Chest freezers don’t actually use a lot of electricity. They’re a big insulated box that’s closed most of the time, and since they open from the top rather than the front, the temperature doesn’t change much when opened (since hot air rises, while cold air stays lower). The compressor doesn’t have to run for very long to maintain the temperature.
In the USA, Energy Star estimates 215kWh per year for Energy Star certified chest freezers (open from the top) and 395kWh per year for certified upright freezers (open from the front): https://www.energystar.gov/products/freezers
I always wondered the same thing when I was younger, since my monitor had an Energy Star logo on it even though it was an American thing but I was in Australia. Being Energy Star approved just means the product is more efficient relative to others in the same category.
The Energy Star site is useful since they list all the available rebates for energy efficient appliances (federal, state, county, electricity company, etc)
It would depend on how often OP orders food in. Also, they don’t run 24/7. Once stuff reaches the set temperature the motor stops. Another advantage is bulk buying. If butter is on sale you can buy a lot and freeze it. Same thing for staples like chicken. The unit works less when you fill it up because the cold food stays cold in the insulated box.
My usual pattern is to cook a 5 litre pot of soup or stew and freeze in in pint size size containers. Or you can make spaghetti sauce and freeze it in smaller containers. Tight now I’ve got lentil soup and chili sitting in my freezer. Takes about 7 minutes to cook in the microwave.
Also, and this is just because I live in a neighborhood with an abundance of Italian food stores, I get a lot of precooked or ready to cook meals at the store and freeze them.
I was thinking more power use averaged over time. But yeah there’s a lot of factors in calculating something like that.
I’m a freezer hoarder myself (mostly stuff I bought cheap, close to expiration) but I just have the bottom part of a typical European fridge (not double-wide) to use. Fills up pretty quickly but with the shape pizzas are, you can load up a shitload of those bad boys in an otherwise “full” fridge with some elbow grease.
So much less than you’d think. My GIGANTIC unit (literally a full sized fridge model but on it’s side as a chest freezer) costs something like $25 to run all year. These things are stupidly good at their job because cold air is dense and sinks, unlike a stand-up model that dumps the cold air out every time you open it.
My mini fridge for my soda and bongs costs more to run each year and is literally 1/in the volume
Taking control of your food supply is basic. It seems like a big expense to set up a decent kitchen, but the truth is that you can do a lot in a small space. It’s so much cheaper to prepare stuff in advance and freeze it. For the cost of one takeout meal you can have five home cooked meals.
5 cubic feet of storage for under $200.00 Apx 1.5 cubic meters. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Chef-5-0-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-in-White-HMCF5W4/311895690
I’ve seen these installed in vans. Not mobile homes, vans.
I wonder how quickly (especially with extra electricity) that is actually going to pay itself back
Chest freezers don’t actually use a lot of electricity. They’re a big insulated box that’s closed most of the time, and since they open from the top rather than the front, the temperature doesn’t change much when opened (since hot air rises, while cold air stays lower). The compressor doesn’t have to run for very long to maintain the temperature.
In the USA, Energy Star estimates 215kWh per year for Energy Star certified chest freezers (open from the top) and 395kWh per year for certified upright freezers (open from the front): https://www.energystar.gov/products/freezers
TIL what that “energy star” thing on my monitor was about
I always wondered the same thing when I was younger, since my monitor had an Energy Star logo on it even though it was an American thing but I was in Australia. Being Energy Star approved just means the product is more efficient relative to others in the same category.
The Energy Star site is useful since they list all the available rebates for energy efficient appliances (federal, state, county, electricity company, etc)
It would depend on how often OP orders food in. Also, they don’t run 24/7. Once stuff reaches the set temperature the motor stops. Another advantage is bulk buying. If butter is on sale you can buy a lot and freeze it. Same thing for staples like chicken. The unit works less when you fill it up because the cold food stays cold in the insulated box.
My usual pattern is to cook a 5 litre pot of soup or stew and freeze in in pint size size containers. Or you can make spaghetti sauce and freeze it in smaller containers. Tight now I’ve got lentil soup and chili sitting in my freezer. Takes about 7 minutes to cook in the microwave.
Also, and this is just because I live in a neighborhood with an abundance of Italian food stores, I get a lot of precooked or ready to cook meals at the store and freeze them.
I was thinking more power use averaged over time. But yeah there’s a lot of factors in calculating something like that.
I’m a freezer hoarder myself (mostly stuff I bought cheap, close to expiration) but I just have the bottom part of a typical European fridge (not double-wide) to use. Fills up pretty quickly but with the shape pizzas are, you can load up a shitload of those bad boys in an otherwise “full” fridge with some elbow grease.
So much less than you’d think. My GIGANTIC unit (literally a full sized fridge model but on it’s side as a chest freezer) costs something like $25 to run all year. These things are stupidly good at their job because cold air is dense and sinks, unlike a stand-up model that dumps the cold air out every time you open it.
My mini fridge for my soda and bongs costs more to run each year and is literally 1/in the volume
Taking control of your food supply is basic. It seems like a big expense to set up a decent kitchen, but the truth is that you can do a lot in a small space. It’s so much cheaper to prepare stuff in advance and freeze it. For the cost of one takeout meal you can have five home cooked meals.