Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
food storage.

Thanks,

Jim

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

Jim wrote:
> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
> food storage.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim
>
I have a frost free upright that takes up very little room in our
pantry. We like it quite well and it holds about 14 cubic feet of food.
I've had both frost free and the regular and got really tired of
defrosting the other type. We've also had both upright and chest,
ranging from 5 cubic feet to 30 cubic feet and, in our elder years, have
settled on the 14 cf upright as being handiest. YMMV

George

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

On Wed 09 Apr 2008 02:04:23p, George Shirley told us...

> Jim wrote:
>> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
>> food storage.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>>
> I have a frost free upright that takes up very little room in our
> pantry. We like it quite well and it holds about 14 cubic feet of food.
> I've had both frost free and the regular and got really tired of
> defrosting the other type. We've also had both upright and chest,
> ranging from 5 cubic feet to 30 cubic feet and, in our elder years, have
> settled on the 14 cf upright as being handiest. YMMV
>
> George

We've had all combinations, too, but now have a 16 cf frost-free upright
and I won't be going back. I really couldn't practically use a manual
defrost model now that we live in AZ. It's never cold enough outside to
put the food while defrosting. In OH that was no problem.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Friday, 04(IV)/11(XI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
6wks 2dys 7hrs 20mins
-------------------------------------------
Unqualified superlatives are the worst
of all.
-------------------------------------------

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

In article <7v8qv3ldghp6b55c3e0sgs87dmi2c2icht@4ax,com >,
Jim <nospam@nospam,com > wrote:

> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
> food storage.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim

Consensus? There's a joke. "-)
I have an upright that I defrost once a year. I have memories of my mom
standing on her head to get into the bottom of the big chest freezer we
had when I was a kid. Mom was a short woman. I prefer an upright. A
chest type is probably more efficient and cheaper to operate; I need the
convenience of an upright.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http :// www .caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor
She's had good news! Hurrah!

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article <7v8qv3ldghp6b55c3e0sgs87dmi2c2icht@4ax,com >,
> Jim <nospam@nospam,com > wrote:
>
>> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
>> food storage.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>
> Consensus? There's a joke. "-)
> I have an upright that I defrost once a year.

> I prefer an upright. A
> chest type is probably more efficient and cheaper to operate; I need the
> convenience of an upright.


I agree with Melba. Once a year defrosting is usually
sufficient
if certain people remember to close the door tightly.

I have enough trouble keeping track of what's in the upright.
I know I'd never be able to remember to use what's on the
bottom
few layers of a chest model.

In addition, I have read (Consumer's Guide, maybe?) that a
frost free freezer tends to cycle enough to affect the
quality of
the food. I.E. if you don't use things quickly they get
freezer
burn from the defrost cycle. YMMV

gloria p

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

Puester wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> In article <7v8qv3ldghp6b55c3e0sgs87dmi2c2icht@4ax,com >,
>> Jim <nospam@nospam,com > wrote:
>>
>>> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
>>> food storage.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Jim
>>
>> Consensus? There's a joke. "-)
>> I have an upright that I defrost once a year.
>
>> I prefer an upright. A chest type is probably more efficient and
>> cheaper to operate; I need the convenience of an upright.
>
>
> I agree with Melba. Once a year defrosting is usually sufficient
> if certain people remember to close the door tightly.
Unless you have a door gasket that is slightly askew.
>
> I have enough trouble keeping track of what's in the upright.
> I know I'd never be able to remember to use what's on the bottom
> few layers of a chest model.
We have a list taped to the door of the upright and did the same with
our old chest type. Lists shelf, front, rear, side, contents of bags,
which are labeled. The chest type had the same thing on the door and the
goodies were in movable wire baskets that could be lifted out quickly
and replaced.
>
> In addition, I have read (Consumer's Guide, maybe?) that a
> frost free freezer tends to cycle enough to affect the quality of
> the food. I.E. if you don't use things quickly they get freezer
> burn from the defrost cycle. YMMV

Not if you use vacuum bags. I've taken fish and meat out of the frost
free upright that have been there two years with no degradation of meat
or taste.
>
> gloria p

George

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??


On 9-Apr-2008, Jim <nospam@nospam,com > wrote:

> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
> food storage.

I have only had upright freezers; primarily because my grandparents had a
chest freezer and every time they wanted something from it, they had to
practically unload the thing because what they wanted was always under
everything else <sigh>.

The first freezer I had was not frost-free and defrosting always was such a
hassle that it was not done nearly as often as it should have been. About
10 years ago, I lost that one in a divorce settlement (got the half-dead
washing machine - yeah!) and bought a new, frost-free model. It is great;
there is no frost build up.

I think the biggest problem with frost-free is, defrost time is a great time
to clean the freezer; without needing to defrost, when will you clean it.
Though they don't get too bad, they do need a bit of cleaning; so, every now
and then, I empty one shelf and clean it with a Clorox wipe, dry it and
start using it again - less 2 minutes of door open time. Next time, I do
the same with a different shelf so all get cleaned periodically, just not at
the same time.
--
Change Cujo to Juno in email address.

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

Jim wrote:
> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
> food storage.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim
>
I agree with Barb, what's a consensus?

Course I gotta be different.

We prefer the chest, defrost yourself once every other year or so.
Freezes harder, and when you need to rearrange, doesn't lose the cold
like the uprights do. Cold settles, so you can leave it open longer.
To defrost, a hair dryer and a little hot water in a ice cream pail gets
it done in about 10 minutes. Hardest part is unloading to defrost.

Just my opine. YMMV
Mark

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

pheasant wrote:
> Jim wrote:
>> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
>> food storage.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>>
> I agree with Barb, what's a consensus?
>
> Course I gotta be different.
>
> We prefer the chest, defrost yourself once every other year or so.
> Freezes harder, and when you need to rearrange, doesn't lose the cold
> like the uprights do. Cold settles, so you can leave it open longer.
> To defrost, a hair dryer and a little hot water in a ice cream pail gets
> it done in about 10 minutes. Hardest part is unloading to defrost.
>
> Just my opine. YMMV
> Mark
Any freezer will freeze the goods harder just by setting the thermostat
to a lower temperature. I keep the upright at -20F with no difficulty.
Non-defrost freezers have a minor advantage over auto defrost types in
that they use a very little less energy to maintain temperature.

My opine too and YMMV.

George

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

I agree, that a chest freezer holds the cold better especially when the
door is opened. I am just 5" tall so the bottom is hard to get at but I
handle that by putting the items in a plastic grocery bags when I put
the things in the freezer that way I can move larger quantities at one
time and its easier to reach ( and doesn't cost anything). I normally
sort stuff by the bag -chicken in one bag, gr beef in one and so on.
The one I have now is over 32 years old and still working, knock on wood.
Connie TC
pheasant wrote:
> Jim wrote:
>> Trying to get a consensus of what you guys recommend for
>> food storage.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>>
> I agree with Barb, what's a consensus?
>
> Course I gotta be different.
>
> We prefer the chest, defrost yourself once every other year or so.
> Freezes harder, and when you need to rearrange, doesn't lose the cold
> like the uprights do. Cold settles, so you can leave it open longer.
> To defrost, a hair dryer and a little hot water in a ice cream pail gets
> it done in about 10 minutes. Hardest part is unloading to defrost.
>
> Just my opine. YMMV
> Mark

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:04:45 -0500, Connie TenClay
<ctenclay@tenclay.org> wrote:

>I agree, that a chest freezer holds the cold better especially when the
>door is opened. I am just 5" tall so the bottom is hard to get at but I
>handle that by putting the items in a plastic grocery bags when I put
>the things in the freezer that way I can move larger quantities at one
>time and its easier to reach ( and doesn't cost anything). I normally
>sort stuff by the bag -chicken in one bag, gr beef in one and so on.
>The one I have now is over 32 years old and still working, knock on wood.
>Connie TC

You might want to check out the energy costs for your 32 year old
freezer.
We had a 20 cubic foot chest freezer of about the same age that was
also working just fine. It would hold -20ºF with no problem but I was
interested in what it was costing to operate. I bought one of those
energy meters that you plug in to a receptacle and then plug an
appliance into it. I used it on the old freezer for thirty days and
then multiplied the reading by 12 to get the yearly cost. What a
shocker that was!! Over $290.00 a year in energy. I immediately went
out and purchased a new, slightly larger (22 cubic feet) chest
freezer. Used the same energy meter on it for thirty days and
multiplied that reading by 12. Less than $60.00 a year!! It sure won't
take long to pay for the new freezer in saved energy costs.

Ross.

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

hmmm, I hadn't thought about that. Thanks
Connie TC
> On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:04:45 -0500, Connie TenClay
> <ctenclay@tenclay.org> wrote:
>
>> I agree, that a chest freezer holds the cold better especially when the
>> door is opened. I am just 5" tall so the bottom is hard to get at but I
>> handle that by putting the items in a plastic grocery bags when I put
>> the things in the freezer that way I can move larger quantities at one
>> time and its easier to reach ( and doesn't cost anything). I normally
>> sort stuff by the bag -chicken in one bag, gr beef in one and so on.
>> The one I have now is over 32 years old and still working, knock on wood.
>> Connie TC
>
> You might want to check out the energy costs for your 32 year old
> freezer.
> We had a 20 cubic foot chest freezer of about the same age that was
> also working just fine. It would hold -20ºF with no problem but I was
> interested in what it was costing to operate. I bought one of those
> energy meters that you plug in to a receptacle and then plug an
> appliance into it. I used it on the old freezer for thirty days and
> then multiplied the reading by 12 to get the yearly cost. What a
> shocker that was!! Over $290.00 a year in energy. I immediately went
> out and purchased a new, slightly larger (22 cubic feet) chest
> freezer. Used the same energy meter on it for thirty days and
> multiplied that reading by 12. Less than $60.00 a year!! It sure won't
> take long to pay for the new freezer in saved energy costs.
>
> Ross.

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

rossr35253@forteinc,com wrote:
> You might want to check out the energy costs for your 32 year old
> freezer.
> We had a 20 cubic foot chest freezer of about the same age that was
> also working just fine. It would hold -20ºF with no problem but I was
> interested in what it was costing to operate. I bought one of those
> energy meters that you plug in to a receptacle and then plug an
> appliance into it. I used it on the old freezer for thirty days and
> then multiplied the reading by 12 to get the yearly cost. What a
> shocker that was!! Over $290.00 a year in energy. I immediately went
> out and purchased a new, slightly larger (22 cubic feet) chest
> freezer. Used the same energy meter on it for thirty days and
> multiplied that reading by 12. Less than $60.00 a year!! It sure won't
> take long to pay for the new freezer in saved energy costs.
>
> Ross.


That sounds like a fun toy for a cheapskate like me!

Is it something Radio Shack would have, or where would you look for one?

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??

On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:33:26 -0500, pheasant <kiavan02@yahoo,com >
wrote:

>rossr35253@forteinc,com wrote:
>> You might want to check out the energy costs for your 32 year old
>> freezer.
>> We had a 20 cubic foot chest freezer of about the same age that was
>> also working just fine. It would hold -20ºF with no problem but I was
>> interested in what it was costing to operate. I bought one of those
>> energy meters that you plug in to a receptacle and then plug an
>> appliance into it. I used it on the old freezer for thirty days and
>> then multiplied the reading by 12 to get the yearly cost. What a
>> shocker that was!! Over $290.00 a year in energy. I immediately went
>> out and purchased a new, slightly larger (22 cubic feet) chest
>> freezer. Used the same energy meter on it for thirty days and
>> multiplied that reading by 12. Less than $60.00 a year!! It sure won't
>> take long to pay for the new freezer in saved energy costs.
>>
>> Ross.
>
>
>That sounds like a fun toy for a cheapskate like me!
>
>Is it something Radio Shack would have, or where would you look for one?

If you are located in Canada, it's available at Canadian Tire. Priced
at CDN $24.99 or, wait 'till they're on sale like I did, $14.99.
http :// tinyurl,com /5ul2x6
There is another meter on the market called Kill-A-Watt, I did a quick
Google search and found them available from several sites with quite a
spread in price. The original Kill -A-Watt P4400 doesn't have the
ability to program in your local electrical rate while the new
Kill-A-Watt EZ Model P4460 does have this function. That way, you can
have the meter read out directly in dollars and cents. Lots of them
listed on eBay.
Using one of these units will surprise you on how much energy is being
wasted in some areas of your home. We have a small indoor pond in our
sunroom with a HID grow light over it so my wife could maintain her
tropical water lilies over the winter. Turns out that light was
costing about $38.00 per month to operate 16 hours a day. Much cheaper
to buy new water lilies each spring!!

Ross.

Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??


<rossr35253@forteinc,com > wrote in message
news:roq104pve8f9fi95o5pm6cc0vobc6q98d7@4ax,com ...
> On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:33:26 -0500, pheasant <kiavan02@yahoo,com >
> wrote:
>
> >rossr35253@forteinc,com wrote:
> >> You might want to check out the energy costs for your 32 year old
> >> freezer.
> >> We had a 20 cubic foot chest freezer of about the same age that was
> >> also working just fine. It would hold -20ºF with no problem but I was
> >> interested in what it was costing to operate. I bought one of those
> >> energy meters that you plug in to a receptacle and then plug an
> >> appliance into it. I used it on the old freezer for thirty days and
> >> then multiplied the reading by 12 to get the yearly cost. What a
> >> shocker that was!! Over $290.00 a year in energy. I immediately went
> >> out and purchased a new, slightly larger (22 cubic feet) chest
> >> freezer. Used the same energy meter on it for thirty days and
> >> multiplied that reading by 12. Less than $60.00 a year!! It sure won't
> >> take long to pay for the new freezer in saved energy costs.
> >>
> >> Ross.
> >
> >
> >That sounds like a fun toy for a cheapskate like me!
> >
> >Is it something Radio Shack would have, or where would you look for one?
>
> If you are located in Canada, it's available at Canadian Tire. Priced
> at CDN $24.99 or, wait 'till they're on sale like I did, $14.99.
> http :// tinyurl,com /5ul2x6

Amazon sells these:

http :// www .amazon,com /Energy-Meter-LCD-Display-EM100/dp/B000RKVK52

However it is also easy to calculate usage with a clamp-on ammeter,
which most handy persons probably already have. If you want to
use it for an energy meter you just take the current measurement and
multiply that by voltage and you have your wattage usage, which you can
use with your electric bill to compute the cost of the device.

In any case, there are also some things you can do with an older freezer
to cut your bill, other than replacing it. First, if it has external
condensor
coils, clean them! Blow them off with compressed air (in a can which you
can get at any electronics store) Also, if it has external coils, you can
glue styrofoam insulation to the sides and back and top. But the biggest
thing you can do is move the freezer to an unheated garage or basement
(assuming your not living in Arizona)

Ted