Chest Freezer Tips, Tricks & Info

Alex10 on 01/05/2020 - 22:32
Last edited 01/05/2020 - 22:46

I'd like to maximize the benefit of a chest freezer to store lots of healthy home cooked meals, bulk meat etc at maximum efficiency and to save money, time and get the longest life out of the food.

Any tips and tricks that you have discovered regarding chest freezers that have made things easier, cheaper or better?

Also, some questions that I couldn't find good answers to:

  • What is the ideal temp to have your chest freezer?

  • What is the min temp that a chest freezer will go?

  • Normal freezer is recommended at approx -17C but wouldn't having chest freezer at its coldest increase the life span of food? Ice cream that needs to be softer can stay in the small freezer connected to fridge.

Food & Grocery Chest Freezer

Comments

  • Slippery Fish on 01/05/2020 - 22:36
    +1

    Put the ice cream in zip lock bag so it stays scoopable.

    • Mechz on 02/05/2020 - 01:26
      +11

      Amateur, once you open the ice cream it doesn't go back in the freezer.

  • c64 on 02/05/2020 - 09:06

    What is the min temp that a chest freezer will go?

    you just turn the temp dial all the way to the left and find out

  • brendanm on 02/05/2020 - 09:12
    +4

    I just need a sanity check here. Are the questions we see everyday like this normal, and I'm the weird one, or is it the other way around? I buy the chest freezer, plug it in, then toss frozen foods in it

    • poboy on 03/05/2020 - 09:41

      A lot of people need their mum for general life tasks.

  • JIMB0 on 02/05/2020 - 09:30

    Is Google broken again?

  • the Unforgiven on 02/05/2020 - 10:26
    +2

    I usually buy an upright freezer than a chest freezer
    Is that a tip?

    • iDroid on 02/05/2020 - 12:28

      Much easier to organise and find that "lost" food.

      Side note - this Covid-19 was a good thing for my freezer, I found all sorts of meats in there that'd been hiding for months.. All cooked and used now!

      • the Unforgiven on 02/05/2020 - 14:24

        I am a pensioner now, so I don't have a freezer, let alone have that thing called meat

        stay safe every1

        • iDroid on 02/05/2020 - 21:24

          I'm sorry to hear that, it sounds like a shitty situation. Just another thing our country needs to fix - those who built this country are not given the support they have earned. Quite sad really.

          • the Unforgiven on 02/05/2020 - 22:21
            +1

            @iDroid: Shit happens. Actually, with this CV-19, they are giving food hampers out every week now
            Cool eh. I have one cupboard full, that has never happened b4
            So I am happy. There are always others worse off than me
            Thank you for you concern. You are a kind person
            May you and your family and friends stay safe and well

  • sparkles on 02/05/2020 - 11:01
    +2

    The trick to a chest freezer is not to forget what you have put at the very bottom. A nearby whiteboard or clipboard would actually be helpful.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 02/05/2020 - 13:54
    +4

    I'm writing a book about chest freezers called 'Living Your Chest Life'… some of my tips are…
    1) Find a chest freezer that can fit 4 supermarket milk-crates. That way you can compartmentalise your stuff for ease of access of access
    2) Use a vacuum-sealer to get all the air out of foods & sealing. The -20 temps and oxygen-less environment will keep it amazingly fresh. I recently ate a supermarket roast chicken frozen 1 year ago and it was truly still excellent
    3) If storing pre-cooked meals with rice if plastic containers, put the lid on and freeze when the rice is still hot. This keeps the moisture
    Final thoughts: Chest freezers, also have one main advantage and that is that the temperature is pretty much constantly very low and doesn't fluctuate with defrostiong or opening/closing. Hence, food stays so much fresher for so much longer.

    • Alex10 on 08/05/2020 - 16:36
      +1

      Thank you for your tips!

  • 00 on 12/05/2020 - 19:07
    +2

    Check out this overview of why Chest Freezers rock
    https://youtu.be/CGAhWgkKlHI

  • 5iveburn on 15/05/2020 - 14:53
    +1

    Separate using zip lock bags with dates on it. So you can practice First In First Out as you can store a lot in there.

  • Kathryn-321 on 31/05/2020 - 08:24
    +1

    I bought some wire baskets. I rotate baskets, empty top one then it gets refilled and put to the bottom. Also I use texta to date packets/meats so I know oldest packages.

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