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.
Big drawer
The presence of a larger drawer in the freezer. Such large containers allow you to store a whole turkey and other large products. It is worth noting that the concept
of a large drawer may vary depending on the manufacturer - in some cases it is quite possible that it will be comparable to a classic drawer of another model.
Telescopic rails
Retractable guides allow the drawer to roll smoothly on a special roller. The main advantage of telescopic rails is that you do not need to make much effort. On the other hand, such devices are more expensive and are used in premium segment devices.
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.
Lighting
Freezer interior lighting system. This function is very helpful given that the working chamber of the unit, even with the door open, is often shaded, and it is not so easy to see its contents. The lighting usually works automatically — similar to how it is implemented in refrigerators: the light turns on when the door is opened and turns off when it is closed.
Door closer
The door auto-closer is responsible for “pulling” the door when closing, and in some models also when opening. The idea is that the user does not need to close/open the door completely: pull it to the right place, and then the door will be "picked up" by the auto-closer and smoothly brought to a fully open or closed state. Such a system performs two functions. Firstly, it reduces the risk of leaving the freezer not closed. Secondly, such a device provides a very smooth opening and closing without shock. Thus it has a positive impact on the life span of the entire device.
Controls
The type of control provided in the freezer. This parameter is specified by the type of controls and their location.
- Rotary knobs. In general, this is the simplest and most inexpensive option used in units of the appropriate level. However, even this is quite enough - especially if the freezer works in more or less constant temperature conditions (for example, in a home or office kitchen). In many cases, the matter is limited to selecting the appropriate knob position once and then not changing the settings. In addition, the major advantages of this type of control are reliability and ease of repair.
- Push-buttons. Push-buttons are considered more advanced than rotary knobs. The specific functionality of freezers with such a control may be different. But among them, models with additional functions and the ability to fine-tune the temperature are noticeably more common. As for the location, there are internal and external push-buttons. The internal location allows you to hide the control panel behind the refrigerator door, providing a neat appearance with a minimum of protruding parts.
The external location is convenient because you do not need to open the door to access the settings. On the other hand, the real need for such an arrangement is not so often, and the control panel must also fit into the overall design of the unit (which is not always possible to do in the best way).
- Touch controls. Touch controls are considered th...e next step in the development of control panels, after buttons. So, it looks stylish and technologically advanced, they do not need to be pressed hard (just touched), and there are no protruding parts, corners or slots on the surface of the panel, which simplifies cleaning from dirt. The presence of a touch panel is typical mainly for models of the middle and top levels. It costs a little more than a push-button one, but this is imperceptible against the total price of the units. But the internal location, in this case, is much less common than the external one. It is because there is no need to hide the touch panel behind the door. It can easily fit into the design of the device. In addition, external placement allows you not to open the door again to access the settings.
