Freezer Safe Tracks Fridge Temps

Palm-sized gadget lets you set thermostat for optimal performance.

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No bigger than a pack of gum, Freezer Safe is a digital recording thermometer that collects temperature data and displays it graphically. The battery-operated (two AAA cells) unit can optimize boat refrigeration systems by storing high and low temps for 100 minutes, 100 hours, or 100 days (though the batteries might not last that long). The data lets you adjust thermostat settings in order to reduce power use.

Freezer Safe

The thermometer can also track warm and cold spots and help you find the best trade-off between food longevity and temperature. Freezer Safe can warn you if food may have thawed and refrozen, helps reduce the risk of accidentally freezing refrigerated foods.

For holding-plate refrigeration systems to operate efficiently, the temperature cutoff on the compressor must be carefully set. Freezer Safe can help identify the ideal eutectic point for this system.

Along with helping sailors optimize freezer temperatures, Freezer Safe can also be used to check high and low temperatures with air conditioning and heating systems, and can track your boat (or home) temperatures when it is not in use.

Freezer Safe features an LCD graphic display that shows date, time, and high and low temperatures. The user decides between recording temps for days, hours, or minutes. The gadget includes an audible thaw-out alarm. Freezer Safe monitors temperatures from -5 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures can also be displayed in Celsius.

Freezer Safe costs $30 and is available at www.setsail.com.

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Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.