Cook UK

SOUPS

KIDS

WHICH FREEZER TYPE?
Many fridges (refrigerators) have ice boxes and some manufacturers claim these can freeze fresh food. Don't believe them! They simply don't have the capability to freeze fresh food quick enough.

There are two principal types of freezer, the upright (sometimes called reach-in) freezer and the chest (sometimes called dive-in) freezer. Each has its own pros and cons.

Chest Freezers
These are the freezers you see in shops. First, the main disadvantage of a chest freezer is that it is difficult to get to food stored at the bottom of the freezer.

As well as being difficult to get to some food, it also just as difficult to know exactly how long the food has been there! Always buy a chest freezer which has baskets that hang from the top. This allows the top food to be quickly removed giving access to food lower down.

 Depending on the size of your kitchen, the dimensions of a chest freezer may not be so practical when compared to an upright freezer. By their nature, chest freezers occupy more floor space when compared to an upright version. Remember also that chest freezers are always stand alone and are not sold as part of a fridge freezer combination.

Chest freezers do have many advantages though. The first obvious advantage is price. They are approximately half the price when compared to other freezers of similar capacity.

The second advantage is running costs. When you see chest freezers in shops (and you hardly ever see upright freezers in shops) they are often left uncovered. The reason for this is that cold air is heavier than warm air so the cold air tends to stay in a chest freezer. With an upright model, the minute you open the door, all that precious cold air pours out. So, in general, chest types are cheaper to run compared to upright types.

Upright Freezers
The come in three main types. The standalone, the stacked fridge-frrezer and the American style side-by-side. For clarity, the three types are shown below.

The fist advantage of an upright freezer (combined or stand alone) is the saving in floor space. Because they are higher than chest versions they occupy less floor space. Another advantage of their height is that more of the food is at eye level.

Another advantage is that more food is easily reachable because the compartments are stacked.

The first, and primary disadvantage is cost. Upright freezers cost nearly twice as much as a comparable chest version. The second disadvantage is that they cost slightly more to run because when the door is opened, cold air rushes out. This can be minimised though by a few seconds thought before opening the door.

GO BACK TO FREEZER COOKING INDEX

GO TO NEXT SECTION ON FREEZER COOKING