The Ultimate Guide to Freezers!

Josh Schwab
How It Works

2-min read

The Ultimate Guide to Freezers!
Freezer Space is the number one concern new customers have when joining our Beef Share club.
Your 100% Grass-Fed Beef Share is a significant investment, and you want to make sure it stays fresh for as long as possible.
On the farm, chest freezers are a way of life, but I know that’s not necessarily the case for you. If you're considering buying your first Beef Share, you may be wondering what type of freezer to use to store your beef.
There are two main styles of freezers: chest freezers and upright freezers. They each have their own advantages, and the right choice will depend on your needs and situation.

Chest Freezers

Chest freezers are the most popular option for bulk grass-fed beef buyers. These freezers are more affordable than upright freezers, and they offer more storage space for your beef. They are also more energy-efficient and maintain a more consistent temperature.
One disadvantage of chest freezers is that they can be difficult to organize. Because the food is stored horizontally, it can be challenging to find items buried at the bottom of the freezer.
But you can use baskets or other organizing tools to keep your beef organized and easy to access. We also recommend getting a freezer slightly larger than needed, so it’s easier to organize (plus you can start to stock up on other quality food in bulk).

Upright Freezers

Upright freezers are another option for storing bulk grass-fed beef. They are more compact and built-in shelves make them easier to organize than chest freezers.
However, they are typically more expensive than chest freezers. They are also less energy-efficient and may not maintain a consistent temperature as well as chest freezers.

What size do I need?

It's important to consider your storage needs and the amount of space you have available. A general rule of thumb is to choose a freezer that is at least 2 cubic feet in size for every 1/8th Beef increment (so at least 4 cubic feet for a Quarter, etc.). This will give you enough space to organize your beef without overcrowding the freezer.
Here are some common freezer sizes and the Beef Share sizes they will fit:
3 cubic feet: While an eighth beef will fit in a standard freezer, having a small chest freezer will make it easier to organize (and leave you space in your regular freezer)
5 cubic feet: This is the size we recommend for a a quarter beef.
9 cubic feet: This size we recommend for a half beef, you'll have plenty of room to organize and to stock up on anything else you need
15 cubic feet: This size is suitable for storing a whole beef share, or for those who want extra space for other frozen items.
20 cubic feet or larger: This size is suitable for those who want maximum storage space for their bulk beef, or for those who want to store other large items such as game meat or wild-caught fish.

Not sure which share size fits your household in the first place? Take our 60-second beef share quiz and we'll point you to the right one (and the right freezer to match).

The Takeaway...

Our recommendation is to get a chest freezer that fits the share you want to reserve. Better yet, get a freezer one size up so you can organize more easily and/or store other frozen foods and make your at-home “freezer section” even better!
That said, the best style and size of freezer for bulk grass-fed beef buyers will depend on their individual needs and preferences. When choosing a freezer, it's important to consider the amount of beef you plan to store and the amount of floor space you have available.
If you need any help choosing a freezer, we are here to help. Just send an email to farmer@dirtydogfarm.com and we will help you find exactly what you need!
Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

More Recommended Reading

The Day the Sheriffs Showed Up at Our Farm (And What Real Farm Transparency Looks Like)

2-min read

The Day the Sheriffs Showed Up at Our Farm (And...

An anonymous tip brought sheriffs to our farm. Here's what happened, why we welcomed it,...

Read more

The Day the Sheriffs Showed Up at Our Farm (And...

An anonymous tip brought sheriffs to our farm. Here's what happened, why we welcomed it,...

Read more
The Worst Memorial Day Sale Ever (Or: Why Grass-Fed Beef Isn't On Sale)

2-min read

The Worst Memorial Day Sale Ever (Or: Why Grass...

Why a real farm can't run 30%-off holiday sales the way big e-commerce brands do,...

Read more

The Worst Memorial Day Sale Ever (Or: Why Grass...

Why a real farm can't run 30%-off holiday sales the way big e-commerce brands do,...

Read more
If It Don't Look Right, Haul It At Night: 5 Grass-Fed Beef Labeling Tricks That Are Technically Legal

2-min read

If It Don't Look Right, Haul It At Night: 5 Gra...

A farmer's take on the old saying 'if it don't look right, haul it at...

Read more

If It Don't Look Right, Haul It At Night: 5 Gra...

A farmer's take on the old saying 'if it don't look right, haul it at...

Read more

It's the Meat Quality, Stupid (A Farmer's Manif...

At the end of the day, all the marketing in the world doesn't matter if...

Read more

It's the Meat Quality, Stupid (A Farmer's Manif...

At the end of the day, all the marketing in the world doesn't matter if...

Read more
Is There Glyphosate in Your Beef? (A Rant That Starts With a Tractor Supply Email)

2-min read

Is There Glyphosate in Your Beef? (A Rant That ...

A farmer's unfiltered take on glyphosate, sprayed pastures, super-weeds, and why our 100% grass-finished cattle...

Read more

Is There Glyphosate in Your Beef? (A Rant That ...

A farmer's unfiltered take on glyphosate, sprayed pastures, super-weeds, and why our 100% grass-finished cattle...

Read more
5 Questions to Ask a Beef Farm Before You Buy (And Why Most Can't Answer Them)

2-min read

5 Questions to Ask a Beef Farm Before You Buy (...

A 5-question test for evaluating any grass-fed beef brand. Most can't answer them. The ones...

Read more

5 Questions to Ask a Beef Farm Before You Buy (...

A 5-question test for evaluating any grass-fed beef brand. Most can't answer them. The ones...

Read more
How Long Does Beef Last in the Freezer? (A Farmer's Honest Answer)

2-min read

How Long Does Beef Last in the Freezer? (A Farm...

How long does beef really last in the freezer? A grass-fed beef farmer breaks down...

Read more

How Long Does Beef Last in the Freezer? (A Farm...

How long does beef really last in the freezer? A grass-fed beef farmer breaks down...

Read more
Why Kids Are the Most Honest Beef Critics (And What 'Grandma Steak' Says About Quality)

2-min read

Why Kids Are the Most Honest Beef Critics (And ...

A 4-year-old sent back a steakhouse steak with 'this is NOT like Grandma steak.' Here's...

Read more

Why Kids Are the Most Honest Beef Critics (And ...

A 4-year-old sent back a steakhouse steak with 'this is NOT like Grandma steak.' Here's...

Read more
What Cuts Do You Get in a Half Cow? (Full Breakdown)

2-min read

What Cuts Do You Get in a Half Cow? (Full Break...

What cuts do you get in a half cow? Here's the full breakdown: exact weights,...

Read more

What Cuts Do You Get in a Half Cow? (Full Break...

What cuts do you get in a half cow? Here's the full breakdown: exact weights,...

Read more
How We Raise Our Cattle (And the Morning Our Backyard Filled With Baby Animals)

2-min read

How We Raise Our Cattle (And the Morning Our Ba...

A baby lamb, surprise chicks, and the moral case for how we raise our cattle...

Read more

How We Raise Our Cattle (And the Morning Our Ba...

A baby lamb, surprise chicks, and the moral case for how we raise our cattle...

Read more
What Do Grass-Fed Cows Actually Eat? (40+ Plants On Our Pastures)

2-min read

What Do Grass-Fed Cows Actually Eat? (40+ Plant...

A New York grass-fed beef farmer breaks down the 40+ plants in his pastures, why...

Read more

What Do Grass-Fed Cows Actually Eat? (40+ Plant...

A New York grass-fed beef farmer breaks down the 40+ plants in his pastures, why...

Read more
It's As If You've Never Actually Tasted Meat Before

2-min read

It's As If You've Never Actually Tasted Meat Be...

A customer said our beef made her feel like she'd never actually tasted meat before....

Read more

It's As If You've Never Actually Tasted Meat Be...

A customer said our beef made her feel like she'd never actually tasted meat before....

Read more
How Much Does a Half Cow Cost? (All-In Price Breakdown)

2-min read

How Much Does a Half Cow Cost? (All-In Price Br...

A half cow from Dirty Dog Farm is $3,570, delivered to your door with a...

Read more

How Much Does a Half Cow Cost? (All-In Price Br...

A half cow from Dirty Dog Farm is $3,570, delivered to your door with a...

Read more
Why Grocery Store Beef Is Watery (And Who's Profiting From It)

2-min read

Why Grocery Store Beef Is Watery (And Who's Pro...

That liquid pooling in your pan isn't just beef juice, it's water the Big 4...

Read more

Why Grocery Store Beef Is Watery (And Who's Pro...

That liquid pooling in your pan isn't just beef juice, it's water the Big 4...

Read more

The B.E.E.F. System™: Dirty Dog Farm's Secret t...

We've been asked enough times how our beef is so different that we finally wrote...

Read more

The B.E.E.F. System™: Dirty Dog Farm's Secret t...

We've been asked enough times how our beef is so different that we finally wrote...

Read more

Something's Been Bothering Me

Josh has been sitting on this one for a while. Something about the food industry...

Read more

Something's Been Bothering Me

Josh has been sitting on this one for a while. Something about the food industry...

Read more
Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished Beef: What's the Difference?

2-min read

Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished Beef: What's the D...

A subscriber asked us to explain the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished. It's one of...

Read more

Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished Beef: What's the D...

A subscriber asked us to explain the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished. It's one of...

Read more
I owe Big Food/Pharma/Ag an apology

2-min read

I owe Big Food/Pharma/Ag an apology

An American industrial food system is making people sick worldwide — but don't worry, there's...

Read more

I owe Big Food/Pharma/Ag an apology

An American industrial food system is making people sick worldwide — but don't worry, there's...

Read more
Fake Meat is Back...now with "Grilled Beef Flavors!"

2-min read

Fake Meat is Back...now with "Grilled Beef Flav...

They told us fake meat would replace beef. Now they're adding 'grilled beef flavor' to...

Read more

Fake Meat is Back...now with "Grilled Beef Flav...

They told us fake meat would replace beef. Now they're adding 'grilled beef flavor' to...

Read more
I've Got Beef with the NY Times (Conclusion)

2-min read

I've Got Beef with the NY Times (Conclusion)

Three parts. One argument. The NY Times got it wrong — here's the final chapter...

Read more

I've Got Beef with the NY Times (Conclusion)

Three parts. One argument. The NY Times got it wrong — here's the final chapter...

Read more
I've Got Beef with the NY Times (Part 2)

2-min read

I've Got Beef with the NY Times (Part 2)

We're back. Part 2 of Josh's rebuttal to the New York Times — because one...

Read more

I've Got Beef with the NY Times (Part 2)

We're back. Part 2 of Josh's rebuttal to the New York Times — because one...

Read more
I've Got Beef with the NY Times!

2-min read

I've Got Beef with the NY Times!

The New York Times took a swing at beef. A farmer had thoughts. This is...

Read more

I've Got Beef with the NY Times!

The New York Times took a swing at beef. A farmer had thoughts. This is...

Read more
What Makes New York Grass-Fed Beef The Best

2-min read

What Makes New York Grass-Fed Beef The Best

New York isn't the first place people think of for beef. It should be. The...

Read more

What Makes New York Grass-Fed Beef The Best

New York isn't the first place people think of for beef. It should be. The...

Read more
Beef Share Basics: Why Our Members Love Beef Shares (Top 5 Reasons)

2-min read

Beef Share Basics: Why Our Members Love Beef Sh...

We're biased — obviously. But our customers aren't, and they keep saying the same five...

Read more

Beef Share Basics: Why Our Members Love Beef Sh...

We're biased — obviously. But our customers aren't, and they keep saying the same five...

Read more
Beef Share Basics - How does the "Beef Share Club" work?

2-min read

Beef Share Basics - How does the "Beef Share Cl...

You put down a deposit. We raise the beef. Then we pack it, ship it,...

Read more

Beef Share Basics - How does the "Beef Share Cl...

You put down a deposit. We raise the beef. Then we pack it, ship it,...

Read more

What Is a Beef Share? How It Works, What You Ge...

What is a beef share, exactly? It's the simplest way to fill your freezer with...

Read more

What Is a Beef Share? How It Works, What You Ge...

What is a beef share, exactly? It's the simplest way to fill your freezer with...

Read more
The Ultimate Guide to Freezers!

2-min read

The Ultimate Guide to Freezers!

We ship free chest freezers with every half and whole beef share — so we...

Read more

The Ultimate Guide to Freezers!

We ship free chest freezers with every half and whole beef share — so we...

Read more
A Wedding On The Farm

2-min read

A Wedding On The Farm

We didn't plan on becoming a wedding venue. But when one of the Dirty Dog...

Read more

A Wedding On The Farm

We didn't plan on becoming a wedding venue. But when one of the Dirty Dog...

Read more

Why we love our butchers

Do you know the people actually cutting your meat? We do. Our butchers are partners,...

Read more

Why we love our butchers

Do you know the people actually cutting your meat? We do. Our butchers are partners,...

Read more

5 Ways A Beef Share Will Change Your Life

Our customers tell us the same thing: once they have a freezer full of grass-fed...

Read more

5 Ways A Beef Share Will Change Your Life

Our customers tell us the same thing: once they have a freezer full of grass-fed...

Read more

The Secret 'Meat Room' at a Vegan Restaurant

A vegan restaurant. A secret meat room. And everything you need to know about why...

Read more

The Secret 'Meat Room' at a Vegan Restaurant

A vegan restaurant. A secret meat room. And everything you need to know about why...

Read more

Cattle Breeds for Grass-Fed Beef: Why We Raise ...

Not every cattle breed thrives on grass alone. Here's why we raise Lowline Angus and...

Read more

Cattle Breeds for Grass-Fed Beef: Why We Raise ...

Not every cattle breed thrives on grass alone. Here's why we raise Lowline Angus and...

Read more

2 WAYS WE'RE MAKING THE BEST OF A DRY SUMMER

A dry summer on a grass farm tests everything. Here's how Dirty Dog Farm kept...

Read more

2 WAYS WE'RE MAKING THE BEST OF A DRY SUMMER

A dry summer on a grass farm tests everything. Here's how Dirty Dog Farm kept...

Read more

Shop Our Best Sellers

Prime products our customers love

Always 100% Grass Fed AND Finished

Dry-Aged 14 Days

Shipping to the Northeast weekly

Serving Families Since 2017

USDA Inspected & Certified

Always 100% Grass Fed AND Finished

Dry-Aged 14 Days

Shipping to the Northeast weekly

Serving Families Since 2017

USDA Inspected & Certified

Always 100% Grass Fed AND Finished

Dry-Aged 14 Days

Shipping to the Northeast weekly

Serving Families Since 2017

USDA Inspected & Certified