Biser
Assistant Cook
I bought a commercial chest freezer from Sears (roughly 50 to 100% more than the normal "home" freezer). Much of the space is filled with 2.5 gallon water jugs because you should always keep the freezer full to avoid running the compressor every time you open it. The food safety FAQ says to keep your freezer at zero Farenheit or less.
How much less is the question? I just tried to defrost a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken thighs in my microwave - and had to run it through three times to get it defrosted. Since the microwave boils water quickly I figured that it's probably the temperature of the freezer that's the problem. A measurement with a Fluke IR thermometer shows that the food container surface temperature in the freezer is at minus thirty four degrees Farenheit.
Is this too cold? Is there any problem keeping food way below the "normal" freezer temperature?
How much less is the question? I just tried to defrost a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken thighs in my microwave - and had to run it through three times to get it defrosted. Since the microwave boils water quickly I figured that it's probably the temperature of the freezer that's the problem. A measurement with a Fluke IR thermometer shows that the food container surface temperature in the freezer is at minus thirty four degrees Farenheit.
Is this too cold? Is there any problem keeping food way below the "normal" freezer temperature?
