Buying a Chest Freezer For Your Outbuilding
If you own a shed or garage, then it's worth looking at chest freezers for your outbuilding. They can aid in food storage, preserving produce, or just to make space in the home.
Since air doesn't circulate as much in chest freezers, they tend to maintain food more effectively than uprights. You should look for one that has the highest energy label rating to reduce running costs too.
Size
Find out how much space you require before selecting the chest freezer. A best practice is to have one cubic foot of freezer space for each person in your household. If you have more people than that, then you will need a larger freezer. If you plan on keeping it outside, you may think about having a chest freezer fitted with an lock. This will prevent anyone from getting frozen food from your freezer.
Another important aspect to consider is whether you want your freezer chest to be able to operate in frigid temperatures. If you wish to keep your food fresh, you should choose an appliance that can stand up to low temperature. Refrigerators that are designed to withstand freezing temperatures are typically more insulated, which means that their contents will stay frozen for longer.
This compact model by Midea is perfect for those who want an easy-to-store freezer that is small and compact. It can be used indoors as well as outdoors and can hold 7.2 cubic feet. It features a manual drain for defrost and an adjustable temperature control, and comes with storage baskets to aid in organization. You'll have to sacrifice some features to get it at this price that include a counterbalanced, top and an internal light. But if you're looking to maximize the storage capacity of your freezer it's a good choice.
Energy efficiency
Chest freezers are usually shorter and lower to ground than upright models, making them perfect for small spaces. They can also operate in a colder climate than standard freezers, and consume less energy. This is because of the side-wall insulation that keeps them at low temperatures, without requiring excessive energy.
Choose a chest freezer that is ENERGY STAR certified to gain the most energy efficiency. These can offer up to 10 percent more energy savings than the minimum federal standards and have thick insulation that helps to maintain optimal temperatures. Some utility companies even offer rebates on these products, so check to see whether yours has.
The annual electricity consumption of the freezer is also important to consider. This is usually expressed as a KWh number (1 KWh is one unit of electricity). Certain manufacturers will display this information on their product's packaging or in the user manual, while others provide the information online.
It's also worth looking into the weight prior to buying. Plan ahead if you need assistance in moving it into or out of the garage or outbuilding. Think about buying a freezer that comes with caster wheels or rolling rollers to enable it to be moved around. If you're considering using the freezer as a food storage device for outdoor activities, like hunting or gardening You should ensure whether it is able to operate in cold weather.
Convenience
If you're a hunter, a gardener or simply have a lot of leftover food from cooking at home, a chest freezer could be a useful addition to your garage or outbuilding. It offers more storage space than a conventional refrigerator, which is perfect for those who buy in bulk or keeping the vegetables they harvest from their garden. Certain models can even hold meat. This is a great method to get food supplies for the winter.
In contrast to upright freezers chest freezers are usually more affordable as they use less power due to their side-wall insulation. They also come with numerous useful features, like a defrost drain and an instruction manual for temperature control. Some models also come with the ability to freeze quickly, that reduces the time for freezing for some foods to save time.
The majority of freezers are built to function safely down to -18 degrees Celsius which is ideal for colder environments. People who live close to the coast should look for freezers that are designed to withstand the sea air, since salt can damage freezers over time.
Alternatively, those who are interested in a freezer that's built to last should consider the Beko or Russell Hobbs model. These brands were among the first to test their freezers at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius to ensure they could be used in unheated building.
Safety
Keep your chest freezer in a garage, or any other area that is secured from the elements. While some people claim that they keep their freezer in the outdoors and use it without issues, the majority of appliance repair specialists agree that this is not a good idea. The outdoor temperatures are too cold for a freezer to continue operating reliably, and the moisture in the air will end up damaging it over time.
The chest freezer should be equipped with locked to stop children from opening it, as well as a heavy lid that is difficult to open if you accidentally. It should also have shelves or wire bins to store smaller items and the door is reversible and reversible.
A good freezer will have an alarm for temperature that sounds if the internal temperature chest freezers small uk starts to rise, allowing you avoid food waste by catching any issues early. Find a freezer that has this feature, and be sure that it includes a drain for defrost as well.
The lighting in the interior of the freezer is yet another aspect to think about. This is a must for keeping the freezer in order, especially if you store it in a dark area like a garage or basement. This feature lets you find what you are looking for quicker and decreases the frequency at which the lid of the freezer is opened in error, which could cause the temperature to drop.