'Low Frost' vs 'Frost-Free' integrated Fridge Freezers.

ThisIsWeird

Any experience of just how low the 'low-frost' types are?

Full 'frost-free' are indeed that, as it's what I have, and I've never had an ice build up. 

But now helping someone find a new integrated FF for themselves, and many models are stated as being 'Low Frost', which makes clear that some manual defrosting will be needed on occasion, and that this should be much easier, but they don't actually say how often, or what's involved.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

casper_gutman

We have one that was sold as 'low frost' (bought a few years ago when supply chains were disrupted and I couldn't find a frost-free machine in the size and 50:50 configuration we wanted).

Other models and manufacturers may vary, but our experience with the so-called low frost one is that it needs defrosting every year or two, so not much different from the old (high frost?) model we had in the kitchen pre-remodelling. The new one is at least easier to defrost, in that there are no exposed refrigerant pipes to work around.

So, low frost is better than nothing but nowhere near as good (from a defrosting POV) as our frost free one which hasn't needed any attention in a decade.

ThisIsWeird

Thanks, Casper - it'll have to be a fully Frost-Free then!

I've just read the instructions for a high-end model - an AEG or Bosch, I think - and step one was to fast-boost the freezer to get your food super-cold, so it could then be removed and stay frozen whilst you manually defrost... And that was a £700+ machine.

Nuts.

casper_gutman

I know, right?! I'm aware that there are supposed to be disadvantages with frost-free models, possibly increasing freezer burn due to the temperature cycling etc., but it's never caused any noticeable issues here.

DullGreyGuy

ThisIsWeird said:

Thanks, Casper - it'll have to be a fully Frost-Free then!

I've just read the instructions for a high-end model - an AEG or Bosch, I think - and step one was to fast-boost the freezer to get your food super-cold, so it could then be removed and stay frozen whilst you manually defrost... And that was a £700+ machine.

Nuts.

Would more say they are middle market, high end are more like Subzero, Miele Mastercool, Liebherr Monolith etc which tend to start at £7,000+

casper_gutman said:

I know, right?! I'm aware that there are supposed to be disadvantages with frost-free models, possibly increasing freezer burn due to the temperature cycling etc., but it's never caused any noticeable issues here.

They use notably more electric because they go from well below freezing to just above freezing and back again to melt the frost, its done relatively quickly to reduce the damage to the foodstuffs but obviously that means current to create and circulate the warmth etc. 

The other problem is that its something else that can break, our Samsung freezer broke down 3 times with effectively the defrost phase being stuck on so in the morning rather than being its normal -22C the inside of the freezer was at c19c and everything fully defrosted. 

Where the freezer is and how it's used will have a material impact on how quickly frost builds up in a non-frost free model. 

twopenny

In my days of posh machines I've had some with a fast freezed door/shelf.

It was to quickly freeze items that may have chrystals forming on freezing or to quickly deal with unfrozen stuff so you can store it more quickly.