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How do I make my new refrigerator freezer freeze things?

I'm a college student, and in my dorm room, I have a mini fridge. The model is SMR04DAM, and the capacity is 4.3 cubic ft. I specifically bought it big enough so the freezer up top would have room for a small carton of ice cream for when I need my sugar-fix. However, the first carton of ice cream I put in there melted. I turned down the temperature and dried again. The milk froze, but the ice cream melted. What am I doing wrong? Any ideas will be most appreciated! Thanks!
Chelsea Stevens, September 2006
your freezer section is not cold enough.

Most refrigerators need some air flow inside to keep things cold.

If you put things in at outside temperature the refrigerator cannot always freeze them. If you bring things home frozen solid they may stay that way if the box is cold enough.

Some things that can cause the refrigerator to not be cold enough are:

is the refrigerator empty? Harder for it to stay cold.

What does the instruction book say about freezer sectin and its capabilities.

Another thing to consider is reducint the density of the item you wish to freeze, i.e., to put ice cream in small zip lock bags and flatten them out, so they will freeze cold and stiff.

If done one at a time they should freeze if box is cold enough.

This method is used by volume cooking folks when eveything goes to the freezer, if less than 1" thick, easier to get a freeze without bacteria.

It is possible that your refrigerator is not working properly in which case you could return it to the seller or ask for service.

Don't know the terms or date of purchase, new or used, warranty or not.

Sometimes the appliance has a slight leak in the freon and just won't get cold enough. If it is old there may be a problem with the temp contorl or the compressor. This can be the case with new things too so don't be afraid to ask the seller, why can'i I keep things cold enough in freezer?

You will be surprised at the answers sometimes.

It is possilbe, of course, that the machine is not designed to stay that cold. I often see folks getting rid of freezers that won't keep ice cream.

Robo, September 2006