Money-saving options for spare freezers

Jeanne Coppola loves her spare freezer. She says it's convenient and saves her money.

"I can buy in bulk; I'll get huge bags of broccoli or something, and it would take up the whole freezer upstairs," Coppola said.

Two models of spare freezers—upright and chest—are available for purchase.

"They [chest freezers] take up more floor space and they need to be defrosted manually to melt off the ice buildup," Dan DiClerico of Consumer Reports said.

Many uprights self-defrost but tend to be less energy efficient.

Consumer Reports tested both styles for temperature consistency, energy usage and ability to stay cold after a power outage.

For a chest freezer, the top pick was GE model listed at $370. Consumer Reports named the Sears Kenmore upright model a “best buy” for $450

Consumer Reports also named the Idylis ICM-070-LC model a top choice, which is available for $190. However, the unit doesn’t include an interior light, and the freezer will not remain as cold during a power outage.