See our September 2009 report on freezers for news on and ratings of the latest models (ratings available to subscribers) and read our free buyer's guide for freezers and shopping advice for refrigerators. (The photo shows freezer testing in our labs.)
Now's also a great time to freeze summer produce in your refrigerator's freezer or stand-alone freezer, whether it's the bounty from your own garden or fruits and vegetables you pick up or at local farm stands.
Some vegetables aren't freezer friendly because they become limp and soggy when thawed. The do-not-freeze list includes celery, endive, lettuce, parsley, radishes, and nonmarinated cabbage and cucumbers, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, which offers advice on freezing dozens of different foods. You'll learn other ways to freeze fruits and vegetables and prevent freezer burn and odors from permeating produce with this advice from the University of Minnesota Exentsion. Cook's Illustrated also offers a PDF with step-by-step freezing information.
Once you've prepared your food for freezing, keep the freezer temperature at 0°F or lower, since foods lose their quality faster when stored at higher temperatures. Place produce in the coldest spot in the freezer and next to refrigerated surfaces. And leave a little space between packages to allow the air to circulate. After the food has frozen, pack it more closely together, which frees up space for more items.—Kimberly Janeway | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook
Essential information: Learn more about the federal government's State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, aka cash for clunkers for appliances.
I'm curios to know about freezer/refrigerator dynamics. It's my understanding that overfilling a frig, for example, and restricting air circulation reduces its effectiveness and efficiency. Any inputs might be valuable.
I have recently heard that using a chest freezer, turned to about 40 F, is a very efficient alternative to a refrigerator.
I have a 7 year old upright freezer that needs repair. At what price point should I just replace it instead?
I was told a manual freezer is better than an automatic defrost is this true?
to Anneve
Manual defrost freezers are less expensive to buy and to run (they are more energy efficient) than the frost-free types. Manual freezers cause less freezer burn due to a more constant temperature. (Frost-free types have an on/off temperature fluctuation that prevents frost.)
It does take time to empty, defrost and dry a manual-defrost freezer. You just have to weigh cost and energy efficiency versus convenience.
When freezer temperature is set to average 0°F, what spread of temperature should I expect between freezer turn on and turn off temperatures?
Can the new chest freezers be placed in a garage? We live in SD and the winters are cold and the summers are hot. I have a freezer that is 20 years old and it works fine in the garage. Sales people are telling me that the new freezers cannot be placed in a garage. Please advise. Thanks.
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