Recently I found myself in need of a chest freezer and I purchased a GE Garage Ready 7.0 cubic foot unit, specifically the popular FCM7SKWW model. Here are my thoughts…
This model is one of our best rated chest freezers for home buyers.
GE Garage Ready 7 cu. ft. Freezer Basics
- Model: FCM7SKWW
- Defrost Type: Manual defrost
- Inside: 2 removable, sliding wire baskets
- Power On Indicator: Yes
- Temperature Adjustable: Yes
- Ambient Temperature Range: 0°F to 110°F
- Warranty: Limited 1-year on entire freezer
- Dimensions: 37.25″ wide x 21.25″ deep x 33.5″ tall (when closed)
- Open Height: 55″
- Running Cost: 250 kWh, $30/year
This freezer is quite basic and is missing some of the premium features you’d expect from a higher end model. Some missing features are…
- No lock or secure closing mechanism
- No power defrost
- Short power cord (6 feet)
- No EnergyStar certification, so no money back from your power company
Freezer Size
One of the biggest problems I had with this freezer was choosing the right size. Too big and the freezer wouldn’t be full (so it wouldn’t cool efficiently) and it would be too expensive and consume too much power. Too small and I’d not be able to store all the food I wanted to.
In the end I was choosing between a 10 and 7 cubic foot chest freezer, and I’m glad I went with 7. This is a nice size for families of 3 to 5 people — not too big and not too small. Plus it’s easy to carry down steps or fit into a garage. 10 cubit foot models aren’t too much bigger, but the price jumps up and you are getting into a pretty large appliance.
On the downside, it’s relatively easy to find a 10+ cu. ft. model with EnergyStar certification where this rarely happens with smaller models.
The 10.6 cu. ft. GE models is known as the FCM11PHWW. You get EnergyStar and more size, but the price jumps up to about $600.
GE FCM7SKWW Review and Performance
In the months I’ve owned this chest freezer it has performance admirably. I’ve had no problems, it’s cruised though a few brief power outages, it’s quiet, and my food has been perfectly frozen. To date there has be no noticeable amount of frost build up.
The white-glove delivery was superb, placing it right in my basement. This wasn’t necessary as the freezer isn’t particularly heavy (75 pounds), but one side is much heavier than the other and the are some sharp bits on the bottom, which means moving it is a two person job. You could not move the unit up or down stairs by yourself and moving it across a floor requires a dolly or handtruck.
The unit has leveling feet so that it has no problem with slightly uneven flooring, or the tilted flooring you might find in a garage or basement.
My food has been largely frost-free and has survived better than the foot in my Samsung fridge freezer, which makes me think the temperature has been more consistent, thought a basement chest freezer is open and closed infrequently.
Opening and closing the top-mounted door is quite easy, but it still managed to shut securely. I have very much confidence in the door shutting and staying shut, which was not the case with my previous chest freezer. Still, I’d like to see some sort of latch or lock to ensure it stays shut and an errant hand (usually a child) won’t crack it open and walk away.
The door doesn’t open to 90 degrees, which seems like a bad thing but it’s actually a good one. This means that the freezer never bounces into the wall behind it and that you can put a shelf (etc.) above the freezer to maximum your space.
GE FCM7SKWW Pricing and Availability
The GE Garage-Ready 7 cu. ft. FCM7SKWW freezer is easy to find. The most popular places to get it seem to be:
But you can also find it at Lowes, Best Buy, and some others. You can even buy it direct from GE.
The retail price is $289, but I’ve seen it down as low as $259 if you shop around. The model has largely been in stock, but was frequently sold out towards the end of 2020.
FAQs
How do I made my freezer run more efficiently?
The best ways to make a freezer use less power are to: 1) keep it as full as possible. The most food inside the less work the freezer needs to do. 2) Keep the freezer in a cool place. A basement is better than the main floor, attic or garage.