The Panasonic PRIME+ Edition refrigerator shows us the art and science of the freeze

Frozen food tends to get a bad reputation, but it might be seeing a turn in the corner. During the recent fresh chicken shortage, both chefs and nutritionists have stepped up to debunk the flavour and nutritional loss associated with frozen fare as mostly a myth. What matters is the way ingredients are frozen, and when done right, some believe it may even lead to improved eating habits.

With the PRIME+ Edition refrigerator and its Prime Freeze system, Panasonic taps into state-of-the-art technology to offer specialised cooling modes, giving homeowners new options to store food in an optimal manner, keep produce fresh and reduce food waste. Key to this is the freeze.

As one of the most natural forms of preservation, freezing adds no influence on ingredients other than a change in temperature. The issue that most people have with this method is that it sometimes changes the texture and flavour of the food. This can happen when ice crystals – formed from the ingredient’s water content – rupture the ingredient’s cell walls and structure. However, when the freezing time is shortened, the crystals formed are much smaller, thus limiting their impact.

THE ART OF EATING BETTER

Key to Panasonic’s Prime Freeze system is Rapid Freezing, one of three modes of chilling offered. Rapid Freezing freezes food approximately five times faster than other models and this allows more nutrients to be locked into the food without affecting texture and flavour, says Panasonic.

Other benefits include frost suppression so there’s no clumping of ingredients as well as minimised dripping from meat so it retains its juicy texture. Even with cooked food, the accelerated speed of freezing helps preserve flavours and textures, so reheated meals can taste just as good.

With Rapid Freezing, you can now do your food prep in advance without worrying about food degradation. And with more ingredients at hand, making that healthier late-night snack or last-minute meal is less of a hassle.

Quick Cooling and Cool Down are two other modes that will elevate your kitchen routine. Quick Cooling allows marinades to penetrate deeply into meat for bolder flavours in just 15 minutes. It also shortens the time needed to chill desserts such as jelly and pudding. To store hot food safely, Cool Down removes residual heat from food in a jiffy.

Thanks to the three chilling modes of Prime Freeze, you can buy groceries in bulk and portion out servings easily, ensuring no ingredients go to waste, even when you’re cooking just for one.

FINDING YOUR COOL

PRIME+ Edition refrigerators also boost food preservation through two other features – Prime Fresh and nanoe X technology.

When it comes to food that you know you’ll cook within a week, Prime Fresh is the soft-freezing option that keeps things just cold enough. At minus 3 degree Celsius, Prime Fresh lets you freeze food without the need to defrost it. This means you can whip up meals without waiting for ingredients to thaw. The temperature also lets you cut meats cleanly and separate thin slices of meat with ease – perfect for that impromptu hotpot craving.

And how about a fridge that deep cleans your food as it stores it? Panasonic’s nanoe X technology infuses the inside of the appliance with nanoe ion – 4.8 trillion hydroxyl radicals that circulate within the space and inhibit bacteria and odours while lifting pesticide molecules off fruits and vegetables.

The high-tech inner workings of the PRIME+ Edition refrigerator are complemented by a sleek exterior. Finished with classic Japanese craftsmanship, the fridge comes in options from two-door to four-door, and a choice of gradient colours for its facade with a mirror finish in blue or grey. A full-flat touch panel on the glass front offers control amid the streamlined design.

With the PRIME+ Edition refrigerators, eating well is now easily within reach.

Send your grocery into the right cooling lane with the Panasonic PRIME+ Edition refrigerators.