The Kenmore 16959 chest freezer features sharp looks and a nice design, plus a great medium-size capacity.

It seems like such a simple thing: Offer a chest freezer in a color other than the ubiquitous white. Sears has done this with this Kenmore model; it comes in black and looks more like a trunk than a freezer. This is a freezer that looks so good that it doesn't have to be relegated to the garage or basement; this model is so good-looking that it can even blend well into a family room!

The 16959 has a total of 8.8 cubic feet of space inside; this is enough room to hold extra frozen goods for a large family, but it won't take up an enormous amount of floor room like larger models. The 16959 is also energy-efficient; it uses just 294 kWh of electricity a year, which means that you can operate this freezer for a mere $26 a year, so you can have a good amount of extra freezer space in your home for a little more than $2 a month.

The interior of the 16959 is nicely featured. It is a manual defrost model, which means that a few times a year, you'll need to take your food out of it and clear out the frost that accumulates inside. The inside of this unit is a large space with no shelving, but it has two lift-out quarter-width sturdy plastic baskets that sit at the top of the freezer and provide a great space for smaller and often-used items. The 16959 also has an interior light to help you store and access foods, as well as a power-on light to let you know that the freezer is working. This model also has a security lock as well as a great temperature alarm that gives a very loud signal when the temperature of the interior compartment rises above freezing.

Kenmore's model 16959 is stylish, functional chest freezer. It also gives buyers a new exterior appearance option.


Pros: New black exterior, stylish, bright interior lighting, good value
Cons: Needs periodic defrosting

Warranty
1 year, parts and labor