Maximising your freezer space: The ultimate guide to freezer meal prep

Maximising your freezer space: The ultimate guide to freezer meal prepcredit

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time to cook healthy meals can be daunting. With busy schedules and endless to-do lists, many of us find ourselves reaching for a takeaway or pre-packaged meals more often than we’d like. Enter freezer meal prep: a game-changer that not only saves time but also maximises your health and your budget. If you’re looking to take the plunge into freezer meal prepping, this ultimate guide will help you make the most out of your freezer space.

Why freezer meal prep?

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of maximising freezer space, let’s explore the benefits of freezer meal prep:

  1. Time-saving: Spend a few hours cooking once a week or month, and you’ll have ready-to-eat meals for days or even weeks.
  2. Cost-effective: Buying in bulk and cooking large portions often leads to savings – especially when it comes to fresh ingredients that are on sale.
  3. Healthier choices: You control the ingredients, making it easier to stick to your dietary preferences or restrictions.
  4. Less waste: Freezing allows you to preserve leftovers and reduce food waste.

Step 1: Assess your freezer space

The first step to maximising your freezer space is to take a good look at what you have.

  • Declutter: Remove expired items, uneaten leftovers and anything that’s been sitting in your freezer for too long.
  • Categorise: Organise items by category (meats, veggies, prepped meals etc.) to make it easier to find what you need later.

Step 2: Choose your meals wisely

Not all meals freeze well, so it’s essential to choose recipes that maintain their flavours and textures. Here are some freezer-friendly meal ideas:

  • Soups and stews: These often taste better after being frozen, as flavours meld together.
  • Casseroles: Dishes like lasagna or baked ziti can easily be prepped and frozen.
  • Marinated proteins: Chicken, beef or tofu can be marinated and frozen before cooking for a flavour boost.
  • Prepared fruit and veg: Chop and freeze fresh produce for smoothies or stir-fries.
  • Breakfast items: Muffins, pancakes and breakfast burritos can be prepped ahead of time.

Step 3: Invest in quality storage solutions

Your freezer’s efficiency largely depends on the storage systems you use. Here are some options:

  • Freezer bags: These are perfect for flattening bags of soups or stews to save space.
  • Air-tight containers: Great for individual servings or larger portions.
  • Labelling supplies: Use masking tape and a marker to label everything with the contents and date. This prevents mystery meals and lets you know when it’s time to eat it!

Step 4: The freezing process

Follow these best practices to ensure your meals freeze well:

  1. Cool before freezing: Allow foods to cool completely before sealing them to prevent ice crystals.
  2. Remove air: For bags, press out as much air as possible. For containers, leave space at the top for expansion.
  3. Portion control: Specifically prep single servings or family-sized portions, depending on your needs.

Step 5: Organise your freezer

Once you’ve prepared your meals, it’s time to organise your freezer for easy access:

  • Stackable bins: Use clear bins to categorise food types.
  • Vertical space: Use freezer-safe stackable containers to make the most of height in your freezer.
  • First in, first out (FIFO): Place newer items behind older ones to ensure nothing gets forgotten at the back.

Step 6: Meal plan and rotate

Make the most out of your freezer meal prep by creating a meal plan:

  • Weekly menu: Every week, plan to use a few frozen meals to keep your menu varied.
  • Encourage rotation: As you prepare more meals, cycle older meals to the front to ensure they are consumed before new ones.

Wrap-up: Embrace your freezer

Freezer meal prep can transform your cooking routine into a more efficient, cost-effective and enjoyable experience. With a little planning and organisation, you can maximise your freezer space and enjoy delicious, homemade meals at your convenience.

So, roll up your sleeves, gather your ingredients and embrace the art of freezer meal prep – your future self will thank you!

Everything to know about freezer repair technicians

Everything about freezer repair technicianscredit

Refrigerators work day in day out, and sometimes they can fall into disrepair. Like any household appliance, wear & tear is to be expected and freezer repair technicians are on call in many areas to respond to such emergencies. It’s easy to tell if your fridge-freezer is malfunctioning simply by checking whether its function of keeping food cold is still intact.

The first step in repairing a refrigerator or freezer is by identifying whether the problem has arisen due to issues in the compressor, air circulation or defrost mode. If both the fridge and the freezer are warm, the problem is likely to be a compressor or thermostat issue. A qualified and competent freezer repair technician is best placed to conduct this diagnosis.

Many people are wary of someone entering their home to repair bulky appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, washing machines or tumble dryers. Since the practicality of repairs of this nature involve a repairman coming to the property instead of you hauling the freezer to the repair shop, there are some things to consider before engaging a maintenance specialist. These factors include:

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Ensure the repairman has the right credentials

Freezer repair is a difficult skill that’s also potentially dangerous. The chemicals involved in keeping freezers cold are called refrigerants and they’re quite corrosive – especially on the skin or in the eyes. A qualified repairman has undergone training and taken regular refresher courses on repairing different types of freezers and refrigerators. Like any other kind of equipment, freezer technology consistently updates as time moves on. Therefore, a good technician keeps abreast of all new developments in technology and learns new repair methods.

Illustration of itemised estimate

Transparent pricing

Given the complicated nature of freezer repairs, some repair people are vague about pricing and charge their naive clients excessive fees. A good maintenance specialist should give a honest price estimate even before they begin the repair process. Consider it a red flag if a technician is unwilling to offer a transparent quote. A good technician will also reveal whether they expect the pricing to fluctuate depending on the availability of parts. Their labour and cost of materials need to be itemised and clearly outlined.

Illustration of person standing in front of a tick and cross

Capacity to accept and correct mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, and technicians are no exception. New models and iterations of freezer technology are occasionally released and a qualified technician may come across a brand they have never interacted with previously. Whereas the underlying technology doesn’t change much, the little changes might cause a technician to make minor errors during the repair process or even wrongly evaluate the damage and possible remedies. A good technician will admit that they’ve made a mistake and take the necessary measures to remedy their error. However, if they cannot correct the fault, they should be gracious enough to consult a more qualified technician who has a better chance of correcting the mistake and repairing the freezer as per the client’s needs.

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Possess a solid reputation

As with any other type of engineer, freezer technicians should have positive referrals to work on your refrigerator. A good reputation means that the technician respects the client’s home, their time and money. References are also a great way of sieving through dozens of technicians who all seem to have the exact same skill set based on their advertising material.

You may look for other qualities in your preferred technician, and these qualities depend entirely on the client’s preferences; proximity to their location, whether or not they have a website or the number of 5-star reviews they’ve received.

Some people are very private and would prefer to take their freezers or refrigerators to the repair shop rather than allow a technician to enter their home. For those who are happy to have at-home repairs, a technician should always arrive prepared with all the necessary tools and equipment for the job. If replacement parts need to be purchased, the technician should factor this into the price estimate.

Illustraion of a refrigerator repair man

How to become a freezer repair technician

The most common path to becoming a freezer repair technician is working as a trainee in a freezer repair company or a freezer manufacturing/sales organisation. Most manufacturers conduct in-house training for prospective freezer repair technicians, which equips them with the necessary skills and knowledge to become qualified technicians in repairing various models of refrigerators and freezers. Therefore, a competent freezer technician should be knowledgeable about a range of appliances and this will enable them to quickly identify and solve problems arising in appliances even if they’re seeing the make or model for the first time.

Expertise that’s often underrated is good communication skills. A technician must have competent verbal and written skills because a large part of their work involves dealing with their clients. From the moment a technician starts a project, they must consistently communicate where they are at during the process with the client and ensure they have a record of every transaction they make in their work.

Becoming a freezer repair technician is not an end in itself. A technician should always strive to learn more skills and update their core technical knowledge base to continue to succeed. There are many courses on offer, and choosing the right one may be the difference between being a successful technician and merely an average one. A technician capable of understanding the inner working of new machines is best equipped to handle diverse older models of different appliances.

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After-sales services for freezer repair technicians

As with many other servicing jobs, a freezer repair technician must keep close communication with the client to ensure the freezer continues to operate seamlessly. After-sales service in freezer repair typically entails checking whether the freezer retains its optimum temperature. A competent maintenance specialist will be honest enough to tell the client whether their appliance needs a new component or whether they should scrap the entire machine and trade it in for a new one. This type of advice may go against the selfish need to make money, but it builds trust with clients, and there’s a greater chance of referrals simply because the technician chose honesty over greed.

Overall, freezer repair technicians need to be competent in customer service and be adept at actual machine repair work. The combination of both skills makes for the best technicians in any field.

Expert commercial refrigeration repair technicians for efficient freezer repair services. Quick diagnostics, skilled repairs, and reliable solutions to keep your business running smoothly. Contact us today for assistance.

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Price Points: Non-white white goods

Swan Retro SDW7040BLN standard dishwasher, blue Gorenje ORK193 free-standing fridge freezer, lime green Smeg CPF9GPOR 90cm 'Portofino' cooker with Pyro oven and gas hob, orange

White goods are so… blah. Remember when computers were only available in grey or beige boxes? Then Apple came along with its curvy, candy-coloured iMacs – revolutionary!

A similar revolution is currently under way with kitchen appliances. It began with the smaller ones – kettles and toasters. Brands like Dualit began collaborating with other companies such as Liberty of London, Selfridges and Little Greene to produce special-edition toasters in the latter’s colours and patterns.

Now, it’s the turn of non-white white goods. Smeg began the march of colour with their fridge-freezers and others are joining in. Stoves, cooker hoods and washer-driers used to be large expanses of white, black or stainless steel. Appliances once were drab, now they’re being produced in a range of rainbow colours. Life’s too short to be lived in monochrome!

  1. Swan Retro SDW7040BLN standard dishwasher, blue: £449.00, ao.com
  2. Gorenje ORK193 free-standing fridge freezer, lime green: £899.00, John Lewis
  3. Smeg CPF9GPOR 90cm ‘Portofino’ cooker with Pyro oven and gas hob, orange: £1,721.78

Wednesday Wish: A new fridge freezer!

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Smeg 50 FAB32QO fridge-freezer Samsung G-series RL58GPEIH fridge-freezer
Smeg 50 FAB32QO fridge-freezer – £1189-£1358.99 | Samsung G-series RL58GPEIH fridge-freezer – £599-£800

Which should we choose?

Our current fridge is on it’s last legs, wheezing and gasping with old age. Is the Smeg option taking our orange colour scheme a step too far?

We also love the Samsung with its iced water dispenser – but stainless steel and sticky kitchen fingers are a bad combination… decisions, decisions!