Your experience(s) with no-frost freezers?

Thanks to my husband's green thumb and greenhouse, we really don't have enough freezer space (just four drawers). We've been looking at big side-by-side refrigerator-freezers, but just realized that they won't fit through our kitchen door (old house with doors to every room). We've therefore decided to get a second freezer and put it in the cellar. I like the idea of a no-frost freezer because of the energy efficiency, but I'm worried about the service life. My mom has had two - the first lasted five years, and the second just three. A friend's gave up the ghost after 6 years. Our current fridge-freezer (not a no-frost) is 13 years old, and still going strong. Has anbody had a no-frost that has lasted, say, 10 years? Did you have to defrost it? Was it really that energy efficient? The brands here are different, so I'm not looking for a recommendation of a certain brand, but just your general experience.

I haven't had to defrost a freezer in so many years that I can't remember living without one. We bought a fridge/freezer combo 15 years ago and it is still going strong. I don't know anyone that has a problem with their fridge because it was no-frost. The brands must be different there - I didn't even think they sold anything but frost free these days!

We bought a second fridge/freezer about 4 years ago and had to remove the doors to it, and the doors and hinges to our outer door to squeeze it into the house - almost had to get out the butter to slide it thru it was such a tight fit! Can you take off all the doors and squeeze one thru?

My parents have had a no-frost freezer in their basement for years. I can't remember how old it is, thats how long its been there!

The secret is to keep it FULL. Any empty space is making the freezer work harder. So if you're going to have any empty space, fill it with ice. Mom used to fill milk cartons with water to take up space. Then in the summer, we'd use them for picnics and replace them when the next milk carton emptied. With 4 kids, that was 2 days later.

Bill and I have one. It is a hand-me-down, from his parents. I don't know how long the had it but, Bill has had it for 4 years and it works fine.

We have had a frost free freezer/fridge for just over a year now. We love it to bits! It's always full and never gets frosty!

My only experience with freezers is the now almost 20 year old chest freezer in our utility room, which has performed beautifully, never given an instant's problem. It does need to be defrosted periodically -- like every year or so -- and I have often left it longer. But it's a piece of cake to do -- it's done in no time, with minimal fuss.

Sweets has the right if it. The secret is to keep it full. And it doesn't even have to be full solid. When I got mine I was advised to put boxes in any empty spaces. I went them one better, and got plastic storage boxes in several sizes, to organize the contents of the freezer. Everything has its own place. When the hamburger patties are getting down, the space they would take up is filled with their box. Just one example. And it also makes it a lot easier to get at stuff when you want to take something out.

Good luck with your choice. Live with a freezer for just a little while, and you'll wonder how you survived without it.

After years of putting pots of boiling water and towels into the freezer, I am so thankful to not have to defrost one.

Thanks! I guess my mom just managed to get two "lemons". The no-frost freezers aren't all that common here. Our doors aren't standard size, but narrower, so we've had to get a couple custom made, and there's just no way we can get a side-by-side in. We even measured the windows, but no go.