Maximizing and Organizing Your Small Freezer Storage. How I did it.

(*This post was originally written in 2008. It's been updated in 2025)

Are you wanting to organize that freezer space attached to your refrigerator? While small it is mighty and can hold quite a bit. But you have to use a few methods to maximize the space.

I'm assuming you have a refrigerator with a freezer either on the top or on the bottom.

You need it to hold a multitude of food items to feed your family with.

Early on in my marriage I was struggling with this same thing. At that time I only had the small freezer space above my refrigerator. I was already starting to prepare freezer meals and freeze produce from my small garden so I needed to maximize this space.

As small as it was. My small freezer, that dinky thing hovering above my refrigerator, held a multitude of meals and ingredients.

Back in the olden days (2008) I didn’t have a chest or stand alone freezer. I really wanted one but we were living in an apartment where we didn't realize (learned we could later) that we could have a chest freezer and at the time it was just learning about how to use my freezer. But as I learned I really tried to make the most of that small space (which then inspired my husband to get us a chest freezer).

Not only did I keep frozen foods like veggies and meat in there I also kept pre-made dinners, excess butter, frozen celery and parsley, frozen tomato paste, cookie dough and much more. I put that freezer to work! I got a lot of comments from friends and family so I think I was doing okay.

True I had to be innovative in getting it all in there but I did it. And here’s how I made it work (these days my freezer situation has changed quite a bit but we can talk about that at another time).

First: Containerize

When you have a small freezer it pays to use boxes and bins to containerize items and keep them in their little respective spots in the freezer.

I use a variety of containers. I have some glass storage containers for specific foods. I also use glass mason jars for broths, soups, and other liquid type items. And then, if things are still in their original packaging I might put various items together in a larger container.

You can see examples of this (minus the mason jars which are in the little pull out drawer above this one) above in the picture.

I like to use plastic bins from the dollar store for some low cost organizing but depending on the type of plastic you use, some plastic bins can crack after a short while in the freezer. I have found some success with repurposing cardboard boxes. And recently I picked up some wire baskets specifically made for the upright freezer (do some measuring first to make sure you have the right size for your space). I haven't placed them yet but that's coming.

Second: Use a Vacuum Sealer

My second tip for maximizing your small (we're talking the little one above the fridge or the one at the bottom of your refrigerator) freezer space is to remove the air that is taking up valuable freezer real estate.

Not only will removing the air give you more space but it will help prevent freezer burn.

There are several ways to do this and they don't always require an expensive machine. I did have a FoodSaver when I first wrote this article but it eventually died and I haven't purchased a new one…yet. I say yet because I always meant to get a replacement. But these days there are so many new options on the market I just haven't gotten around to it.

I froze most everything in the vacuum storage bags. Once the air is out of the bags you can get a ton of them in the fridge. I used these for soups, sauces, marinating meats, my tomato, and parsley ice cubes, my celery, bread crumbs and whatever else will fit in there. I didn't like that once the bags were opened you couldn't reseal but Foodsaver recently came out with a mini version Vacuum Sealer that includes bags you can reseal.

Here are some other options for removing the air in your freezer packaged foods.

• Vacuum Seal Food storage containers. I have these in my kitchen. I'm slowly moving away from glass but I do have this full kit and love it for the fridge and freezer. It's a manual pump which is nice.
• I also have a hand held vacuum sealer (the one I have is no longer for sale) that can be used with vacuum sealer bags.

Much of what I freezer are proteins, freezer meals, garden product, and grains. The containers above are the ones I use for meals. The first one freezes bagged soups or liquids in a rectangular brick. The second item is what I use to hold the bags for filling. The third is my new love, the souper cubes container. This one is for 2 cup portions. It wasn't cheap but I want more. My recommendation is to get the brand name (that's what I have above). Reports are that knockoffs retain odors and break down faster. And the last item is a silicone container that I use to make freezer squares concoctions of soothing drinks for cold and flu. It's not a soupercube

How to Choose what to Freeze

If you only have a smaller freezer it's important to be particular about what you freeze. While ice cream takes top billing after that you want to make sure you save that valuable real estate for the most necessary.

• Meat: Beef, chicken, fish, even pork. To make the most of meat in your freezer space look into freezer meals.
• Cheese: Cheese is one of those things that you can stock up on when it goes on sale. And then you can freeze it.
• Fruits and Vegetables: If you garden or your grocery store has great sales on produce at the end of the summer you may want to freeze some for those winter soups and dishes.

Extra Freezer Maximizing Tips

• Get to know what kinds of foods can be frozen (pretty much anything but some need a little processing first).
• Use safe defrosting methods to make sure your food does not spoil during the thawing process.
• Write on your freezer bags so you know what is in there.
• Keep a freezer inventory. Update it weekly.
• Fill your freezer. A full freezer is actually more efficient. And if you ever lose power the full freezer will stay cold longer.
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
• General Frozen Food Guidelines

So that’s about it for what I do to get the most out of my small freezer.

More Kitchen Organizing

Cleaning and Reorganizing the Pantry

A Clean and Organized Kitchen

Cook Faster By Being More Organized

Cleaning Your Refrigerator

Freezer Inventory Printable