A chest freezer can easily turn into a black hole of cold food. Here’s how to organize a chest freezer cheaply and simply!

If I go missing, I may have fallen into the chest freezer.
That’s how it used to feel every time I dug though the contents to find the elusive package of bacon at the very bottom. Then a couple years ago I got tired of digging and got serious about getting organized.
Chest freezers, though handy for penny-pinching food-hoarding folks like myself, are notoriously tough to organize. A chest freezer is essentially a deep hole. Some may be sold with a hanging basket for the top, but otherwise you’re on your own. I’m happy to say that organizing a chest freezer can be done–and it’s not hard or expensive.
You might also like: How to Organize a Bottom Freezer |
Wait, should I get a chest freezer?
- Do you like to prep meals in advance?
- Do you stock up when there’s a sale, buy meat in bulk, or freeze lots of fresh-picked produce or homemade stock?
- Do you have a vacant spot in your basement or garage?
If so, a chest freezer could make your life easier–and help you save money.
Chest freezers are available in small/compact (5-9 cubic feet), medium (12-18), and large (18-plus), according to Consumer Reports. Ours is small (5 cubic feet) but still works for our family of four. We bought it at Lowe’s for about $150 ten years ago and it’s still chugging along (the brand is no longer available there, but it’s similar to this one). Keep in mind that a full freezer is more energy-efficient than a half-empty one.
Now let’s get organized!
How to Organize a Chest Freezer
Create categories that make sense to you.
Group your frozen food in categories, such as ground meats, frozen veggies, prepped freezer meals, or jars of homemade soup or broth.
You might also like: How To Buy Meat In Bulk |

Place grouped items into storage bins that fit your freezer.
Your freezer may come with one basket or bin, but you’ll need more. I rounded up bins we already had (and even a study cardboard box) from around the house. Your storage system just needs to work for you–it doesn’t have to look matchy-matchy or ripped from the pages of the Container Store catalog.
But if you need some product ideas, here are some good options:
Arrange the bins in layers.
The layer system is a game-changer if you have a chest freezer! Here’s how it works:
- Set one or two bins/boxes on the bottom of the freezer
- Set another layer of 1-2 bins on top of those
- Set another layer on top.
- When you need something, you can simply remove bins neatly and easily instead of digging through a cold, messy pile.
I arrange my bins in opposing directions, but do what works for your space. Pro tip: Put the most-grabbed items on top and the less-frequently-grabbed items on the bottom.
Here’s the bottom layer of our freezer (pork, steaks, plus a couple jars of broth and flaxseed):

Here’s the second layer (ground beef plus small steaks and a container of homemade stock):

Here’s the top layer (the hanging basket our freezer came with, with frozen fruits and vegetables and a few packages of bacon):

Keep an inventory.
Chest freezers can easily fall victim to Black Hole Syndrome. So find a way to keep track of your stash, whether that’s a white board attached to the wall by the freezer, an app on your phone, or my free Freezer Inventory Printable.
Get the printableProducts to help organize a chest freezer
These products would make great chest freezer organizers. Be sure you measure your freezer and check dimensions of products so you’re sure they’ll fit!
How long does food last in the freezer?
When frozen, food can actually keep indefinitely. But the quality will be best if eaten within a certain timeframe. Here are some guidelines from FoodSafety.gov and the National Center for Home Preservation:
FOOD | FREEZER STORAGE TIME (0 degrees or below) |
Ground meat | 2-3 months |
Steaks | 6-12 months |
Chops | 4-6 months |
Roasts | 4-12 months |
Whole chicken | 1 years |
Chicken pieces | 9 months |
Fish | 3-6 months |
Soups & stews | 2-3 months |
Fruits & Vegetables | 8-12 months |
How to defrost a chest freezer
If your chest freezer is manual defrost (and many are), you’ll have to DIY it. But it’s simple: When you see frost build-up along the sides, it’s time to defrost your chest freezer. I typically defrost mine about once a year, and it takes less than an hour. Here’s how:
- Empty the freezer, putting everything into your refrigerator’s freezer or into coolers
- Unplug the freezer and open the lid
- Allow the frost to melt or gently chip away at it with a plastic or wooden spoon (or my favorite kitchen tool The L’il Chizler)
- Wipe away any drips and debris
- Put everything back in!
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This is so helpful! Thank you!
I will fix my freezer like that I almost fell in mine thanks it helped me alot
Thanks to your tips on HOW TO ORGANIZE A CHEST FREEZER, we will be able to not only use our freezer to it’s full potential; but we will also be able to enjoy it! Keeping an inventory will prevent waste of those well-meaning attempts to use leftovers!
Just checked amazon for the $19.97 pictured organizer (Smart design stacking); its $59.99 on Amazon now (6/24/2020)
WOW
Your advice is really helpful! Thank you! I just bought two 5 cu. ft and one 7 cu. ft thru facebook. All three were used but very nice and for a grand total of 145.00. I bought one just use as backup since they were becoming scarce! Coming w no manuals…you just educated me and I feel that I know how to take good care of them!!!!
Rhonda–congrats on your new freezers! What a great find. And so glad these tips were helpful to you.
We put like items, such as meats, by type, veggies, desserts, etc. in plastic garbage bags (clear ones would be better).
Simple easily implemented ideas. Thank you
Thank you so much for this post!!! You covered everything even down to the defrost!!!! Thank you again.
So glad it was helpful to you!
Thanks for the helpful info! I came looking for ideas to organize but found I need to defrost my freezer! We received our chest freezer from my in-laws and I had no idea I should defrost it.
It’s definitely nice to have a deep freezer. I buy frozen veggies and have a meat delivery subscription (Good Ranchers is awesome!) so we always have a lot of frozen food! I’m planning to use your suggestion of plastic bins to organize ours.
I’m so glad it’s helpful to you, Marissa! Have fun defrosting that freezer. 🙂