The Everyday Kitchen Appliance That Used To Be Fatally Toxic - Tasting Table

"If you're not an anxious person, you probably don't spend a lot of time worrying about kitchen safety protocols or pondering how dangerous your kitchen appliances are. The truth is, most appliances are incredibly safe thanks to a long history of hard work done by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Appliance malfunctions are rare, especially if you read the appliance manual and know how to use it properly."

"Before refrigeration was invented, people used to store food in underground cellars or bogs, or in larders or iceboxes with blocks of ice. So in 1913, when electric refrigerators were introduced to common households, it was a delightful novelty and a life-changing modern invention. And while electric refrigeration was a stunning feat of genius engineering, it was also incredibly dangerous."

"Mass production of home refrigeration systems relied on the use of a self-contained compressor installed in an icebox. The vapor compression process used a combination of ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and methyl chloride, which meant that if the refrigeration system was damaged or developed a leak, it would release deadly toxic gases into the home. In the 1930s, refrigerator manufacturers commissioned the development of a safer refrigerant. This led to the creation of Freon, a non-toxic refrigerant gas, a boon for modern refrigeration safety."

Household appliances were often dangerous in the late 1800s and early 1900s as early designs lacked modern safety features. Electric refrigerators introduced to households in 1913 used self-contained compressors and a vapor compression process that employed ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and methyl chloride. Leaks or damage could release deadly toxic gases into the home. In the 1930s manufacturers developed safer refrigerants, leading to Freon, a non-toxic refrigerant gas that greatly improved refrigeration safety. Some older refrigerator models and retro units remained hazardous well into the late twentieth century, including certain gas refrigerators manufactured between 1933 and 1957. Modern appliances are generally safe thanks to regulatory work and correct usage per manuals.

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