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

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

#111

Post by michaelt »

dustincoates wrote: post #7

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.

> you can still buy high-end fridges or first class tickets if you are willing to spend the same amount

Can you, though?

Or has the maker of that high-end $1500 fridge been brought out by the maker of $500 fridges? Are the two brands made in the same factory, to the same quality standards, while the owners laugh at those chumps who are paying 3x the price just to have a different sticker on the front?

I've brought high-end white goods in the past and found the performance unimpressive. In my case, a high-end washing machine with poor rinse performance.

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

#113

Post by ethbr0 »

idlewords wrote: post #8

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.

I have a Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster that still works flawlessly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1OfxlSG6q5Y

They used a shielded bimetalic thermostat to measure the radiant heat coming from the toast surface, instead of a timer, to establish doneness (consistently toasting despite heating element variance) and implemented the mechanical lowering & raising of toast without a single motor (which is why 60+ year old examples still work).

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

#114

Post by low_common »

photonerd wrote: post #47
passwordoops wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but I'd bet the one we see in the video is probably still working, while I'm on my third fridge in 20 years. I think that negates any energy efficiency gains

I’ve had 8 fridges in 22 years, up until my latest I’ve they were all from this supposedly better age. All failed, in some cases disastrously. The only one that’s survived longer than a few years for me ? The new one. Going 6 years strong. Not everything on my new one is perfect—I managed to break the built in water jug—but I feel a lot of the replies here need to take into account survivorship bias.

My parents have lived in their house for 28 years and had to replace the fridge like two or three times. 8 fridges sounds like your house might be part of the problem.

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

#115

Post by erremerre »

This video from technology connections shows exactly the same but with microwaves, specifically one from 1997. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiS27feX8o0

What I don't understand is, you have done the development, the cost of the rest of things is marginal. Why don't keep giving those features into all microwaves manufactured by the same company?

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

#116

Post by jwells89 »

taeric wrote: post #90
marricks wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you do to your fridges??? I'm in my 30's and have never had to replace a fridge. Never had a "modern" fridge except as a kid. All looked like low budget fridges from the 80's or 90's.

Quality of power supply to your house will almost certainly be one of the bigger factors in how long things last. Combined with standard stochastic behavior, I'd expect anecdotes of both kinds.

I suspect that a great many problems with electronics, lifespan related and otherwise, are rooted in power quality issues.

The newer apartments and house I’ve lived in as an adult have been decent in that regard, probably because they’re closer to being up to spec electrically and have newer lines running to them thanks to being in urban areas, but one of my childhood homes out in the countryside which is now approaching a century in age had a “habit” of killing computers every so often.

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

#117

Post by williamcotton »

momirlan wrote: post #107
random_savv wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I did the math on replacing a 10-15 year old fridge, I was able to amortize the cost of the new fridge in 2.5 years, from the energy savings.

assuming the new one will last 2.5 years...

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-finances/reviews/best-refr...

It looks like all of the major manufacturers have a "sealed system" warranty for five years:

A refrigerator’s sealed system typically refers to the compressor, evaporator, condenser, dryer, and connection tubing. Most companies cover both parts and labor for this system for five years. Miele and KitchenAid extend this sealed system warranty for an extra five years. Note that years six through 10 cover parts only.

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

#119

Post by usefulcat »

bombcar wrote: post #49
ljf wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they also do entirely plain units that last well with no 'extras' - their commercial units are also great and easy to repair. But most people want to spend as little as they can so avoid the commercial units.

This is it - high quality stuff is often still made, but it's expensive and/or has other downsides that you really do need to be aware of. For example, commercial equipment is often bullet-proof and long-lived, but it can be louder than you'd want in a home kitchen. Commercial dish washers have no noise insulation, get hot, but can wash dishes so fast they can crack them from the temperature changes. Commercial ovens…

> Commercial ovens have no or minimal heat insulation

This seems counter intuitive to me. Why would I not want more insulation in an oven that's going to be used a lot more? Seems like the cost of the insulation would be amortized more quickly than in a home kitchen, since a commercial oven is presumably being used a lot more?

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

#120

Post by distances »

rwultsch wrote: post #29
rascul wrote: post #4

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.

I am getting a Sub-zero in a few weeks which is damn near the most expensive fridge. It does not have nice pull out shelves or the veggie compartments. I expect the sealing and ethylene scrubbing will keep veggies fresh linger.

Why does everyone keep their veggies in the fridge, do you buy them in bulk? Basic veggies like onions, tomatoes, cucumber I eat fast enough to just keep on shelves and in regular rotation, and all more special plants are anyway bought for a certain meal in mind so they're used within a day or two.

My fridge does have a veggie section but I use that for beer.

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