Chest Freezer tips?

[Zefan]

Remember that a full freezer is an efficient freezer as there’s less air to cool after every time it’s opened.

Remove the boxes from any frozen foods supplied this way and put the contents in a freezer bag along with the cooking instructions section of the box. No point in wasting space and electricity keeping cardboard boxes frozen.

Aren't the first paragraph and the last line of the second paragraph contradictory? If the first is true (which I agree, it is) then surely cardboard is good for at least keeping air from escaping as easily vs empty space?

 

[mattyfez]

Aren't the first paragraph and the last line of the second paragraph contradictory? If the first is true (which I agree, it is) then surely cardboard is good for at least keeping air from escaping as easily vs empty space?

I guess there's less thermal mass in cardboard boxes .. Compared to cool packs or frozen bottles of water or whatever.
Cold air can escape or warm up a lot faster whereas solid items when frozen tend to stay frozen...

 

[Zefan]

I guess there's less thermal mass in cardboard boxes .. Compared to cool packs or frozen bottles of water or whatever.
Cold air can escape or warm up a lot faster whereas solid items when frozen tend to stay frozen...

So it's less remove the boxes, and more fill the space with thermal mass? It has to be noted I am coming at this from a pedantic pov, my point is only to make anyone else reading think twice before thinking cardboard boxes bad.

 

[Begbie]

Hi folks,

Reasonably bought a chest freezer as my wife is about to pop (pregnant). We have "Cooks" meals nearby which are like Charlie Bingham. Planning on loading it full to make dinner easy.

But remember lots of old folk seem to love these things - what goes in them? It is huge. At the moment all I am thinking of is Callipos.

Mum has one in the garage, normally full of delicious delicious deer. So find a deer, and fill the freezer.

 

[mattyfez]

So it's less remove the boxes, and more fill the space with thermal mass? It has to be noted I am coming at this from a pedantic pov, my point is only to make anyone else reading think twice before thinking cardboard boxes bad.

I'd say so... That said I don't make a particular effort to remove boxes.. I will fold them up a bit though, for example if I have a box of 4 breaded fish fillets and remove 2 for eating.

It's a bit like why they say not to put warm food in the fridge, let it cool to room temp first ... It's not a food safety thing it just means the fridge has to work harder for longer to get back down to your target temp as the fridge is fighting against the warmer items.