| Fast Freeze and Freezers |
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The fast freeze feature on a freezer lets you freeze fresh food quicker. But do you need it and is their an alternative. Read on. |
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FAST FREEZE
The fast freeze facility on a freezer is basically a button you press
which lowers the temperature of the freezer or a part of it. This
facility is used when you need to freeze larger amounts of fresh,
unfrozen food. The faster food is frozen, the better the quality will be
when the food is thawed.
Most freezers can cope quite well with freezing small amounts of food without a fast freeze button. Anything over 1 kg (2.2lb) though will result in poorer quality food. We recommend that you turn on the fast freeze function about three hours before placing the food in the freezer.
Fresh food that is frozen slowly will have larger ice crystals in it when compared to food that is frozen quicker. The larger the ice crystals, the poorer the quality of the food when it is thawed. If you only plan to store pre-frozen food then you don't need a fast freeze button.
Most freezers with a fast freeze button also have a warning light to indicate that the fast freeze is on. This is useful to remind you to turn it off when the food is fully frozen.
The fast freeze button is a convenience rather than a necessity. It is quite possible to manually turn down the temperature using the thermostat. Make sure though that it is in a convenient position if you plan to adjust it frequently.
A freezer magnet can be placed on the front of the freezer to remind you to turn the thermostat up to normal when the food is frozen. The correct temperature for fast freezing in a domestic freezer is about -10°F (-23°C).
GO BACK TO FREEZER FEATURES INDEX
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