An alternative to upright freezers and refrigerator-freezer combo is the chest freezer.These chests are often a perfect solution for larger storage needs.Adjusting to their organization style may take a bit of time because they are built differently from their vertical siblings.Cheap purchases and simple storage techniques can help you speed up the process.
Step 1: Group of food can be held in large storage bins.
When treated as a single space, chest freezers can become messy and frustrating.If you want to fix this, you can purchase large, square or rectangular storage bins to hold different groups of food.Plastic or metal storage bins are easy to fit inside the freezer.On a day-to-day basis, it will be easier to manipulate bins with handles.You can make your chest easier to navigate by purchasing different colored bins to represent different foods, like pink for meat and green for vegetables.To save money, try using old cardboard boxes.
Step 2: Store loose items in small storage containers.
Small storage containers can be used to hold loose food items like breakfast sandwiches, frozen waffles, corn dogs, ice cream bars, and yogurt cups.Square or rectangular containers will fit inside the larger bins.If you want to maximize space, look for containers that stack on top of each other.
Step 3: Solid dividers can be used to separate bins.
To keep your bins from falling into each other, invest in chest dividers.Simple pieces of plastic or wood can be found at most craft stores, while professional freezer and pallet rack dividers are available in most department and appliance stores.
Step 4: Food and storage bins should be labeled.
You can keep track of your food by labeling it.Put small labels on each bin that state what type of food it should hold.If individual items need special attention, place labels on them like: expires at the end of the month.Before eating, add spices.You can save until the weekend.
Step 5: The food should be divided into groups.
Food group is the easiest way to organize a chest freezer.Try to separate your meat, cheese, vegetables, bread, stock, cooked grains, frozen dinners, and frozen desserts into separate sections.This will allow you to find food quickly, know where to put new purchases, and see when a type of food is almost gone.If you use the chest for only one type of food, separate items by style, like a chicken section and a beef section or a Ben & Jerry's section.
Step 6: Large and heavy food should be kept at the bottom of the freezer.
Big and heavy food can fill a chest freezer quickly if you are not careful.Some products should be kept near the bottom of the freezer.Heavy foods can make it difficult to reach items beneath and they can even crush lighter foods.Smaller, lighter chunks of meat and cheese are easier to store.To conserve space, take pre-made frozen foods out of their boxes.
Step 7: Food can be placed near the top of the freezer.
It is easy to forget about food when it is in the freezer.Food that has been opened may lose its flavor if it is ignored.If you want to avoid this, keep old and opened food near the top of the freezer.
Step 8: Food should be kept at the top of the freezer.
It will give you easy access to ingredients you use frequently, frozen foods you make often, snacks you enjoy daily, and items that are quick to make.Since you won't need to access them as often, keep speciality ingredients, occasional snacks, and party items near the bottom.Do the opposite if you are on a diet.It's a good idea to keep your favorites near the bottom of the freezer.