Are you thinking of getting freezers for storing breast milk? It is a great idea. Normally breast milk can last up to 12 months in the freezer and less in the fridge. There are so many reasons why you may want to store your breast milk in the freezer.
Hey! By the way… any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Thanks in advance – I really appreciate it! .
- One, you may be a working mom who needs to give breast milk to a daycare or whoever is taking care of your baby in your absence.
- Second, you may want to travel and need to drop your baby off at your grandparents’, stored breast milk will come in handy for it.
- Third, you may be sick, need surgery, and will not be able to breast milk for the period, frozen breast milk will be of immense benefit at such time.
- Fourth, if you are exclusively pumping, you might want to store a stash of milk until your baby becomes a toddler.
- Fifth, storing breast milk with other food items such as meat is not the best. Breast milk can get contaminated when it is mixed up with different food items.
- Sixth, if you have an oversupply of breast milk, you will want an efficient method of storage, such as freezing to make it last longer.
In this article, you will learn all you need to know about getting the right size, type of freezer for breast milk storage.
Let’s get started.
The perfect freezer size for breast milk storage
It will amaze you that not all freezer sizes are efficient for storing breast milk. You can derive more benefits by using the right kind of freezer for your breast milk. Find the right sizes of the freezer for the amount of breast milk you want to store below.
- A 5 cu ft chest freezer can hold up to about 2 months of milk at 24 oz/day.
- A 6.5 cu ft upright freezer can take up to 200 oz of milk.
- A 7 cu ft chest freezer, you should also be able to store 44 gallons of breast milk bags in it.
- A 7.1 cu ft chest freezer can hold up to 3000 ounces.
- A 13.7 cu ft upright freezer can hold up to 2000 oz (that is about 3 months’ worth of breast milk).
Below is a 7 cu ft freezer it contains 3,500 oz currently and it can fit more.
Below are different types of freezers for storing breast milk.
1. Chest freezer for breast milk
Using a chest freezer for breast milk storage is one of the best ways to ensure that your breast milk lasts longer. At least with a chest freezer, you can store breast milk for up to 12 months. You will want to ensure that you get the best bang for your money while buying one. Below are some of the best chest freezers for breast milk available on Amazon.
a. Northair chest freezer – 7 CU ft
The Northair chest freezer – 7 CU ft is one of the best chest freezers for breast milk. The size is 7 cu ft and it has 4 removable baskets that are big enough to contain as much breast milk as you have to store. It is light and compact, which makes it easy to store in minimal space. The sound is perfectly quiet as it uses a whisper-quiet compressor. This helps you to feel more at ease enjoying the quietness of your home. The temperature is adjustable to allow you to choose the best for your breast milk. This makes it energy efficient, helping you to save on energy costs. It has a modest energy consumption of 0.68 kWh/24h.
b. KEG 7.0 Cubic Feet Top Chest Freezer
The KEG 7.0 Cubic Feet Top Chest Freezer is another spacious chest freezer for breast milk. It is 7.0 cu ft in size which is perfect for any amount of breast milk you want to store. It has a hanging storage basket that you can use to store more breast milk or other food items. The temperature can be adjusted to properly store your breast milk for a longer period of time. It is high efficiency and low energy consumption freezer. Check it out on Amazon.
2. Mini freezer for breast milk
A mini freezer is smaller than a chest freezer but it also has enormous space for storing breast milk. So getting a mini freezer for breast milk is a great idea. It is especially useful for parents with little space for a chest freezer. It can fit perfectly in a small space. Below is the top best mini freezer for breast milk available at Amazon.
a. Midea MRC04M3AWW, White 3.5 cu. ft. Mini Freezer
The Midea MRC04M3AWW Mini freezer is one of the best mini freezers for breast milk. It uses a mechanical control with an adjustable thermostat which makes it great to store breast milk. It has 1 hanging wire storage basket and a door that can stay open from 45 – 75 degree angles. This is especially perfect if you have an overloaded freezer at home, you can easily dedicate it to storing breast milk.
b. Euhomy Mini Freezer Countertop
The Euhomy Mini Freezer Countertop is another mini freezer for breast milk you can buy. It is 1.1 cubic feet and so it can fit a countertop perfectly. Its rapid cooling technology helps it freeze breast milk quickly. It is an energy-saving freezer that is good for your wallet. It has a compressor of R600a and the energy is estimated at 0.66kw/day.
3. Upright freezer for breast milk
The Upright freezer for breast milk helps you to keep and organize your breast milk perfectly. Below are some upright freezers available on Amazon.
1. Whynter CUF-210SS Energy Star 2.1 cubic feet Upright Freezer
The Whynter upright freezer is one of the best upright freezers for breast milk. It is one of the most energy-saving freezers with less noise level (about <45 dB) available. It is perfect for storing breast milk, ice cream, and other food items. It freezes very fast, as it has a powerful R600a compressor cooling. It comes with a lock which is handy when you have a toddler than can open the door and take things out. It can be kept in the baby nursery, kitchen, garage, or basement.
2. Antarctic Star Compact Chest Upright Freezer
The Antarctic Star Compact Chest Upright Freezer comes with a reversible single door which means, it can be opened from right to left or left to right. It has an adjustable 7 temperature control for storing breast milk perfectly. The noise is perfectly low, which means it can stay in the bedroom, living room, baby nursery, or even in the kitchen. It comes with 2 removable baskets for quick access to your breast milk bags.
Chest freezer or upright freezer for breast milk?
Are you in need of a freezer for breast milk storage and are wondering which one to get between chest freezer and upright freezer? In all honesty, both are good for breast milk storage. However, one may be more convenient than the other. Let’s compare them and see.
An upright freezer is great for organization. This makes it easier to retrieve your breast milk. You can literally arrange your milk from the oldest to the newest and can see them at a glance instead of being buried at the bottom as is the case in the Chest freezer.
An upright freezer is convenient for short moms who may have trouble leaning into a chest freezer to take out breast milk.
An upright freezer has normal shelves like a fridge which is easier to use than a chest freezer with deep space. This makes it easier to stack breast milk bags on top of each other and reserve the top shelf for baby food.
On the other hand, breast milk can last very long in a chest freezer than the upright freezer, especially when there is a power outage.
Bottom line: Freezers for Storing Breastmilk
Above are different kinds of freezers for storing breast milk, this includes mini freezers for breast milk, chest freezers for breast milk, and Upright freezers for breast milk. Check them out and choose the best that fits your breast milk storage purposes and plans.
A great review of the whys and how of storing breast milk. As a pediatrician I had never thought about using a mini freezer just for breast milk – and even small enough to use in the nursery.
I am glad you found the post useful. Yeah, mini freezers are really useful for milk storage.