Chest freezers have long been used not only in numerous trading establishments, but also for long-term storage of food in an apartment or house. These are very functional and convenient devices that do not take up much space, do not consume a lot of electricity and allow you to save quite significant amounts in one season. Which chest is best for a house and apartment? Let's figure it out.

Volume

First of all, decide how much real amount of food you will store in the chest at one time. The standard volume for a family of 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) is 350 liters. This is enough for storing meat, fish, chicken and several buckets of vegetables and fruits. A chest with a volume of 100-150 liters is usually sufficient for one person. But these figures are conditional: if you are hunting, fishing, picking mushrooms, or you have a summer cottage with a vegetable garden, then the volumes can be increased to 600 liters. For example, Italfrost freezers have proven themselves quite well.

When determining the volume, it is necessary to find a middle ground between the capacity of the chest and the available free space in the kitchen or in the room where it will stand, for example. Chests are usually produced in a horizontal shape and can take from 60 to 200 cm.The height of refrigeration equipment is 65-75 cm.

Lid

The lid of the chest can be transparent or dull. Transparent, commonly used in stores, it turns the freezer into a display case. A blank cover is more practical for the home, is not afraid of loads and keeps the temperature inside better. In the event of a power outage, a chest with a thick blank lid can store food for up to 72 hours, with a transparent one - up to 12.

Energy consumption

Due to the constant rise in prices for utilities, the choice of equipment by energy consumption class becomes relevant. Chest freezers, due to their "thermos" design, keep the temperature quite well and consume little electricity. Modern chest freezers SNEZH with a volume of 350 liters consume about 2.2-2.5 kW per day (70 kW per month), which allows you to save considerable amounts. For comparison, a vertical freezer of the same volume will consume up to 100 kW.

The best chest freezers for home

What are the best laris? There will be no definite answer. It all depends on your needs and capabilities. A high-quality freezer must maintain an internal temperature of at least 18 degrees. It is this temperature that is considered optimal for storing food. Chests with a quick freeze function can give out up to - 21 degrees, in them the products instantly freeze and are not destroyed by ice crystals.

Since this device will be installed in the house, it is not necessary to pay attention to its design. It should fit into the interior, not knock out of it. Many manufacturers produce colored freezers that can decorate your room. Also remember to keep noise and vibration to a minimum. You and your loved ones are unlikely to enjoy the constant noise of an industrial installation.

Chest freezer, which company is better

It is unambiguous to say that Italfrost is good, but DERBY is not bad. They are all about the same. Therefore, it will be more correct to choose by volume and functions, and not by manufacturer (frankly, we do not take into account the Chinese noname). The most popular brands in Russia are Biryusa, Italfrost, Polair, Liebherr, FROSTOR, Caravell, Dankar, DERBY, Frost and a dozen other well-known manufacturers. We recommend that you study the reviews of the selected model before buying - you yourself will understand whether you should purchase it.

How to choose the right chest freezer for your home?

Do not think that only representatives of small businesses, containing stalls, small shops, restaurants or cafes, tend to buy freezers in a store. In fact, these unique devices, sold at a fairly low cost, will also be useful for ordinary people who, for example, live in private houses, or have spacious kitchens / utility rooms in apartments. Owners of vehicles, including buses and cars, can install small models of chest freezers in their vehicles, which will not be superfluous at all on long trips.

Chest freezers will allow you to buy food for several months in advance and go to the store only for bread. But in order to achieve the correct freezing result, you need to choose the right chest freezer, which must be "sharpened" to your needs.

All existing chest freezers can be divided according to their purpose. In accordance with this division, chest freezers will have different consumer characteristics. In particular, the dimensions of the device are of great importance. For private use, small freezers are suitable, which can fit in the space allocated for them. For commercial use, larger laris are suitable. And the larger the store in which they are installed, the larger the chest will be required. This is explained not only by the presence of free space in the room, but also by the fact that large stores, as a rule, have a large number of visitors.

What should you pay attention to?

Particular attention should be paid to the temperature that the chest freezer is able to maintain. If you plan to use the device within a commercial enterprise, then you do not need to store food for a long time. This means that a temperature of -6 degrees Celsius will be quite enough. Some commercial chest freezers keep the temperature just below freezing, which is quite enough for commercial purposes. Some models are able to maintain a certain difference with the ambient air temperature, but such devices are better used for trade on the street.

If the chest freezer maintains the temperature around -18 degrees, then this is already a low-temperature device designed for long-term storage of frozen foods. For domestic use, temperatures from -18 degrees and below are not suitable due to the risk of freezing food.

Appearance

If we talk about the appearance of the freezer chest, then here, again, it is worth focusing on the purpose of its use. There are chest freezers with transparent and opaque lids. In the first case, we are talking about chests, which represent the goods by their face. The buyer can see what is in stock, which is important for the trading process. As for freezers with opaque lids, they are most often taken for domestic use, since an ordinary person does not need to consider their own products as in a showcase. Alternatively, opaque freezing chests can be successfully used for warehouse storage in all the same trade organizations.

If you choose between, then the latter device will be more preferable. Since cold air always gravitates downward, even if the lid of the freezer is depressurized, the cold will remain inside. The freezer does not have such an advantage.

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You should pay special attention to the temperature regime. If the temperature in the chamber is higher -18 ° C- this is a low-temperature chest designed only for storing frozen food. Fast freezing of food is provided only by those chests, the characteristics of which indicate that the temperature can be set lower -24 ° C.Some electronically controlled chests have thermometers and an alarm about an increase in the storage temperature of food. Also, chests differ in volume and dimensions, which must be selected based on the size of the room in which this equipment will be located.

There are dozens of models of chests on the market with hinged and sliding, glass and blind lids from many manufacturers: Biryusa, Polair, Caravell, Italfrost , FROSTOR, Dankar, Liebherr , DERBY.

Since freezers-chests are cheaper to purchase, and in operation, compared to vertical freezers, they consume less electricity, many families made the right choice and leaned in favor of a chests. The freezer-chest has good thermal insulation, which is important if it will be kept in a cold room.

Chest freezers need to be defrosted much less frequently than upright freezers. In the event of a power outage, the chest freezer keeps food frozen for much longer than the upright freezer. The tight-fitting lid prevents warm air from penetrating into the chest, and cold air from outside.
The counterbalanced steel lid is coated with a scratch-resistant neutralized PVC layer and can be used as an additional table without the risk of scratching the surface. Internal lighting with a lamp located on the lid is especially convenient if the chest will be in a dark basement or in a closet.

The freezing temperature in freezers is constant everywhere, so you can freeze food with equal success both at the very bottom and under the lid itself, and wire baskets will help maintain order in your chest, you can put them on top of each other or fix them all on top section.

For freezing large quantities of food, there is a super frost mode (super freeze mode). The standard equipment of the chests includes a lock, a certain number of baskets, and a tropical version.

Chest freezers are among the most recognizable, demanded and practical in all the variety of commercial refrigeration equipment. Due to this, they are widely used in catering and trade enterprises, from small and medium-sized ones to large ones. Chests can be used both in a self-service store and when selling through the counter - for demonstrating, storing and selling food. The variety of the model range allows the chests to cover all traditional areas of application. Modern design thought in the field of freezing equipment has stepped far ahead compared to what it was just a few years ago. Now it is possible to produce chest freezers of various shapes: from traditional rectangular to angular, cylindrical and elongated oval. Buying a chest of an original form, coupled with branding, distinguishes the products favorably from competitors.

When choosing a chest, you should pay special attention to the following:

Chests in the chamber with a temperature higher than -18 ° С are low-temperature chests intended for only for storing frozen products... Fast freezing of products is provided only by those lari, the characteristics of which indicate that the temperature can be set below -24 ° C. Some electronically controlled chests have thermometers and alarms when the storage temperature is too high.

freezers with straight glass are indispensable for organizing street ice cream trade;

freezers with curved glass provide an excellent view of the display of goods, including for children;

freezers with a blank lid provide long-term storage of goods.

The climatic class of the equipment is a parameter that characterizes the ambient temperature at which the equipment operates in normal mode. The climate class is defined by the European Standard EN 441 for commercial refrigeration units. The climatic class depends on the temperature regime inside the chamber, at a certain ambient temperature and relative humidity. Naturally, any chest freezer will be able to operate at an ambient temperature of +40 C, but it is difficult to work in this mode for a long time.

Climatic class - 4, ambient temperature, + 30 ° С, relative air humidity, 65%.

Climatic class - 4+ ambient temperature, + 35 ° С, relative air humidity, 70%.

Climatic class - 5 ambient temperature, + 40 ° С, relative air humidity, 55%.

Also, laris differ in volume and dimensions, which must be selected based on the size of the room in which this equipment will be located.

There are dozens of models of chests from many manufacturers on the market: Biryusa, Polair, Caravell, Italfrost , FROSTOR, Dankar, Liebherr , DERBY and that's not all. From such a huge variety, everyone is able to choose for himself exactly the refrigeration chest that suits him.

Choice of chests. Professional advice

It is not only the store management that has to deal with the choice of chests. Producers of frozen foods and ice cream, as well as wholesale companies selling these goods, are no less concerned with purchasing reliable equipment, which they are not ashamed to offer to their customers - shops, supermarkets or small retail outlets. By investing in this equipment, they actually form their own image. What are manufacturers and wholesalers guided by when making their choice? We asked this question to some of them.

We choose equipment that could work equally well both indoors and outdoors, ”says Stanislav Zhemchuzhin, senior manager at Talosto. - Since the equipment often operates in small rooms with poor air conditioning; besides, it is clogged with goods to the brim, we first of all pay attention to the power and reliability of the unit. We give preference to Electrolux units. Another indispensable requirement is durable glass, which an inaccurate buyer will not sell on the very first day. Now we supply our customers mainly Polish Argos lari of the 3rd climatic class. They keep the temperature fairly stable -18-23 degrees. WITH.

Our company has two main requirements for chests: reliability and presentable appearance, - says Alexey Korenev, manager of the Snezhinka wholesale company (St. Petersburg), which sells Nestle ice cream. - Experience has shown that the equipment of the Danish company Derby suits them best. We purchase chests with curved glass sliding lids. This model is elegant and convenient for the self-service system. If the chest is supposed to be used for street trading, we advise ice cream sellers not to neglect heat-resistant umbrellas, because even the most reliable equipment should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

We have a fairly practical approach to purchasing chests, - explains Fyodor Musaev, head of the sales department at Khladokombinat No. 1. - We are not too interested in any special design and additional options, so we opted for chests with a straight glass lid from the Danish company Elcold. Of course, you can save money by purchasing used equipment, but we rejected this option, deciding that the risk was too great, and the cost of such equipment was not much lower.

We purchase only the equipment that meets a number of our requirements, ”says Ilya Kozlov, head of the distribution and sales department of the Inmarko company (Novosibirsk), which produces ice cream. - Among them - first of all, a reliable unit, preferably of the Danfoss brand. Another requirement is the presence of additional stiffening ribs in the corners of the body, which make the structure stronger. For the convenience of installing and moving the chest, there should be wheels. On the front panel, we usually ask for a temperature sensor. This is necessary so that the store does not have problems with the regulatory authorities. In terms of design, we prefer models with curved sloping glass, which provides them with good visibility. We are now purchasing Derby hardware because it meets all of our requirements.

It is important for us that the equipment is imported: after all, the difference between domestic and imported chests is still the same as between Zaporozhets and Mercedes. But what kind of brand it will be is not so important, - says Oleg Fedorov, deputy director of the Tula refrigeration plant. - Our park has equipment from Elcold, Gram, Electrolux, Derby. There are both new lari and used ones; however, the latter are few. First of all, we pay attention to the maximum loading volume. Usually, chests with an inclined lid have a lower loading line, and the goods can fit less, so we take chests with a straight lid. Another significant point is the presence of stiffening ribs. Our clients have had cases when the wall of the chest simply fell off without them.

We were attracted by the appearance of the chests of the Italian company Framec: a volumetric design, an inclined glass lid, the ability to place baskets at an angle to improve visibility, - says Ekaterina Ermolova, sales manager of Ice-Fili company (Moscow). - True, from the point of view of technical characteristics - the reliability of the lock, the stability of temperature indicators - we gave a higher rating to the equipment Electrolux and Derby. In the near future we are planning to buy additional lari of these particular brands.

Yulia Yakovleva, "Trading Equipment" magazine, 3-2001

Laris are of interest for rural residents, for buyers living in apartments with spacious kitchens and utility rooms, for small businesses (for retail trade, cafes and restaurants). The smallest laris belong to the portable and transport models. They are installed on cars, buses and other vehicles. Almost all chest freezers (except for transport models) have compression cooling with natural air circulation and manual defrosting.

Chests for various purposes have different consumer indicators. The maximum capacity of the chests is greater than that of other types of household freezers. There is no clear distinction between household and commercial chests. Even on a household chest, the standard requirements for household refrigeration appliances (BHP), including marking with asterisks and other important consumer indicators, are not always met.

When choosing a chest, you should pay special attention to the temperature conditions that it can provide. In chests intended for commercial enterprises, frozen food is stored for a relatively short time. Therefore, the temperature in them can be significantly higher than -18 ° C, which is necessary for long-term storage. Even those chests in which the temperature is only a few degrees below 0 ° C are called "freezers". In some models of commercial purposes, only the difference with the ambient temperature is set. If the temperature in the chamber is above -18 ° C, this is a low-temperature chest, not a freezer. Low temperature chests are intended only for storing frozen food.

Conditions for fast freezing of food are provided only in those chests, the characteristics of which indicate that the temperature can be set below -24 ° C. Only the chests of the leading companies specializing in the production of BHP are labeled with 4 stars.

There are dozens of models of chests on the market with hinged and sliding transparent and blind lids: Russian "Biryusa", "Orsk", "Saratov", "Sviyaga"; German Liebherr, Italian Ardo, Danish Vestfrost. The capacity of chests is from 138 liters and can exceed 450 liters. Vertical models of the same capacity and the same brand from one seller are several thousand rubles more expensive.

All chests, except for small transport models, have compression cooling, electromechanical control and manual defrosting.

The chest is more reliable and economical than an upright freezer of the same performance class. Even with poor sealing of the lid, the cold remains inside the chest according to natural laws. Many models have a lock for locking the chest with a key. Most chests are simply equipped with wire baskets that can be inserted and removed from the top. In expensive chests with electronic control there are thermometers and an alarm is provided for an increase in the storage temperature of food.

The width of the chests is from 62 to 170 cm, the depth is from 60 to 76 cm, and the height is from 85 to 107 cm. The difference between useful and total volumes in chests is less than in vertical freezers. The thicker the chest wall, the smaller the share of the useful volume in the overall volume and the higher the economy class. Economy class of chests from A ++ to E. Thus, an Ardo chest with a capacity of 370 liters consumes 577 kWh of electricity per year (class E), and a Liebherr with a capacity of 441 liters (class A ++) is 2.2 times less, only 247 kWh There are no vertical analogs of such capacity. There are no data on the cost-effectiveness of Russian models.

Freezing capacity in 24 hours from 7 to 40 kg. Duration of safe storage of frozen food in emergency situations from 8 to 74 hours.

As a rule, the buyer imagines how much volume he needs: large, medium, small (this is the case if the refrigerator does not have a freezer, and not for storing supplies). It is important to understand that the nominal and useful volume are different things, and you need to look at the latter.

The difference between these two volumes can be great when the freezer is equipped with a No Frost system, the design of which eats tens of liters. If there are no special needs, then a family of two is suitable for a useful volume of 100 liters, for three - 150 liters, and so on.

Freezer-cabinet Liebherr

Recessed or free-standing?

If the freezer is bought separately from the kitchen, then, as a rule, a free-standing appliance is chosen. It is interesting that there are a lot of "built-in" models among small and medium-sized models, they are called freezers-pedestals. They are built in under the table top, flush with the tables, washing machine and dishwasher, which is very convenient. The combination of a small built-in freezer-cabinet and a large refrigerator without a freezer sometimes becomes a compromise solution when the volume of a conventional 60 cm wide refrigerator for a family is not enough, and buying a Side-by-Side combination or a huge multi-door refrigerator is too expensive or too large for the kitchen and doorways.

An additional small built-in freezer can save the situation if a retro-style refrigerator is bought for the sake of beauty: as a rule, freezers for such models are also retro-sized - 30 liters, or are absent altogether.

Built-in freezer cabinet

Chest or wardrobe?

We are used to the fact that a chest freezer is something like that from a supermarket, for ice cream and dumplings. Really such a place can be found at home? If you have a lot of this very place, then yes, because in terms of the main parameters of efficiency, roominess, convenience, freezers-chests are superior to cabinet-like "colleagues", which are better than chests in only one thing: in saving space.

Freezer cabinet Beko

There are several advantages to chest freezers. Firstly, the chest door is always tightly closed, it will fit well under its own weight, even if the seal is worn out. Secondly, when you open the chest, warm air does not get into it, since, according to the laws of physics, it tends upward, and when you open the freezer-cabinet, the air from it is mixed with the warm air of the room. The interior space of modern chest freezers is usually well organized, so don't be afraid that you won't see or find something.

Interior space in chest freezer

Freezer chest

With or without "No Frost"?

Freezers with an automatic defrost system do not require manual defrosting, and no one will say that this is a bad thing. There are other objections: "No Frost" reduces the useful volume, models with "No Frost" are more noisy (40–43 dB, without "No Frost" - it is quieter, but not necessarily, it depends on sound insulation and other parameters) ... The main argument of opponents of No Frost in refrigerators does not work in the case of freezers: nothing is ventilated in the freezer - everything is packed and prepackaged.

There are models without the "No Frost" system, but with reduced formation of frost and very rarely needing defrosting, for example, freezers with "Low Frost" systems.

What should be the power and temperature of the freezing?

Most models on the market are frozen in standard mode down to –18 ... 24 degrees, this is deep freeze. There are models that can freeze up to -12 degrees, this is not enough for long-term storage of meat, fish, poultry, but will not help preserve vitamins in vegetables and fruits. These are, as a rule, domestic inexpensive models with mechanical control and marking “two snowflakes”: **. Freezers that maintain a temperature of –18 degrees are marked with three snowflakes: ***. In some models, there may be special boxes for storing animal products: there is -24 degrees and another snowflake is added.

Freezing power is something that we pay little attention to when choosing a refrigerator and freezer, but in vain: it is useful to understand how many products the device can freeze per unit of time, so as not to overload it and not put unnecessary load on the compressor. So, for a usable volume of 80–100 liters, a good freezing capacity will be 4–5 kg per day, for an average usable volume of 150 liters - 10–11 kg per day, for 180–200 liters - 14.5-16 kg per day.

One or two compressors?

Freezers (usually cabinets) can be equipped with two compressors and have two independent compartments that can be switched on and off separately from each other. This is very convenient if the load on the freezer depends on the season or the number of people at home. For example, in the summer you have fishing, hunting, blanking - you use two cameras. And when, by the middle of winter, you have eaten half of the supplies, leave only one camera turned on and do not waste electricity.

Do you need a super freeze mode?

Super freezing, shock freezing is turning on the compressor at increased power about 12-24 hours before the planned large purchase-loading of the freezer. The temperature will drop to -24 ... 36 degrees (depending on the model and time), and a large "influx" of room temperature products will not be able to negatively affect the already stored products and will allow the "new arrivals" to freeze according to all the rules: quickly and clearly, without going through the stage of slow crystallization, which is harmful to the structure of the products. Yes, this is a very useful feature. It is only important that this mode has an auto shut-off, because if it is turned off manually, then you can forget about it, and then the food will freeze.