Whether you like to buy in bulk or need to feed a big household, a chest freezer is a practical addition to your home. A chest freezer is a type of deep freezer that has a short, wide design and a liftable top for easy access. With a rectangular shape, these freezers are ideal for long-term freezing and provide optimal storage space for your frozen foods.

When choosing yours, it's important to find the right chest freezer dimensions for your home. Read our guide to determine the best chest freezer size to suit your needs.

Chest Freezer Sizes

Chest freezer sizes are typically categorized by the capacity – how much the freezer can hold. To find the correct freezer capacity, consider how much frozen food you plan on storing in the chest freezer and how many people are in your household. One cubic foot of freezer space should hold 35–40 lbs. of frozen food.

As a rule of thumb, each person in your household should have about 2.5 cu. ft. of freezer space for food. For example, a household with four people should have a chest freezer with approximately 10 cu. ft. of freezer space. Keep reading below to learn more about the chest freezer size that will work best for your home.

Tip!

Chest freezer dimensions often get wider with more capacity, rather than deeper. Make sure to leave at least 3" of space on each side of the freezer to allow for proper air circulation.

Small: Small chest freezers have up to 6 cu. ft. of freezer space and can store about 240 lbs. of frozen items. This chest freezer size is best suited for small families or two people that often buy food in bulk. As the smallest chest freezer option available, they are compact enough to fit inside most kitchens.

Mid-Size: These chest freezers have between 6.1–10 cu. ft of space, which can hold 240–400 lbs. These are the most efficient chest freezers for families or households that freeze produce, leftovers, and meats. Because of its size, this chest freezer size is a great option for a large kitchen or a small basement or garage.

Large & Extra-Large: Large chest freezers range from 10.1–20 cu. ft. of storage capacity and store about 350–700 lbs. of food, and extra-large chest freezers can hold even more. This chest freezer size is perfect for large families and is excellent for storing large slabs of meat, homemade meals, and keeping produce fresh all year long. These chest freezers are typically too large to fit in the kitchen, so they are best placed in a standard-sized garage or a basement.

Now you know exactly how to pick the right freezer sizes for your needs.