Freezers and chests: how to choose the best model for home

There is a refrigerator in every home today. However, with the onset of autumn, the space in the refrigerator’s freezer is sorely lacking: a few berries, mushrooms, apples, herbs, vegetables ... There is a solution - buy a freezer.

Freezer or chest freezer: what to choose for home use?

Choosing a freezer for the home is a complicated and responsible matter. Let's consider in more detail varieties of freezers.

So, there are two types of freezers:

1. Vertical.
2. Horizontal

A vertical freezer (refrigerator) looks like a familiar refrigerator. Its height can vary from half a meter to two. Volume - from 65 to 305 liters. Inside the freezer is divided into sections with drawers. The type of opening, design and volume of the containers may vary, but the drawers are always isolated from each other. Thanks to this, the products will not absorb the aromas of the “neighbors” in the chamber, which is very convenient if you are going to freeze not only meat and fish, but also berries. The presence of drawers reduces the useful area of ​​the cabinet, but this is offset by comfort.

Upright freezer looks like a standard refrigerator

The horizontal freezer (chest freezer) is slightly more compact. The chest door opens up. Such a technique will cost less than a vertical freezer. In the chest, the space is divided by trellis boxes.

In this case, isolation is out of the question: all the aromas are mixed. But if you plan to freeze only meat, the chest will be an excellent choice. Compactness allows you to find a place for the device even in a small kitchenette, garage or in the country, and during the period of uselessness the chest can be put into a cupboard. The chest holds more than a cupboard per unit volume. The volume of refrigerated chests varies from 100 to 500 liters.

The horizontal freezer is divided into mesh sections

Net volume of the freezer

When choosing a freezer, pay attention to the volume that the freezer holds. It can be general and useful.

General is a value that does not include drawers and gratings. With an increase in the total volume, the internal volume also increases.

Useful volume is the place where the products will be placed. You can see this value in the technical data sheet of the device. For a family of 2-4 people, a useful volume of 150-200 liters will be optimal.

Freezer: defrost system

When operating the freezer, the user will definitely encounter a situation when the unit must be defrosted. For the freezer, these are two options - manual defrosting or the No Frost system.

Manual defrosting implies that once a year it will be necessary to turn off the freezer and free it from frozen ice and ice, if any. The first step is to take out all the products, then wait until complete thawing, rinse and wipe dry all the parts.

If such manipulations are not inspiring, it is better to look at models with the No Frost function. This technology does not allow hoarfrost to accumulate inside the camera. The user is only required to sometimes turn off the device to maintain cleanliness in it.

This function has a couple of minuses. Firstly, it increases the price of the device. Secondly, foods lose moisture and become dehydrated.The problem is solved by packing products in cling film.

By the way, freezers with the No Frost function consume more electricity than their counterparts with manual defrost.

The presence of the No Frost system in the freezer

Additional functions of freezers

When choosing, it is necessary to take into account the additional functions that some models of freezers have.

1. Climatic class - the ability of the device to function normally in a room with a certain temperature. For our latitudes, the following parameters are suitable: SN - normal (from +10 to +32 degrees) and N - subnormal (from +16 to + 32 degrees).
2. Temperature mode - it is customary to display it on the outside of the freezer with asterisks - from one to five. Asterisks indicate the ability of the device to reach a certain temperature and maintain it for a while:

* - 6 degrees, storage time - a week;

** - 12 degrees, up to 30 days;

*** - 18 degrees, up to 3 months;

**** - below -18 degrees, up to one year;

***** - the presence of the function of deep freezing. It is this function that allows you to freeze fresh food to the desired temperature in a minimum amount of time.

1. The function of autosave the cold when there is a power outage - plastic batteries will save cold thanks to the liquid inside, which slowly cools and heats up, giving off heat to the freezer.
2. Surge protection will not allow the device to burn out in case of power surges.
3. The control system can be manual and mechanical. Mechanical has a higher regulation accuracy. The electronic display with indicator lights is not only convenient for the user, but also looks stylish. Indicators signal the operation mode of the device, a problem in the form of an open door. The storage calendar will tell you exactly where the product is located, how long it should be bookmarked, and by what date it should leave the freezer. The most expensive models of freezers have a self-diagnosis mode and access to the network.
   

   Electronic freezer display

4. The lock function is indispensable if there are small children in the house. This button blocks the display of the freezer from accidental random clicks, protecting the device from failures.
5. Removable door - freezers with this option are very convenient to use, especially freezers. You can choose which way the door will open. Accordingly, it will be much easier to find a place for the unit in the kitchen.
6. The extra-freeze mode in the freezer performs the same function as the auto-cooling mode in the refrigerator. When a new batch of products is put into the freezer, a sharp increase in temperature occurs in it, which can adversely affect other products. If you turn on the shock freezing function a couple of hours before, the temperature in the chamber will decrease and the rest of the contents will not be damaged when a new batch is added.

With the No Frost system, berries never freeze into a block

Freezer Operation

Proper use of the freezer will extend its life. The operating rules for a particular model are in the technical passport. The following nuances apply to all models without exception:

1. Temperature control The temperature inside the freezer depends on many factors: how much heat is in the room, the degree of utilization of the device, the frequency of opening the door, the location of the unit, etc. To control the temperature, either a mechanical thermostat, or buttons and a display are used. If everything is clear with the latter, then with the mechanical one the user prefers to deal with trial and error. The division "1" of the thermostat is equal to the highest temperature, the division "7" is the lowest. After setting the thermostat to a certain position, the temperature of the chamber will be maintained automatically.
2. Switch between camera modes. There are, in fact, only two of them: “Storage” and “Freezing”. The “Storage” mode ensures the safety of frozen foods and the full freezing of fresh foods - usually four kilograms.If you need to qualitatively freeze a large batch of fresh products, you should enable the "Freeze" mode. After a day, the mode must be changed to "Storage", just turn off the freeze.
3. Placing contents in the freezer. The upper compartments of the device should be used both for freezing and for storing food, while the lower compartments should be used for storing frozen ingredients. It is necessary to carefully monitor the migration of products in boxes, so that previously frozen foods are less likely to come into contact with freshly laid ones.
4. Defrosting and cleaning the camera. If, during the operation of the freezer, a snow cover of more than three millimeters appears in it that cannot be removed with a special spatula, the freezer must be turned off to defrost. Snow cover increases the consumption of electrical energy. To defrost a chamber:

• disconnect the device from the network;
• select the contents of the freezer;
• put a water tank and open the door;
• wash the camera and wipe dry.

Be sure to rinse the seal and the seal contact area with the door!

The unit can only be defrosted using a spatula so that melt water does not degrade the heat-insulating properties!

If you plan to turn off the camera for a long time, the door should be left ajar to avoid a musty smell.

Important Options When Choosing a Home Freezer

The most important parameters when choosing a freezer are volume, power, freezing class and power consumption.

The volume of the freezer can be from 100 to 500 liters. For an average family of 2-4 people, optimal is 150-250 liters, on the principle of 50-100 liters per family member, but this is an individual characteristic.

The power of the unit is measured by the sum of products frozen per day. For an average family of 3 people, 6.5-10.5 kg per day will be enough, but this, again, is individual.

The energy class is very important, because the unit will consume electricity continuously. On any camera there is an icon of a class of energy consumption from "A" to "E". The most economical is the class “A” (“A +”, “A ++”, “A +++”).

Energy Efficiency Classification of Freezers

The freezing class is the minimum temperature that the camera can reach. It is indicated by the number of stars in the freezer. One star equals 6 degrees below zero Celsius. For a home appliance, 3-4 stars are optimal, which corresponds to 18-24 degrees below zero.

How to choose a freezer in the house

A few tips based on consumer feedback on how to choose the right freezer for your home:

• Before buying the unit, make sure that the handle is reliable and convenient enough;
• the chamber should not have hard-to-reach areas for cleaning. In modern appliances, it is possible to temporarily remove the door seal and wash it. Antibacterial coating will be a nice bonus to maintain the cleanliness of the unit;
• some models are equipped with carbon filters to purify the air in the chamber;
• the presence of a tray for freezing convenience foods is perfect for fans of cooking;
• some models are equipped with a special compartment for freezing water;
• the noise level of freezers varies from 40 to 46 dB. If you plan to put the freezer close to the bedroom, you should make sure that the noise will not interfere with rest;
• Before buying, you should check the availability of a service center nearby.

What foods are suitable for freezing

Rating of the most popular models 2017-2018

A brief overview of the five most bought models of freezers for 2018-1018:

1. Atlant M 7184-080 is a Class A energy-efficient camera. Dimensions 60 x 63 x 150 cm, total volume 240 liters. Product loading with a total weight of 20 kg can be made after 12 hours of cooling. There is a possibility of a door overweight. Standalone cold preservation up to 14 hours. Electromechanical control, defrosting - manual. The device is low noise - 42 dB. The only drawback is the fragile drawer compartments.
   

   Atlas M 7184-080

2. Vestfrost VFTT 1451 W is one of the most compact freezers (54 x 61.5 x 83.8 cm). The total volume is 80 liters. A very quiet (33dB) and energy-efficient class A + freezer will allow you to freeze up to 7.5 kg of food per day. Management is intuitive, manual defrosting. Powered by a single compressor. Battery life up to 14 hours. One minus is the lack of a panel and indicator lights.
   

   Westfrost VFTT 1451W

3. Saratov 154 (MSH-90) is one of the most inexpensive and compact (48 x 59 x 87.5 cm) freezers on the Russian market. The total volume is 94 liters. Quite quiet device, freezes up to 9 kg of food per day. There is a super-freeze mode. Management is simple and affordable, the mode of operation is reflected by LEDs. The disadvantage is high power consumption, since the device belongs to class B.
   

   Saratov 154 (MSh-90)

4. Gorenje F 6091 AW - stands out from others in that it can maintain a temperature of 24 degrees below zero for 50 hours! Offline mode is approximately 17 hours. There is an extra-freeze mode. Energy consumption is moderate, class A + device. Manual defrosting. The total volume is 99 liters. The device is compact (60 x 60 x 85 cm) and quite quiet - 39 dB. The only drawback is the formation of snow with frequent opening of the door.
   

   Gorenje F 6091 AW

5. Liebherr GN 4113 is a high (69.7 x 75 x 194.7 cm) and economical in terms of electricity (class A ++) unit in which up to 26 kg of food can be frozen at a time. The total volume of the freezer is 406 liters. No frost mode will facilitate the operation of the device. There is a sound indicator of an open door and elevated temperature, express freeze function. The freezer provides a choice of door installation. The only drawback is that after closing the door you will have to wait a couple of minutes before opening it again.

Liebherr GN 4113

The choice of a freezer should be approached with all responsibility, and when choosing, do not forget about the rules of operation of the device. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the technical operation manual before installing and initial use of the freezer.