Yesterday I shared a post about keeping a freezer inventory.   One way to make the most of the food you have stored in your freezer is to make sure you have a frost free freezer (say that 5 times quick).

I originally shared these tips a few years ago, but it bears repeating.  I hate to see freezer waste!

A frost free freezer means just that, frost free.

In other words, you won’t have the task of having to thaw your freezer to chip off all the frozen ice when you have trouble closing the door properly because of the frost build up.

With a frost free freezer, there are heating elements in the freezer walls that cycle through – normally every six hours but can vary depending on the make, model and energy efficiency – in order to melt any ice. There is a thermometer in the freezer so that it won’t allow the freezer to get any warmer than freezing.

A frost free freezer is very convenient however, it isn’t quite as energy efficient as a manual defrost. A manual defrost will also ensure the temperature is steady rather than going through the heating and cooling cycles, which means that if you plan to store food in your freezer for months at a time, you may want to go with a manual defrost. But you will have to manually defrost every few months, something many people don’t really like doing!

It is up to you to decide which type of freezer you prefer, as each have pros and cons.

If your freezer ends to get a lot of frost build-up on the inside, it can be a pain and a waste of electricity – to spend the time defrosting it time and time again. But there are a few things you can do to ensure that your freezer doesn’t get a lot of frost building up.

Open your freezer for a short duration as possible. If you are grabbing multiple things from the freezer, grab them all at once rather than leaving it open while you grab each item out individually.

If you were delayed getting items into the freezer, wipe the outside of the packaging first, so you won’t be adding to the condensation into the freezer. So before you put that package of frozen peas or ice cream into the freezer, take the time to take a dry cloth to them and dry them off first.

Check your freezer’s gasket to make sure cold air isn’t escaping and warm air isn’t entering.

Every few months, clean your freezer’s gasket to ensure it will seal your freezer properly. These things get dirty quickly!!

Another thing to consider is the fuller your freezer is the less frost build up you will have! So there is another incentive for your once a month cooking.