Choosing a Freezer
August 1, 2010 by Katelyn
Filed under Frugal Mom
I’ve been canning. I’ve been dehydrating. And I really wanted to freeze some things that would be better in the freezer, but my fridge has a not very adequate freezer with a seal that sometimes doesn’t hold. It is not an old fridge, so I don’t want to replace it yet, but I didn’t want to risk freezing pounds of food and then coming home one day to find the freezer hanging open. Been there, done that. So, if I wanted to freeze more than a few loaves of bread and a few convenience meals, I knew I needed to buy a freezer.
Photo via amazon.com
Tips for Choosing a Freezer
Since I just spent quite a bit of time shopping for my new chest freezer, I thought I’d share a few tips on choosing the right one for your family. The first thing you need to do is think about how much food you want to store. Are you planning to cook a month’s worth of meals for a family of four or are you just stocking up a bit on good meat deals?
Next, think about how you’d handle a power outage, especially if they happen often in your area. Do you have a generator that can keep the freezer going if your power is out for a week or reliable access to dry ice?
Then, you should take a quick look at your electric bill. Is it already out of sight? How much can you afford to pay each month for additional electricity?
Finally, take a few moments to consider your tendency to use the freezer that comes with your fridge. If you end up throwing everything out because you forget about your freezer contents, will you really be able to change your habits or will your new chest freezer just become a frozen food wasteland?
After I asked myself all the hard questions, I chose a smaller freezer than I was originally considering – a GE 5 cubic foot model that only costs $25 a year in electricity and is easily able to be run by my generator in case of a power outage. I was concerned that a bigger model would use too much energy and would lead to wasted food. I’m really pleased with my purchase so far. It is very quiet and still has plenty of room in it after a 1/2 bushel worth of frozen peaches and another 1/2 bushel of tomatoes are placed in it.
Do you have any additional tips for choosing a freezer?
