Hellobee Boards

@Bao: I think everything has pros and cons! My parents have an upright one and I don't like it -- yes, there's easier access to stuff, but I think food gets freezerburned faster and things are constantly jumping out when you open the door. Plus, chest freezers are cheaper to run. I definitely don't regret getting a chest freezer!

I should have mentioned, ours still isn't completely full and I have ~350 ounces of breastmilk, some crockpot freezer meals, a couple whole chickens, some ground beef and chicken breasts, some homemade bolognese sauce, pesto, and soups, berries from last summer's farmers' markets, bags of frozen veggies, and other random stuff in there. It really does hold a lot. I think if we had the 5 cu ft one, we'd be pretty much at capacity, though. So if you have a couple extra inches of space wherever you're going to put yours, I do think it's well worth going for the 7.

@Bao: I don't know! I try to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible but other than that, I think it's just that chest freezers work better than the ones in the fridge (having no auto defrost helps) and don't get opened as often so there's less temperature fluctuation. I just made blueberry pancakes over the weekend and the blueberries are still frost-free and delicious!

We have the same one as @mamabear57:

@Bao: I hear you! Being able to put up summer produce without the hassle of canning was one reason I wanted a chest freezer. I keep thinking about getting a FoodSaver, too, but haven't done it yet.

For berries, you can freeze them on a sheet tray, then store them in bags.