Freezer

[Badger]

Checked with a large local appliance store yesterday to inquire again about the future availability of a chest freezer. I was told probably not until next year. The manufacturers could not even place an order for parts with their suppliers at this time. Many of the parts they need come from China and they are constantly shutting down due to the virus. When they can get a few parts the companies like GE, Frigidaire, or Danby shut down too whenever they have a virus outbreak. It is affecting other large appliance manufacturing as well. Lots of people laid off and there is no change coming any time soon.


Cheers!

 

[Aerides]

There are a lot of products which faced the double whammy of increased demand but reduced supply, due to Covid-19.

Here's a piece I read yesterday on dumbbells of all things, which I found interesting as I'm creating a weightlifting setup at home (and really all home gym equipment, but heavy weight stuff in particular) https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21396116/dumbbell-set-shortage-nordictrack-bowflex

In addition, to the upside down supply/demand issue, there are production delays, shipping impacts, customs, ports, all taking longer. And saying "welp we'll build em here!" is far from a fast fix.

ps, check costco online they have a couple, just not the <$200 kind

 

[KarlH]

Wow. I am glad we have the freezer already, but often puzzled over the fact that so many were for sale in the $100-300 range. The answer must have been Chinese manufacture all along, but its something I purchase so rarely that it didn't get much thought. I have however, been thinking about a smallish chest freezer to convert into a fermentation chamber for homebrew, and now I suspect I will learn that they are no longer available or only at elevated prices....

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I have however, been thinking about a smallish chest freezer to convert into a fermentation chamber for homebrew, and now I suspect I will learn that they are no longer available or only at elevated prices....

+1

I decided to look into buying a small chest freezer just the right size for one carboy for this purpose around April-ish. You are correct; they can't be found.

 

[DenverGuy42]

we tried to order one in early march. The delivery kept getting postponed - then in April they just said "august", in August they said november. Just last week Lowes sent me an email saying "order cancelled"

In the meantime, we got one of these from Amazon:

Kismile 3.0 Cu.ft Compact Upright Freezer with Reversible Single Door,Removable Shelves Mini Freezer with Adjustable Thermostat for Home/Kitchen/Office(3.0 Cu.ft, Stainless Steel)

It wasn't as big as we wanted, it cost a little more than we wanted, but since getting it - we really sort of like it. Very quiet (no fan noise at all). Very cold. And holds a good bit of food. We use cardboard boxes that fit on the shelf perfectly as drawers.

So, if you need someone right now, and 3 cubic feet is OK for you, it was a pretty decent buy.

 

[samm]

I just looked on Craigslist and there are many used ones....maybe try that? Or try buying one from someone selling house?

 

[Amethyst]

We will soon be visiting the local appliance store (not HD or Lowes) to investigate appliance packages for a kitchen remodel. Will see what they have to say.

We recently had a lot of work done on our lawn irrigation system. The owner said parts were getting hard to find, because the supply line from China is so irregular and the big factory in Texas has only a skeleton work force. Extend the situation to all sorts of manufacturing.

 

[gauss]

Used appliance store perhaps?

Might even be a higher quality if you find one of the old "built like a tank" units as opposed to the disposal-able appliances sold today.

 

[bbbamI]

I'm not sure if refrigerators are difficult to get, but one could be an option when you are unable to obtain a freezer.

This website might help....

https://blog.yaleappliance.com/which-refrigerators-have-the-most-freezer-capacity

Refrigerators with larger freezers have become a hot topic over the last two months.

Freezer storage and preservation of food have become more important. What's interesting is that it’s exactly the opposite of buying patterns before the Corona virus pandemic.
Another reason is the lack of freezers. You can’t buy one. Then again, neither can I or any other retailer for a few months.
So in this article, you will learn what refrigerators have the most cubic footage of freezer space. Also, there are some problems you want to avoid.

 

[Retch The Grate]

We picked up a commercial glass top ice cream freezer which is working great for storing all our frozen foods. The glass top reminds us to actually pull things out. Each trip past it you get reminded of the tasty things inside, works just as well at home as in a store for that. Looks like the company we bought from still has various freezers in stock, but I didn't go all the way through to ordering to see when they would deliver now: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/refrigeration-equipment.html

 

[tmm99]

I see a couple of chest freezers on Costco online...?

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

We picked up a commercial glass top ice cream freezer which is working great for storing all our frozen foods. The glass top reminds us to actually pull things out. Each trip past it you get reminded of the tasty things inside, works just as well at home as in a store for that. Looks like the company we bought from still has various freezers in stock, but I didn't go all the way through to ordering to see when they would deliver now: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/refrigeration-equipment.html

Interesting! Do you know whether the energy usage is higher due to what would seem to be a less insulated top, or is it comparable to standard chest freezers? I wonder if you could put some kind of thermal blanket over one if that was the only thing you could find and it was not in a place where you would see it unless you were actually going to use it (a basement, for example).

 

[RAE]

I just looked on Craigslist and there are many used ones....maybe try that? Or try buying one from someone selling house?

+1, I have had good luck buying good used freezers over the years. I was talking to a guy who repairs appliances a while back also, and he said the older freezers are much more reliable than many of the newer ones anyway. I have two freezers that I bought used many years ago (one chest freezer, one upright), that are still going strong after 20+ years. If one of them ever dies, I plan to look for another good used one.

 

[Goonie]

About three weeks ago our 25+ year old refrigerator crapped out, so I went to buy a new one. I found ONE 30" wide that would fit the space in our kitchen. There were a few wider ones available, but very few, and absolutely no freezers, upright or chest. I was told that if I ordered a frij, the soonest it may possibly arrive would be late September to mid-October....if I was lucky. And it was a brand I really didn't want. I was told freezers wouldn't be a possibility until at least December or later.

Washing machines, dryers, and stoves were available in abundance.

 

[tb001]

Wow, we bought a 7cu ft upright freezer at Best Buy about a month ago. Their website said it was out of stock, but when I went in and talked to them they had a bunch of them in stock and delivered in a few days. I’ve seen the Costco chest freezers several times when I’ve been shopping.

I wonder if some of it is regional?

 

[Scrapr]

The subdivision across the street has no on street parking. So they park on our street. One pickup has had a chest freezer in the back of it for weeks. Neighbor & I have been speculating. Dead body inside? Deer carcass? How come it hasn't been stolen yet?

 

[Amethyst]

We left an inexpensive, 25-year-old Sears upright freezer in the basement of the home we sold last year. It was working like a champ.

+1, I have had good luck buying good used freezers over the years. I was talking to a guy who repairs appliances a while back also, and he said the older freezers are much more reliable than many of the newer ones anyway. I have two freezers that I bought used many years ago (one chest freezer, one upright), that are still going strong after 20+ years. If one of them ever dies, I plan to look for another good used one.