For a more current review and tips check out this post!
So many people ask me if you can do OAM cooking with your refrigerator freezer. I suppose the answer is yes and no. On the yes end, I suppose you could try. I can’t imagine that even if my freezer was completely empty that I could get all of these menu items in there. Now, I could also have us do different methods for freezing such as using large freezer bags instead of putting them in the baking dishes but I find that is so very easy and convenient to just pull a meal out of the freezer and pop it right in the oven. The other thing you could do is cut the amount you make in half which would be more like every-other-week-cooking instead of OAM cooking, but if it is what you have and it works for you, go for it! On the no end, I find that it is incredibly convenient to have a stand-alone freezer. If you are simply using the freezer for OAM cooking you really don’t need a large one. (I’ve seen a 3.5 cu ft one on sale for just under $100). There are small, medium, and large versions. There are expensive and not so expensive versions. The first thing that you need to do is assess if it is cost effective for you to purchase one and then what type you will be looking to get. And remember, this is an investment. It is something that will not only use for years to come it will also save you time and money. There are pros and cons to freezers just like everything else. Do a little research before you dive right in.
Here are some things for you to consider before making your purchase:
1. How large of a unit do you want? – this will depend on a couple of things: how much you want to put in it, how much space you have, and your budget. You can do a OAM Cooking BIG DAY with as small as a 3.5 cu ft freezer. This will not only not take up much room, but is also rather inexpensive. However, if you envision stocking up on freezer items during grocery sales or you have a weakness for frozen sweets you may want to consider a little larger unit. I have a 14.8 cu ft unit. I love it, it is the perfect size. I do OAM Cooking but I am also a horder. Meaning, I like to buy things and horde them away in my freezer for a rainy day. It is the perfect size for my OAM cooking and still leaves me space for the other stuff that I buy weekly and monthly that is on sale. I can definitely say that being able to purchase items when they are on sale rather than when I have room in the freezer has saved us much money.
2. Do you want a chest or an upright? – there are again, pros and cons to both. Upright freezers take up less floor space and are easier to find things quickly and easily. Chest freezers use more floor space, and are a little more cumbersome to find things, but are more efficient. My mother lives and dies by her upright freezer. I, on the other hand, have a chest freezer. The reason I chose the chest freezer was primarily (I am serious) that it has a door that is obvious when it is not closed all the way. Less chance of the “Someone didn’t shut the freezer all the way!!!!!” cooking extravaganzes with frozen strawberry juice all over the basement floor. Yeah, I’m not speaking from experience (sarcasm implied). This happened more than once in my childhood and has burned memories into my brain. Not good memories. At any rate, I love my chest freezer. It comes with these cool baskets (I love some organization baskets) that make it easy for me to find things. I keep certain foods in certain baskets to keep things really organized.
3. Is it energy efficient? – with the technology that we have today it is easy to find freezers that will not cost you an arm and a leg to run. Make sure when you are making your purchase that you have chosen one with an Energy Star rating.
4. New or used? – there are so many options out there with things like Craigslist and your local classified ads that you can easily find a used freezer for a reasonable price. This would be where I would begin my search. Why buy new when you could get a good unit at a lower price? If you are buying used, just make sure of a few things: that it has an Energy Star rating, that the unit isn’t too old (older units can cause you more cost in energy in the long run), and that it works!
For more information on buying a freezer visit: Consumersearch.com – a great online FREE resource for buying just about anything. They have some great freezer reviews complete with customer feedback. Here are some of their freezer articles – Top 4 Best Reviewed – What To Look For – Full Report