Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation upright freezers?

I need a new freezer and am considering chest v. upright. I've had great service from my chest freezer, and it will keep meat for a couple of years with minimal freezer burn (as in, you shave off just a little of the outside and the meat is perfect).

I have never had an upright freezer, so I was wondering what experiences any of you have had with them in terms of how long they will keep meat without drying it out excessively. I know the freezer in my fridge is unacceptable for longer term storage of meat -- it dries it out within a month or two, presumably because of the defrost cycles.

Thanks for any advice.

I have had both, upright is not as efficient. Cold air "runs" out when you open the door. Food is easier to find because of the shelves. But the food got freezer burn quicker than in the chest freezers. Also need to make sure the door is closed tight, had it happen with both styles, lost some food in the upright. Both have there advantages, mostly personal choice.

as long as it's frost-free you'll do okay with an upright (not as good longevity-wise as a chest freezer, but okay)

be aware though that, because of the shelving arrangement, you won't fit nearly as much stuff in one as an equivalent sized chest freezer.

I had to live with nothing but a refrigerator/freezer for years and the defrost cycle is the cause of freezer burn and especially anything that's kept in the door.

There's a way around it though and I proved that it works after experimenting for a few years. First, don't put anything in the door for long term storage. Then, store all the packages in cardboard boxes or tubs. I used 12 pack cardboard beer boxes just because they were perfect size. When I did this I kept vac-packed frozen fish and meat for years with no problem.

When the packages are bundled together they become immune to temperature variations in the defrost cycle and opening and closing the door. This also applies to uprights or chest frost-free freezers. It doesn't matter if you use cardboard boxes or plastic tubs just so long as they're somewhat closed vs just leaving them open to air circulation.

You can pack a freezer chock full, have easy access and prevent freezer burn by using larger containers.

There's another advantage to this. It prevents vac-packed bags from getting holes poked in them from by rustling around and searching for what you're trying to find.

While I'm on the subject another tip for long term storage is to flash freeze it. I've found it does make a noticeable difference in the quality of fish or meat stored over the long term. With tubs or boxes it's easy to temporarily unload the freezer and make room on the racks or on the bottom of a chest freezer to speed up the process. Another thing that helps is to chill the packages in an ice chest or in the fridge before freezing and do only one layer at a time ... if it's practical. With a couple hundred pounds of moose or elk it isn't very viable.

I bought a cheap dent/scratch non-defrost upright in 1996 and it has performed flawlessly. This in multiple garages from West Texas to Alberta Canada. No issues with meat though I tend to throw multiple packs into large plastic freezer bags. Seems to help.

I have both a chest and an upright.

Freezer burn is caused by dehydration and oxidation when air meets frozen food. The best way to battle this is to pack food with so that no air can reach the food. It seems obvious, but even the best vacuum packing or butcher paper job can leave some air around the food.

I personally pack all of my game meat into quart or gallon sized ziplocks, FILL WITH WATER, purge out all air, and freeze.

It takes up a little bit more space but the water keeps food from freezer burning.

A few months ago I had some North Dakota pheasant that was shot back in 2005 and it tasted like it just came out of the field.

--Duck911

Parents have both...had an upright far back as I can remember (I remember not closing it properly when I got a popcicle out of it when I was 5 or so?)

When grandma died, we got her chest freezer, and my mom fell in love with it, but had to buy a new one, and got another chest freezer, along with the brand new stand-up.

They put EVERYTHING in there...

before the food saver and even now we fill zip lock bags with "said food item" and dip the bag in a bucket/catch of water - the water presses out pettery much all the air and if u get some water in the bag ...so what..........and chest frezzer without a defrost cycle is best....some, like mine have a manuel button u pull when it comes to cleaning time......my .2 cents

UpRight, non defrost version.

Have had no problem using one of those except I have to overwrap with freezer paper to keep packages from sliding out. Primary wrap is Press N Seal Freezer which is enough but too slippery when stacking uneven packages. And the paper is easier to write on.

Upright freezers are OK , just make sure to wear your steel toe boots. When you open the door & that venison ham falls out.....



Mike

Although not as convenient, a top loading freezer is better than an upright. They will be cheaper to run, especially if you open it often and will stay cold longer during a power outage. Also less mess when defrosting if you choose a manual model. This is my experience based on 16 years owning a restaurant.