The History of Freezers.
The freezer is a thermally insulated compartment that is separate to the more common fridge freezer. Before the invention of the freezer, you were probably better suited living high up in the mountains as collecting snow and ice were the only forms of freezing food. Freezing is now considered the only practical way of preserving food, as opposed to salting or drying it in times past.
The basic role of a freezer is to slow down the bacterial growth of food and liquids. This is done by creating a controlled environment separate to the immediate external environment. Surprisingly enough, early models were produced in both upright and chest forms. Upright freezers are seen as more practical and accessible, but chest freezers are much more economical due to the fact that they do not have to work as hard. Every time an upright freezer is opened, more cold air is lost than is the case with a chest freezer.
When you buy a freezer today, you should appreciate how cheap it is in comparison with buying one of the earliest models. In the early days this new innovation was only available to the very rich. There are so many models on sale now, the most popular being ones that are integrated into the kitchen facia-you are literally spoilt for choice. If you buy when the special discounts are on you can get a real bargain. That was not the case in the pioneering days of freezers when such a product was way beyond the reach of the majority.
When non flammable gasses were introduced in the 1930’s, demand reached record levels (there had been too many fatalities prior to this) over 60% of American homes had an upright icebox. In the Uk , this figure was not attained until the 1970’s.
One of the many benefits of freezing food is the savings that can be made when you buy food in bulk and store for longer periods of time. The chest freezer is seen as the best option for storing food and is usually tucked out of the way in the basement or garage-probably the less subtle way of integrated appliances, but certainly the most cost effective.
