Are Refrigerators missing a convenience feature?

last month

last modified: last month

Over in Kitchens someone is doing a cottage-style kitchen. They mentioned a refrigerator and a typo in it had me looking up GE Monitor style fridges. Well, apparently some models had a foot lever to open the door hands free, also called a knee-buster.

Well, with newer engineering, why don’t refrigerators have such a feature now, without the visit to the orthopedist? Imagine clearing the table and counters and being able to carry the ketchup, mayo, mustard, cheese, and lettuce on Hamburger Night to the fridge in one trip and put it away without shattering the mayo jar? or just a large fruitcake? or the LeCreuset?

(for that matter, what happened to swing-out shelves?)

Featured Answer

Valinta

last month

I just want a refrigerator with easy to clean coils. I miss when they were on the back, you could move your refrigerator out from the wall, vacuum — and, ta-da you are done. Now I have to lay on the floor, and in a space less that 3” high attempt to clean the coils 🙄

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Comments (11)

Toronto Veterinarian
last month
The ability to open the fridge hands-free would be a great idea.
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w0lley32
last month
I agree a hands-free feature would be a really great idea. As for cleaning the evaporator coils, they sell vacuum attachments designed for that purpose. Mine is 36" long and works well.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last month
last modified: last month
I believe my aunt had that feature on her fridge back in 1963. If you search the feature you'll find it was banned as unsafe for refrigerators.
Toronto Veterinarian
last month
I thought I remembered a pedal to open the fridge door - just like in that ad - but it was such a vague memory I didn't trust it.
dadoes
last month
My family's 1964 Philco bottom-freezer unit had a pedal to open the freezer door.
RedRyder
last month
French door design would require two pedals. 😂
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last month
The pedal was so you could balance the water in your ice trays and get them into the freezer without spilling the contents. Before ice makers.
Toronto Veterinarian
last month
"Before ice makers".

A curse on ice makers! The riskiest part of a fridge/freezer combo; I hate having to pay for them and will never hook one up.
john3582
last month
My dogs would love a pedal open fridge.
wdccruise
last month
last modified: last month
LG Signature URNTC2306N:
- Auto Open Door: ...step on the "Door Open" light projection on the floor in front of the refrigerator and the door gently opens.
- Auto Open Drawer: Freezer drawers glide out...in response to opening the freezer doors... Drawers seamlessly glide back in response to closing the freezer doors.
- Voice Control: By simply saying "Hi LG," ThinQ® responds to your voice to open the door...