We could only fit a small refrigerator in our small kitchen and originally purchase the 20-year-old chest freezer from the homeowner for something like $50. It worked fine for a few years but then had trouble keeping things cold unless it was on “quick freeze” mode.
After putting solar on the house we have been hypersensitive about power usage so decided that it was time for an upgrade. Appliances get more efficient after a decade or so and we really didn’t need such a large freezer or one with a drawer on the bottom which never seem to stay frozen.
So we decided to look for an Energy Star rated 3.5 compact freezer. After all, what is a bargain on a loaf of bread or chicken breasts if you end up spending money keeping them frozen for six months? Better to have a small freezer and let the store keep things frozen.
Also, chest freezers are the most efficient since cold air sinks down. Open the door of a front door freezer and all the cold air flows out. Open a chest freezer and the cold air stays in. The downside is that it takes a bit more time to find what you are looking for in a chest freezer.
We found a good deal on this Koolatron Compact Chest Freezer after looking at a zillion different models that all seem to be built by the same factory with the drain plug on the lower left and the control on the lower right.