A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#1

Post by zhte415 » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:37 PM UTC

A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
mstdn.social

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#2

Post by sdflhasjd » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:46 PM UTC

I would hazard a guess and say this was probably expensive by today's standards.

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#3

Post by starbugs » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:46 PM UTC

> Thing is, producing crappy, cookie-cutter, uninspired, overpriced junk that falls apart within 5 years (generously speaking) pays more to the shareholders. That's how we got from there to here.

This summarizes it quite well for me.

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#4

Post by rascul » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:47 PM UTC

A lot of those features are available in today's fridges. Also, they use less power today. And you really don't have to get one with wifi and a touchscreen.

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#5

Post by marricks » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:47 PM UTC

Some of those fridges are refurbished and still around[1]! It's my dream to own one someday when my fridge from the 90's dies.

Every couple years there's a HN link to a blog post about how those appliances were built better in the day. Couple highlights I remember were:

- Parts were dipped in paint rather than sprayed leading to fuller and thicker paint coverage

- Motors had some changes so were actually built to last

Got to imagine fewer electrical/mechanical parts that can fail as well.

[1] https://carolinasantiqueappliances.com/Web/index.php/restore...

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#6

Post by lakomen » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:49 PM UTC

Not found the requested resource could not be found

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#7

Post by dustincoates » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:49 PM UTC

This reminds me of the same types of complaints around air travel now versus the 50s/60s. Both ignore the relative costs and the fact that you can still buy high-end fridges or first class tickets if you are willing to spend the same amount of money that you would have had to back then.

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#8

Post by idlewords » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:49 PM UTC

My girlfriend's mom has a teaching oven (used in home economics classes) from the 1950s. The 'teaching' part mostly means it has a more accurate and detailed temperature gauge.

This gas oven is so heavy that light in the kitchen gravitationally lenses around it, but it's still going strong and the best oven I ever used.

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#9

Post by forgetfreeman » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:50 PM UTC

sdflhasjd wrote: post #2

I would hazard a guess and say this was probably expensive by today's standards.

Sure, but you'd buy once and that fridge problem was sorted for a few decades. Over the long term you paid significantly less because you weren't replacing a broken fridge every few years. If problems did crop up appliance repair was a cost effective long term fix. Ain't designed obsolescence a wonder?

Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now

#10

Post by mongol » Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 1:50 PM UTC

I don't think it is better where it matters. Modern fridges circulate the air to manage humidity and temperature better for different zones (meat, vegetables etc). Also, less energy usage and no ozone-destroying coolants.