One of the most crucial factors in a baby’s health and growth is breastfeeding. It offers a unique mixture of nutrients that can’t be found in another form. Breast milk is the ideal nutrition for a baby’s growing digestive system, and it also serves as protection from several ailments and disorders.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises continuous breastfeeding for up to two years or longer. According to a study, breast milk helps to encourage healthy brain development and may even aid to decrease up to 50% of the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). [1]
Nevertheless, busy moms struggle to feed their infants on time. In this situation, stored breast milk might be the best energy-efficient source of nourishment for a baby whenever a mom isn’t present. In fact, breast milk has Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and lysozyme components that have an antifungal and antiviral capacity.
Research about thawing frozen breast milk was conducted to analyze the effect of the thawing rate of breast milk, it found that compared to fresh milk, the secretory IgA level of breast milk frozen at -18 °C for two months remained steady following thawing up overnight in a freezer (4 °C for 12 h) prior heating to 37 °C. Furthermore, warming breast milk to 25 °C or 37 °C for 30 minutes after it has thawed in the refrigerator overnight may preserve the secretory IgA levels and lysozyme interaction better than heating it right away after taking it out of the freezer. [2]
With this, deep freezers help keep your breast milk frozen for longer periods of time. In this article, you will learn the best freezer for breast milk storage, the most energy-efficient freezer, and how to preserve freshly expressed breast milk properly.
If you are considering traveling and expressing breast milk during your trip, check this article out on how to travel with breast milk. In addition, if you are looking for bottles for your baby, read this article about the best baby bottles for breastfed babies to avoid nipple confusion.
Choosing the Finest Deep Freezer for Breast milk Storage
Type
Both chest and upright freezers are capable of holding breast milk. Each of these freezers has benefits and drawbacks for storing breast milk.
- Chest freezers are deep, unlike upright freezers which is why this freezer is a good option for long-term breast milk storage. The chest freezers may hold the cold for a long time even if it is block-out. Also, it has more storage capacity.
- Upright freezers for breast milk storage containers are easier to organize. Upright freezers are generally cheaper and energy efficient. However, an upright freezer is noisy and has a shorter life span.
Size
According to a study by Dewey et al, Breast milk consumption (of infants getting no more than 50 kcal from other foods) ranged from 341 to 1,096 ml per day, with an average intake rising from 673 to 896 ml per day from 1 to 6 months. [3]
On this note, it is best to store your breast milk by your baby’s average amount of consumption each meal.
Portability
Consider the portability of your freezer because you may need the freezer for frozen milk for a few years only before repurposing it for other use. A mini freezer is easily transportable. So take that into account before purchasing one.
Ease of Cleaning
It will be a lot simple if your freezer is easy to clean as you’re stockpiling breast milk. Maintenance will be more enjoyable if it has characteristics like auto defrost and an outlet drain that fits over a container.
Temperature controls
The refrigerator usually has an adjustable thermostat with a knob that makes users change the temperature control. Remember to make sure you check the temperature to ensure your breast milk is kept frozen for the longest possible time.
Energy use
Cooling and freezing of frozen foods account for 13.4% on average of the electrical energy utilized by individual houses in OECD countries. [4] Taking into account the energy efficiency of the freezer will assist in lowering the long-term running cost at home.
Warranty
When you are buying a freezer for storing frozen foods and pumped breast milk, it is always important to assure the quality of the product. Check the manufacturer’s warranty period as well as consider an extended warranty if necessary.
Storage configuration
Freezers that have different partitions and shelves help you keep organizing your breast milk easily. Make sure to put a date on the milk storage bags of when the last time you expressed breast milk as that helps organize the frozen breast milk and you’re able to defrost refrigerated breast milk accordingly.
11 Best Deep Freezer for Breastmilk Storage
Here are the following freezers for breast milk storage to consider. We have done a lot of research on the different freezers available and narrowed it down to the following 12.
Avanti VF306 Compact Upright Freezer
Some of the best-performing and energy-efficient breast milk freezers we’ve had and reviewed are from Avanti. So, it’s no surprise that the ENERGY STAR® certified Avanti VF306 compact freezer makes good on the brand’s promise.
This time the unit boasts a convenient full-range temperature control, ergonomic 3-fixed metal shelves, a space-saving flush back design and a reversible door. It also has an improved capacity of 2.8 cu. ft. and is noticeably quieter than its predecessor.
Pros
- It is ENERGY STAR® certified
- It has a reversible door and integrated handle
- It has adjustable front leveling legs
- It produces less noise
Cons
- No compartments on the door
Midea WHS-109FW1 Upright Freezer, 3.0 Cu. Ft
It comes without a lock and a capacity of 3.0 cu ft. Its compressor is designed with a whisper-quiet design which means that it works without any noise.
The Media WHS 109FW1 upright freezer is built with a reversible door and is energy-star-rated.
Pros
- It has a removable wire shelf and two fixed shelves
- It is energy star rated
- It has a reversible door
- It has great storage space
Cons
- It is quite heavy at 57.3 pounds
- It doesn’t have an auto-defrost function
Danby DCF038A2WDB-3 3.8 Cu. Ft
The Danby chest freezer for breast milk storage is made from energy-efficient foam-insulated cabinets. It has an internal capacity of 3.8 cu ft which is capable of storing many breast milk bottles.
Its adjustable wire basket makes it excellent which allows you to store your small frozen breast milk storage bags nicely and neatly.
Pros
- Its interior is insulated
- It has a removable basket
- Its defrost drain is front-facing
Cons
- It can be heavy
- Its legs are not adjustable
Kismile 2.7 Cubic Feet Chest Freezer
If you are looking for a top-grade chest freezer for breast milk storage, Kismile 2.7 cu ft chest freezer is a great choice in the market. This space saver design is ideal for your small house that can be fitted into any corner.
This freezer for breast milk is budget-friendly yet very affordable. This small freezer is perfect enough to have in a room for easy access whenever you need it.
Pros
- It is not heavy
- It is durable
- It is very affordable
- It is easy to clean
Cons
- It dents easily
- It has a small storage space
Midea MRC070S0AWW Chest Freezer 7.0 Cu. Ft
This Midea chest freezer comes in handy for storing breast milk. It weighs 69 pounds and has a capacity of 7.0 cu ft.
Another great feature of this chest freezer is its removable storage basket and adjustable thermostat.
Pros
- It has mechanical temperature control with an adjustable thermostat
- Its interior is easy to clean
- It has one hanging wire storage basket
- Its compressor has a two-year warranty
Cons
- It doesn’t have too much space
- It is on the heavy side
Wanai 5.0 Cu.Ft Chest Freezer
Wanai 5.0 Cu.Ft Chest Freezer came across as a wild card and a bit of a surprise from a lesser known brand.
For starters, it’s one of the quietest units we’ve tested so far. Then, we also loved the simple but ergonomic design of the container. The black finish is also a bit of standout, since most chest freezers are exclusively sold in white.
Pros
- It is energy efficient
- It operates quietly even at max settings
Cons
- It doesn’t have digital status indicators
Koolatron 7.0 Cu.Ft Large Chest Freezer
We recommend the Koolatron Large Chest Freezer for those who are looking for a compact freezer with large capacity. This unit should have enough room for you to stack your supply of frozen breast milk along with a few select goods.
Pros
- It has a large capacity (7.0 Cu.Ft)
- It has a spacious design and a removable storage basket
Cons
- It’s a bit noisy when the settings are maxed
Frigidaire 5.0 Cu.Ft Chest Deep Freezer
Frigidaire 5.0 Cu. Ft. is a stylish and spacious alternative freezer for you to store breast milk and other supplies. It has one of the best designs we’ve seen, and it could even be rated higher if not for the lack of interior lighting.
Pros
- It has an adjustable thermostat
- It is an ENERGY STAR® rated freezer.
- External temperature control
Cons
- Its dirt can be easily seen and noticed
Koolatron Compact Chest Freezer
This Koolatron freezer comes with a capacity of 3.5 cu ft, 5 cu ft, and 7 cu ft. With the different options of sizes, you can get a higher capacity freezer for storing breast milk safely.
The freezer has a removable wire basket to easily access and organize your frozen breast milk.
Pros
- It comes in different sizes
- It has an economical price
- It has an adjustable thermostat
- It has a front-access defrost drain
Cons
- Average energy efficiency
EUHOMY Upright Freezer, ENERGY STAR®, 3.0 Cu. Ft
This EUHOMY upright freezer has a capacity of 3.0 cubic feet with a weight of 53.2 pounds. It is also built with 2 shelves of wire that makes it 3-sectional.
The freezer has 3D rapid cooling technology and can be manually defrosted anytime. The door is made of steel allowing opening in both ways. Some who used this product said that the coolness maintains even when there is a power failure.
Pros
- It looks premium and luxury
- It has 3 compartments
- It is not noisy
- It has 3D rapid cooling technology
- Its temperature control is adjustable
- It is ENERGY STAR® certified
- It has a built-in door handle with a reversible door
Cons
- It is quite heavy
- It is not economical when it comes to price
Northair Chest Freezer 3.5 Cu. Ft
The Northair freezer for storing breast milk could be a great freezer for breast milk due to its cooling capacity. It is an energy-efficient freezer that consumes 0.6kwh every 24 hours.
This deep freezer is lightweight and you can easily move and place it anywhere you want. It comes also with removable wire baskets that make arrangement and storing breast milk easy. You can also easily defrost the water due to its defrost drain located at the side of the freezer.
The quiet compressor of this deep freezer is bedroom friendly because it is not noisy. You can even place it beside the baby for easy access whenever you need to warm breast milk.
Pros
- It has a good quiet compressor
- It has an easy defrosting system at the side
- It is energy efficient
Cons
- It has no wheels on the caster
- It does not come with lock
Our Thoughts on the Best Deep Freezer for Breastmilk Storage
Breastfeeding is important for a child’s growth. According to research, breastfeeding can enhance a child’s cognitive development and socio-affective response due to the stimulated oxytocin system.[5] However, in this modern society, many mothers return to work to maintain their career. Thanks to technology, mothers can now pump, store and feed their child with expressed breast milk.
From our research going through product comparisons, we provide honest comparisons between products. Based on the highly recommended products, our pick for the chest freezer that stores and freeze breast milk is the Arctic King 5.0 cu ft chest freezer. It is a freezer that can be used in small areas and has a lot of storage. It uses less energy and is energy efficient. Even in the case of a blackout, the temperature is maintained for a maximum amount of time and is distributed uniformly to protect the breast milk that has been stored.
If you are traveling with breast milk and have questions about how to pump on the go, read here. You can also find more information on the best breastmilk cooler.
References:
[1] Vennemannet al; Does breastfeeding reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome? Pediatrics (2009)
[2] Li, X et al. Effects of the thawing rate and heating temperature on immunoglobulin A and lysozyme activity in human milk. Int Breastfeed J (2022)
[3] Dewey, K. G., & Lönnerdal, B; Milk and nutrient intake of breastfed infants from 1 to 6 months: relation to growth and fatness. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition (1983)
[4] Paul,Baumhögger,Elsner,Reineke,Hueppe; Impact of aging on the energy efficiency of household refrigerating appliances. Impact of Aging on the Energy Efficiency of Household Refrigerating Appliances (2021)
[5] Krol, K. M., & Grossmann, T; Psychological effects of breastfeeding on children and mothers. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. (2018)
