"Scribbles" wrote in message
...

So is self defrosting one of those 'must have' features or just 'ok
when it works'?

The additional question of spending more on something that has a
better energy rating takes us into the unknown ... how long it might
last over the extra cost and any potential savings on running costs
and could be impacted by the whole 'self defrosting' thing. What
happens when that stops working ... is it then worse than a non
self-defrosting model?

Self-defrosting is a Must Have as far as I am concerned.

I much prefer frost free.

Most people have a particular domestic task they absolutely loathe
and detest; for me, that task is defrosting fridges and freezers.

Me too, second only to washing clothes etc by hand down the river.

Put simply, life's too short for all that faff and puddles of water.

My current freezer is an under the counter AEC model,

Mine are the biggest Fisher and Paykel frost free pigeon pair.

Vastly more convenient than the under counter manual
defrost pair of bar fridge sized freezers with fixed shelves.
The freezer has massive roll out drawers and for some
reason you dont get any ice buildup on the contents
at all which is the other massive bonus with frost free.

about 8 years old and A-rated. Apart from the
time I stupidly left the door open overnight,

Not possible with my latest freezer, it beeps if you do that.

it's never given me a moment's bother. Then, I was obliged
to empty and unplug it while it completely defrosted and
the temperature control mechanism reset itself. (It's one
way to get to know the neighbours. "Er, hello. I live at
number 94. I don't suppose you have room in your freezer
for 5 litres of tomato soup and a couple of steak pies
overnight, by any chance?")

If I use the fast-freeze button, I set an alarm on my phone
to remind me to turn it off at the appropriate time because
the green light which is supposed to remind me that fast-freeze
is on is almost invisible in daylight and dim as a Toch H lamp in
the dark. I only use fast-freeze when putting in a big batch of
fresh stuff to freeze from scratch. Already-frozen items come
home from the shops in a cool bag or box and get put straight
in the freezer drawers without any thawing.

I've never done a serious analysis of what it's costing to run but
in all honesty, I don't think the costs outweigh the convenience of
having an efficient piece of kit which pretty much looks after itself.

Cold temperature working could be relevant, as could
the fast freeze feature (when doing a big frozen shop).

Currently, due to shortage of kitchen space, my freezer
is living in the conservatory where the temperature has
been known to drop as low as 5C on winter nights and
rise into the high 30s and beyond on summer days.
According to the user handbook, its lowest recommended
environmental temperature for optimal performance is 10C.
With luck, the space problem will be resolved in the next few
months and the freezer can come into the more moderate
climate of the kitchen before any damage is done. I think
the only models currently sold as suitable for use in sheds,
garages or other cold environments are made by Beko.

HTH