The main parameters when choosing a chest freezer:
1. Overall dimensions and volume:
First of all, you need to decide on the required dimensions of the chest, because a chest that is too large may not fit through the doorway, and too small may not contain everything that you want to place in it. The most popular volume is 200-300 liters, which is quite enough for storing frozen vegetables, meat, berries, mushrooms prepared for the winter. If you are looking for a chest freezer for commercial purposes, then first take measurements of your retail space, make a drawing and see how the chest will fit into your premises (does not interfere with the passage of customers, is it convenient to access products). For commercial purposes, most often they purchase lari with a volume of 400 liters or more.
2. Total and useful volume of the chest freezer.
Pay attention to the useful volume indicator. Useful volume is the space inside the chest freezer in which you can place food. Often the manufacturer of refrigeration equipment indicates the total volume of the chest, and it usually exceeds the useful one.
3. Wall thickness
Here the main rule applies, the thicker the better. Thick walls keep cold longer, thereby the compressor runs less often, and this saves both electricity and increases the life of the chest.
4. Chest lid. Silent or glass?
The undisputed leader in refrigeration is a blank lid, but unfortunately not you, not your buyer, will be able to see the contents of the chest freezer. And frequent opening and closing leads to a loss of temperature and build-up of the so-called snow coat. Based on this, a blank cover will be relevant for purchasing home, or in the kitchen of a restaurant / cafe, and a sliding glass for a store.
5. Compressor. Which is better?
The heart of any refrigeration equipment is the compressor, because a long and reliable service will ensure the safety of your products and save money on repairing a bad compressor. Here you should focus exclusively on imported models of compressors made in Germany, Brazil, Austria, Denmark, Japan, Slovakia, France, Malaysia, and the USA.
6. Energy class. A+, A++ or A+++?
There is a misconception that the A+++ class is the best and will save you money on your energy bills. But this is not always the case, modern technologies have made it possible to create lighter and less energy-intensive compressors, thanks to the use of polymer components (plastic). And as you know, plastic is not such a durable material than metal, as a result, a faster failure of the compressor. And the cost of replacement will exceed the money saved on electricity.
7. Control unit. Mechanical or Electronic?
There are electronic type controllers on the market that allow you to regulate the temperature with an accuracy of 0.1 degrees Celsius. If you are going to store medicines, biomaterials or products that require precise maintenance of the set temperature, then the electronic type controller is ideal for you. Also in the refrigeration market, mechanical controllers are used, they are less accurate, but also less sensitive to power fluctuations in the network.
Lari are of interest to rural residents, for buyers living in apartments with spacious kitchens and utility rooms, for small businesses (for retailers, cafes and restaurants). The smallest lari are portable and transport models. They are installed on cars, buses and other vehicles. Almost all chest freezers (except transport models) have compression cooling with natural air circulation and manual defrosting.
Chests for various purposes have different consumer indicators. The maximum capacity of chest freezers is larger than 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 (CRUs) are not always met, including asterisk marking and other important consumer indicators.
When choosing a chest, special attention should be paid to the temperature conditions that can be provided in it. In chests intended for trade enterprises, frozen products are stored for a relatively short time. Therefore, the temperature in them can be much higher than -18 ° C, which is necessary for long-term storage. Chest freezers are even called chest freezers where the temperature is only a few degrees below 0 °C. In some commercial models, only the difference with the ambient temperature is set. If the temperature in the chamber is above -18 ° C, it is a low-temperature chest, not a freezer. Low-temperature chests are intended only for the storage of frozen products.
Conditions for quick freezing of products 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 firms specializing in the production of BHP have 4-star markings.
There are dozens of models of chests with hinged and sliding transparent and solid lids on the market: 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 a vertical freezer of the same performance class. Even with poor sealing of the lid, according to natural laws, the cold remains inside the chest. Many models have a lock for locking the chest with a key. Most chests are simply equipped with wire baskets that are inserted and removed from the top. Expensive electronically controlled chests have thermometers and an alarm is provided for an increase in the temperature of food storage.
The width of the chests is from 62 to 170 cm, the depth is from 60 to 76 cm, 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 walls of the chest, the smaller the share of useful volume in the overall volume and the higher the efficiency class. The efficiency class of chests is from A ++ to E. Thus, an Ardo chest with a capacity of 370 liters consumes 577 kWh of electricity per year (class E), and Liebherr with a capacity of 441 liters (class A ++) is 2.2 times less, only 247 kWh There are no vertical analogues of such capacity. There are no data on the economic efficiency of Russian models.
Freezing capacity in 24 hours from 7 to 40 kg. The duration of safe storage of frozen foods in emergency situations is from 8 to 74 hours.
You should pay special attention to the temperature regime. If the chamber temperature is higher -18 °C- this is a low-temperature chest designed only for storing already frozen products. Fast freezing of products is provided only by those chests, the characteristics of which indicate that the temperature can be set below -24 °С.Some electronically controlled chests have thermometers and an alarm is provided for an increase in the storage temperature of products. The chests also 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 with hinged and sliding, glass and blind lids from many manufacturers on the market: Biryusa, Polarir, Caravell, Italfrost , FROSTOR, Dankar, Liebherr , DERBY.
Since chest freezers are cheaper to buy and consume less electricity compared to upright freezers, many families made the right choice and leaned in favor of a chest freezer. The chest freezer has good thermal insulation, which is important if it will stand in a cold room.
Chest freezers need to be defrosted much less frequently than upright freezers. In the event of a power outage, a chest freezer keeps food frozen much longer than an upright freezer. The tight-fitting lid prevents warm air from getting inside the chest, and cold air from outside.
The counterweighted steel lid is coated with a layer of neutralized scratch-resistant polyvinyl chloride and can be used as an additional table without the fear of scratching the surface. Internal lighting with a light bulb located on the lid is especially convenient if the chest is located in a dark basement or in a pantry.
The freezing temperature in freezers is constant everywhere, so you can freeze products with equal success both at the very bottom and under the very lid, 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 a large number of products, there is a superfrost mode (superfreeze mode). The standard package of chests includes a lock, a certain number of baskets, tropical design.
In all the variety of commercial refrigeration equipment, chest freezers are one of the most recognizable, popular and practical. Due to this, they are widely used in catering and trade enterprises, from small and medium-sized to large ones. Lari can be used both in a self-service store and when selling through the counter - for displaying, storing and selling food products. The variety of the model range allows chests to cover all traditional areas of application. The modern design idea in the field of freezing equipment has stepped far ahead in comparison with what it was 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 the original form, coupled with branding, favorably distinguishes products from competitors.
When choosing a chest, you should pay special attention to the following:
Chests in the chamber with a temperature above -18 °C are low-temperature chests designed only for storage of already frozen products. Quick freezing of products is provided only by those chests, the characteristics of which indicate that the temperature can be set below -24 ° C. Some electronically controlled chests have thermometers and an alarm for rising food storage temperatures.
chest freezers with straight glass are indispensable for organizing street ice cream sales;
chest freezers with curved glass provide an excellent view of the display of goods, including for children;
chest freezers with a blind lid provide long-term storage of inventory.
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 Norm EN 441 for commercial refrigeration units. The climate 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.
Climate class - 4, ambient temperature, +30°С, relative air humidity, 65%.
Climate class - 4+ ambient temperature, +35°С, relative air humidity, 70%.
Climate class - 5 ambient temperature, +40°C, relative air humidity, 55%.
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 from many manufacturers on the market: Biryusa, Polarir, 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 refrigerated chest that suits him.
Choice of chests. Pro Tips
It is not only store management that has to deal with the choice of chests. Manufacturers of frozen food and ice cream, as well as wholesale companies selling these goods, are no less concerned about acquiring reliable equipment that they are not ashamed to offer to their customers - shops, supermarkets or small retailers. By investing in this equipment, they actually form their own image. What are manufacturers and wholesalers guided by when making their choice? This is the question we asked some of them.
We choose equipment that could work with equal success both indoors and outdoors, - says Stanislav Zhemchuzhin, senior manager at Talosto. - Since the equipment often works in small rooms with poor air conditioning; besides, it is clogged with goods to the top, 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 a sloppy buyer will not sell on the first day. Now we supply our customers mainly with Polish lari Argos of the 3rd climate class. They keep the temperature stable enough -18-23 degrees. FROM.
Our company has two main requirements for chests: reliability and presentable appearance, - says Alexey Korenev, manager of the wholesale company Snezhinka (St. Petersburg), which sells Nestle ice cream. - Experience has shown that the equipment of the Danish company Derby meets them in the best way. We purchase chests with curved glass sliding lids. This model is elegant and convenient for a self-service system. If the chest is going 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 rather practical approach to the acquisition of chests, - explains Fedor Musaev, head of the sales department of Khladokombinat No. 1. - We are not too interested in some 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 is too great, and the cost of such equipment is 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 stiffeners in the corners of the body, which make the structure stronger. For ease of installation and movement of the chest, there should be wheels. On the front panel, we usually ask you to install a temperature sensor. This is necessary so that the store does not have problems with regulatory authorities. As for design, we prefer models with curved slanted glass, which provides them with good visibility. Now we are purchasing Derby equipment, as it meets all our requirements.
It is important for us that the equipment be 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 no longer so important, - says Oleg Fedorov, deputy director of the Tula refrigeration plant. - Our park has Elcold, Gram, Electrolux, Derby equipment. There are both new lari and used ones; however, the latter are few. First of all, we pay attention to the fact that the loading volume is maximum. Usually chests with sloping lids have a lower loading line, and the goods fit less, so we take chests with a straight lid. Another significant point is the presence of stiffeners. Our clients 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: three-dimensional design, sloping glass lid, the ability to tilt the baskets to improve visibility, - says Ekaterina Ermolova, sales manager at Ice-Fili (Moscow). - True, in terms of technical characteristics - the reliability of the lock, the stability of temperature indicators - we gave a higher rating to the equipment of Electrolux and Derby. In the near future, we plan to buy additional lari of these brands.
Julia Yakovleva, Trade Equipment magazine, 3-2001
As a rule, the buyer imagines what volume he needs: large, medium, small (this is 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 the No Frost system, the design of which eats up tens of liters. If there are no special needs, then a useful volume of 100 liters is suitable for a family of two people, 150 liters of three, and so on.
Liebherr freezer cabinet
Built-in or freestanding?
If the freezer is bought separately from the kitchen, then, as a rule, a separate appliance is chosen. It is interesting that there are a lot of “inserts” among small and medium-sized models, they are called cabinet freezers. They are built under the countertop 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 regular 60 cm wide refrigerator is not enough for a family, and buying a Side-by-Side combination or a huge multi-door refrigerator is not affordable or not the size of the kitchen and doorways.
An additional small built-in freezer can save the situation if, for the sake of beauty, a retro-style refrigerator is bought: as a rule, freezers in such models are also retro-sized - 30 liters, or not at all.
Built-in chest freezer
Chest or closet?
We are used to the fact that a chest freezer is something from a supermarket for ice cream and dumplings. Could there really be a place for this at home? If you have a lot of this very place, then yes, because in terms of the main parameters of economy, spaciousness, and convenience, chest freezers are superior to cabinet-shaped “colleagues”, which are better than chests in only one thing: in saving space.
Freezer cabinet Beko
Chest freezers have several advantages. Firstly, the chest door is always tightly closed, it will fit well under its own weight, even if the seal wears out. Secondly, when the chest is opened, warm air does not enter it, because according to the laws of physics it tends to rise, and when you open the freezer cabinet, the air from it mixes with the warm air of the room. The interior space of modern chest freezers is usually well organized, you should not be afraid that you will not see or find something.
Inner space in the chest freezer
Freezer chest
With "No Frost" or without?
Freezers with an automatic defrosting 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 noisier (40–43 dB, without "No Frost" - it can be 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 packaged.
There are models without the "No Frost" system, but with reduced frost formation and requiring defrosting very rarely, for example, freezers with "Low Frost" systems.
What should be the freezing power and temperature?
Most models on the market freeze in the standard mode up to -18 ... 24 degrees, this is a 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 are -24 degrees and another snowflake has been 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 an extra load on the compressor. So, for a usable volume of 80–100 l, 4–5 kg per day will be a good freezing capacity, for an average usable volume of 150 l, 10–11 kg per day, for 180–200 l, 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 turned on and off separately from each other. This is very convenient if the load of the freezer depends on the season or the number of people at home. For example, in the summer you have fishing, hunting, harvesting - you use two cameras. And when you eat half of the supplies by the middle of winter, you leave only one camera turned on and do not waste electricity.
Do you need a super freeze mode?
Super-freezing, shock freezing is the inclusion of a compressor at increased power approximately 12–24 hours before the planned large purchase-load 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 adversely affect already stored products and will allow the "new arrivals" to freeze in accordance with all the rules: quickly and clearly, without passing the stage of slow crystallization harmful to the structure of the products. Yes, this is a very useful feature. It is only important that this mode has an auto-off, because if it is turned off manually, then you can forget about it, and then the products will be frozen.
Literally five years ago, freezers and chests were standard accessories only in stores. Now the situation has changed: freezers are increasingly installed at home and in the apartment. They are used for long-term storage of food as an alternative to a refrigerator. With the right approach, they fully justify the investment in them and allow the family to always have fresh frozen food, fruits and vegetables on hand.
Freezer or chest freezer, which is better
Inexperienced people often do not know what exactly to choose for an apartment - either a horizontal chest, or a vertical chamber. These two types of household appliances have their own strengths and weaknesses.
The freezer in most cases has a vertical layout - it is very similar to a refrigerator. The cabinet can have one or two chambers and be single-compressor or dual-compressor. Its main advantage is that it takes up little space. Inside the freezer there are a large number of shelves and drawers in which you can stack products and sort them. Also, the pluses include:
- two-compressor installations allow you to adjust the temperature in different chambers, which is quite convenient for storing various groups of products;
- can be produced both with a transparent and with a deaf front wall;
- the volume of freezers usually varies from 100 to 300 liters, although commercial models are also available. For example, Liebherr can have a volume of up to 650 liters;
- easy access to products. You can put meat on one shelf, fish on the second, fruit on the third, vegetables on the fourth.
Camera cons:
- more electricity consumption
- high price;
- smaller usable volume.
Chest freezers in most cases have a horizontal layout, so they take up more useful space. They are usually used for long-term storage of products (they don’t look into the lari three times every day, like in cabinets). Main advantages:
- lower price compared to the camera;
- large and oversized packages or products (fish briquettes, hams, half carcasses) can be placed in the chest;
- low power consumption. Italfrost household chest freezers of 350 liters consume about 75 kW on average per month;
- low noise level.
Of the shortcomings of the chest, only the complex organization of the process of laying and getting food can be called. It has small hanging shelves-containers on top, and below everything is folded in bulk. But still, the chest is more suitable for the home than the camera.
How to choose a chest freezer for your home
First of all, decide on its purpose and scope. You should not buy full-size chests for 500-600 liters if you have them empty. The best option for a large family is 350 liters. This volume is quite enough to freeze a couple of buckets of fruits and vegetables, put several kilograms of semi-finished products, meat, fish, legs, etc. into the chest. The 150-200 liter version is also suitable for small families, it will be even more economical in electricity consumption.
The difference in power consumption is noticeable to the naked eye: if a 200-liter chest consumes about 40 kW per month, then standard Pole freezers of the same volume are about 55. The difference seems to be small, but it comes out quite noticeably over the year.
After picking up the volume, decide on the price. Refrigerators can be divided into three classes:
- entry level (up to 500 conventional units). Simple, inexpensive and reliable units that are good at freezing food;
- middle level (up to 1000 conventional units). These are high-quality, beautiful and functional chests with various functions (quick freezing, slow freezing, etc.);
- high level (from 1000 to 2000). Elite designer chests will perfectly fit into the interior. They will be almost silent, economical and functional.
In principle, you can safely stop at the first two classes so as not to overpay - they are quite enough for the house.
What is better freezer or chest freezer
A classic freezer can replace only in one case: if you have nothing to store in it. Freezers are more suitable for people living alone - if anything is stored in them, then a pack of dumplings.
A chest freezer will help you save money. For example, you can buy meat, convenience foods or dog food in bulk and store them at home. In summer, you can buy strawberries, cherries, peppers, tomatoes for nothing and just freeze them, and then enjoy delicious and environmentally friendly products in winter.
