Tag Archives: refrigerator

When To Break Up With Your Refrigerator

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break_up_advice

The average refrigerator lasts about 12 years, but what if yours is still humming along?

A week ago, we got an email from the sweetest lady EVER (don’t even try to debate it). It began:

My husband purchased a General Electric refrigerator on May 20, 1949, 6 days after our brand new daughter, Mary, was born.  One of the features I liked about it was a “butter conditioner”.

This Model MF8F General Electric refrigerator is still running.  But there is the possibility, it could seize to function one day.

The ‘butter conditioner’ in the door is intended to keep butter at the temperature I desire.

Thus far, I don’t know where to look for a refrigerator with this feature.  I’m almost sure you can help me.

Clearly, this woman — bless her heart — should’ve replaced her refrigerator decades ago. That wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing butter conditioner, though source of such creamy deliciousness, really is just a black hole of energy.

That thing probably runs on $300-$400 worth of electricity per year, versus $50 or so of a new Energy Star refrigerator.
referstat2

I’m not hating on this woman (on the contrary; I want to adopt her), as it’s hard to tell when to just break up with a “perfectly good” refrigerator.

The New York Times mused on the topic in 2008, and decided that 15-years-old is a pretty safe retirement age for your refrigerator.

What if you inherited appliances from the previous owner? If you’re like me and your home was sold to you with so-called updated appliances, you can use Energy Star’s Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator, a handy tool that lets you input the model number of your current fridge to see how much more you’re spending on energy use annually versus a new, Energy Star refrigerator.

5 Food Preservation Tips

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With the opening of farmers markets and the start of many people’s CSA shares, the perennial topic of food storage becomes fresh again. Check out these 5 tips to keep your food fresh longer.

1. Use your crisper

Those clear drawers in your fridge aren’t just for convenience. Many models allow you adjust the humidity of your crisper drawers to suit their contents. Consult your use & care manual for specifics on your model, but in general, set humidity to high for green, leafy vegetables and low for fruits and vegetables with skins.

2. Pick your spot

Brands might create the perfect space for gallon-jug storage on your refrigerator door, but consider how quickly you will use highly perishable foods before storing them here. Why? Consider the temperature fluctuations of this region of the refrigerator.

If you go through a gallon of milk every couple days, then maybe it doesn’t matter. But those of use who just use a sprinkle in our coffee should definitely select a cooler spot, like the back of the fridge, which is less affected when the door opens.

Accordingly, produce like broccoli, asparagus and apples benefit from colder temperatures located near the rear. Corn and berries benefit from the warmest spot in the refrigerator, so choose those for the front.

3. Use a paper towel to keep your greens green

Greens (especially leftovers) quickly become yellows and browns.

Arrange washed greens between paper towels to absorb excess moisture and seal them in punctured plastic bags.

4. Don’t pass gas

Ethylene gas, that is. Foods like apples, peaches and pears produce ethylene, a gas that kick-starts ripening, which can cause premature aging in some fruits and damage in others. Avoid storing ethylene-producing foods near others sensitive to it, or keep them in a plastic bag to contain the gas.

5. Know what NOT to refrigerate

Sometimes the refrigerator can do more harm than good – as in the case of avocados, bananas, tomatoes, pineapples, mangoes, potatoes and squash – which should be stored at room temperature. Cold temperatures can dehydrate and damage these foods.

What are your best food preservation tips? Share them in the comments!

Energy Star refrigerators save $50/year over 1990s fridges

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This is an outdated picture of my kitchen, but you get the idea.

I’m replacing my 15-year-old refrigerator this month with a more roomy, smarter-designed and better-looking new fridge.

Best of all, it’s an Energy Star refrigerator, which means that it uses at least 20 percent less energy than a non-Energy Star fridge. Plus, although Energy Star refrigerators generally cost more upfront, you should consider overall cost of the appliance — which includes how much energy it uses compared to other models.

Energy Star estimates that over the lifetime of your refrigerator, you will cut your energy bills by $165 versus if you used an non-Energy Star model.

So think of how much you save when you unplug the refrigerator you’re using right now? Actually, see the handy chart below.

So my fridge from the ’90s costs about $97 per year compared to an Energy Star refrigerator, which uses an average of $48, according to this chart. (And actually, my new fridge is 10 percent better than the Energy Star standards; its energy use is estimated to cost about $43 per year.)

Obviously, I have to buy the new fridge, but I’ve budgeted for that. Now, what will I do with the $50? Better question: what will do with the $600 in usage cost savings I’ll realize over the average life (12 years) of my refrigerator?

Tips for National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

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As you make more frequent trips to the grocery store to stock up on all the fixings for your Thanksgiving dinner, your refrigerator becomes fuller and fuller. Then your new bounty pushes your leftovers (which let’s face it, are meat surprise by now) farther to the back of the fridge. And before you know it, the holiday is over, and your fridge is overflowing with leftover turkey and casseroles.

Sound familiar? We thought so, which is why the timing couldn’t be better for National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Set your refrigerator up for success this holiday season with these tips.

Refrigerator Cleaning

  1. Empty the contents of your refrigerator, checking for expiration dates as you go. Throw away or compost any expired foods, and place the rest in a cooler while you work. Can’t find an expiration date? When in doubt, throw it out!
  2. Unplug the refrigerator so you don’t waste energy as you work. Use a gentle cleaner to wipe down shelves, doors and drawers. Warm, soapy water usually does the trick. GE recommends 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of water.
  3. Rinse away any residue with warm water. Then, dry the refrigerator with a gentle cloth.

Refrigerator Organizing

Now it’s time to put all the food back in the refrigerator. If you don’t organize your refrigerator contents often, take this opportunity to put everything back in a way that makes sense. Low-humidity drawers are ideal for fruit, while higher humidity works best for vegetables. Store meats in the back.

Keep leftovers front and center of the refrigerator so you remember to eat them before they spoil. You might even consider labeling leftovers with the date in which they were prepared. Be honest with yourself. If you aren’t going to eat the leftover lasagna, get rid of it.

stack of food leftovers

Wipe down condiment bottles to remove spills and drips before returning them to the refrigerator.

Plastic bins provide a clever way to organize fridge contents and cut down on clutter. Or invest in a Lazy Susan to prevent losing bottles and jars in the back of your fridge.

Once your refrigerator is cleaned and organized, you’re one step ahead in your holiday prep. Isn’t that cool?

Photo credit: GE Appliances

What are your best tips for a clean and organized refrigerator? Share them in the comments below!

 

 

How To Move a Refrigerator

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We have fielded many calls inquiring if it’s OK to put a refrigerator on its side when moving it. Certainly, the manufacturers don’t recommend it. But sometimes it’s necessary, right?

So, when you can’t transport your fridge upright, GE suggests laying your top-freezer refrigerator or bottom-freezer refrigerator on the side opposite the hinges, so the door will remain closed. If you have a side-by-side fridge, place it freezer-side down (that door is less likely to come open).

Black Stainless Steel Samsung Refrigerator

When you bring the fridge inside its new home, keep it unplugged and upright for the same amount of time it spent on its side. If the refrigerator spent more than a day on its side, let it stand for 24 hours before plugging it in.

Also, GE suggests wheeling the refrigerator on its side when using a dolly to avoid damage to the front or rear of the unit.

And please, remove all the racks and cover your beautiful Warners’ Stellian refrigerator with a moving blanket. We love appliances too much so see you damage them on accident.