A fridge and a deep freezer are home appliances meant to store things at low temperatures. Many people consider them the same and assume that the difference is only in their shape. Well, that’s not the case.
A fridge and a deep freezer are two very different electric appliances.
A fridge comprises two compartments, one for freezing and the other for just keeping things fresh at low temperatures. On the other hand, a deep freezer has only one compartment that helps to keep food products in frozen form.
The most noticeable difference between the fridge and a deep freezer is that of a thermostat. The thermostat in a deep freezer allows temperature fluctuation from zero to minus eighteen degrees Celsius. In a fridge, the thermostat range is only from zero to five degrees celsius.
Keep reading if you’re interested in knowing more about these two appliances.
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ToggleAll You Need To Know About Fridge
Fridges are usually commercial or home appliances with a thermally insulated interior and a heat pump that transfers heat to the outside. As a result, its interior temperature is lower than the room.
The fridge is one of the most valuable appliances in our homes. It keeps food and drinks cool by vaporizing liquid refrigerant, which draws heat from the fridge. Afterwards, the refrigerant vapour is passed through coils outside the refrigerator (at the bottom or back). In this process, the vapour is heated and becomes liquid again.
Food can now be preserved more easily thanks to refrigerators, as opposed to the old days, when it was a major chore. In addition to making our lives more convenient, this reduces the risk of foodborne diseases. The growth of bacteria is significantly slowed down when the temperature is lowered.
All You Need To Know About Deep Freezer
“Deep freezers” are used to refer to appliances that could freeze food faster than fridge freezers due to their colder temperatures. This appliance is designed to freeze food and has no refrigerator compartment.
Deep freezers can either be upright freezers or chest freezers. It’s not uncommon for modern kitchens to contain a stand-up fridge and a separate freezer to allow for additional food storage. Nevertheless, you’re probably familiar with deep freezers as standalone appliances in basements or garages.
Moreover, this technology allows you to harvest or purchase large quantities of meat or vegetables at a lower cost and keep them without spoiling.
What Is Meant By Freezing And Deep Freezing?
Freezing and deep freezing are used to store food products at low temperatures.
The freezing process involves a slow drop in temperature (up to 24 hours). As the water in the product freezes, it turns into massive ice crystals. The method is used by people who keep their food in freezers. It’s a domestic technique.
The deep-freezing process entails cooling food quickly and brutally (up to an hour) by exposing it to temperatures ranging from -30 ° C to -50 ° C until the product core temperature reaches -18 ° C. This results in the crystallization of water within the cells.
Low temperatures cause cells to go dormant. This preserves the products’ freshness, texture, and flavour, as well as their essential nutrients and vitamins.
Difference Between Fridge and A Deep Freezer
The purpose of a fridge and a deep freezer is almost identical. Both appliances help keep your food preserved and fresh for extended periods. However, you can witness various physical and technical differences between both.
Temperature And Insulation
The insulation properties of a deep freezer are much better than the fridge. It means that food products kept in the freezer remain preserved even without light for extended periods.
In case of a temperature difference, the deep freezer gives you more options than the fridge. Every deep freezer has a temperature controller that allows you to easily control the temperature to -18 degrees Celsius. The refrigerator, however, can be set to a temperature between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius.
Here’s a short video clip about temperature regulation in the fridge and deep freezer.
Difference In Cost
The cost of a freezer is lower than that of a refrigerator.
The reason behind the cheap price of a freezer is that it has only one setting for raising or lowering its temperature. A refrigerator, however, offers a variety of compartments for storing different types of foods.
You can get an outstanding deep freezer for as little as $300 to $1000. However, a well-known brand refrigerator can cost as much as $2000 or $3000.
Difference In Usage
You can use the fridge for both freezings and keeping your food products cool. On the other hand, a deep freezer is only used for keeping frozen food products.
Fridge allows you to store items ranging from eggs to other food groups like vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. You can use its different compartments for this purpose. However, you cannot store everything in a deep freezer. Only selective things could be put into the freezer.
Domestic And Commercial Use
Using a fridge for domestic purposes is more convenient, especially in your kitchens, as you don’t need much space to store your food items at home.
In contrast, deep freezers are more suitable for commercial use in busy restaurants or malls where much space is required to store things in bulk.
Difference In Functioning
Fridge allows you to keep your food items fresh by giving you a humid and cold environment. Thus, its primary function is to keep your food items fresh. In comparison, a deep freezer helps you to keep your food in frozen form for long-term storage.
Here is a table showing these differences in summarized form.
| Fridge (Refrigerator) | Deep Freezer |
| It has two compartments. | It has a single compartment. |
| Its insulation isn’t so good. | It has pretty thick insulation. |
| Its principal function is to keep things cool. | Its primary function is to keep things frozen. |
| Its cost is high. | It’s pretty cheap. |
| It’s perfect for household use. | It’s perfect for commercial use. |
| Its thermostat ranges from 0 to 5 degrees Celcius. | Its thermostat ranges from 0 to -18 degrees Celcius. |
What to Put in a Fridge?
You must put your food items in the fridge to keep them from getting spoiled. It also helps to minimize the risk of foodborne diseases.
In nature, bacteria can be found everywhere. Our soil, air, water, and food all contain them. Several types of bacteria are capable of causing illnesses when given nutrients (food), moisture, and favourable temperatures. When kept at low temperatures, their growth slows down and even stops at such low temperatures.
This helps keep your food safe from getting spoiled by bacteria. It also ensures you don’t get any bacterial disease when eating your food.
Foods You Can Put In A Fridge
You can put a variety of things in a fridge, like:
- Perishable fruits
- Perishable vegetables
- Dairy products like yoghurt, cheese, and milk.
- Eggs
- Butter and jellies
- Pickles
- Drinks
This list depends on your choice of items you want to store in your fridge.
Foods You Can Put In a Deep Freezer
You cannot store everything in a deep freezer compared to the fridge. Still, you can keep a few of these things in it, such as:
- Ready to cook meals
- Meat
- Seafood
- Extra fresh herbs
- Ripped bananas
- Extra batches of whole grain meals
- Nuts and dry fruits
Are Deep Freezers And Chest Freezers The Same?
A deep freezer and a chest freezer are both the same appliance. Both are meant to keep your food items frozen below zero degrees Celcius. They’re only different in their shape.
Can You Use A Deep Freezer As A Fridge?
You can use a deep freezer by converting it into a fridge. You’ll have to make adjustments, especially to its thermostat, to make it functional.
There are still freezer coils inside and other physical limitations, which makes it different from the one you purchase from a shop. The refrigerator may also produce more condensation than a regular refrigerator.
Why Is It Called A Deep Freezer?
A freestanding freezer for home use was first made as a boxy chest style with a top opening lid. They were called deep freezers due to their shape and the fact that retrieving food required reaching deep inside.
Bottom Line
- Cold storage appliances such as fridges and deep freezers allow things to remain fresh for longer periods. They both serve the same purpose. Still, they’re pretty different from each other.
- The fridge has two compartments, whereas the deep freezer has only one compartment.
- The thermostat of a deep freezer ranges from zero to minus eighteen-degree Celsius, unlike the fridge, which has only a zero to five degrees Celsius range.
- The fridge is more suitable for household use than the deep freezer that’s best suited for commercial use.
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