The task of organizing your freezer is one we all face challenges with and one that never quite stays the way you want it to. Whether you have leftover chili falling into your ice bucket or frozen meats clinging to your popsicles, there never seems to be enough space. From fast-tracking meal prep to unloading groceries, organizing your freezer is a good routine to get into and one we can help you with.
Create less time shuffling boxes, experience less freezer-burn, and spend less money restocking groceries you’ve forgotten you have with these ideas. In this how-to guide, we’ll list a few freezer organization tips to help you get the most out of your freezer space no matter its shape, size, or configuration.
At a Glance:
Bottom Freezer Organization Ideas
Top Freezer Organization Ideas
Side by Side Organization Ideas
Chest Freezer Organization Ideas
Freezer Organization Ideas
For homes filled with hungry kids or if you need quick and easy lasagna dinners, there are eight basic ways you can go about organizing your freezer.
- Old in the front, new in the back. Start your organizational journey by lining foods up from front to back. If you have an older frozen pizza, pull it up to the front of your freezer while putting just-bought sweet potato fries in the back.
- Label. Stop playing the guessing game on how long ago the jelly was made and put a time and date on it. This will help with unnecessary pitching escapades when you run out of room and hopefully stop preventable stomach aches. Take a sharpie, a piece of tape, and clearly write when you placed the food in the freezer.
- Freeze foods in portions. It’s tempting to throw your whole pot of chili into the freezer and deal with dethawing later, but this process takes up valuable time and space. Instead, stack your chili in smaller containers to pull out one at a time when needed.
- Freeze flat. Instead of putting your homemade sauce in a jar or can, put it in a reusable sealed bag that can lay flat. A flatter bag is easier to stack or lay on top of things than a bulky, unnecessary jar. This is also a prime freezer idea to optimize space for ground beef or shredded chicken.
- Vertical filing. When possible, stack things on top of each other. It makes it easier to see what the contents of your freezer have and makes them easier to grab quickly.
- Throw the boxes away. We don’t know why we do it, but we’ve all left a box in our freezer with one popsicle left. Instead of initially putting the box in the freezer, unload the contents straight into your icebox.
- Choose the right-sized container. Freezer burn ruins perfectly good food and is created by air circulation. Make sure to choose the right-sized containers for your food and if you’re using a sealed bag, press out all the excess air you can.
- Keep inventory. Lastly, keep a list of what’s inside to maximize freezer organization. It may seem excessive, but in the long run, it will help alleviate questionable trips to the grocery store and forgotten foods. Once you start your inventory, it’ll be easier to keep it going.
Bottom Freezer (+French Door Freezer) Organization Ideas
Depending on which type of bottom freezer you have, or if you are debating to invest in a French door refrigerator, there are quite a few organizational ideas for you.
Two Storage Baskets: It may seem difficult to manage all your food in a smaller freezer, but this GE French door refrigerator with a bottom freezer features two levels of storage baskets for optimal space. Use the two levels to organize your foods and produce so you can quickly find what you need.
Upper Drawer: Utilize this bottom freezer’s upper drawer for extra ice and popsicles (that are out of the box) for easy access.
Main Drawer: Organize breads, soups, and premade meals in the deep main drawer by dividing and stacking your foods. Remember, when you can, utilize baggies to reduce extra space when organizing a bottom freezer.
To learn more about Spencer’s bottom freezer catalog, check out our 6 Best Counter Depth Bottom Freezer Refrigerators
Top Freezer Organization Ideas
Top freezers can feel like they have limited space. Typically, with just one top shelf and a door-shelve, your food can quickly become overcrowded. But with our Whirlpool fridge and top freezer, there is always a place for frozen foods. This Whirlpool freezer features temperature control to keep your foods at optimal climates, and when you’re ready to cook a meal, utilize the automatic defrost system for easy prep.
We’re not leaving you high and dry though; here are a few top freezer organization ideas.
Utilize the door-shelf: Similar to inside your organized refrigerator, the inside of the door is the warmest spot in your freezer. That equates to the worst place to put your favorite ice cream but one of the best spots for flour, breads, frozen pasta sauces, or even butter.
Put the leaky foods on top: Have you ever opened your freezer and found puddles of sticky foods leaking? We have, and we’re over it. Use the top shelf to store bags of frozen fruits and veggies or ice cream that have the potential to ooze out gooey goodness. If you find your foods are continually leaking, it’ll be an easier clean-up to move a few items on the top shelf and won’t cause any safety risks by leaking juices into other foods.
Prepped meals on the bottom: Use the bottom shelf for already prepared meals like soups and curries. Place these leftovers on one side and put your raw meals on the other. This way, you can safely separate and keep track of which foods are cooked or raw. Once you have these foods organized, place frozen pizzas on top to easily grab without toppling everything out of your freezer.
Use drawers: Your top freezer may not come with drawers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a few at your local store. Easily implement more top freezer organization by sliding bins in to create groups of foods and safely separate foods.
Side by Side Freezer Organization Ideas
Side by side refrigerators and freezers feature skinny compartments and various shelving. This can make side-by-side freezer organization ideas easier to come by since there’s a wider array of bins and sections to separate your foods into.
This Samsung side by side fridge and freezer feature a large-capacity design with Sabbath Mode and enough sections to easily organize all your meals and foods. You have the freedom to be creative with how you manage your side freezer. Choose to section your foods between breakfast, lunch, and dinner options or by most to least used foods. Make sure to stack your raw meats on the bottom shelf for food safety in case of leaks.
Upright: A neat and swift side by side fridge organization idea is to stand your foods upright. Line all your different bags of produce and veggies side by side to easily view your groceries. This will cause fewer collapses when pulling foods out, and you could even color-code them!
Get creative with magazine holders: An interesting freezer organization idea is to use magazine holders. Not only will they upgrade your freeze aesthetic if you choose trendy golds or blacks, but they’ll file your frozen packages with ease.
Chest Freezer (+ Upright Freezer) Organization Ideas
A chest freezer typically resides in a basement or garage, and they flaunt the most capacity. A chest freezer is a great option for families that buy in bulk or store prepped meals for weeks to come. Use the bottom section of a chest freezer to store the largest items like boxed pizzas or raw meats and vegetables. In the upper baskets, take advantage of the space by separating and storing your prepped meals, soups, or jars of tomatoes.
Upright freezers have similar capacity just dispersed differently. Use these chest freezer organizing ideas interchangeably.
Dollar store baskets: A great chest freezer organization idea is to invest in cheap freezer organizer bins or baskets and separate all your foods. You can make a game of it and store your foods by regions around the world, Italian, Mexican, or Chinese.
Layer: Since freezer chests are deep and have a lot of capacity, layer your items with purpose. If you decide to use this freezer organization idea, make sure to only stack like foods with like foods, so you don’t become confused and forget what you have.
Discover More: Chest vs Upright Freezers [Pros and Cons]
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Shop Freezer with Spencer’s
At Spencer’s TV & Appliance, we provide high-quality, name-brand products at great prices — check out our catalog to shop freezers online today. Your friends in the business are always happy to help you discover freezer organization ideas. Call us, or better yet, stop by at one of our locations in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Glendale regions. Visit us today!
Learn More: Our 7 Best Bottom Freezer Refrigerators