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How to Choose a Freezer for Home
by Donald Grummett
The average household freezer is a silent slave. It operates year in and
year out, requiring nothing other than a constant supply of electricity.
Eventually, though it may need to be replaced.
The following are a few considerations that will allow you to make an
informed decision about its purchase.
Most consumers have only a few concerns (other than price) when
purchasing a freezer:
1 … What size do I require?
2 … How much electricity will it consume?
3 … What (if any)options do I need?
Size
Size of course depends upon your needs. Generally though, most people
purchase too large a freezer. They base their judgement upon perceived
usages rather than real usage. Their reasoning is: We “might” need a
larger one in case there “may be” a special at the grocery store on
something. The reality though is that most freezers end up being
operated only half full.
Also, remember that all frozen foods should be consumed within six
weeks. Foods stored longer than that can become dehydrated no matter how
well wrapped. As the moisture leaves the food both taste and nutritional
value will be lowered. So anything stored longer than six weeks will
probably end up being thrown out. As an example, how much ice cream have
you thrown away because ice crystals started to form inside the package?
That ice forming inside the package is dehydration at work.
Therefore, when trying to decide how big a freezer to purchase we
suggest using what we call the “six week rule”.
To use this rule you first approximate how much “frozen” food your
family consumes in a six-week period. Then envision how much space those
items would require if stacked on your kitchen counter. That will give
you an idea of the physical size of freezer you require.
Lastly, don’t forget that the chest style freezer will require twice the
floor space of an upright. This may be an important factor if you live
in an apartment.
Electricity consumed
Although freezers are efficient consumers of electricity they will
definitely increase your electrical bill.
An upright freezer consumes more electricity. This is because every time
it is opened the cold air spills out onto the floor. Consequently, it
runs more frequently. Also today’s uprights are often frost free, which
by their nature consume much more electricity. So we have to pay for the
advantage of not having to defrost it.
Chest freezers are more efficient consumers of electricity because the
cold air lies inside even though the lid is lifted to access the
contents. But, chest types are manual and will need to be shut down and
defrosted once a year.
Are there ways to lower the electrical consumption of our freezers?
Perhaps.
To lower electrical consumption some people only use their freezer
seasonally. During summer and fall, when freshly grow food is available,
they clean out the freezer and turn it off. It is started back up again
for winter and spring usage. This practise is common with gardeners who
primarily want to store their fall vegetables. Seniors also do this
because getting out in the winter is more difficult. Therefore they use
a freezer to reduce the number of trips to the grocery store.
Some people are now suggesting a practice called freezer blocking to
lower consumption. This entails filling any unused space in the freezer
with blankets or boxes of insulation. The theory is that only the food
area would be cooled because air circulation is being blocked off from
unused sections. The smaller the space being cooled, the less the
freezer should operate.
Others suggest filling unused space with containers of water. They would
become frozen and act as a thermal media that in theory would lower the
run time of the freezer. The jury is still out on these ideas. To me
seems like an over reaction by people who bought too large a freezer in
the first place.
Options required
Since most freezers are relegated to the basement they are not an
appliance that needs to look pretty. Neither do most consumers feel a
necessity for them to have many options. Most are simply regarded as
large storage boxes where frozen foods are kept for later usage.
Recently though manufacturers they have been offering a few more
options. Things such as frost free, built in alarms, digital temperature
displays, push button controls, and quick freeze are now on the market.
All options on a freezer can serve a purpose but must be offset with the
possibility of increased complexity. The more complex a device the more
possibility of it breaking down. Plus, along with complexity usually
comes increased cost.
One of the more unusual things you will see comes from Haier America. It
is a chest style freezer with a pull out drawer at the bottom. The upper
half is a basic chest freezer for long term storage. The lower half
allows quick access via a drawer that slides out. The idea is that the
drawer section is for items that need to be frozen – but will be used
within a few days.
Summing Up
Food preferences have changed significantly in the last decade. We are
eating less beef and more poultry and vegetables. Consequently,
consumers now store less than 50 pounds of beef at any time.
Twenty years ago freezers sold would average fifteen to twenty cubic
feet. Today the most popular size for a freezer is seven to twelve cubic
feet. Again a reflection upon the fact that more people are consuming
fresh foods rather than frozen.
• Household freezers come in either a chest style or an upright style.
• If you are looking for convenience, then the upright freezer is for
you. Obviously, its design allows you to get to the food easily. Simply
reaching into an upright requires less flexibility than leaning into a
chest freezer.
• Chest freezers tend to be more efficient to operate and consume less
electricity.
• Chest freezers are usually manual and will need to be defrosted once
per year. Many upright freezers though are self-defrosting.
• If you expect to use the freezer for long-term storage a chest is
better because they operate at a lower temperature than an upright.
So it is time to finally make that choice of what to buy. Hopefully,
some of the ideas above will help you make an informed decision.
Remember to take a close look at the Energuide before purchasing. It
offers a lot of information to help with an informed decision. But more
on the Energuide in future issues.
Copyright 2005 by Donald Grummett. All right reserved.
In the trade over 30 years as a technician, business owner, and
technical trainer. For more information about appliances including
Frequently Asked Questions, Stain guide, Newsletter, and Recycling visit
http://www.mgservices.ca
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Grummett
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