What to choose for home use: a freezer or a cabinet

As you browse through supermarkets on a daily basis, one cannot help but notice the abundance of frozen fruit and vegetable options, all packaged enticingly. It’s tempting to want to try them all, especially when certain produce is "out of season"! However, the cost can be prohibitive, particularly if you’re looking to buy in bulk.

But fear not! There is a solution to avoid overpaying for a kilogram of berries – investing in a home freezer or freezer-cabinet. Sure, it may seem like a hefty expense at first, but trust me, it’s a worthwhile purchase. With a spacious freezer at your disposal, you can stock up on buckets of seasonal fruits and vegetables, take advantage of wholesale prices for meat, or even go fishing. Imagine the joy of enjoying fresh produce all year round!

Freezer chest or cabinet: features of models, advantages and disadvantages

In the past, freezer lars were mostly encountered in supermarkets and ice cream carts. However, nowadays there is a wide variety of these appliances available in stores for home use. To ensure you make an informed decision, it is important to consider the distinctive features of each model.

Freezer

Household freezers are comparable to the refrigerators found in stores for ice cream, dumplings, or fish. They are spacious units with a single chamber and a horizontal loading mechanism for food items. Inside the chamber, there are several drawers of varying sizes located on top, perfect for storing medium-sized items. Towards the bottom, there is a large container capable of accommodating half a carcass or numerous buckets of bulk fruits.

Home Freezer Chests

When it comes to home use, freezer chests are designed with an opaque lid, eliminating the need to constantly consider the contents inside.

Advantages of Freezer Chests:

• Horizontal Loading: This specific method of arranging products helps to maintain the cold temperature within the appliance. According to the laws of physics, cold air remains at the bottom while warm air rises. As a result, moisture doesn’t accumulate, preventing the quick formation of frost, damage to frozen food, and the need for frequent defrosting.
• Larger Capacity: Despite having similar external dimensions, freezer chests offer a significantly higher product capacity compared to freezer cabinets. This is because freezer cabinets allocate some of their capacity for features like No Frost and freezing equipment.

• The freezer chest provides excellent thermal insulation, ensuring high levels of cold retention. Even if the rubber bands wear out, the lid fits tightly and keeps the temperature inside.
• Energy efficiency is a key feature of the freezer chest. The single chamber design with high thermal insulation allows for lower power consumption, reducing the need for a strong compressor. Many models now have energy-saving ratings such as A+ or A+++.
• When it comes to affordability, freezer chests are a great option. They are significantly cheaper than vertical freezers, making them a cost-effective choice for many households.
• One downside of freezer chests is that they can take up a lot of space in your home. However, their large capacity also means they can accommodate a substantial amount of food for long-term storage.
• Freezer chests are designed for storing products for extended periods of time, rather than being accessed multiple times a day. They excel at maintaining a consistent temperature and are great for preserving food.
• Storage organization can be a challenge with freezer chests. While the top part allows for better organization with separate drawers, the bottom section often requires digging through everything in bulk. This can make it difficult to find specific items without rearranging the contents.

Freezer cabinets

Externally, freezer cabinets resemble typical refrigerators that people are accustomed to. However, their interior features shelves equipped with sliding small drawers. This vertical method of food storage is commonly utilized.

A freezer cabinet

• Occupies less space in the house. Depending on the size, freezer cabinets can be installed on the kitchen wall, placed on the balcony, or fit in a corridor niche.
• Allows for easy organization of food. With multiple drawers, it’s easy to categorize food items on each shelf.
• Designed for frequent use and perfect for large families.
• Equipped with two compressors. Many cabinet chambers have two built-in compressors. They work together during high influx of fresh food, and during winter, one compressor and part of the chamber can be turned off to save energy.
• Vertical loading leads to moisture build-up and quick frost formation.
• Not as cost-effective as chest freezers.
• The level of frost production and energy consumption increases depending on how tightly the door is closed, with a greater lag in the rubber band;
• The cost is quite high.

What to choose for the house: freezer cabinet or chest?

In order to make a decision between the two models, it is important to evaluate their respective features and consider how crucial they are in the specific scenario at hand.

For a family of two people, 100-liter refrigerators are appropriate. In these situations, it is advisable to opt for built-in refrigerators that are installed in the kitchen wall. A capacity of 150 liters will be necessary for a household of three. For larger families, 300 liters will suffice. Refrigerators with a capacity of 500 liters are quite large and it is not recommended to have them in a residential setting. During the "off-season," they will remain empty and consume unnecessary energy, not to mention the amount of space they occupy.

Important! The nominal capacity of the refrigerator refers to the entire chamber volume, while the useful capacity refers specifically to the space that can be used to store products.

Autonomous cold storage

This is an extremely valuable function for country house freezers, where there is a high likelihood of frequent power outages.

An essential component for quickly freezing large amounts of food without causing harm to the internal composition. It is employed for extended preservation, as defrosting such reserves can be a time-consuming procedure.

Electricity consumption

Various ratings like A, A+, A++, A+++ are used to indicate different levels of energy efficiency of household appliances. On the other hand, appliances with ratings of B and C consume a significant amount of electricity, making them unsuitable for home use.

Control system

The control system comes in three different types:

• Manual control: In this mode, temperature and other settings can be adjusted manually.
• Electromechanical control: This type of control system allows for more precise temperature settings.
• Electronic control: This system is equipped with an electronic display that shows the device’s operating mode.

A visual display showcasing the current operating mode.

Defrosting method

Manual defrosting involves occasionally turning off the freezer (once a year) and emptying the melted water into a container.

Automatic defrosting, on the other hand, involves freezers being equipped with extra devices and No Frost programs that enable the appliances to remove moisture while in use, but this can reduce the available space inside the freezer.

Freezing temperature

The ideal option is variant t-18-240°C – designated as ***. Freezers labeled with one * or two ** are capable of freezing food to -12 0°C.

Capacity refers to the quantity of food that the appliance can freeze without causing damage or thawing other items within a specific timeframe. An ideal capacity for devices with 80 – 100 liters is typically around 4 – 5 kg, while freezers with 150 liters can handle approximately 10 – 11 kg. For objects with a capacity of 200 liters, the ideal capacity can go up to 16 kg.

Review of the best freezer chests and freezer cabinets

Liebherr, LG, AEG, Bosch, Kaiser, Ardo, Vestfrost are renowned manufacturers of freezer equipment known for their reliability and durability. On the other hand, it is not recommended to purchase freezer models from Chinese brands such as Delfa, Saturn, and DEX. For those on a budget, Atlant or Nord are excellent options for high-quality cameras.

VESTFROST VD 285 FNA W

Introducing the VESTFROST VD 285 FNA W cabinet freezer designed specifically for home use.

• With a generous capacity of 265 liters, this freezer provides ample space for all your storage needs.
• The compact dimensions of 185*59.5*63.3 make it a great fit for any kitchen.
• Featuring a No Frost system, you’ll never have to worry about manual defrosting.
• With an energy-saving class A+ rating, this freezer helps you save on electricity costs.
• Enjoy a quiet operation that won’t disrupt your home environment.
• The equipped display shows you the current mode of operation, making it easy to monitor.

This freezer is perfect for large families who need extra storage capacity. While some users have mentioned that the shelves are fragile and the price is on the higher side (928-30,000 rubles), it remains an excellent option for those looking for a reliable and efficient home freezer.

A cost-effective model that can be integrated into kitchen furniture, this compact vertical loading refrigerator has dimensions of 85*56*60 and operates quietly. Its usable volume of 85 liters includes 4 compartments, 3 drawers, and a section for quick freezing.

• Inexpensive model;
• Compact dimensions 85*56*60;
• Quiet operation;
• Usable volume of 85 liters: 4 compartments, 3 drawers, a section for quick freezing.

According to customer reviews, this model has no significant drawbacks considering its price range (12-13 thousand rubles). It performs its functions perfectly, working reliably and lasting for a long time.

Freezer chest Gorenje FH331IW

• 307-liter capacity;
• electronic control system;
• A+ energy efficiency rating;
• autonomous cold preservation function for up to 36 hours;
• freezing capacity of 19kg;
• LED display.

One drawback that users have pointed out is the manual defrosting method. However, considering its price of around 18-19 thousand rubles, this model is highly functional and reliable.

The Gorenje FH331IW is a chest freezer that offers ample storage space. It is a great option for those in need of extra freezer space in their home. With a capacity of XX liters, it can easily accommodate a large amount of frozen food items. The freezer is designed with a sleek and modern look, making it a stylish addition to any kitchen. It features a user-friendly control panel, making it easy to adjust the temperature settings. The Gorenje FH331IW also comes equipped with various storage compartments and shelves, helping to keep your frozen food organized and easily accessible. Whether you need to store bulk items or simply want to have extra freezer space on hand, the Gorenje FH331IW is a reliable and versatile option.