Electrolux EU 6339T Health and Safety Guidelines, Cold accumulator, Thawing, Making ice cubes

Cold accumulator

The freezer contains one cold accumulator which can be found in the top compartment. The cold accumulator increases storage times in the event of a power cut or breakdown. It must be placed on top of the food.

Removal of this unit will increase the capacity of the fast freezing compartment but will reduce storage times in the event of a power cut or breakdown.

Thawing

Frozen food, prior to being used, can be thawed in the fridge or at room temperature depending on the time available. Small food items may even be cooked from frozen; in this case cooking will take longer. Any frozen food which is allowed to thaw accidentally should either be eaten as soon as possible or thrown away. Alternatively, if the food is uncooked and has not been completely defrosted it can be cooked and then refrozen.

Defrosted cooked food must never be refrozen.

Making ice cubes

The appliance is provided with a plastic ice cube tray. Fill the tray 3/4 full to allow the ice to expand and place it in the freezer. To turn out the ice cubes simply give the tray a slight twist to release the cubes.

Never tray to free an ice tray that is frozen to the freezer using a sharp or pointed object.

Normal Operating Sounds

You may hear faint gurgling or bubbling sounds when the refrigerant is pumped through the coils or tubing at the rear, to the fixed freezer shelves.

When the compressor is on, the refrigerant is being pumped round, and you will hear a whirring sound or pulsating noise from the compressor.

A thermostat controls the compressor, and you will hear a faint ‘click’ when the thermostat cuts in and out.

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

Because of consumer demand, preservatives have been removed from many pre-prepared foods. This together with the changes in shopping habits to a once-a-week shop, mean that safe handling and storage of food is even more important than ever.

The following tips should help you to ensure that the food in your home is in as perfect condition as possible.

■Keep the freezer door closed as much as possible.

■Do not push food together too much, try to allow air to circulate around each item.

■Cool cooked food as quickly as possible but do NOT place in the freezer until cool. (Leave food in a place as cool as possible in order that it can then be placed in the refrigerator as soon as possible).

■Do not store food uncovered.

■The best way to defrost food is to put it in the refrigerator to thaw slowly.

■Ensure that food placed in the freezer is dated and labelled and used in date order to ensure that food is consumed at its best.

■It is important that food is used before its “best before” date.

■Always wash your hands with soapy water and dry them with a clean towel before handling food.

■Keep work surfaces clean and avoid cross contamination by not using the same work surface or knife, without washing them thoroughly in between.

■The foods to be frozen must be fresh and of the best quality.

■The size of each pack should be small enough to ensure that it is used in one go. Small packs freeze more quickly and uniformly and give better results.

■Frozen food, once thawed, must not be refrozen. Lean food keeps better and longer than fatty food, salt reduces the storage time.

■Wrap the food in polythene or aluminium freezing bags or foil so that they adhere to the food and provide an airtight seal.

■Packaging which is swollen or has traces of refrozen water droplets on the pack could indicate that the product has not been kept at a suitable temperature and that it may have lost its original quality. Partially thawed food must not be refrozen, it must be consumed within 24 hours. Never exceed the storage time indicated.

■Never place hot food, bottles or cans of fizzy drink in the freezer as they may explode. Containers with a lid must not be filled to the brim.

■Do not open the door or place extra fresh food in the freezer next to food which is already frozen as this could cause the temperature of the frozen food to rise and its quality and storage life to reduce.

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