Where to store all that meat

I love moving, I can sell all the stuff I don't want and then buy shiny new things once I am settled. We recently moved from Wisconsin to Missouri and one of the things sold was our ancient freezer.

Now that we are settled here, it was time for hunting season and a new freezer. After all I needed a place to store all that meat the guys would bring home.

I didn't want one of those huge models that take up half a room, but are always left half empty and I also didn't want a teeny tiny freezer that holds a pint of ice cream and not much else.

After some looking around I decided that my new freezer should hold anywhere from 13.0 to 15.0 cubic feet. For our four person family that seemed to be the perfect size. We also have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer that can take some of the overflow (if there is any)

I had originally planned to buy this freezer at SEARS, but was told that they would charge an additional $35.00 to deliver and that the model I had picked was not currently available in the store, but had to be ordered. Okay, so that was a bust.

Instead I shopped locally and found the Frigidaire in a small appliance store right here in town. The price ($319) was pretty much the same as the other (larger) stores and they would not charge a delivery fee and also come and repair it (if needed) without charging a hefty fee just to come out and take a look. This store also offered same day delivery.

This was at the end of August. The day after delivery I started shopping and found out that this freezer holds a lot more than I think. So far I haven't been able to fill it up. And I shop a lot. Just so you can get an idea, the middle shelf alone holds about 75 lbs of venison and is just about three quarters full.

The freezer is about 4'10" tall, 2'4" wide and 2'6" deep. The capacity is listed as 14.1 cubic feet.
The door is mounted on the right side. I am not sure if it is possible to change the door, and hubby isn't here, so I can't ask him. I haven't found anything in the manual that says you can. The door is hinged on the top and bottom and both hinges, as well as the handle look and feel very sturdy. There is also very little clearance required to open the door fully. I only have about three inches of space and can fully open the door.

There is also a lock with a "pop-out" key. This is great if you have your freezer in the garage or if share a home with people that should buy their own food. That way nobody can get to your food. I have had freezers with locks before, but have never used it.

Once opened, you have three white wire shelves. These shelves are fixed and cannot be adjusted. On the bottom of the freezer is a white wire basket. In the door there are five (running the full length of the door) build in shelves that also cannot be adjusted. The spacing for the shelves inside the freezer is approximately 11 inches, spacing for the door shelves is 6 inches and the basket is 9 inches tall with some clearance. On the bottom of the door is the on/off switch.

This freezer is not frost-free and needs to be defrosted every so often. And this is my only big problem with this freezer. I knew it had to be defrosted manually, so no problem there. What really has become an issue for me is how to get to the drainhose. In order to defrost this freezer, I have to unscrew a small vent underneath the freezer door, stick my hand in the now existing space and root around for the drainhose. Then I need to pull the hose forward, find a pan (not included) to drain all the water in and then put everything back together. Thank god I only have to do this two or three times a year.
Cleaning the shelves is very easy. Just wipe with a damp cloth and that's all.

I haven't actually defrosted this model yet, but only went through the steps of locating the drainhose.I think the company could find an easier way of doing this.

The temperature control is located on the right side of the freezer (inside) and is easy to set and read. The manufacturer recommends an initial setting of "4", but I found that I can set it to "3" and still get the temperature I want. Only when the freezer is very full do I have to set it to "4".

This freezer is not fancy. It is utilitarian in looks, comes in only one color (white), but it does exactly what it is supposed to do.

The price makes it perfect for someone on a small budget and the warranty makes sure you don't have to worry about paying for repairs too soon. The store where we purchased this freezer offered a one-year warranty on all parts and labor and an additional two years on parts. Please ask about available warranties when you purchase this freezer.