Fridge freezer has died, new one coming tomorrow, can I save the frozen stuff or am I kidding myself?

[LangClegsInSpace]

I just looked in my lovely frost-free freezer for the first time in several days to discover great icicles hanging from the top drawer and the stuff in there just starting to defrost. Stuff in the lower drawers still appears to be fully frozen. I shut the door again straight away. The fridge part is still working fine.

I've ordered a new one which should arrive tomorrow, don't know what time. I've opted for them not to take the old one away at the same time, in the hope that at least some stuff will stay frozen in the old freezer until the new one is up and running and I can just move it across.

Does this sound sensible or would I be better emptying it now, asking neighbours if they have spare freezer space, cooking everything etc.?

Should I leave the slightly defrosted stuff in there as insulation for the still frozen stuff, cook it all now or just bin it?

Also, the new one says it should be run empty for 6 hours before putting any food in it. How strict do I need to be about this?

I’d leave it as is, with the door shut. Plug I. The new one, wait the 6 hours, open the old and rescues what you can.

Fir anything totally defrosted, cool it immediately and freeze it thereafter

*cook

What's in the freezer? If it's just bread and frozen veg, you could argue it's not worth having to pay to have your old one taken away just to save the contents.

Once your fridge freezer is delivered, you have to wait a couple of hours before turning it on, and then it will take time to get to freezing - that's your six hours. In your situation (I was in a similar place earlier this week), I's pack the new freezer with your food and not open doors until it had dropped to somewhere near -18.

If you have meat, fish, ice cream etc that really shouldn't defrost and be refrozen, I would try to get that in a neighbour's freezer and aim to cook it sooner rather than later.

Thanks. So most of it should be salvageable one way or another from the sound of it.

The council only charge £10 to take the old one away which is about half the cost of getting the delivery people to take it. It is mostly veg but I hate waste, especially as I've stocked up for when the fresh veg shelves get a bit gappy.

There's some mince and some stewing steak which I can cook and refreeze and some plain white fish fillets which the cat will help out with if necessary. Some butter and cheese which I can defrost and use from the fridge.

So - cheesy fish dishes with piles of veg for the next couple of days. Could be worse!

Oh also loads of chips, sausages, veg sausages, quorn nuggets etc. - perhaps I should invite the kids round to help out

In your situation (I was in a similar place earlier this week), I's pack the new freezer with your food and not open doors until it had dropped to somewhere near -18.

Do you mean move the frozen stuff to the new freezer before it's been switched on for 6 hours?

This is what I'm wondering - whether it's better to keep it in the old freezer which is gradually warming or the new freezer which is not yet at the correct temperature but is getting there (perhaps faster with the addition of frozen food).

When we moved house my MIL told me to wrap my frozen food in a duvet and it worked, it stayed properly frozen for about 6 hours. Not 100% sure how much longer it would have lasted but if the freezer stops being cold at all it might help to bundle it all up together.

We put everything in the new freezer (old one was taken away) and turned it on after two hours (as per instruction manual) rather than the four hours advised by driver.

I'm not overly fussy about sell by dates etc, so won't bother me eating frozen veg that pretty much defrosted.