Is a chest freezer worth it?

A chest freezer is usually worth it if you can keep it fairly full and use it to buy food in bulk, store seasonal produce, or catch sale prices. For a typical small-to-medium chest freezer, a fair price is about $180–$350 new for 5–10 cu ft models and about $100–$250 used/refurbished if it’s clean, seals well, and includes the baskets.

For larger models, expect about $300–$600 new for 12–20 cu ft units, and about $180–$450 used depending on age, brand, and condition. More efficient garage-ready or frost-free-style features, if available, can push the price up.

It’s probably not worth it if you live alone, have very limited space, or routinely forget what you’ve stored and waste food. A good rule is to buy one only if you can keep it at least half full with food you’d actually use.

One caveat: prices vary a lot by region and sales, so check completed listings and local used-market prices before buying.