Product type
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Freezer. A device for storing frozen food, made in the form of a cabinet with a vertically located door. Freezers are convenient because they can occupy a relatively small area with significant capacity.
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Chest freezer. A device for storing frozen food, made in the form of a chest, that is, a horizontally located box, in which the top cover acts as a door. The chest has a small height and, as a result, occupies a larger area than freezers. On the other hand, they are more convenient for storing bulky products and allow you to use the entire working volume without dividing it into boxes.
— Display chest showcase. Freezer designed for commercial use. It has a transparent top cover through which the buyer can view the product without opening the device; the same cover usually serves as a door. Display chest showcases can be seen in modern stores. They store ice cream and semi-finished products.
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Ice maker. Unlike other types of freezers, the ice maker is designed not to store food but to produce edible ice in large quantities. Such units are widely used in cafes, restaurants and bars, where chilled drinks often have to be prepared.
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Shock freezer. A shock freezer is a high-capacity freezer. Shock freezing involves the processing of products with a temperature of 30 to 50 °C below zero. At this tempe
...rature, the tissue structure freezes at the micro level. It is very important because, in the products subjected to shock freezing, the tissues are not damaged so that the products will not turn into a liquid during defrosting, and it also makes it possible to preserve the original microelement and vitamin composition in the products. Thanks to shock freezing, you can harvest any vegetables, berries, fruits, etc. After defrosting, the products will acquire the same appearance and taste properties as at the start of shock freezing. After quick and deep freezing, the low-temperature zone switches to the mode of operation of an ordinary freezer.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.
Max. temperature
The highest temperature maintained by the freezer during normal operation. This parameter is not as important as the minimum freezing temperature, however, it allows to evaluate the optimal conditions for storing certain categories of products that do not need deep freezing. And in some cases, it shows that the freezer can
work as a refrigerator.
Minimum temperature
The lowest temperature that the freezer can maintain in normal operation. First of all, the duration of food storage in the freezer depends on this parameter: it is believed that a temperature of -12 ° C is enough to preserve food for a month, -18 ° C – 3 months, -24 ° C – up to a year. At the same time, it must be taken into account that not only temperature affects the shelf life but also the type of product and its quality before freezing.
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.
Mechanical lock
If a child lock provides for electronic locking of controls, then
mechanical lock is a lock for the door, which can be opened with a key. This solution is in high demand in chest freezers intended for non-domestic use.
