When looking for refrigeration equipment for your business, it's important to pay attention and understand the difference between a freezer and a refrigerator.
Although the terms freezer and refrigerator appear to have the same meaning, in this article you will understand that, although they are related, they have different meanings.
In this way, FRICON aims to clarify the differences between a freezer and a refrigerator, as well as a conservator, topics that can be somewhat ambiguous.
Each of these devices has different ways of working and purposes that may or may not meet your needs. Before going ahead with the purchase of refrigeration equipment, understand the differences between freezers and refrigerators.
Let’s start by understanding the differences between the freezer and refrigerator.
Freezing equipment (freezer)
Freezing equipment is designed to receive products at room temperature and freeze them quickly.
Freezers are usually household appliances used for storing meat, fish, vegetables and other foods that are in their normal state (i.e. not frozen).
Ideally, the temperaturerange of this equipment is between -24ºC and -16ºC.
A freezer usually has the option of manual or automatic defrosting, since ice can build up over time.
– So freezing is a term used in a domestic context and refers to a long-term storage method that involves reducing the temperature of food to below 0°C, i.e. negative. This extremely low temperature inhibits the growth of micro-organisms and slows down the chemical reactions that can lead to food spoilage. Freezers are designed to store frozen food such as meat, fish, bread, leftovers and food prepared in advance. Freezing therefore changes the physical state of the product.
Refrigeration equipment (chiller)
Refrigeration equipment, on the other hand, is designed to receive food or drink and keep it fresh. And it’s easy to see the difference with the others, as the temperature of this type of solution varies between 0ºC and 8ºC.
Technically, refrigerators produce positive cold, as they are above 0ºC. Naturally, consumption is lower than other equipment, as it requires less effort to reach the ideal temperature.
In refrigerators, defrosting is generally not necessary as they do not reach temperatures below 0°C.
– In short, refrigeration is ideal for keeping food fresh and ready to eat for a short period of time, in order to promote its preservation. Therefore, refrigeration is a process that allows the product to maintain its full condition and increase its useful life.
Now that you’ve understood the differences between a freezer and a refrigerator, you’ll understand that a conservator is also different from the previous two.
Conservation equipment (conservator)
As with freezing equipment, the temperature of preservatives varies between -24ºC and -16ºC. However, there is a difference in how you should use them.
Preservation equipment is designed to receive pre-frozen products and keep them in the same condition according to the temperature at which the equipment is used.
This is the case with ice cream, frozen peas, pre-frozen meat and fish, among other foods, which you see in the horizontal chests of supermarkets when you go there.
This doesn’t mean that if you put fresh food in a canner, it won’t freeze. They’ll be frozen for sure! However, the conservator expects you to put only pre-frozen or frozen food inside.
– In short, the preservation process allows the physical state of the product to be maintained, in which it is previously frozen and also remains in the preservative.
Now that we’ve hopefully understood the difference between a freezer and a refrigerator, let’s share a specific case in which preservation and refrigeration come together to create a single product. We could call it a 2-in-1!
Bi-temperature equipment
In the case of bi-temperature solutions, you can find two modes (conserving and refrigerating) in the same unit.
As is the case with our vertical display unit (DUO), where you can store frozen or chilled foods and drinks or fresh foods at the same time, while maintaining the highest quality of food, thanks to its two doors.
If you have any doubts about the difference between a freezer and a refrigerator, as well as a conservator, read our detailed article on the subject HERE.
