Freezer Buying Guide

Freezers are refrigerated cabinets which are used for preserving food at very low temperatures. They help you make the most of your grocery purchases and aid with reducing food waste. Freezers are very helpful for meal preparation for a week as food can be safely stored for longer periods of time without spoiling. This is also useful for people who have cooked more than they can eat, or if you want to store food in anticipation of unsafe weather conditions or shop closures.

Types of Freezers

Freestanding

A freestanding freezer can be placed anywhere so long as there is a power socket. This versatility makes freestanding freezers ideal for households that need flexibility.

There are four different types of freestanding freezer. These include tall upright freezers, undercounter freezers, chest freezers and compact freezers. A tall upright freezer will give you the maximum space and it is full of plenty of compartments. An undercounter freezer does exactly what the name suggests. It fits under the counter and is great if you don’t need a lot of fridge space and would like a little more room in your kitchen. A chest freezer comes in a range of sizes and opens at the top. A compact freezer is the smallest of the lot and can be placed anywhere where there is an electricity supply.

Integrated

An integrated freezer is hidden behind a custom door panel. Integrated freezers are great for blending in with the rest of your room and aid in interior design. These freezers can come with either a sliding door hinge or a fixed hinge. The sliding door mechanism means that the cupboard door and freezer doors are on separate hinges, while a fixed hinge uses the one hinge and your freezer door is screwed directly to the cupboard door.

There are also two different types of integrated freezer. These include built-in or built-under freezers. Built-in freezers are built into existing kitchen units and are completely camouflaged by a custom panel door. These can be full-length or half-height sizes. Built-under freezers only come in half-height sizes and are placed under a kitchen counter. These are covered by a custom door and they are boxed in on the other sides and top.

Freezer Size

Freezers come in fairly standard sizes depending on the type you choose. Tall upright freezers range from 125-200cm in height, 54-60cm in width, and 60-70cm in depth. Under counter freezers are usually 80-85cm tall, 46-60cm wide, and 50-65cm deep. Chest freezers normally measure at 84-92cm high, 52-165cm in width, and 47-75cm in depth. Compact freezers are typically less than 50cm in height, width and depth. Built-in freezers are generally 130-178cm in height, 54-60cm in width, and 54-60cm in depth. Finally, built-under freezers range from 80-90cm in height, 59/60cm in width, and 54/55cm in depth.

Measuring For A New Freezer

If you already have a freezer, measure the height of the space from the floor in front of it, to the underside of the countertop over it. If you do not have a freezer already, measure in front of the space that you wish to install your new appliance.

You also need to measure the width of the space, and the depth. Don’t forget to measure anything that is within that space, such as pipes and electrical boxes, as these will need to be taken into consideration when you are installing your freezer. It is recommended to leave a few centimetres of space at the back of your appliance so that there is room to plug it in.

Energy Ratings

Energy ratings are a well-discussed feature and applies to any electrical appliance. Energy ratings are there to help make decisions based of the eco-friendliness and long-term running cost of the product. Appliances that are A-rated are very energy-efficient, while G-rated appliances use a lot of energy to run. These ratings are becoming increasingly important as the conversation surrounding global warming continues. The annual water and energy consumption should be taken into consideration if selecting an eco-friendly freezer is important to you.

Colour

Dark colours are easier to keep clean, while bright colours can make the environment look bigger. White is the classic colour for fridges and freezers. Stainless steel freezers also give you the best of both worlds and is easier to clean, is easy on the eye and can still give your home a spacious and modern feel to it. Stainless steel freezers tend to last longer as they are more durable.

Other Considerable Features

Frost-Free Technology

Frost-free technology uses a fan to keep the air inside the freezer moving continuously, thus preventing the formation of frost and ice in your freezer. This is great for preventing food from sticking to each other and for keeping your freezer clean. Defrosting the freezer is not an enjoyable task, and this function minimises the need to do it.

Fast Freeze

This function allows you to lower the temperature quickly. The faster freezing process means that the ice crystals that form are smaller. This allows the food to retain the vitamins, minerals and nutrients for longer. This feature is also very helpful if you left your freezer door open or if you are bringing frozen food home with the shopping, and need to save food that has begun to thaw out.

Open Door Warning

The open door warning does exactly what is says. If you leave the freezer door open, a warning sound will play to let you know. This means that you can save your food from being spoiled because of the door was accidentally left open.

Lock

Some consumers or businesses may require a lock on their freezer for security and insurance purposes. This function is also convenient if you have young children who may open the door and leave it open. This would ruin your food and increase your energy bills. The lock function is a simple solution.

Adjustable Compartments

Having adjustable compartments in your freezer mean that you can remove compartments to make room for larger foods, or add compartments to store more smaller foods. It gives great versatility for storing different types of foods over the course of time.

Winter Guard Technology

If your appliance is going to be stored in a colder environment such as a garage or shed, it may struggle to function properly due to the temperature. The winter guard technology acts as the solution to this problem and will ensure that your freezer works at any time of the year.

Brands

With such a large range of machines to choose from, we’ve made a list of some of our most trusted brands that have been proven to provide high-quality products.

• Whirlpool
• Hotpoint
• Indesit
• Powerpoint
• Nordmende
• Bosch