Let me begin this post by thanking you for your stand-alone freezer recommendations. From you I learned that an upright, frost-free freezer is the way to go. And that there is no such thing as a “too-big” freezer. Would you like to see what was delivered to me just this morning?
You’re looking at General Electric’s 21.3 cubic feet frost-free upright. It was the largest freezer our budget would permit. We purchased the freezer in mid-July from an appliance store in Albany, NY. Since no freezers were in stock anywhere at that time, we waited 6 weeks for delivery.
Of course, before the freezer was delivered, we had to decide where, exactly, to put the thing. In our Victorian basement? No — it’s too creepy down there. The garage? We don’t have a garage. The pantry? Bingo! I carefully measured the room to make sure that the 19th-century cabinetry doors there would open fully once the freezer was in place. Still, one element was missing from the room: an electrical outlet! Our electrician installed this critical component on Friday — one day before the freezer arrived.
Again, thank you for steering me in the right freezer-buying direction. I look forward to stocking the appliance. Also, I can’t wait to develop lots of “Freezer Dinner” recipes, which, of course, I will happily share with you! xKevin
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Mary V says
YOu will love having full size freezer. Making two lasagnas or stuffed peppers one for dinner and one for the freezer. Breads and desserts, my freezer is full of Girls Scout Cookies too! Have fun, and remember a full freezer is more energy efficient.
BETTI FLETCHER says
Kool, you will love having your new freezer and the pantry sounds perfectly convenient.
But a creepy Victorian basement? Sounds like the perfect Halloween party!
Heather says
A full size upright freezer is so convenient. I don’t miss the old days of leaning into a deep freeze and having to move things to find what I was looking for. 🙂
Virginia Green says
Yes, a freezer or a refrigerator are more energy efficient in full.
Initially if you don’t have enough to fill it up, put in jugs of water; that’s good for a refrigerator,also.
It helps keep the contents frozen or cool longer in the event the power goes out.
Thanks for all your postings.
Susan Searle says
Jealous! What a lovely cavernous freezer – brilliant for this time of year.
Label, label, label! How many times have I been sure I wouldn’t forget what a package was… Someone online (Martha Stewart?) once tipped using Washi tape. I keep Sharpies and a lovely bright green roll right next to my freezer bags. It really helps.
Carolyn D Contois says
sometimes, I learn more from your comments!… you have a great following!
Molly says
Mazel tov! Lucky freezer to be filled with such delicious food!
Sheila says
That looks great. I want one like that but half the size. You’ll have fun filling that up. Looking forward to all the recipes.
Kristin says
We got our full size upright freezer when I got tired of sending the kids down to the basement to find something in the chest freezer, only to have them claim they couldn’t find it. It’s soooo nice to have (roughly) designated spots for like items. And I freeze broth and keep flours, nuts, and butter in there. It’s wonderful! Enjoy!
Sunni says
Good news! Can’t wait to find out what goes into the new freezer. (And how it fits) Will you need to purchase more freezer containers? I like the bins and organizational shelves on the door. I learned something too about freezing water for efficiency and food safety during power outages.
Petera says
We’ve had our upright GE Freezr since 1988 (Hope I’m not jinxing myself because the freezer is full). Unfortunately it is not frost free but that is OK.
Heather says
Congrats! I couldn’t do without mine. So much better than doing a header into my previous chest freezer to find things in the bottom. Things actually get used up. One thing I do with mine that may be helpful is to freeze soups pasta sauces, and bulk purchases like chicken breast, fish, ground beef etc flat in medium or large freezer bags that can be stacked securely and use dollar store bins to store the smaller ones upright like file folders. Takes up way less space and lessens the possibility you will get a block of frozen meat on your toes which sued to always happen to me. 🙂
Chris Stay says
That’s the exact model we got after much deliberation last winter (pre-pandemic). Our previous freezer was at least 50 years old and not frost-free (hand-me-down from my parents). So far this one has been great. It resides in the garage.
Candace says
I LOVE my upright freezer! I’m so glad that you went with a larger one. You will not regret it. I use plastic bins to keep my meats separate and only need to label the bins. I have an organization issue, lol. Slide a bin a tad bit forward and pull out a freezer bag with two breasts. Pull another big forward and grab a freezer bag with a pound of ground beef, flattened for room saving. I even froze eggs in muffin pans and bagged them, at the height of the pandemic, when fresh eggs were hard to find. I would not have to grocery shop for several months, if things go crazy, again. No doubt that you will enjoy it!
Kay says
We have both an upright and a chest freezer. We butcher our own beef so that goes in the chest, along with the organic chickens I get and flat-frozen bags of homemade stock. The chest holds everything else. You might want to get an alarm for it so if the door stays ajar, you don’t lose all the contents by thawing.
I am looking forward to the freezer meals.
PS I loved your veg garden tours this spring. I can’t wait to put up the cattle panel arches for squash and cucumbers next year.
Ardelle Tuxen says
Congrats – I could not live without my freezers! Just as easy to make two batches of just about anything – or pre-cook ground beef etc – just such a time saver any way you look at it. I love pulling out some special cookies, bars, for someone that drops in for afternoon tea – which we now have in our backyard with social distancing – and because of the covid19 – I don’t have to go shopping often at all – it’s been that way most of my life because I lived on a diversified farm for most of my life and grocery store was 50 miles away. We farmers really were self-sufficient and creative. Right now I am freezing tomatoes, peppers of every description, green beans and Swiss chard. It’s a wonderful rewarding time of the year.
Louise says
Great choice and location. Mine is a door a step up from the half bath! It was originally a servants staircase. I couldn’t live well without it.
Enjoy.
Georgeann Brown says
You will be happy when in the middle of winter, you find all sorts of options. Just remember, if you lose power, DON”T OPEN IT unless you are starving.
Linda says
You will love the convenience and how much you can save growing and storing your own food. I even buy things on sale (butter for one) and freeze it. Good luck and have fun filling it.
mlaiuppa says
Lucky you. Today I am defrosting my chest freezer. It was all I could afford when I bought it probably 15 years ago or more. I told my Mom last night that when it finally goes I am replacing it with an upright frost free freezer. Mine will be in the garage but the weather is pretty mild here so no probably going out to get whatever I need. Now, off to do the defrosting.
Jane. says
You will love it!! I could use a second as mine is filled to brim with frozen blueberries/strawberries/blackberries, rhubarb, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, zoodles, cucumber and melon chunks, pesto, ratatouille, tomato sauce, roasted summer vegetables and a bit of meat, poultry, fish, whole wheat flour and my guilty kitchen item……frozen pizza for when I just can’t cook another meal!
Upright style allows me to keep it all organized and accessible!
Pat C says
Enjoy your new freezer. I love the compartments and the drawers for small items which can get lost in the big freezer. I can’t wait for you to develop new “freezer recipes” and share them with us.
Judy says
Congratulations on your freezer. I put everything in mine. If I can suggest a vacuum sealer. I love mine I like it better than freezer containers. I do my garden surplus along with breads, soups, and all my meat is vacuum sealed. Never any freezer burn.
colleen says
I was going to get a similar freezer until the local butcher explained to me that when the freezer is defrosting, it is actually allowing the contents to slightly thaw, and then refreeze. The result is that the food does not retain its quality for as long a time. I would like the convenience of a frost free unit, but decided my first priority was food quality for the longest time.
Lorelei says
Good call not putting it in the basement. My parents’ freezer is in the dirt floor cellar of their 250-year-old house. I have never visited it.
MickeyC. says
Yay for big freezers! Happy for you both.
Jean says
How is the kitten doing?
jackie serba says
I use the 9×13 rubbermaid containers to store and seperate my vegies..it makes findingI them and knowing how much I have left so easy. I freeze my bags flat then stand them up up in the container and just slide out the container when I need some..Works great
Cheryl says
Upright freezers are the best! Learned that ages ago. Easy to organize, defrost, find what you’re looking for without wasting time, etc. Ours gets stocked up quickly with a variety of things, especially for the winter months ahead. I don’t know what I would do without my big freezer.