10 tips for choosing a freezer for your home

Popular vote - who is the best manufacturer of freezers?
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Liebherr

SAMSUNG

BEKO

Bosch

Gorenje

Indesit

ATLANT

Pozis

Biryusa

HISENSE

VESTFROST

SMEG

Total voted: 35

Vote results

Freestanding freezers come in only two types - cabinets and chests. The freezer is indistinguishable in appearance from a conventional single-chamber refrigerator. The height of such models can reach two meters. The interior space is divided into sections by shelves or drawers.The total volume of the freezer for some models reaches 350 liters, but despite this, the products fit in it much less than in the chest. Of the advantages of this design, one can single out space saving at home, the possibility of sorting, separate storage of products, convenient access to them, ease of operation. You can choose a model that will be combined with the existing refrigerator in design.

Freezer chests have an impressive size and volume. If you decide to choose this particular type of freezer, provide in advance free space for its installation. Externally, the chest is a chest with a lid. A huge plus - a lot of food is placed in it, you can freeze large fish, poultry, large pieces of meat. They cost lari, as a rule, a little cheaper than freezers, they work quietly, have reliable thermal insulation and do not consume very much electricity. But there are also several disadvantages - there is no possibility of a full-fledged sorting of products - in order to find the right packaging, you will have to pretty "dig around". Especially if you need to extract the product that is at the very bottom. Judging by the reviews, many users do not really like that the chest takes up a lot of space - it is not always possible to put it in a small kitchen.

Whatever freezer you choose, be sure to look at who and where it is made. Not only the efficiency, but also the durability of the device depends on this. Based on reviews, expert opinions, brand popularity, we have compiled a small list of reliable manufacturers.

• Biryusa. Domestic equipment produced by the Krasnoyarsk Refrigerator Plant.In Russia, it is considered one of the largest enterprises for the manufacture of household refrigeration equipment. The company is proven and affordable - freezers of this brand are much cheaper compared to most foreign brands. At the same time, the quality of the products is not bad, they do an excellent job with their main functions.
• Gorenje. Freezers of Slovak production. A well-known company produces both budget models and premium freezers. In Russia, this company has become quite popular due to the high build quality and good equipment characteristics.
• Atlant. Belarusian freezers are of quite good quality. They are in demand among the population due to their low cost and a good range of models. Each buyer will be able to choose a worthy option even with a limited budget.
• Liebherr. German brand that produces premium freezers. But in the assortment of the company there are relatively inexpensive models. If you managed to find a freezer from this brand at an affordable price, it should definitely be considered as one of the best options. All Liebherr appliances are distinguished by excellent build quality, manufacturability, efficiency and reliability.
• Hansa. German brand produced in Poland. Its freezers, however, like all other equipment, are quite popular among Russian consumers. In addition to good build quality, the company is trying to follow the emergence of new technologies, update the existing line of freezers.

In addition to the listed brands, you should also pay attention to brands such as Stinol, Indesit, Candy, Nord, Beko, Bosch, Saratov.

In order for the freezer to meet all your requirements, it is not enough just to choose the model you like externally. It is necessary to study all its characteristics and only then make a final decision.

• Volume. This parameter characterizes the capacity of the chamber, for different models it varies in the range from 100 to 500 liters. Which freezer should you choose for your home? For domestic use, the volume from 100 to 260 liters is considered optimal, but here it all depends on your needs personally. The required capacity is determined by simple calculations - 50 liters for each family member.
• Height and number of compartments. In models in the form of a cabinet, the interior space is divided using shelves and drawers. Often they are combined. The number of compartments depends on the height of the freezer. Models with three drawers have a minimum size, their height usually does not exceed 85 cm. A meter-high device can already have 4 compartments. The maximum number of shelves and drawers is up to eight pieces.
• Noise level. A noise level of up to 50 dB is considered a normal indicator for comfortable operation, but it is better to choose quieter devices. Some manufacturers have freezers based on an inverter compressor, which is much quieter than standard units. The best option for the home, when the volume of the operating freezer does not exceed 40 dB.

For freezers, there are only two defrosting technologies. The first is in manual mode. The design uses a conventional static evaporator, over time it becomes covered with a layer of ice.In modern models, its formation is much slower than before, but such a chamber will have to be defrosted at least twice a year. The procedure is familiar to everyone who is familiar with old-style refrigerators and freezers - the device is disconnected from the mains, left for several hours until the ice is completely thawed and the internal surfaces dry. These freezers are cheaper compared to more modern models, but require manual labor.

Freezers equipped with the No Frost system are more convenient for use at home. Due to the continuous circulation of air and the operation of the heating element, frost does not accumulate in them. The heater turns on every time the compressor stops. Frost thaws under the action of heat, moisture flows into a special tray and evaporates. Manufacturers position such freezers as not requiring defrosting. But in fact, at least once a year, it is still desirable to carry out a preventive disconnection of the device from the network for several hours. The No Frost system is very convenient, but it also has disadvantages - such freezers work louder, consume more electricity, cost more, due to the installation of additional components, the useful volume of internal space is reduced.

Small freezers of the budget category can be purchased at a cost of up to 15,000 rubles. No need to chase cheapness by buying models of unknown brands. Better consider brands such as Biryusa, Nord, Supra, Don, Pozis, Atlant. In the same price category, you can find brands such as Shivaki, Hansa, Leran.As a rule, with a budget of up to 15,000 rubles, you have to consider models with a small volume of up to 150 liters and manual defrosting, but you can find options up to 180 liters.

In the price category from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles, there are already more capacious models from 200 liters. In addition, manufacturers such as Beko, Indesit, Whirlpool, Liebherr, Hotpoint-Ariston appear on the list. Some models have an automatic defrost option. With a budget of about 20,000 rubles, you can purchase such reliable equipment as chest freezers from Gorenje.

With a budget of 30,000, there is much more choice. Here you can already consider voluminous and functional models from the brands Gorenje, Samsung, Liebherr, Bosch. Many of them have extended functionality, including smartphone control options and an additional compartment in the form of a wine cabinet.

Freezers, like refrigerators, are equipped with many options. The more features, the more expensive the model. Some of them are useful, others can be easily dispensed with. Based on user feedback, we have divided all options into useful and useless.

• Open door alarm. This option will be useful when there are small children at home. If they forget to close the door, the freezer will alert you with a beep.
• Child protection. You can set the lock of the door and control panel. This feature, again, will be useful if there are small children at home.
• Antibacterial protection.The internal surfaces of the refrigerating chamber are covered with a special composition, deodorizers, antibacterial filters, light ultraviolet or infrared radiation are installed in the chamber. According to user reviews, this option can be useful in refrigerators. In the freezer, the development of bacteria is inhibited in a natural way due to the constant maintenance of negative temperatures.
• Hanging doors. A feature that almost all modern freezers are equipped with. Some never use it, but if you need to rationally organize the kitchen space, it will be very useful.
• Ice generator. Built-in edible ice maker. It will come in handy if you like chilled drinks. But you can get a small amount of ice using special molds. This option is overkill, unnecessarily increases the cost of the freezer.
• Wine cabinet. Occasionally, freezers are supplemented with another chamber - a wine cabinet located on top. This solution will be useful for small cafes, but not for the home.
• Display. Electronic models are equipped with touch or liquid crystal displays, which display all the current performance of the device. It is very comfortable. According to user reviews, more accurate temperature parameters can be set from the touch screen.

Freezers are electromechanical and electronic. In electromechanical models, the temperature is set by turning the regulator connected to the electrical circuit and circuit. The temperature is fixed at the evaporator point.If you would like to choose a reliable device that will serve you for years without repair, you can give preference to the electromechanical model. Their advantages include simplicity of design, increased reliability, affordable cost and good tolerance for voltage drops. Of the minuses - there is no way to set the exact temperature parameters.

Electronic freezers use buttons or a touch screen to adjust the temperature. Inside the chamber, sensors are installed that record the temperature and display them on the scoreboard. The main advantages include the accuracy of adjustment and ease of control. But there are also disadvantages - the high cost of devices and their susceptibility to voltage drops.

The temperature regime of different freezers is not the same. In the technical specifications, you can see such a parameter as "freezing class". It is usually denoted by a different number of asterisks. Each star equals -6°C. That is, if two stars are indicated - the temperature is -12˚С, three - about -18˚С. The most powerful freezer models have four stars. The lower the temperature in the freezer, the longer the food will be stored in it.

Freezing power refers to the amount of food the device can freeze per day. For example, in budget, weak models, it is not recommended to load more than 5-8 kg of unfrozen food at the same time. Powerful freezers can freeze up to 25 kg of food without any problems. For example, fresh meat or fish. Try to choose the optimal freezing power according to your needs.For a family of three, 6-10 kg per day is usually enough, but if you are used to buying for the future, you can purchase a more powerful model.

Energy consumption refers to the amount of energy that the freezer uses to operate. This is a very important parameter, since the freezer is constantly running. Given the systematic increase in electricity tariffs, it is better to give preference to the most economical models. The energy class has a letter designation. Devices with class A +++ consume the least amount of electricity. In general, all class A freezers are very economical. As an extreme case, models B and C can be considered. Class D is no longer economical at all.

The climate class determines the allowable operating temperature of the freezer. There are several climate classes:

• SN – subnormal (+10…+32˚С);
• N – normal (+16….+32˚С);
• ST - subtropical (+18…+38˚С);
• T - tropical (+18…+43˚С).

Sometimes in the marking you can see several symbols at once. The best option is class SN, T. Such a freezer can be used both in cool and hot rooms.

According to user reviews, the quick freeze function is very helpful when you need to freeze a lot of food in a short period of time. It is achieved by lowering the temperature and increased air circulation for more intensive heat extraction. The option of fast freezing is equipped with many modern models of freezers.A little tip - turn on the function two to three hours before loading products.

When choosing a model, you should also pay attention to such a parameter as autonomous cold storage. It shows how long the freezing temperature will be maintained inside the freezer in the event of a power outage. In some models, food can remain frozen for up to two days, but more often, autonomous cold preservation is enough for 12-24 hours.