Small freezers.
How to Choose the Best One for You
Even small freezers are plugged in 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. It is most important to research the pros and cons of size, running costs, type and food storage requirements, before buying your appliance.
The choice in the style of a small freezers is, a small chest freezer, an under-counter freezer, a stand-alone model, a mini freezer, a compact upright or a fridge freezer.
- Important features to look for are, the correct size for placement and food storage, a good build quality, quiet when running, easy to use and value for money.
- It is also wise to buy your appliance from a local dealer because there is nothing better when buying something so important, is to examine it with your own eyes and also if any problems should arise, help is close at hand.
- Whatever type of freezer you choose, make sure you buy it new.
- Check for the logo for the Energy Saving Trust, the Energy Star label, the and the Energy Efficiency rating (with A+ or A++being the top rating).
Mini Freezers
A 1.3 cubic foot storage tiny table top freezer maybe useful for a dorm room or office with limited space.
A 3 cubic feet of storage for counter-top placement can be useful for singles or apartment renters who need a "little" extra freezing as this small amount of storage space does not hold much food.
For more detailed information on mini freezers, and how to defrost a chest freezer click here
Mini Freezer
Freezer temperature controller
How to defrost a chest freezer
Ideal freezer temperature
SMALL CHEST FREEZERS
Here are a few choices for small freezers:-
- A 3.5 cubic feet of storage.(122 liter) This chest freezer is small enough to sit on a table or placed on the bottom of a closet or pantry but remember to leave enough headroom to enable the lid to be opened.
- A 4 cubic foot capacity chest freezer, about the “size of a washing machine”. On research, one with an A rating used 152 KWh a year and a similar but cheaper model with a C rating cost 350 KWh a year to run. Study and literature well!
- A small 5-Cubic-Foot chest freezer (141 liter)may be an ideal size for placing in a small apartment. This size will hold enough food for a small family and is relatively light to move around.
- Other small chest freezers storage capacities come at 6.19, 7.2, (measuring (H) 86.5 cm x (W) 80.6 cm x (D) 64.8 cm) 7.8 and 10 Cubit Foot and upwards.
A drawback to owning a chest freezer could be that it is difficult to reach down into the chest and search for a certain food item. If so, consider buying chest freezer with separate baskets that are easy to remove and sort. You may prefer a variety of sized baskets. These baskets give you the opportunity to store and find the different types of labelled food items more easily.
A counter-balanced lid makes opening the freezer easier.
COMPACT UNDER-COUNTER SMALL FREEZERS
Under counter freezers usually have a 4.5 or 5 Cubic Foot (around the 100 litre capacity) storage capacity. Do study the variety of features.
- Check energy ratings and running costs.
Doors
- Naturally they all have a front opening door but check which way the door opens. Most have reversible doors but it is so much easier to buy the freezer with the door the way you want it.
With or without door storage pockets
Defrost
- Automatic defrost
Frost free
Manual defrost with defrost drain
Drawers/Shelves
- Open shelves
Boxed shelves with individual doors.
Pull out drawers
Adjustable manual thermostat
- Check the lowest setting is a least -4°F
Freezing Functions
- Has it a super fast freezing function to freeze fresh food immediately preventing the frozen ones from thawing when fresh food is placed beside it?
Sound when functioning
Expect around 38 db when functioning.
Alarm
- Is there an alarm when the power goes off unexpectedly and how many hours is Power Failure Safe Storage ? (expect around 15 hours)
Interior light
- Always useful.
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