GE 21.3 FUF21SMRWW Frost-Free freezer review

An upright freezer that gives you lots of storage space while keeping everything visible and accessible.

GE 21.3 Cu. Ft. FUF21SMRWW Frost-Free freezer
(Image: © GE)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The GE FUF21SMRWW is a frost-free upright freezer that crams in a massive 21.3 cubic feet of space and can be stored out in your garage to save on storage. Slide out freezer bins, electronic temperature controls, and audio alerts, make this worth the high price tag.

Pros

  • +

    Masses of storage space

  • +

    Accessible trays and drawers

  • +

    Digital controls and display

  • +

    Turbo freeze

Cons

  • -

    Expensive

  • -

    Too large for some

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The GE 21.3 FUF21SMRWW Frost-Free freezer is a great way to get all the space of a chest freezer but with the easy access of an upright unit. The slide out storage bins and well spaced shelves make both storage and access easy – something that a chest freezer may not.

Unlike a chest freezer this is not cheap. But for that price you do get a lot of useful features like turbo freezing and audio alerts for temperature. 

For other options we've reviewed, head to our round up of the best freezers.

Since this is made by well-known manufacturer GE, you get the peace of mind in knowing it's been well built to withstand temperature ranges from zero Fahrenheit all the way up to 110 degrees. That means garage storage of this unit, no matter where you live, shouldn't be an issue.

There are plenty more features that this large freezer packs in. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the GE 21.3 Cu. Ft. FUF21SMRWW Frost-Free freezer.

GE FUF21SMRWW freezer: Design and build

  • 21.3 cubic feet of storage
  • Frost-free defrost
  • LED lighting

The big appeal of this freezer is all the storage space, with a whopping 21.3 cubic feet crammed into the six foot four inch freezer. Standing at two foot nine inches wide this can be stored indoors if you want but also will sit outdoors and work just fine.

GE says this is good for cold of zero degrees and heat of 110 Fahrenheit – which shouldn't be a problem if your garage is even mildly well built. The unit comes with one year of warranty cover which not only means you get replacement parts for free but the labor is included too, according to the company's website.

Open the door and you're met with a clear bright light thanks to LEDs which automatically illuminate on opening – these should help keep costs down on power usage and won't need replacing. 

This is a frost-free freezer which means that it is smart enough to defrost as it works. As such GE says all you need to do, in terms of maintenance, is give it a good clean out once a year. Not too much to ask then. 

GE FUF21SMRWW freezer: Features

  • Turbo freeze
  • Lockable
  • Audible temperature alarms

At its most basic this freezer is large – that's the big feature here, no pun intended. But beyond that there are other extras like turbo freeze. This is a great feature that allows you to add lots of food at once and have the freezer pump cold air in faster to get back to temperature as quickly as possible. That means you will keep food at optimum freshness even if you're accessing the freezer and adding less cold food regularly. If you want to combine your freezer space into a larger appliance, check out the best side-by-side refrigerators for a more compact alternative.

The ability to lock this freezer is quite a unique trait. It means that you can leave this out in the garage and know that more expensive food items are protected. It's also great if you've got kids and you don't want them getting to the freezer without your permission.

An audible alarm is used for temperature alerts. This will go off if you leave the door open for too long. This is great if you are back and forward and forget to close the door. It means you won't waste energy and, potentially, food by leaving items to thaw out.

GE FUF21SMRWW freezer: Performance

  • Easy controls using electronic display
  • Simple access with slide-out drawers
  • Minimal maintenance

Just as you'd expect from a GE product, this freezer just works and it works well. That means from installation to maintenance it's easy. Yes, it's a large unit to get in place, but once that's done it couldn't be easier. Even the recommended maintenance is simply a clean once a year.

The electronic display on the front of the unit with touch controls makes it very easy to use. Big plus and negative icons are there to let you adjust temperature all the way down to minus six degrees. Then you have that turbo freeze, control lock and alarm reset controls. There really is no need to even look at the manual for this easy to use unit.

The slide out drawers are really helpful as they contain lots but are also see-through so you know what's there. Let's be honest, this is long term freezer storage, so chances are you've forgotten what is stored where. The drawers help make this less of a hassle. The shelves are also wide enough to get plenty on display without the need to dig around. 

Did we mention this is a frost-free freezer? Yup, it's super easy to use and maintain too.

Should I buy the GE FUF21SMRWW freezer?

If you're looking for a lot of storage space with the easy-access convenience of an upright freezer then this is for you. If you also want something that's easy to use and can be placed in the garage with minimal maintenance then the GE FUF21SMRWW freezer could be perfect.

If you want to save a bit of money then a chest freezer could be a viable alternative option. 

GE FUF21SMRWW freezer: Verdict

The GE FUF21SMRWW freezer is a great sized unit for those that want to store lots. Pull out drawers, wide shelves, minimal maintenance and turbo freeze mode are all really attractive features that make this a pleasure to use. 

This isn't a cheap freezer but you get what you pay for and this GE unit certainly delivers on that price, backed by a one year parts and labor warranty too. 

If you do need a more affordable alternative, check out the GE FCM16DLWW, which is extremely cheap to run.

Luke Edwards

Luke is a veteran tech journalist with decades of experience covering everything from TVs, power tools, science and health tech to VPNs, space, gaming and cars. You may recognize him from appearances on plenty of news channels or have read his words which have been published in most tech titles over the years. In his spare time (of which he has little as a father of two) Luke likes yoga, surfing, meditation, DIY and consuming all the books, comics and movies he can find.