Joanna, If you open your freezer often, I assume it's because you are getting stuff out of it for meals regularly, in which case I really recommend sticking with the upright. Yes, it isn't as efficient as a chest freezer, but it makes a HUGE difference in the ability to get at and use the food. For freezing large batches to take out and cook all at once occasinally for a canning spree, I would go for a chest freezer. But we take stuff out of ours daily, and if we had a chest freezer instead of an upright, it would take us so much longer to find what we wanted we might balance out any engery efficiency by leaving the lid open---AND we would "lose" stuff at the bottom for years; it's sad but true. (I have friends with chest freezers who have exactly these problems.) So I'm glad we went with an upright. Ours is a Woods brand; Woods has a very good reputation for energy efficiency and reliability, though you'd want to look up any new model in Consumer Reports, I would think. (Ours was second hand.) It is a manual-defrost, and while the frost does build up over time, it isn't out of control despite our frequent openings. Once a year we defrost, usually around April when it's at its least full. Doesn't take too more than an hour or so including a wipe-down (especially since DH enjoys helping it along with a hairdryer), we keep what's still in it stashed with freezer packs in a cooler and a spare bar fridge during that time, and it gives me a chance to reorganize and discover the last package of zucchini bread hiding behind the frozen pizzas, etc. ;-) As to the outside issue, as a fellow resident of zone 5 (just across the lake from NY state), I haven't tried it but would recommend against it! I would worry about the wiring getting frequently wet, the exterior rubber seal around the door subjected to frequent freezing and thawing (which could make it brittle). It would presumably void your warrantee. A garage that was protected from the elements and attached to the house so it didn't get quite so cold would be fine, I'd think. (We have ours in a semi-insulated mudroom that occasionally hits the feezing point overnight in deep winter and that has been no problem.) Good luck, and let us know how it turns out! Zabby

could've just bumped your last post on the topic...

I prefer manual defrost. If you are keeping food for longer than 2-3 months, the quality will be better - and you don't have to have freezer burn to have a loss in quality (particularly with dessert and dairy items). Besides lower energy costs as others have pointed out, manuals are usually quieter - although this may not matter depending where you put it. I've seen larger frost free chest freezers, but I don't think I've seen any in the size you are looking for. My old Sears manual defrost chest freezer had a flash defrost feature which was nice because it speeded up the process considerably. Are you sure 5 Cu ft is enough? It probably wouldn't cost much more to go up to 7 or 8. My guess is once you start using it, you'll want the extra space. Best wishes.

We have a big chest freezer. I raise vegetables in garden and we also raise beef and lamb so our freezer is, at times, full to the brim and other times, it may be half full. When I want to keep it full to run efficiently, I freeze the two ltr pop bottles full of ice tea or water. Coincidentally, this is usually during the summer which really works great as I can take out the frozen water/tea and put in cooler which helps keep the other items cold and it is great to drink. I also buy bread at the day old bakeries to keep in the freezer.