Do I really need a Freezer?

Why don’t you put the one you’ve got in the garage and see how you get on?

I probably could but i do stock up when things are on offer like chicken bacon sausages and some frozen vegs and magnums of course ?. I like always having the makings of a meal on hand so i wouldn't get rid of mine.

Couldn’t do without my freezer but then I do cook batches and also freeze homemade cakes for various occasions.

If you do put one in the garage , make sure it is suitable , not all are.

I turned my fridge freezer off a few years ago as I found I was not using it, so I decided to save the two or so units of electricity each day that it cost to just leave it running empty.

So now I am saving at least 60p each day.

But that is just me, I recognise that it is a lifestyle choice, each to their own choice.

I eat a plant-based diet, no meat, fish or dairy and buy small quantites of fruit and veg regularly from local farms shops, markets, ethnic stores and allotment growers. I don't need a freezer and, at a push, could get by without a fridge. If you like processed food including things that need to be cooked from frozen that wouldn't work for you, would it?

No, not boring at all - a good chance to examine something that is just taken for granted in this house.
Having thought about it then - I will keep my little freezer. We buy a loaf of bread for toast at the weekend and it does a good job of keeping that fresh for a couple of weeks. I batch cook at least once a week, so have a store for those busy days and, of course, have fish fingers, peas and chips on standby for unscheduled Gchn visits.
So, yes I do make good use of it and so will be keeping it.
Thank you for making me think.

Unless one can call heating packs of microwaveable rice in a microwave cooker as "cooking", I don't do any cooking at all!

I buy meat and fish on offer, especially ahead of family occasions, it goes in the freezer.

I was going to suggest the same as Poppyred.

Yes, I would move the fridge/freezer into the garage, buy a fridge and see how that pans out ( ooops sorry haaa ) and no, its by no means a boring thread. X

I use my freezer too. Especially useful when the family turns up unannounced! AND even more useful at Christmas

I have three freezers - one in the garage, a small one in the utility room and a fridge freezer in the kitchen. There are only two of us but I love baking and when family or friends come over I do a lot of advance cooking. At Christmas the freezers are heaving. I also make my own stock which I freeze in small plastic pots and there are usually half a dozen homemade ice creams scattered here and there. I keep lists of what is in each freezer and cross things off as they are used.

Oh, and if we see any bargains such as legs of lamb at a reasonable price, those go in a freezer too.

We got rid of ours, but our fridge does have a small freezing compartment which mostly contains stock for soup and peas, and the occasional tub of ice cream. I reckon we could manage easily without it.

The more radical question would be, if you shop everyday (I know this is not what the OP said), do you really need a fridge? Especially if there is somewhere that can be used as a cool larder.

Noooooo!!

I have the equivalent of 2 freezers. I couldn't cope without the flexibility that they give me. I bulk buy quite a bit of stuff - eg bacon, gf black pudding, but, even with the best will in the world, any planning of meals goes by the board right quite often, we have a big family and bulk cook quite often.

And, what about the Magnums!

I've just had a fridge with an 4 star ice box for 10 years now and it has suited me well. I'm surprised by how much I can get in there. Veg bags, prawns, fish, small pizza, the odd ready meal for emergencies, sliced chicken, bacon, sausages, halves of a large loaf etc. etc. for example.

Lots of frozen food is in flat boxes, pitta breads are flat etc. and by careful shopping you can store more than you thought. As long as it is a fair sized ice box of course. But I'm now very used to gauging how much space I've got and buying things which I know there is room for. No frozen chickens though!

Need my freezer for ice cream, frozen chips, emergency ready meals, bread, frozen veg.
How on earth do you manage to eat without cooking Stardreamer?

I have an under-counter fridge freezer so you can imagine how small it is. The freezer has ice cream, chips, and a bag of mixed veg. It is easy for me though as I live alone and like to buy fresh food most days.

I have two freezers - a small chest freezer and a fridge/freezer. I wouldn't like to do without either of them!
Yes, StarDreamer how do you manage to do no cooking?

One has to think ahead to days when one cannot shop as and when we would wish because of illness and/or mobility problems. I will be keeping my freezer and like others, I freeze bargains.

I have two , a fridge freezer in the kitchen and a fridge ( normally off except for gatherings)!and freezer in the utility room . Strangely I was chatting to my brother about this . He has turned his freezer off but lives miles from shops etc so not sure how he will manage . I do cook meals in preparation of family visits and during my recent recovery from a hip replacement I had prepared a number of meals just to reheat and bought some ready meals . But thinking of getting rid of one freezer as it’s very old and probably very energy inefficient. . Maybe I’ll switch it off ( needs defrosting anyway!!) and see how I go .

DanniRae

I have two freezers - a small chest freezer and a fridge/freezer. I wouldn't like to do without either of them!
Yes, StarDreamer how do you manage to do no cooking?

I have a restricted diet, no lumps, though ordinary rice is allowed as it breaks up easily.

So I have a diet of rice, Alpro soya drink (which I regard as vitamin-enhanced liquid tofu) and puréed food. In practice the purée food is first stage baby food as that is purée, filtered to avoid lumps, organic and very nutritious, and ready-to-use. Lots of varieties available so not the same meals all the time.

But I also have things like Alpro chocolate drink, Alpro strawberry drink and the Alpro lumpless desserts. Also orange juice, but not the versions with sweeteners.

I usually add the puréed fruits and vegetables at ambient temperature, but in cold weather I can heat them, but that is not (as in MUST NOT) in a microwave cooker, but by standing the unopened sachet in a jug of boiled water for a while.

As I am vegan, basically ethical vegan but it might also be protecting me from a milk intolerance. I also avoid gluten.

A lot of drinks have "best served chilled" on the pack, but I always drink them at ambient or, in winter, mixed with some boiled water. I just don't like chilled drinks.

As the rice is in sealed sterilsed packs, the plain soya drink is UHT and as I consume a litre each day, the baby food is in sterilised packs, and so on, I have no need to use a fridge or freezer.

Years ago I used to have lots of frozen vegetables in the freezer and I made delicious casseroles, often with Herbes de Provence, but those days have gone.

Be careful moving a fridge/freezer into the garage - we did that and in the Winter when it gets cold the freezer turns off. Can't remember the whys and wherefores but the freezer is normally controlled by the fridge. Better to have just a freezer outside the house, unless your garage is sealed and stays warm.

Co-incidentally I have just cleaned out my freezer in the garage so I can cook in bulk and buy 3 for £10 deals at Ocado in my attempt at offsetting rising food costs. Doing my on line shop now.

Thanks Stardreamer for explaining. I'm sure you miss your lovely casseroles.