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4 Refrigeration Trends Take Cooling to the Next Level
Get the lowdown on some of the latest refrigerator and freezer innovations
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We’ve all been there: grocery bags bursting with fruits and vegetables from the farmers market — enough produce to last the week. But while we dream up seasonal menus and envision family dinners alfresco, the days pass, and our food’s flavor and texture become less and less appetizing. Is it possible to keep food fresher longer? And how else can refrigerators and freezers make life easier? We partnered with Liebherr, a manufacturer of refrigerators and freezers, to share what’s next in the world of cooling.
1. Cool Customization
Given that the refrigerator is the largest appliance in most kitchens, aesthetics are important. In the 1950s, it was popular to match your colorful refrigerator to your kitchen walls and cupboards. The turn of the 21st century saw a more streamlined, modern look, with a trend toward stainless steel in higher-end models. Today, it’s all about customization. Personalize your refrigerator and freezer with options such as seamless paneling, bronze doors, leather handles and minimalist design.
Consider not just the outward appearance but also a design tailored to your specific needs. And don’t limit yourself to a side-by-side freezer and refrigerator: Consider buying them separately, or dividing them with a bar or wine fridge, as seen on the left in this kitchen, for the ultimate in modern class.
Given that the refrigerator is the largest appliance in most kitchens, aesthetics are important. In the 1950s, it was popular to match your colorful refrigerator to your kitchen walls and cupboards. The turn of the 21st century saw a more streamlined, modern look, with a trend toward stainless steel in higher-end models. Today, it’s all about customization. Personalize your refrigerator and freezer with options such as seamless paneling, bronze doors, leather handles and minimalist design.
Consider not just the outward appearance but also a design tailored to your specific needs. And don’t limit yourself to a side-by-side freezer and refrigerator: Consider buying them separately, or dividing them with a bar or wine fridge, as seen on the left in this kitchen, for the ultimate in modern class.
2. Fresh Innovations
Refrigerators have been a kitchen mainstay since the 1940s, and each decade has brought with it a new take on innovation. Automatic ice makers and self-defrost were introduced in the 1950s. Freezer sizes increased in the 1960s to accommodate the rising popularity of frozen dinners. A focus on energy efficiency followed, with today’s typical refrigerator using less than half the energy of its 1970s equivalent.
Today, advances in refrigeration continue to reflect societal trends: the movement toward fresher foods with fewer preservatives demands innovative technology to keep items from spoiling. Because fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese and fish all thrive under different conditions, precise temperature control and compartment-specific settings can extend the life of certain foods by as much as triple. This involves a complex interaction of the compressor, fans, special air flaps and insulation between the various compartments. Power cooling sucks hot air out, purifies it and blows it into the fridge as cool air, further reducing energy use. LED bulbs emit less heat. The result is an ideal combination of humidity and temperature — and the fresh ingredients to prove it.
Refrigerators have been a kitchen mainstay since the 1940s, and each decade has brought with it a new take on innovation. Automatic ice makers and self-defrost were introduced in the 1950s. Freezer sizes increased in the 1960s to accommodate the rising popularity of frozen dinners. A focus on energy efficiency followed, with today’s typical refrigerator using less than half the energy of its 1970s equivalent.
Today, advances in refrigeration continue to reflect societal trends: the movement toward fresher foods with fewer preservatives demands innovative technology to keep items from spoiling. Because fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese and fish all thrive under different conditions, precise temperature control and compartment-specific settings can extend the life of certain foods by as much as triple. This involves a complex interaction of the compressor, fans, special air flaps and insulation between the various compartments. Power cooling sucks hot air out, purifies it and blows it into the fridge as cool air, further reducing energy use. LED bulbs emit less heat. The result is an ideal combination of humidity and temperature — and the fresh ingredients to prove it.
3. Smart Connection
Remember when an in-the-door water and ice dispenser was considered technologically advanced? Today, homeowners are practically on their way to having Amazon’s Alexa cook dinner for them. Link your refrigerator and freezer to your smartphone or tablet to control them from anywhere and receive alerts if the door is left open or the power goes out. Activate enhanced cooling and freezing features to instantly cool down foods you just bought. Can’t remember whether you’re out of milk? Check from afar with an in-refrigerator camera that takes a photo every time the door closes. The cameras can run three to four months without a recharge and can be replaced without purchasing a whole new refrigerator.
Remember when an in-the-door water and ice dispenser was considered technologically advanced? Today, homeowners are practically on their way to having Amazon’s Alexa cook dinner for them. Link your refrigerator and freezer to your smartphone or tablet to control them from anywhere and receive alerts if the door is left open or the power goes out. Activate enhanced cooling and freezing features to instantly cool down foods you just bought. Can’t remember whether you’re out of milk? Check from afar with an in-refrigerator camera that takes a photo every time the door closes. The cameras can run three to four months without a recharge and can be replaced without purchasing a whole new refrigerator.
4. Noise Reduction
With all this technology hard at work to keep your kale from wilting and your salmon from spoiling, you’d expect your refrigerator to make some noise. But manufacturers are focused on keeping things quiet, especially as open-concept living continues to be popular. Speed-controlled compressors reduce noise and increase energy efficiency at the same time.
Speed-controlled fans operate on the lowest possible speed while ensuring that the temperature in the refrigerator is distributed evenly and remains constant. And next-generation coolant achieves the same cool temperatures as its predecessor, but with a lower pressure, further minimizing noise and reducing energy use. With library-quiet standards, the most noise you should be hearing from your fridge is the rustle of the fresh lettuce you’re taking out of it.
Tell us in the Comments: What do you want to see next in refrigeration?
More: To learn more about Liebherr Appliances and its Monolith product range, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
With all this technology hard at work to keep your kale from wilting and your salmon from spoiling, you’d expect your refrigerator to make some noise. But manufacturers are focused on keeping things quiet, especially as open-concept living continues to be popular. Speed-controlled compressors reduce noise and increase energy efficiency at the same time.
Speed-controlled fans operate on the lowest possible speed while ensuring that the temperature in the refrigerator is distributed evenly and remains constant. And next-generation coolant achieves the same cool temperatures as its predecessor, but with a lower pressure, further minimizing noise and reducing energy use. With library-quiet standards, the most noise you should be hearing from your fridge is the rustle of the fresh lettuce you’re taking out of it.
Tell us in the Comments: What do you want to see next in refrigeration?
More: To learn more about Liebherr Appliances and its Monolith product range, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Liebherr has been a worldwide specialist in refrigeration for more than sixty years. Driven by innovation and... Read More
Liebherr has been a worldwide specialist in refrigeration for more than sixty years. Driven by innovation and... Read More
Manufacturers need to let a customer choose the basics. I don't want ice or water in the door, as it takes up space, especially with counter depth and is the biggest maintenance problem with fridges, verified by Consumer Reports. I finally found a reasonably priced fridge, counter depth, French doors, in a Glass like white color, with no water/ice in the door. It works very well for me.
I am so tired of stainless steel appliances (hard to keep clean) that in my currently ongoing remodel, all white except the vent hood and the French door wall oven. No pix yet as project on going. And no all white kitchen and no hard to clean pendant kitchen lighting. Vintage sink with contemporary faucet.
Will post pix when all done.
My kitchen before replacing the 1985 GE 2 door fridge in 2015 that resided 30 years in a custom made niche (or cubby) that was formerly the doorway to Washer/dryer room to effectively de-congest my "alley" (narrow & long) kitchen & occupy volume in the adjoining W/D room. Worked well but stopped me from replacing fridge earlier due to need to demolish old cubby & rebuild for a new larger, jumbo size fridge.
In 2015, Samsung Chef Collection 4 door fridge installed. I am a living testament to everything this article talks about with respect to the proper temperature and humidity control to maintain precise temperatures to sustain freshness of groceries. And energy savings through technology definitely defray the cost of remodeling & investing in a good quality, new fridge. With old GE fridge food always spoiled. I am single & work offshore for a month at a time; believe it or not green vegetables are as fresh as the day I bought them a month ago. My energy bill too has dropped. Library-quiet operation despite 2 compressors & dual evaporators (a 1st for a domestic fridge). Bottom left is all freezer. Bottom right can be a fridge, chiller or freezer depending on needs. Top section is entirely fridge. Dispenses sparkling water on this model. Cavernous and very deep at 48" if I recall right. Look at vacant cubby pic below. I bought the best and biggest there was as I sure don't wish to go through another cubby remodel again for next 30 years.
Big fridge for a single person. Keep it full because they work better than when half empty. :)