Why Mid-Century Fridges Were Smarter Than The Ones We Buy Now - Tasting Table

"In 2025, refrigerators can track contents and make you a grocery list based on what you need, automatically refill your pitcher of water, and provide calendar and weather updates - as well as your favorite playlists - from a touchscreen on the door. But can their shelves move to accommodate different items with the click of a button? Can those shelves swing out so you can get to every little thing even if it's fallen to the back?"

"Can fridges today instantly and conveniently empty your ice tray, or convert produce storage into a case you can take right over to your meal-prep area? For all the modern technology we have now, it's not a stretch to argue that mid-century fridges wereת in factת the "smart refrigerators." On YouTube, HeyimNava posted a video of a 1963 refrigerator with aluminum - not plastic - shelves that could support 20 pounds of weight and that swung out for easy access."

Mid-century refrigerators offered mechanical innovations such as aluminum slide-out shelves that supported heavy loads and swung out for access, adjustable shelves that moved with a one-handed button press, rotating bottom drawers, and removable enclosed produce compartments. They featured ice trays that dumped cubes into an accessible drawer and convertible storage that could be carried to prep areas. Modern refrigerators emphasize digital features like inventory tracking, automated refills, and touchscreens but often lack the physical flexibility and convertibility that made older designs more convenient and reduced hidden food waste.

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