With regards to defrosting, the upright I used to have had terrible seals, so would have to defrost twice a year (used to do it every Christmas; once in December, and once in June). The chest freezer isn't a frost free I don't think, and I have only defrosted it once (as in got bored, emptied its contents into cooler shopping bags, and chipped and scraped the built up ice off without so much as turning the freezer off) in about eight months... But it really didn't even need it!