At first glance, it sounds incredibly tempting! Who wants to pull heavy appliances out of the socket or wait hours for the ice to melt?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But – and I have to be a bit of a joy killer here – defrosting your freezer without turning it off is not a great trick, but rather a complete myth. It’s not a good idea for your appliance or your wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s why you should always unplug it and how you can speed up the process dramatically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why “unplugging” backfires
If you try to remove the ice while the freezer is running (e.g. with hot water or scraping it), the following will happen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The compressor breaks down: The freezer’s thermostat detects a sudden warming. The appliance tries its best to compensate for this and continuously cools at maximum power. This consumes a lot of electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Risk of overheating: The compressor can overheat and be damaged by this constant load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rapid ice formation: Because the cooling system is running, the warm, humid air you let in immediately condenses on the walls. So you are essentially creating new ice immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Risk of death from scraping: If you use a knife or scraper while the appliance is running, you can puncture the cooling pipes. The casing is under voltage and the refrigerant leaks out – the appliance is then usually destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A real “smart and quick” trick (with the plug unplugged):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don’t have to sacrifice an entire day, however. If you have unplugged it, you can speed up the process considerably with this simple physical trick:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bowl method:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unplug the appliance from the mains (or switch it off completely via the display).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Temporarily store all food in cooler bags or boxes with cooler bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place the bowl of boiling water on a towel or freezer mat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Close the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Effect: The hot steam will cause the ice to break off in large pieces from the walls within 15 to 20 minutes. Simply remove it and wipe the appliance dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extra tip for the future:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After defrosting, lightly rub the clean and dry interior walls with a little neutral cooking oil or glycerin. This will make it much harder for new ice to stick and even easier to remove later!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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