Any household refrigerator has a compartment for storing frozen foods at low temperatures. The freezer is the main consumer of the electric energy of the device. The intensity of consumption is directly related to the temperature regime of the camera - the lower the temperature, the more energy you consume.
You can find the answer to the question what temperature should be maintained in the freezer by studying this article.
Temperature Storage Standards
Manufacturers of household refrigeration equipment make devices that can maintain different temperatures in freezers. Normally, it is in the range: -6-25 ºС.
In this case, the vast majority of models by default have a normal temperature regime of -18 ºС.
The fact is that European concerns producing household appliances use the classification of freezers according to temperature zones with a range of 6 ºС, designating each of them with the symbol “*” (asterisk). The number of stars characterizes the maximum freezing ability of the device. for example, if 3 stars are shown on the refrigerator, then it is capable of cooling to -18 ºС.
The exception is the designation "****". It also corresponds to a minimum cooling of -18 ºС, but is provided for devices of a different category.
The refrigerator compartment is designed for short-term storage of products that will be eaten or cooked in the near future. If food is stored for future use, then the storage time can be increased by placing it in the freezer.
What is the optimal food storage temperature?
Consider how temperature affects the storage time of some products:
- Meat. At a temperature close to zero degrees, the meat product can only wait a couple of days for its preparation. Freshly frozen meat in the -8-12 ºС mode can be stored for a week, and at -14-18 ºС - for as long as 5-6 months. At the same time, meat products are able to maintain their consumer qualities for 3 months if frozen to -18-22 ºС;
- A fish. The shelf life of frozen fish varies greatly. Recommended storage temperature for fish is - 18 ºС. At this temperature, the fish should be stored for 3 to 12 months, depending on belonging to a particular family and the technology of freezing. For example, the fish of the cod family will not lose nutritional value for 8 months, as well as river inhabitants, such as pikeperch, carp, perch, pike, etc., for only six months. You can familiarize yourself with the rules for storing frozen fish in more detail by studying GOST 1168-86. When the temperature rises to -10 ºС, the shelf life is halved;
- Vegetables can be stored at -18 ºС half a year or a year. With further stay in a frozen state, although they do not deteriorate, they will lose useful properties. The safety of the latter is largely due to the cooling mode. In the case of shock freezing - a sharp drop in temperature to -40 degrees - the formed ice crystals are so small that they are not able to disrupt the structure of cells;
- Berries and fruits stored about the same as vegetables. The terms of freezing, in which they do not begin to lose useful substances, are 8-12 months.
- Margarine. If for some reason you decide to stock up on margarine, you should know that within the range of 0-10 ºС he will “live” 45-75 days, and at -10-20 ºС - 60-90 days, that is, 2 times more, than if it was put in the refrigerator compartment. Some products are not intended to be placed in the freezer. This will lead not to an increase in the shelf life, but to the impossibility of further use. A typical example is chicken eggs.
How to adjust the temperature
To change the temperature regime, the refrigerator or freezer has control systems. They are mechanical (toggle switches, rotary dials or handles with marked divisions, etc.) or sensory (a combination of an electronic panel and control buttons).
The rules for changing the settings are described in detail in the operating instructions included with any device.
How to find out how many degrees there are in the freezer?
The current temperature can be found on the display or by placing a thermometer with a sufficiently long negative scale inside the camera.
Quick freeze function
In some models of refrigerators there is a quick freeze function. When it is activated, the device goes into maximum intensity mode and quickly reaches the set temperature level. Once it is reached, the freezer will usually return to its normal operating mode.
This function is useful if it is necessary to quickly freeze fresh products added in large quantities, as well as when the device is connected to the network.
Recommendations for storing food in the freezer
In order for your freezing unit to serve for a long time, and the products stored in it do not have time to deteriorate, it is recommended to follow a number of simple rules:
- Do not put warm or hot objects in the freezer;
- Try not to load the camera immediately with a large number of objects with high specific heat;
- Pay attention to the expiration date, sign packages with the bookmark date of fruits and vegetables harvested for the winter;
- First use food in packages that have lost their tightness;
- Defrost the chamber in case of ice formation on the surface of the evaporator in a timely manner, and also thoroughly wipe it from product residues.
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