What is a freshness zone in a refrigerator?

Why do you need a freshness zone?

Traditionally, the refrigerator is usually divided into two compartments: for cooling and freezing. In the main compartment we put products that are immediately sent to the table or into a pan, but in the freezer products are stored for a long time and require defrosting after removal.

But there are groups of products for which none of the chambers is suitable; they need to be stored at a temperature of -1 to +3 degrees. Cheeses, fruits, meats or fish are destroyed when frozen, as the water in them freezes, and they quickly deteriorate when warm. The ideal place is precisely the “zero zone”, in which the temperature is kept close to zero. Pathogenic microbes also multiply in it more slowly than in other sections.

If you have a Biofresh compartment, use it to store items that need to stay fresh longer. The temperature of the main compartment is usually around +4-8 degrees - store in it only those products that you plan to eat in the coming days.

Whose merit?

A separate shelf called Biofresh was invented by designers (Liebherr) in the mid-90s. They stated that this is the best solution for storing fish and meat without freezing and thawing, while maintaining taste and benefits for the body. Later, other brands began to implement the development, such as LG, Samsung, etc.

How to store food in the fresh zone?

If these are fruits, then they can be stored completely without packaging. Moreover, you can place plates with salad in the open. And they will stand fresh, not even weathered!

But in a dry area intended for storing meat or fish, it is necessary to wrap the products. Since the temperature is dry and low, a small snow crust may form on the meat and, although there will be no freezing inside, it will still draw excess juice from the meat when it thaws. It’s better to wrap it, then this frost will settle on the packaging.

Now you know what the freshness zone in the refrigerator is. And now you will have something to answer in response to the skeptical opinions of the “experts”.

What other names are there?

The name of the compartment may vary significantly depending on the brand. If you ask a consultant when buying a refrigerator whether it has Biofresh, he may say that there is no such option. Just the name of a similar function will be different.

It’s not for nothing that manufacturers call their developments differently, since they use various unique technologies in them. So you may come across:

• Biofresh - at Liebherr;

• Fresh Zone, Opti-Temp Zone, Miracle Zone, Fresh Converter (for meat and vegetables), Fresh Balancer or Opti Fresh Zone - in LG and AEG;

• Fresh Box - at Hotpoint Ariston;
• Natura Fresh - in Electrolux;

• Flex Cool - in Indesit;

• Vita Fresh - at Siemens and Bosch;

• Zero'N'Fresh - in Gorenje;

• Cool Select Zone - in Samsung and others.

The technical specifications indicate the presence or absence of a “freshness zone” or “freshness box,” so you can’t go wrong. But keep in mind that up to 20% of refrigerators do not provide such a shelf. You will also not find a zero shelf in Russian or Belarusian devices (Atlant, Stinol), as well as in budget imported models.

What do popular equipment manufacturers call the freshness zone?

Freshness zones are called differently for each brand. Firstly, our market is mostly a foreign manufacturer and the translation of the name is not entirely accurate. And secondly, they apparently deliberately invent unique names for better memorability.

So, what do different companies call this function?

• Liebherr – Biofresh
• AEG and LG – Fresh Zone
• Hotpoint Ariston – Fresh Box
• Electrolux – Natura Fresh
• Indesit – Flex Cool
• Siemens -Vita Fresh
• Gorenje – Zero'N'Fresh

Domestic manufacturers have almost no products with this function.

Where is

The real freshness preservation zone is the compartment in which an independent cooling system is organized. In cheap models, its function is performed by a box located inside the camera. It is usually located near the freezer compartment or evaporator. It is not a fact that there will be zero temperature here - most often it is a box in which the temperature is slightly lower than in the entire chamber. It can go beyond the range from -1 to +3 degrees; if it is important for you to know this, measure the values ​​yourself with a household thermometer.

Fact! In units from Siemens, Electrolux and Zanussi, the zero compartment is located between the main compartments.

In some devices, this place does not depend on any of the compartments - it is located between them and is equipped with its own door. A two-chamber refrigerator can be equipped with a freshness zone in the main chamber on the border with the freezer. Thus, designers from Bosch and Liebherr have created refrigerators in which the entire compartment can be switched to the “0 degree” operating mode.

Fresh zone and zero zone

The classic freshness zone is a special compartment in which air humidity is increased and the temperature is lower relative to the rest of the refrigeration chamber. So, if the usual temperature in the refrigerator is 3-5 degrees, then in the freshness zone it can be lowered to 1-3C . This area is intended for storing vegetables, herbs, berries, fruits, and cheeses.

Many people mistakenly believe that meat and fish can be stored in such a zone for much longer, but this is not true. The duration of storage of these products without a freezer, even in the freshness zone, should not exceed one day. But modern refrigerators have a solution to this problem, and it is called “zero zone”.

The zero zone is a compartment in which the temperature ranges from 0 to +1C. It can be “wet”, i.e. with high humidity, or “dry” – with low humidity. Why is this necessary?

The fact is that vegetables, fruits and herbs are best stored at low temperatures and high humidity. In such a freshness zone, the shelf life of vegetables and some fruits can increase to 2-3 weeks.

But meat, fish and seafood should be stored at low humidity. because this prevents bacteria from growing on them. Moreover, the temperature in the zero zones for meat and fish can be slightly lower, from about -1 to 0C. With this “dry” cold, meat and fish can be stored for up to 7 days .

You may be interested in: Installing a refrigerator in the kitchen

How does it work

In Economy class models, the zero compartment is designed as a separate box - in it, products are cooled solely due to the proximity of the box to the low-temperature zone, so additional parts are not used to regulate the temperature in the compartment. These low-cost technologies are most often found in Indesit technology. In Siemens, the compartment is cooled due to the intake of cooled air flows coming from the freezer - for this, the manufacturers laid a separate channel in the “fresh” zone.

Engineers from AEG, Gaggenau, Siemens, and Liebherr have created a more complex technology. The freshness zone has its own evaporator and does not depend on the cooling systems of the other chambers. It sometimes has a built-in fan that distributes air flow. Also, the “zero” compartment in the equipment of these brands is often adjustable, since the design has a temperature sensor. It monitors the indicators and controls the evaporator to ensure that the temperature values ​​stay within the set limits. In LG devices with Miracle Zone, you can control temperature marks from the remote control.

Kinds

Products require different storage conditions. Greens, vegetables and fruits require high humidity, and meat or fish should be stored completely dry.

If there is only one shelf with low temperatures, it is dry. It maintains a negative temperature and humidity reaches 55%. What is stored in such conditions? You can store fish and meat in packaging for up to a week, and ham can be stored for up to two weeks. The cheese will be stored here even longer without loss of appearance and taste.

In modern technology you can find a second freshness zone with high humidity. The “wet” zone operates at temperatures just above zero with air humidity up to 90-95%. In such conditions, greens, fruits and berries are perfectly stored. Apples and pears can be stored for several months without problems and do not lose their smell, color or taste. Tomatoes will be stored for up to 10 days, and greens will retain their attractive appearance for a couple of weeks.

Important! In modern devices, zones can be divided into several compartments with different air temperature and humidity levels.

If your Samsung (or other brand) refrigerator has two “fresh” zones, and such compartments are located independently of the main or freezer compartment and have their own lid - one will be wet, the second will be dry. To make sure of this, check the information in the data sheet.

Sometimes there are three such compartments:

• For storing meat, fish and cheese products - with low humidity;
• For plant foods that will be eaten soon - with high humidity;
• For long-term storage of vegetables and fruits - with high humidity and zero temperature.

Why do you need a freshness zone in the refrigerator?

At first glance, all the requirements are implemented in the main volume of the refrigerator, but this is not so. For certain purposes, it is the freshness zone that will provide the necessary conditions:

• for those who buy a large number of products at the same time. There are fewer problems with how to place them;
• housewives who like to buy food every day and immediately cook from it;
• mothers, if there is a baby in the house for whom complementary feeding is being prepared;
• a housewife who bought or picked raspberries or strawberries for jam, but cooking was postponed; the berries will be preserved and will not turn sour;
• mushroom pickers, who can keep mushrooms here for some time without processing;
• vegetarians, they will be able to preserve herbs and vegetables in the best possible condition;
• lovers of fresh milk; it will not become curdled milk for a long time;
• adherents of various diets, when it is necessary to store mixtures, cocktails and salads in a fresh state;
• hosts when preparing the festive table. Pre-prepared salads, sliced ​​sausages, smoked meats and cheese will retain their freshness and appearance until the special moment;
• If meat or fish are purchased in large quantities, they can be divided. Place one part in the freezer and the other in the fresh compartment. In this case, there is no need to thaw food before cooking.

The fresh box will not benefit only those who like canned food in jars and semi-finished products in bags: soups, mashed potatoes, noodles, cereals, etc. Although they can make noodles for two days and put the rest in the fresh box.

Flaws

As such, there are no disadvantages to this design feature, and it cannot be said that a refrigerator without a freshness zone is somehow better. They are simply created for different needs.

For those users who store practically only semi-finished products on their shelves or are accustomed to consuming products within a couple of days from the date of purchase, such technology will not be fundamentally important. When choosing a technique, you don’t have to focus on it. But if you buy a refrigerator without a freezer, the fresh zone can compensate for its absence.

Subjective disadvantages include the high price for equipment with additional technologies. Particularly expensive are those options in which the zero compartment operates from its own cooling system and does not depend on the main ones. Sometimes the markup can be up to a quarter of the total cost of the device. If the equipment is from a low price category, the presence of a zero shelf most likely will not affect the cost. As we found out above, often the temperature and humidity indicators are close to the real Fresh Zone of famous brands.

Fact! The difference between models equipped with a “zero zone” is that often there are no cells or shelves in the door opposite this compartment. They simply don't fit there.

Also, users who have a dry type of freshness zone in their refrigerators report in reviews that food sometimes freezes. In fact, this does not affect the quality of meat or fish. Choose secure packaging so that the ice crust appears on it and not on the food.

Review of refrigerators with a freshness zone

We present to you a small rating of units equipped with a “zero” compartment. It includes both built-in and free-standing models, as well as models with two chambers and three-chamber ones (side by side).

LG GR-N309 LLB

This model is built-in type, the freezer is located at the bottom. An electronic control system is provided. Energy efficiency class - A (330 kW per year). The design has one motor-compressor. The type of refrigerant used is R600a. Only 2 compartments and 2 doors. Case dimensions: 55.4x54.4x177.5 cm.

Peculiarities:

• Availability of a freshness zone.
• No Frost is provided in both compartments.
• Autonomous cold storage during a power outage for 12 hours.
• Freezing capacity - up to 10 kg of food per day.
• Additional functions: super-cooling and super-freezing.
• There are temperature indicators.

Specifications:

• The total volume is 245 liters.
• The volume of the main compartment is 181 liters.
• The freezer volume is 64 liters.

The appliance is also equipped with an ice generator. The shelves are made of durable glass. The door can be moved to the other side. Reduced noise - up to 37 dB. Weight - 73 kg.

The cost, according to YandexMarket (October 2021), is 54,490 rubles.

Sharp SJ-F95STBE

Equipped with three chambers and has a bottom-mounted freezer compartment. Electronic control. There is only one compressor. Doors - 4 pcs. The body dimensions in width, depth and height, respectively, are 89x78.7x183 cm. Energy efficiency class is A (573 kW per year).

There are two freshness zones: both dry and wet. Also, each department has No Frost. The possibility of autonomous heat storage for up to 17 hours has been implemented. There is a "Vacation" mode.

Important! In Holiday mode, you can switch the main camera to energy-saving mode.

You can freeze up to 9.5 kg of food per day. There is an open door sound. The equipment is equipped with a cold accumulator. The panel has temperature indicators.

Volumes:

• Freezers - 211 liters;
• Main compartment - 394 liters;
• Total - 605 liters.

The shelves are made of glass. Noise - 37 dB. Climate class - SN, T (read more about what climate class means and why it is important in a separate review). The weight of the electrical appliance is 107 kg.

Price - 89,135 rubles.

Bosch KGN39SW10

Freestanding with two chambers and one motor. The location of the freezer is at the bottom. Energy efficiency class - A, electronic control type. Dimensions are 60x64x200 cm (WxDxH).

Freshness zones – 2 pieces: dry and wet. Both compartments have No Frost. Offline storage - up to 18 hours. There is a "Vacation" mode. Freezing capacity - up to 14 kg in one day. When the temperature rises, the lights on the control panel are activated, and when the door is open, an audible alarm is generated. Additionally, there are super-cooling and freezing modes. The freezer volume is 94 liters, the main compartment is 221 liters, the total volume is 315 liters.

The appliances are equipped with a display, glass doors and shelves. The door can be hung from any side. Noise - up to 42 dB.

Cost - from 55,000 rubles.

Now you know where the fresh zone is located, why it is needed, what to store in it and what it can be called, depending on the brand. All you have to do is make the right choice and buy the best refrigerator with a full range of necessary functions.