Freezers

Anyone see the Mosquito Coast? There was a part in the movie when ice appeared in the jungle where protagonist Allie Fox and his family made their way to Central America to find a happier, more simple life. Ice played a big role in this flick because the tribes Fox and family where going to live with had never seen it. They had never experienced the joyous cold ice brings with literally everything it touches.

All that cold is due to either Mother Nature or a freezer. The first modern refrigerator/freezer hit the scene in 1913. By 1918 automatic control was a common feature and many of these early units featured motors and compressors, a host of mechanical parts and were stored in basements or adjacent rooms. The General Electric “Monitor-Top” was a big seller come 1927, and when Freon arrived, a low-toxicity alternative to sulfur dioxide or methyl formate, that’s when freezers began to expand and become items all onto themselves.

Freezers store food below -18 degrees Celsius. This ensures that the food they are freezing can in theory be safe for human consumption indefinitely until thawed. Domestic freezers are now part of the refrigerator, but as separate appliances they’re certainly available. Known as “chests,” stand alone freezers are impressive pieces of machinery. One of the best overall chests is the Whirlpool WZC3122DW Chest Freezer. Sporting a very roomy 21.7 cubic feet of storage, this model comes with three interior storage bins, a key lock and energy-efficient advanced foam insulation. Some cool, extra features are interior lighting, an exterior temperature control knob and a hose adapter for the defrost drain.

If a chest isn’t your thing, and you’re looking for a great upright freezer, you can’t go wrong with the Frigidaire Frost Free Upright Freezer. Insanely spacious and Energy Star qualified, bright LED interior lights give excellent illumination among the very spacious 16.6 cubic feet. This upright freezer also has a frost-free operation which if any of you out there have ever defrosted a freezer, it’s a real pain in the butt. This is taken care of with the Frigidaire and four wire shelves, six door racks and a removable trivet round out the Frigidaire in style.

If you’re on a budget, which most folks are (or at least wouldn’t mind spending less money), then we’ve got a winner for you. The Haier Chest Freezer is simple, can store 5 cubic feet, but more than that, can accommodate up to 175 pounds of food. We’re no food-to-pound-to- individual-consumption expert, but that sounds like a lot of food. Another cool feature is the removable basket used to keep frequently used items in proximity, as well as a handy defrost drain. Online reviewers rave (understandably so) about the price and size, and one reviewer commented that the machine was extremely quiet, so quiet she even had to check to see if it was still on.

It’s a cold, cold world, just be sure you’re keeping it that way at home.