Up to My Neck in Fridge

[gettinthere]

I also have a split box. 2 cold plates in the freezer. I don't mind the deep freezer as you can layer the stuff to fish out efficiently.
On the frig side, we have a plexi shelf about half way down. The space below is practically useless. I plan on adding a very small exterior door below the plexi to get easier access to the bottom space that is now wasted. That will be the 'beer door'. It will hold at least a case of beer. I'll try not to open it very often, honest.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by 6string

I have been hearing lately of drawer type refrigeration units. The drawer holds much of the cold in it so you don't use as much power as the typical front load. I am looking for info on these systems to find out if that claim is true. We currently have a top load and are considering rebuilding to get better insulation. We want to look at all options and that is where I started to hear of these. Has anyone here seen these front drawer refrigeration units.? It could be a compromise solution.

I have seen them, and worked with them. Very cool, but pricey, and these units are DEEP. I can't imagine how large a galley you would have to have to fit these in... think kitchen counter depth and about 14" high. You can stack two under a standard kitchen counter.

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by gettinthere

That will be the 'beer door'. It will hold at least a case of beer. I'll try not to open it very often, honest.

Is the word "oxymoron"?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Then she made a hard and fast rule: No Men Allowed in the Reefer!

But why? Then what will they smoke?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by stevemac00

I usually get two beers at a time - it saves 50% on openings.

If you have a beer-guzzling boat (ours is not except when certain guests are on board), you should not keep beer in the fridge. It will eat you alive in power. You should keep them in the bilge (what we do, but we're in a coolish climate), or keep them in a cooler in the cockpit.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

The reefers have latches.

[Troubadour52993]

We do the basket/bin thing also. One thing that has helped has been organizing according to use, instead of laying it out with all veggies in one bin, all meats in another, etc like in a supermarket.

So one bin has the lunch meat, tomatoes, lettuce, sliced cheese, and mayonaise. Open the top, pull out that bin, make the sandwiches, then put the leftovers back in the bin and put it back into the fridge. This has helped reduce the shuffling and cold loss from the fridge.

We have a tray that the "counter clutter" sits on that also speeds the shufflling of stuff back and forth from the fridge to the freezer door counter area.

[sarafina]

I gotta say a top loading fridge might be a deal breaker for me...

[bloodhunter]

Our fridge has two doors, one above the other. We get stuff through the top door when underway.

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by Troubadour52993

We do the basket/bin thing also. One thing that has helped has been organizing according to use, instead of laying it out with all veggies in one bin, all meats in another, etc like in a supermarket.

So one bin has the lunch meat, tomatoes, lettuce, sliced cheese, and mayonaise. Open the top, pull out that bin, make the sandwiches, then put the leftovers back in the bin and put it back into the fridge. This has helped reduce the shuffling and cold loss from the fridge.

We have a tray that the "counter clutter" sits on that also speeds the shufflling of stuff back and forth from the fridge to the freezer door counter area.

Yep, we do similar... the stuff we need today (some drinks, fruit, chocolates and sandwich stuff) on the top tray - things we won't use for a while (such as sealed meat/cheese/cucumbers) everything else in middle. And since we don't cruise for more than a few days at a time, 'everything else' tends to be more drinks!!

The reason we don't cruise for more than a few days at a time - if we have more than a few days for a holiday, we try to fly somewhere there's beer....!

[zeehag]

my formosa took care of that beer fridge thing--ther eis a door in the cockpit for the opening for drinks from cockpit artea as well as the opening inside the galley. lol..perfect--i LOVE this boat!!!!!! it does have a huge-old bin fridge runs off the engine.
the dollar stores have bins for dirt cheep and would do well in your fridge. good luck.

[IdoraKeeper]

Changing out the fridge is a huge job when it's a built in icebox. I am resigned to adding ice and digging around for anything I need. Thankfully though a mess and a pita, this procedure has not resulted in the loss of any food.

I have a small freezer that is also top loading and non vented. I find that a pound and a half of dry ice added at the beginning of a trip keeps frozen things frozen and the compressor silent for four to five days. Any CO2 released ends up in the engine space and at that quantity is innocuous.

I like the bin idea and am going to try it on the next trip.

Todd

[osirissail]

There is a reason why your home deep freezer is always a top loader and why the food market stores always have top open freezer sections - efficiency and cost effectiveness. Since life on a boat is always about energy efficiency, physical convenience is usually a distant second.
- - I use two large deep plastic bins and two shallow plastic bins on top in each frig/freezer section. I always arrange the contents logically and exactly in the same order/location in each bin. Then I can efficiently and quickly extract the proper bin and get the item I want in minimal time. The rest of the time is spent ragging at my wife who just throws stuff in any which bin is nearest. Grrrrrrrrrrr!