How to choose a freezer for your home

Today, food storage issues can be resolved with a high-quality freezer. Thanks to it, you can buy meat, fish and other goods for future use, without bothering yourself with going to stores every day. Also, the freezer will help you prepare vegetables, fruits, berries for the winter and, in general, will solve problems with preparing food for a large family.

That is why you should not skimp on such a useful assistant. And you certainly shouldn’t buy the first appliance you come across - it’s better to study the assortment and find a freezer that will definitely be an excellent help in everyday life. In this article we will look at tips for choosing a household freezer.

Types of freezers

All freezers are divided into two main types - vertical and horizontal. This is one of the most important parameters by which you need to choose this type of equipment. Each of them has its own pros and cons.

A vertical freezer looks like a refrigerator with compartments, which can be 3–8 depending on the height. They look like clear pull-out drawers, but sometimes you can find models with shelves. This is a great option for a small kitchen because vertical chambers take up little space.

Separate sections for storing meat, frozen vegetables, fish allow you to avoid unpleasant odors and mixing of different categories of products - they can always be distinguished. The useful volume of vertical freezers is 200–400 liters. For a family, models with a capacity of 200 liters are suitable, and for a summer residence you can find a cheaper option with a capacity of 70–80 liters.

A horizontal freezer is also known as a chest freezer. This is what you can see in many stores where they sell ice cream, seafood, and semi-finished products. They have a small height - most often 80–110 cm, but since they are quite wide, they are not compact. The smallest version has a volume of 100 liters.

Plus This type of freezer is that large amounts of food can be stored here. For example, a chest will fit a whole fish or pork on the bones - there will be no need to cut anything up and package it separately.

Minus The problem is that it is difficult to distinguish between products, although for this purpose the chests are equipped with special baskets that are hung from the body. But this is suitable for products that are used frequently.

Since all the contents are in one chamber, odors will mix, which may affect the quality of the prepared dishes. Of course, you can use packages, but these are still additional expenses that not everyone likes.

IMPORTANT! A vertical freezer is more suitable for home, and a horizontal freezer is more suitable for a restaurant, store, warehouse and other enterprises.

There are also stationary and built-in freezers. The only difference is the installation option. The built-in camera looks more aesthetically pleasing, and there are no gaps between it and other furniture.

Main settings

You can argue for a long time about which model is better, which type of camera is more convenient, but the main parameters always remain standard.It is recommended to pay attention to the following indicators when purchasing:

1. Volume – how much the camera can hold. In most options this is 100–500 liters. Many people immediately decide to buy equipment with the maximum volume, thinking that it may still be useful in the future. But this is not entirely correct, because the thing will clutter up the space, and electricity bills will become unreasonably high. For a family of four, a freezer with a capacity of up to 250 liters is usually sufficient.
2. Power – in most models it is 5–25 kg/day. For an ordinary family, 6–10 kg/day is enough.
3. Energy consumption – an important parameter, since the freezer will work almost continuously. Models, depending on this, are marked with Latin letters from A to E. The most popular are A+, A++. These classes ensure stable operation of equipment without excessive electricity consumption.

Additional functions

The good thing about modern freezers is that they have useful options that make storing food easier. So, a few solutions worth paying attention to:

• indicator light, which notifies you that the freezer door is open longer than necessary, allowing you to maintain a stable temperature;
• child protection – a special lock will avoid cases in which a child can open the freezer door himself;
• automatic cold storage – useful in case of frequent power outages, since even when the lights are turned off, the chamber will maintain the desired temperature for as long as possible, which is required to preserve food;
• extra freezing – an excellent solution for those who plan to freeze fresh foods, which retain more vitamins using this method.

It is also important to pay attention to the No-Frost function. Today it is available in almost all models. If a regular freezer needs to be turned off at least 1-2 times a year, defrosted and washed, removing all food, then in new versions it is the No-Frost system that removes moisture through the evaporator, and the chamber does not need to be defrosted.

TOP 3 best models

During this year, freezer models have clearly stood out and become the favorites of many buyers. The top three are as follows:

• Liebherr GP 1476 – the best compact freezer

Estimated cost: RUB 25,490.

Advantages:

1. capacity;
2. presence of several branches;
3. possibility of placement close to the wall, thanks to the front type of ventilation;
4. class A++ with low energy consumption;
5. high productivity – the ability to freeze up to 11 kg/day;
6. extra freezing mode and protection against excessive frost formation.

• ATLANTM7184-003 – the best budget freezer

Estimated cost: RUB 16,780.

Advantages:

1. capacity at low cost;
2. extra freezing mode;
3. reliability;
4. ease of operation;
5. efficiency;
6. no noise during operation.

• Liebherr IGN2756 – the best built-in freezer

Estimated cost: RUB 18,120. 

Advantages:

1. shelves are made of heavy-duty glass;
2. freezing at high power – up to 14 kg/day;
3. light and sound signal about malfunctions;
4. class A++;
5. low noise level;
6. wide door opening;
7. Maintains temperature for up to 34 hours.

For those who like to stock up on food for future use and not bother going to stores, a high-quality freezing chamber is a profitable option. Invest in equipment that will help you save money in the future!