light and tiered bins for better organization.
GE FCM16DLWW
Size: Large, with 15.3 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $65
The GE FCM16DLWW measures a whopping 66 inches, a bit longer than a loveseat, so there’s plenty of room to stock up on lower-priced groceries when you find them. And you’ll love its performance. It aces our thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, energy efficiency, and power outage tests. It’s also very easy to use and performs well in hot garage environments. This freezer is a little noisy, but at this size, you probably won’t place it anywhere near your living space. Features include a power-on light, a temperature alarm, a door lock, LED interior lights, and tiered bins for organization.
GE FCM22DLWW
Size: Extra-large, with 21.3 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $47
There are extra-large chest freezers, and then there’s the GE FCM22DLWW, which measures 74 inches long and 33 inches wide (with a claimed capacity of 21.7 cubic feet). It tops our ratings for freezers of this size by a long shot. It receives excellent ratings in every test except noise, where it still receives a very good rating (meaning it runs quietly). Features include a power-on light, a temperature alarm, a door lock, LED interior lights, tiered storage bins, and compartment dividers.
Best Upright Freezers
If you’re looking for a freezer for your kitchen, consider an upright model. You can find them in various finishes to match your kitchen suite, and a number come with a handy self-defrost feature. Note that upright freezers tend to cost more to run than chest freezers.
Below are our top picks in small, midsized, and large sizes.
Vissani VSF11US2A16
Size: Small, with 9.6 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $91
The self-defrosting Vissani VSF11US2A16 (from one of Home Depot’s store brands) is the highest-rated small upright freezer in our ratings. It performs well in our tests, with excellent scores for thermostat performance and temperature uniformity, and very good scores for energy efficiency and its ability to keep food cold during power outages and in hot garage environments. It falls in the middle of the pack for noise compared with other CR-tested freezers and earns a subpar score for ease of use. And as freezers go, this Vissani is light on features, with LED interior lights as the one noteworthy offering.
Hisense CFU14N6AWE
Size: Midsized, with 10.7 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $100
The Hisense CFU14N6AWE receives excellent scores in our tests for temperature uniformity, thermostat performance, energy efficiency, and its ability to maintain cold temperatures in hot garage environments. It also receives very good scores for noise output and ease of use, as well as a midlevel score for its power outage performance. This Hisense includes a self-defrosting feature and a power-on light, a temperature alarm, a door lock, LED interior lights, and a quick-freeze mode.
Hisense CFU21N6AWE
Size: Large, with 17.6 cubic feet of usable storage space
Annual usage cost: $104
The Hisense CFU21N6AWE performs exceptionally well in our lab tests. It receives excellent scores for temperature uniformity, thermostat performance, and energy efficiency, and very good scores in all of our other lab tests. It features a power-on light, a temperature alarm, a door lock, LED interior lights, and a quick-freeze mode.
How CR Tests Freezers
We test freezers in both normal and adverse conditions. If you live in an area with frequent power outages, you’ll want a model that keeps your food frozen for as long as possible.
We start by evaluating how well each freezer maintains food at a constant temperature on a daily basis. To do this, we pack each one with boxes of frozen spinach and measure the internal temperature of the cavity in 15 different places over roughly six weeks to assess how well the unit keeps the packages frozen.
The results allow us to assess each model’s thermostat performance and temperature uniformity (the ability to maintain the same temperature throughout the freezer cavity). Our engineers also measure usable storage capacity, which doesn’t always match manufacturer claims.
To see how well a freezer fares under adverse conditions, we simulate a power outage by raising the temperature in the test chamber to 90° F and unplugging the loaded freezer for 9 hours. “We test them in a warm room because summer is often when the power goes out,” says Breann Chai, who oversees freezer testing. In the best freezers, the temperature rises by just a few degrees. But the worst models show a spike of 25° F or more, which means food can start to thaw.
We also evaluate their ability to maintain cold temperatures in a hot garage environment (up to 110° F), calculate their energy efficiency, and measure the noise output to see how quietly they run.
To help you find the best model for your needs, Consumer Reports’ freezer ratings make it easy for you to compare options by size and capacity (small, midsized, large, and extra-large), as well as by configuration (chest or upright). That way, you’re not comparing the performance of a chest freezer as big as a bathtub with one the size of a dishwasher.
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