Tricks For Preventing Frost Buildup In Your Freezer

It can be quite frustrating when you need something from your freezer, only to find everything is covered in frost. If this is what you been experiencing recently, it can be an indication that your freezer has issues.  Before we delve into the prevention of frost buildup in your freezer, let us take a look what causes it in the first place.

Causes and Effects of Frost In The Freezer

Frost is formed in a freezer when moisture comes into contact with the coils inside the appliance and freezes. This can lead to ineffective sealing of the appliance door, loss of storage space and bring about a bad smell inside the freezer.

Frost, if left for a long period of time can affect stored food. It can lead to a condition known as “frost bitten food” or “freezer burn”. How does this happen? When you leave food in the frost build up for too long, moisture evaporates from the food and ice crystals form on the surface of the food. The ice crystals will than “burn” your food, affecting the taste of the food and eventually leading to losses.

How to Prevent Frost

Ice crystals in the freezer makes it hard to access food with ease. To prevent frost building up in your freezer while keeping your frozen food as fresh as possible, you can follow these tips.

• Stock food properly: There is a general rule on how to stock up food in a freezer. For every cubic foot space, you need to stock up two or three pounds of food. If your freezer is too full or too empty, frost can build up easily.
• Organize your freezer: Keeping your freezer organized makes it easy to locate what you need much faster. Doing this also minimizes the number of times you have to open and close your freezer.
• Keep the doors closed: When the freezer door is opened, the cold air inside escapes and humidity is introduced. Humidity contains moisture which later turns into frost. Every time the freezer door is opened, the temperature inside the appliance rises, causing the freezer to work harder to keep the food frozen. Try to gather everything you need for storage to avoid unnecessary trips. This tip is particularly important for business owners using commercial freezers.
• Dry off food before storing: By the time you reach home after you purchase frozen food from the store, the items usually have defrosted a bit. By then, moisture had already developed on the packaging. Ensure that you wipe off all moisture before storing your items in your freezer to prevent frost build up.
• Use appropriate storage containers: Using the right storage containers minimizes access to air. If you prefer using plastic containers, store more food to fill up the container. Avoid leaving a lot of space. Also, use storage bags that are thicker than normal sandwich bags.
• Do not store hot foods: Never store hot food items in the freezer. The steam from hot food turns into humidity which later causes frosting. Let your hot food cool first before storing.

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