Capacity
It is the total working capacity of the freezer. A larger capacity allows you to accommodate more products but affects the dimensions and cost of the unit. Therefore, when choosing according to this parameter, you should not chase after the maximum capacity but the capacity you really need. For example, the average required capacity is 50 litres per person. And when choosing a display chest freezer (see "Product type"), you need to take into account the number of products offered for sale.
It is also worth considering that the freezer is often divided into several compartments (see below) - which means that a large capacity does not guarantee that large pieces of food can fit in the device.
Number of compartments
it is the number of compartments provided in the design of the freezer. In some models, it is possible to set different temperatures for different compartments. It is worth noting that a large number of boxes does not always mean maximum convenience, since, with an increase in their number, the volume of each individual box inevitably decreases.
Power failure autonomy
The amount of time the freezer keeps food cold enough when the refrigeration system is turned off, for example, due to a breakdown or power outage. Technically, the power failure autonomy for each model is calculated differently; For example, for a freezer with an operating temperature of -18 ° C, this is the period during which the products in the chamber heat up from -18 ° C to -9 ° C. To sum up, the time is indicated during which the frozen products are guaranteed not to heat up to a temperature at which they could lose their properties.
Freeze capacity
One of the main indicators of freezer performance is the approximate amount of fresh food that the freezer can completely freeze from room temperature to the minimum operating temperature in 24 hours. For domestic use, a power of 10-15 kg/day is considered quite sufficient. More performant models may be required if you have to freeze a lot of food at a time or for industrial purposes.
Fast freeze
It is the forced freezing mode, in which the temperature inside the freezer is briefly reduced to -24 °C. This mode is intended for the case when you need to freeze numerous products at the same time — without a sharp decrease in temperature, the heat from numerous non-frozen products could lead to its critical increase.
Usually, the fast freeze mode must be turned on in advance — 5 to 6 hours before loading the products. Thus the freezer has time to decrease the temperature in the chamber. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the increased load on the compressor — it is impossible to turn on fast freeze for a long time. In some models, automatic shutdown of the fast freeze mode is provided. In some, it must be done manually.
Door closer
The door auto-closer is responsible for “pulling” the door when closing, and in some models also when opening. The idea is that the user does not need to close/open the door completely: pull it to the right place, and then the door will be "picked up" by the auto-closer and smoothly brought to a fully open or closed state. Such a system performs two functions. Firstly, it reduces the risk of leaving the freezer not closed. Secondly, such a device provides a very smooth opening and closing without shock. Thus it has a positive impact on the life span of the entire device.
Door alarm
It is a system that monitors the closing of the freezer door. If the door is not closed for a long time or is not closed tightly enough, an audible or light (depending on the model) signal is given. It helps to avoid a critical increase in temperature in the working chamber and preserves the quality of the products.
Display
The external display makes the operation of the freezer more intuitive and allows you to control the conditions inside without opening it. The display can show data on the temperature inside the chamber or individual drawers, running programmes and the state of their running(fast freeze, for example), etc.
Energy consumption per year
It is the average amount of energy consumed by the freezer in a year of operation. Of course, these figures are not absolutely accurate. The actual power consumption may vary depending on the specific operating conditions. However, this parameter makes it possible to evaluate the consumption of the device and compare different models with each other. At the same time, it often turns out to be more convenient and visual than the energy consumption class (see above) because, in this paragraph, we are talking about a specific figure (from which you can also calculate the cost of electricity consumed).
