Freezer Glossary

This freezer glossary contains comprehensible explanations of all the freezer-related jargon. The freezer terms are arranged alphabetically.

Adjustable temperature control: The temperature knob is used to adjust the freezer temperature. This enables you to both prevent freezer burn and to save energy and consequently lower your utility bill by setting the temperature to a level that will just keep your food frozen.

Alarm: An inbuilt temperature alarm sounds (and sometimes a light flashes) if the freezer temperature rises above a preset safe level. You are then able to take corrective measures to prevent food spoilage.

Auto-defrost: A technique which regularly passes cold air around a freezer unit in order to prevent the buildup of ice or frost. Appliances using this technique are often called frost free, no-frost, automatic defrost or self-defrosting.

Baskets: Baskets effectively break up a chest freezer into compartments and make its organization easier.

Capacity: Capacity refers to the volume or internal space of a freezer; the maximum amount that it can carry. A freezer's capacity is always indicated as cubic feet or liters, with the latter being relevant to those who use the metric system. Gross capacity denotes the volume the freezer would carry if the wall and lid insulation had not taken up any space while net capacity refers to the space available after the thickness of the walls and lid is taken into account. The net capacity is therefore a better indicator of the freezer size.

Compressor: A compressor is the "engine" (or motor) of the freezer as it is the heart of the cooling system. It is black and is located at the bottom back of the freezer. It goes on and off and can be heard humming when the freezer thermostat signals that it is time for cooling. Its literal function is to remove heat from the air in the freezer by compressing the refrigerant gas in order to increase its pressure.

Defrost drain: A defrost drain channels melting frost away from the unit, making manually defrosting the freezer easier as it does not have to be overturned.

Energy Star Freezer: Energy Star (also known as EnergyStar) is an accreditation awarded by a program jointly run by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to help consumers both save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Energy Star freezer models consume less energy by using more robust compressors and better insulation, temperature control and defrost mechanisms. The highest energy efficiency rating for freezers is A++.

Fast Freeze Compartment: A fast freeze compartment enables food to become frozen much faster than it would in the regular freezer chamber. The process helps to lock in natural juices in meat for example to prevent the growth of bacteria that could degrade the food.

Foam insulated lid: A foam-insulation lid is stronger and less susceptible to damage than non-insulated ones. The lid also helps to render the freezer unit energy efficient as it locks the chill into the freezer unit.

Frost-free Freezer: A frost free freezer passes cold air constantly around the appliance to prevent the build up of ice and frost. Frost-free freezers are also referred to as auto-defrost, automatic defrost, no-frost or self-defrosting.

Gasket: A freezer door gasket is the rubber ring used to seal the junction of the freezer door with the freezer body. It prevents the freezer door from popping open.

Interior light: The interior light comes on automatically when the freezer door is opened. It makes it easier to locate and retrieve frozen items in dimly lit conditions.

Key eject lock: Freezers with this feature eject the key if this is not pushed while being turned. This enhances child-safety and ensures that you don't forget to remove the freezer key from the lock, enabling you to control who accesses the freezer.

kWh: kWh is the abbreviation for kilowatt hours which is a measure of energy (electricity) use. You will find a freezer's energy consumption on a yellow label at the back of the unit. This energy consumption is often expressed as kWh/ year, which is essentially the amount of energy consumed by that unit (and similar models) per year.

We have, where possible, indicated the amount of energy a freezer model uses and the attendant operating cost per year. Note that these figures are based on the national average computed by the US government in 2007. Your actual operating cost will, in fact, depend on the rates charged by your utility company and your use of the product.

Magnetic door seal: A magnetic door seal ensures that cold air is locked into a freezer by sealing the door shut. The magnetic strip on the freezer door mates with magnetically attractable material on the freezer chamber edge to retain the door in a closed position.

Noise level (dB): This is an indicator of how loud a freezer model is. Manual defrost chest freezers are generally quieter than self-defrost upright models.

Open door alert: A pulsing tone that goes off after about 2 minutes of opening the freezer door to alert you to this fact in order to prevent accidental thawing of frozen food.

Power indicator light: The power indicator light confirms the power status of the freezer at a glance. This feature reduces the incidence of food spoilage as a result of loss of power to the freezer unit.

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