The only reason for the cookie sheet method is because once they are blanched and quickly cooled, they still have traces of water on them. If tightly packed in a plastic bag they tend to freeze up into a clump. If ice cream has an odd taste and texture when stored in the freezer as if it were dehydrated, the freezer may have to long a defrost cycle. A good cheap freezer thermometer is useful. One of mine here as a horizontal one that just sits on a shelf with no readings except a center line mark that is the optimum freezing temperature of zero. I see it boldly every time I open the door. My side by side with ice and water in the freezer door is always very cold. I left a can of soda in there for a little over a half hour to quickly chill it and it almost exploded. Mine has four ways to make freezing temperatures more finely tuned by the use of baffles that open and close, an adjustable port hole at the bottom of the freezer that pours cold air over to the meat area of my fridge, and then the regulat temperature setting knob and a seperate freezer and refrigerator knob. Its a Kenmore, my mom bought about 25 years ago. I do notice my newer upright freezer is more aggresive when it comes to removing frost and creating ice crystals inside the freezer bags. The FS machine is great though as most anything I bag (mostly meats) keep really well. I wouldn't use the FS for beans as they are just too many small spaces between each bean, so pulling a vacuum would crush most, or would be more bulky and have bigger open spaces inside, if the beans were frozen on a cookie sheet first. You simply cannot pull all the air out of a bag of beans that were previously frozen on a cookie sheet. On the other hand, things like perogies, ravioli, and Peking dumplings are better if they get individually frozen before bagging. Nothing worse than trying to seperate a big block of pasta all frozen into a big lump. Refrigerator temperatures should be set at no more than 40 degrees. Mine is down to 34 and keeps everything very well. After adding the Ozonator unit, the stuff in the fridge lasts MUCH longer now and nothing gets any off tastes anymore. Much better than a box of baking soda.

I really like my Samsung and hope I don't run into any problems. Once I blocked some vents in the freezer and it caused a problem. Once I blocked some vents inside the refrigerator. How can you keep frozen food from blocking vents???? The drain did block once and that required a repairman who said it happens a lot with Samsung. When he took off the back panel to clear the drain there was a lot of rust and gunk there and I do not know what it is or what it is coming from. I posted some photos just the other day asking if it was a serious problem or not and if anyone wants to give me advice I would appreciate it. The refrigerator seems a bit too cold at 38 degrees so will need to buy a thermometer. Good luck with yours.

"I don't understand the french door thing. Why have to open two doors? It has an application in kitchens with small aisles, I guess, but I dunno - I'd rather have the aisle spaced correctly. The ones with the big trays across the bottom are the worst to me." LOL - side by side fridges are basically French Door fridges - it's just the freezer is one side and the fridge is another - get an old school fridge with the freezer on top or bottom with one door the entire width of the fridge and I don't care how big your kitchen is, you will be desiring side by side or french door for the half-width doors. Also, if you prefer a side by side, why would you have to open both doors on a french door fridge? Your already used to accessing the fridge through a narrow door anyway :o) The side by side fridge I have came with my house - otherwise I would never own one. You can't put in odd-ball sized stuff, and normal stuff doesn't even fit well. It has allot less drawer space than the Samsung freezer on the bottom I had in my town house, and my Samsung was the smaller 18 cubic foot and my side by side is 25.5! To me, a side by side is like a 1500 square foot two story house vs. a 1500 square foot ranch. Theoretically they are the same square footage, but in the two story you loose space to stairs and hallways - not nearly as much actual usual space. I too have an extra chest freezer, but as others stated I would have one anyway. I have a foodsaver and I'm not afraid to use it. I buy things in bulk, on sale, and freeze them routinely. I wish I could find a fridge with a single height freezer drawer for quick access to the stuff I use regularly and the rest dedicated to fridge space. That would be ideal. Indeed, if I ever remodel my kitchen I'm seriously considering putting a fridge only in where my side by side is and a single freezer drawer (if they make such a thing? Surely someone does) in my island. I'd gladly sacrifice a little cabinet space for some more fridge space. I guess if you don't cook at home often, or eat that many fresh fruits or vegetables it's less important, but I never seem to have enough fridge space.

When I was little we had the bottom swing door SubZero. When I was in my 20's it was replaced with a drawer with interior drawer. I think the problem comes in how deep the drawer is! A friend of mine has a freezer drawer that is much deeper than the SZ. I think her fridge was designed to hold a lot of frozen convenience foods, so there's way less fresh food space and more freezer space. That's probably the kind with the "big drawer" that people are complaining about. The SZ freezer, as well as some of the other free standing units on the market, have the freezer compartment more for small things, and assume you'll have a freezer in a pantry or garage for the "real" freezing, and that you're cooking more from fresh. The shorter freezer generally has the swing basket or bottom drawer tall enough for a half gallon of ice cream, or a big container of stock. and the shelf or upper drawer deep enough for the ice maker tray, and small items like sausages, giblets, etc. I haven't seen the Amana, but I can tell you a like to like comparison on my folks' fridges: The door swung free and because it's so far below eye level it felt like more of an impediment than when the upper door was open. Then the swing out basket blocked the aisle from the other direction. Also, the whole "shut the freezer!" thing contributed, because it was a two step process. First swing the basket shut then the door. Same issue as with roll out shelves in cabinets. The shelf is moderately inconvenient because you have to get inside to reach the back. The similarly shallow bottom freezer drawer with interior drawer doesn't block the aisles much at all. You don't have to pull it all the way out to just reach in for ice or something in the front. You do have to push in the top drawer to access the bottom drawer, but that's not a big inconvenience. I think the drawer is a lot better if it's not too tall for comfort. My advice to you would be to measure the height of your current freezer, and compare it to the ones on the units you're looking at. Go look in the showroom and try a piece of paper in the bottom and picking it up with your bag (i.e. baby or cat) in the crook of one arm. You'll be able to judge for yourself how much you like it.