refrigerator

Refrigeration sink puts the chill on your drink

Coming to the kitchen as what appears to be the first of its kind, this contraption keeps drinks cold when you're nowhere near the icebox.

The sink, designed by Meneghini, uses either air or water refrigeration to cool beverages and snacks. All you do is press a button, and a compressor that sits in the bottom of the sink pushes cold water or air through the perforated disk that sits underneath your refreshments.

The sink has specially designed metal fixtures that act as bottle rests and a center peg that can be used as a platform for a plate … Read more

French door fridge makes twice the ice

Samsung has set the new bar for French door refrigerators with its 2009 RFG298 and RF268 models. Featuring an innovative dual ice-making system, the sleek refrigerators can create up to one and a half times the ice in refrigerators with a single ice maker.

The dual ice system is composed of an external filtered water and ice dispenser embedded in the counter-height fridge and an additional dispenser in the freezer. If you're not up to eating that much ice, you can turn one of them off: each one is independently operated. And don't let the extra ice dispenser … Read more

Cool your drinks in cubes

Is it just me, or have large kitchen appliances ceased to appear to be appliances at all?

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining about it. With gorgeous appliances like these Cube refrigerators from Siemens, you can furnish a kitchen that, well, doesn't even look like one.

The wall-mounted cube has a modest amount of space, large enough to hold drinks and snacks. It would be perfect for a minibar or a bedroom, and its design makes it pretty enough to include in the rest of your decor. It also has interchangeable panels, so you can … Read more

Dacor Energy Star qualified Epicure fridge

Family-owned Dacor showed off its new line of appliances recently at the 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Atlanta. Among the appliances on display was the Energy Star qualified Epicure 36-inch Freestanding French Door Cabinet-Depth Bottom Freezer Refrigerator. The refrigerator saves time and energy with a 20-percent energy efficient compressor, and is stated to use less energy than a 60-watt light bulb.

An easy-to-use control panel not only monitors the temperature of the freezer along with the refrigerator, but also offers some convenient options. Fast Ice automatically cools the freezer section for 24 hours, allowing for the included icemaker … Read more

Hitachi's 'green' refrigerator turns out blue

Going "green" is a huge movement, with companies around the world releasing products that have less and less of an environmental impact--or, at least, that's what they want us to believe. As consumers' interest in eco-friendly products gets higher, so does the temptation to embellish a product's green credentials.

According to The Mainichi Daily News, Hitachi Appliances, a subsidiary of Hitachi and currently Japan's biggest refrigerator maker, seems to be the first company to have fallen for the temptation to claim a product is green when it isn't.

Of nine refrigerator models the company released between September and November of last year, including the "Eiyo Ikiiki Shinku Chirudo V" and the "Big & Slim 60", six are not eco-friendly at all and the other three are far from the level of eco-friendliness the company advertised them to be.… Read more

Chill and nuke from the comfort of your garage

Sometimes the kitchen can be really far away. Say you're hanging out in the garage playing poker, working on the car, or some other garage-related activity. Suddenly the need hits for a microwaveable treat and a cold brew. The warmth of the microwave and the chill of the refrigerator may not be too far away, but it sure is convenient to have them closer. No need to journey to the kitchen when you can stock up on the essentials in the comfort of your own garage. (Also applies to attics and basements).

Check out the Summit MRF2L, a 1.… Read more

March Madness: Three products you can use while you watch the Final Four

It's March Madness time again, and you know what that means: I'm spending a lot of time fighting for the right to watch a little "24" instead of basketball. But for those of you who actually care about the NCAA college basketball tournament, Whirlpool wants to make sure the only surprises are on the court--not in the kitchen.

You've seen the Amana Jot refrigerator, with its dry-erase finish on the door panel. Use the fridge to manage brackets, track game times, or display correct picks.

And even though the magic of DVRs lets you pause … Read more

Show off your wine while storing

Drinking and collecting wine continues to gain in popularity. It doesn't cost anything to get started (beyond the actual wine, that is), and good-quality wines can be found in the $10 price range. As your wine knowledge grows along with your collection, sooner or later you will be tasked with finding a place to store it all. As most of us do not have the option of creating a wine cellar, a simple refrigerated device is usually the best option.

The VinoView Silent 35 Bottle Wine Display Refrigerator is a solution that incorporates storage and use. It has a … Read more

Refrigerator named with a hint of irony

The name may be misleading, but this Combi Quadrio Hotpoint French Door refrigerator does a great job of looking cool while it's cooling your foods. Available in gloss black or stainless steel and only 70 cm wide, it's an addition to your kitchen that will fit right in.

But don't let the slender shape fool you: the refrigerator bay can hold up to 300 liters, and the freezer holds up to 110 liters. And where they deliver in size, they save in energy use. The freezer has a four-star rating and its A rating means it should … Read more