Optimal temperature for storing food in the freezer

Any household refrigerator has a compartment for storing frozen foods at low temperatures. The freezer is the main consumer of electrical energy of the device. The intensity of consumption is directly related to the temperature of the chamber - the lower the temperature, the greater the energy consumption.

You can find the answer to the question of what temperature should be maintained in the freezer by studying this article.

Temperature standards for food storage

Manufacturers of household refrigeration appliances make devices that can maintain different temperatures in freezers. Normally, it is in the range: -6-25 ºС.
Moreover, the vast majority of models by default have a normal temperature range of -18 ºС.

The fact is that European concerns that produce household appliances use a classification of freezers according to temperature zones with a range of 6 ºС, designating each of them with the symbol “*” (asterisk). The number of stars characterizes the maximum freezing capacity of the appliance. For example, if there are 3 stars on the refrigerator, then it is capable of cooling down to -18 ºС.

The exception is the designation “****”.It also corresponds to a minimum cooling of -18 ºС, but is provided for devices of a different category.

The refrigerator compartment is designed for short-term storage of food that will be eaten or prepared in the near future. If food is stored for future use, the storage time can be increased by placing it in the freezer.

What is the optimal temperature for storing food?

Let's look at how temperature affects the storage time of some products:

1. Meat. At temperatures close to zero degrees, a meat product can only wait a couple of days to be cooked. Freshly frozen meat can be stored at -8–12 ºС for a week, and at -14–18 ºС for as long as 5–6 months. At the same time, meat products are able to retain their consumer qualities for 3 months if frozen to -18–22 ºС;
2. Fish. The shelf life of frozen fish varies greatly. The recommended storage temperature for fish is – 18 ºС. At this temperature, fish should be stored for 3 to 12 months, depending on its belonging to a particular family and freezing technology. For example, fish of the cod family will not lose their nutritional value for 8 months, as well as river inhabitants such as pike perch, carp, perch, pike, etc. - only six months. You can learn more about the rules for storing frozen fish by studying GOST 1168-86. When the temperature rises to -10 ºС, the shelf life is reduced by half;
3. Vegetables can be stored at -18 ºС for six months or a year. If they remain frozen further, although they will not deteriorate, they will lose their beneficial properties. The safety of the latter is largely due to the cooling mode.In the case of shock freezing - a sharp drop in temperature to -40 degrees - the resulting ice crystals are so small that they are not able to disrupt the structure of cells;
4. Berries and fruits are stored in much the same way as vegetables. The period of freezing, during which they will not begin to lose useful substances, is 8–12 months.
5. Margarine. If for some reason you decide to stock up on margarine, know: within the range of 0–10 ºС it will “live” 45–75 days, and at -10–20 ºС – 60–90 days, i.e. 2 times longer, than if it were placed in the refrigerator compartment. Some foods are not meant to be placed in the freezer. This will not lead to an increase in their shelf life, but to the impossibility of further use. A typical example is chicken eggs.

How to regulate temperature

To change the temperature regime, the refrigerator or freezer has control systems. They are mechanical (toggle switches, rotating dials or knobs with marked divisions, etc.) or sensory (a set of electronic panel and control buttons).

The rules for changing settings are described in detail in the operating instructions included with any device.

How to find out how many degrees there are in the freezer?

The current temperature value can be found on the display or by placing a thermometer with a sufficiently long negative scale inside the chamber.

Fast Freeze Function

A number of refrigerator models have a quick freezing function. When activated, the device switches to maximum intensity mode and quickly reaches the set temperature level. Once it is reached, the freezer usually returns to its normal operating mode.
This function can be useful when you need to quickly freeze fresh food added in large quantities, as well as when you turn on the device.

Recommendations for storing food in the freezer

To ensure that your freezing unit lasts a long time and the food stored in it does not have time to deteriorate, it is recommended to follow a number of simple rules:

• Do not place warm or hot items in the freezer;
• Try not to load the chamber with a large number of objects with high specific heat capacity at once;
• Pay attention to the expiration date, sign the packages with the date of packing of fruits and vegetables stored for the winter;
• First use food in packages that have lost their seal;
• Defrost the chamber in a timely manner if ice forms on the surface of the evaporator, and also thoroughly wipe it from food residues.