Fridge Temperatures.

G'day,

Have a 60l waeco. What is the best temperature to have it on for general items? I also have a waeco cool freeze 35 that I'm going to use as a freezer. I guess just have that set on the lowest temperature possible to deep freeze meats?

Cheers.

I like to keep my Engel between 2C and 4C. Milk, lettuce and cheese are all grateful.

Like Tony said 2-4 is pretty good but mine ends up a tad lower around 1 - 3, my aim is to have it at 2c so i dont mind if it drops around 0.7 -1 while the motor is running and will switch back on once its at around 3c

Thanks Tony, thought that would've Been about right. So keen for my fraser trip!

Cheers also Nath. Hope it's the best way to have both a seperate fridge and freezer. Room is definitely lacking on my tray but have to make everything fit somehow. My canvas canopy is going to be chock a block. Might need a reverse camera and DVD player next!!

I always vacuum seal all our meat, at the right temp it last in the fridge for 4 weeks no probs.
No air = No bacteria.

nathand22 said:

Like Tony said 2-4 is pretty good but mine ends up a tad lower around 1 - 3, my aim is to have it at 2c so i dont mind if it drops around 0.7 -1 while the motor is running and will switch back on once its at around 3c

Click to expand...

I run my engel about the same, cans coming out of the engel at about 1c are refreshing on a hot day

Yeah fair call, so do you have a cryovac machine then?

atcmatt said:

G'day,

Have a 60l waeco. What is the best temperature to have it on for general items? I also have a waeco cool freeze 35 that I'm going to use as a freezer. I guess just have that set on the lowest temperature possible to deep freeze meats?

Cheers.

Click to expand...

2-3C for fridge, max for freezer.
Vac Pack meat into flat envelope shapes and keep these at the coldest end with the last to be used on the bottom.
Pre-chill the lot on house power and don't open the lids and browse the contents. I double side tape a clear plastic sleeve on the lid with the content printed on a sheet and slipped inside it to remind me whats in there.

atcmatt said:

Yeah fair call, so do you have a cryovac machine then?

Click to expand...

Most butchers will do this for you, virtually free.

atcmatt said:

Yeah fair call, so do you have a cryovac machine then?

Click to expand...

yeah, i just bought one from ALDI a few years back it seems to work well and hasn't missed a beat, we use it all the time.
A mate of mine had his butcher do all his meat for his trip up the top end and across to the Kimberly and when he got back he still had one sirloin slab, after 9 weeks we sliced it up and chowed down, it was so tender i reckon it was one of the best steaks ive ever had so i started getting my butcher to vac pack until i bought my own.

atcmatt said:

Yeah fair call, so do you have a cryovac machine then?

Click to expand...

We bought a sunbeam unit from the good guys store, also buy the bags from aldi when on sale. Mainly use it for venison after a hunt, I find venison gets freezer burn easily, And the thicker bags protect it better

d22dave said:

We bought a sunbeam unit from the good guys store, also buy the bags from aldi when on sale. Mainly use it for venison after a hunt, I find venison gets freezer burn easily, And the thicker bags protect it better

Click to expand...

Good to know that Dave,handy info.
Thinking of going down this path myself.

Cheers Geoff Go the V-6's

My fridge sits at around -2, I like my rum and beer cold. It has priority. Well that's what it sits at when its on the back veranda or in my workshop being used for a beer fridge.

Thanks. I never run my fridges when they are not camping. Is it a good idea to run them a day or two every month?

atcmatt said:

Thanks. I never run my fridges when they are not camping. Is it a good idea to run them a day or two every month?

Click to expand...

My Engel lives in the back of the ute, so it gets used every week for bringing home the cold stuff. Particularly handy since we now live 50km from the shopping centre!

Running them isn't a bad idea. I have left mine for extended periods without and it still works perfectly.

atcmatt said:

Thanks. I never run my fridges when they are not camping. Is it a good idea to run them a day or two every month?

Click to expand...

I never turn mine off, its used as the beer fridge when we are not camping.

when i first got mine I spoke with loads people and it seemed like the ones that ran the fridge all the time had less probs over a longer period.

The main thing is if they do get turned off is to make sure they are 100% dry and get stored with the lid at least cracked open.

nathand22 said:

The main thing is if they do get turned off is to make sure they are 100% dry and get stored with the lid at least cracked open.

Click to expand...

I've found out the hard way. Not cool!

Yeah mine is always cracked open with a bit of paper towel scrunched up.

I use a stubby cooler to prop the lid.