Upright freezers are freezer storage units that are manufactured to resemble oversized refrigerator units. Like a refrigerator, this type of freezer usually makes use of one or two doors that allow entrance to the interior, rather than the single lid that is raised on a chest freezer. Generally, an upright freezer is slightly more expensive than the more traditional chest model.
There are several advantages to the upright freezer. One has to do with easy access to the contents. With a chest freezer, frozen items are normally stacked upward. To reach items on the bottom of the stack, it is necessary to move several packages, retrieve the item needed, then restack the packages. That is not the case with the upright model. Many units come with drawer units, making it necessary to open the freezer door, then a drawer, retrieve the item needed, shut the drawer, then close the door to the freezer. Not having to constantly rearrange the contents saves a lot of time, plus makes it easier to quickly locate items.
Another benefit of an upright freezer is that it is not necessary to bend at the waist as often to load or retrieve items. As with a refrigerator, it is usually a matter of opening the door, scanning the shelves, retrieving what is needed, and shutting the door. Only when the items are on a lower shelf or drawer is there a need to bend. With a chest type freezer, it is necessary to bend each time anything is retrieved or stored in the freezer. For people with weak backs, the upright model means less back pain.
From the perspective of space, an upright freezer makes more efficient use of vertical area. This means less floor space taken up while still providing as much storage capacity as any other chest freezer. When space is at a premium, it is also possible to purchase what is known as a side by side unit. This is simply a refrigerator freezer combination that features a refrigerator on the right side of the unit and a freezer on the left. Since each of the two sections has its own exterior door, it is possible to have ample freezer space and access it directly, rather than opening the refrigerator door, then opening a second door to the freezer area.
It is possible to purchase many different sizes of the upright freezer. Models for home use are easily obtained from appliance stores, and are often only slightly more expensive than a chest model. Commercial freezers for use in restaurants and larger kitchens are also available in a wide range of styles, with some units featuring tempered glass doors, allowing chefs and kitchen help to view the contents quickly. Just about all upright units contain automatic defrost features that make it easy to keep the unit in excellent working condition.
