Chest Freezer recommendations?

[boxturtle]

I go offshore fishing about 3 to 4 times a year and lucky enough to come home a lil more then i could eat right away. So im looking into investing a chest freezer but not really sure what size to get and what functions i should look for. I thought it was simple until i decided to do a lil research. What size freezers do you guys have to store your catch? Manual or auto defrost?

Thanks in advance

[Siebler]

I have the absolute biggest one lowes carried. Actually I did an upright because it is easier for me to keep organized and it was available larger than the chest. Mine is I believe 29.5 Cubic feet. Auto defrost as my old one was not. Much better for sure.

Size obviously depends on what all you are freezing. I am keeping fish plus waterfowl, venison, and other wild game along with any chickens or turkey I raise and process. In fact my freezer isnt really big enough even however most people wouldnt know what to do with so much space.

The fact is that a slightly larger freezer doesnt draw that much more power especially if not opened a lot. Also Chest freezers tend to be more power efficient however in my experience harder to organize.

[jorluivil]

I bought a 15cuft chest freezer at the sears outlet for something like $360 out the door, it had a little ding on it. I keep everything from vacuum sealed fish to bait in it, my wife loves the fact that now our home refrig/freezer doesn't smell like day old macs.

[danjor]

I got the biggest one sears sells. Got a good deal and its huge something like 7 feet long and keeps a steady temp of -15 to -20 even though its on the -10 setting, the extra low temp keeps food fresher. Also can fit quite a few bodies in it, I mean quite a few turkeys hams and tunas.

[CheapPelican]

Originally Posted by danjor

... Also can fit quite a few bodies in it...

This explains why your building such a large BBQ.

[jbaker]

I got my 9cu ft chest freezer for $99 brand new at a scratch and dent place in Chula Vista. It looks like it fell off a truck on the 805, nothing a few stickers couldn't fix and still working great after 4 years. Don't Remenber the name of the place but its right off the 5 at palomar rd I belive

[beef78]

My biggest recommendation is to get a locking one if you have little ones. Not only can they fall in and suffocate, but my wife left ours unlocked and my four year old got into it and fed all of my mackerel and anchovies to my german shepherd. He then proceeded to barf it all over my couch. Luckily, I was out of town and did not have to clean it up. The bad part was she was 4 months pregnant and threw up the entire time she was cleaning it up. I also second the sears outlet I got a good deal on an upright fridge there.

[radastaff]

picked up a smallish one off the floor at sears
I think it was 100 bucks
Kenmore
works awesome

looking to get a solar setup
to keep it powered in a emergency

[radastaff]

Originally Posted by beef78

My biggest recommendation is to get a locking one if you have little ones. Not only can they fall in and suffocate, but my wife left ours unlocked and my four year old got into it and fed all of my mackerel and anchovies to my german shepherd. He then proceeded to barf it all over my couch. Luckily, I was out of town and did not have to clean it up. The bad part was she was 4 months pregnant and threw up the entire time she was cleaning it up. I also second the sears outlet I got a good deal on an upright fridge there.

oh man
that lost some major fishing points fer sure