Choosing the right freezer for your grass-fed meats

Buying a half of cow sounds cool right? .....But wait a minute.... how am I going to store all that meat? I mean 250 lbs of meat is a lot right? Now I need to go shopping for a freezer and spend time researching for the right freezer. This sure can make the whole process maybe seem daunting, but no worries, we are here to help.

This is such a common question we get from new customers.

How big of a freezer will I need for all my meat?

Maybe you are a seasoned customer that has had a freezer forever, but thinking about upgrading. Should I get an upright or chest freezer?

How long will my meat stay fresh in the freezer?

You will want to watch the video as we breakdown how big of freezer you need, the pros and cons to a chest freezer vs upright freezer, and tips to protect your investment.

Quick Summary

Storage:

• Rule of thumb: 25 - 35 lb of meat per cubic ft. of freezer space.
• Try to purchase no more than 1 year supplies meat to ensure freshness.
• Buy a freezer with no more than 20% bigger than the space you anticipate using. Ideally you want little air space.

Upright Freezers vs Chest Freezers:

• Upright Pros - Easy to organize, easy access to different products/meat cuts, and uses less floor space.
• Upright Cons - Less useable freezer space compared to a chest, cold air escapes more quickly, and risk of door being left open.
• Chest Pros - Door always closes shut with the help of gravity, more useable freezer space, and cold air doesn't escape quickly.
• Chest Cons - Difficult to organize, not easy to access different products/cuts, and uses more floor space.

Tips to protect your investment:

• If you have the key and lock to your freezer make it a rule to use it, so you are sure the freezer is shut closed and protected from children accidently opening it.
• Come up with a creative way to be sure the door stays shut at all times.
• Purchase an alarm system to notify you if your freezer temperature is to high. We personally like using this brand: https://wirelesstag.net

If you are thinking about buying a used freezer, we personally have had pretty good success with this. I recommend, just make sure you test it before you buy it. You can usually save a lot of money buying used.

Best of luck as you pick out your new freezer for your half of beef!

Please post with your questions or comments below, we'd love to hear your experiences.