The refrigerator report

I've been living with my new refrigerator for about a month now, and I love it. What I particularly like about it are the "Biofresh" compartments - the sealed drawers with adjustable humidity for storing fresh food. (Biofresh is term used by the manufacturer, Liebherr, but other manufacturers use other terms for it.) The humidity can be set to low for meats, fish and cheeses, and high for fruit and vegetables. And, there are three big drawers - way more than a regular refrigerator. I have one for cheese and cold cuts and smoked fish and things, and two for fruit and vegetables.

I love my fruit and veggies, and also love going to markets where I invariably buy Way Too Much of something or other. The excess produce used to either get bad very quickly or get all dessicated and fridge-burned. Neither happens in the Biofresh compartments! I've had a cucumber in there for almost 3 weeks now (I know...I shouldn't have vegetables that old, I should plan ahead blabla) and it's still crisp and edible. Tender butterhead/Bibb type lettuce leaves in particular used to go slimy or dry-crispy too fast, but no longer.

On the other end of the scale, the cheese stored in the 'dry' drawer doesn't get moldy nearly as fast. But, for me it's the high-humidity drawer that truly shines.

The other thing I like about the fridge is that the controls are right on the front, and that it beeps if the door is kept open too long - which means more than about a minute. Now, if only it would beep at me if I overeat from it...

Submitted by maki on 2006-10-12 20:45.
Filed under:  equipment

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Comments

Jul

12 October, 2006 - 21:58

So jealous! That fridge sounds heavenly!

e

12 October, 2006 - 22:02

Hey maybe you can answer my very crazy/silly question that no one seems to know the answer to! Well, none of my friends cook, either, or really have their own fridge... anyway, I moved to an apartment recently (from a house and before that, another house) and have discovered that my fridge is super humid. Like, no matter how cooled down any leftovers are, if I pop the Tupperware container they're in into the fridge, moisture gathers from the top of the lid (on the inside) anyway. My veggies and fruit aren't suffering any from the all over humidity, but I'm wondering if there's anything I can or should do about it, or what it means, etc. I've adjusted the fridge temp a few times but don't really understand the overall meaning of that anyway. Umm, yeah... so if you could help, that's awesome! if not, no worries, I'm an idiot anyway. :) Thanks!

maki

12 October, 2006 - 22:45

e, I'm no refrigerator expert, but there are a couple of possibilities. First, if you are putting food in the fridge without cooling it first and sealing it with a lid or in a plastic bag/wrap etc, the condensation is going to collect inside the container/plastic. That's one reason why it's always recommended to cool food before putting it in the refrigerator or freeeze.

If you are getting moisture overall, it could be that the defrost is not working properly, so that water/humidity gets built up in the fridge. (This is what was happening with our old fridge...the defrost was totally broken and we were getting pools of water on the floor of the fridge...ugh) So that means your fridge may need servicing.

There's a good refrigerator FAQ page on the GE site (useful even if you don'g have a GE model) -

http://www.geappliances.com/service_and_support/faqs/faq_refrigerators.htm

maki

12 October, 2006 - 22:47

and Jul, you're going to Japan, so don't talk to me about jealous :P (i can't go until next year...sniff)

max

12 October, 2006 - 23:09

e: That water you see on the inside of the closed tupperware container is condensation from the contents and/or the air around the contents of the container. As Maki said, it is important to cool down stuff as much as possible (room temperature), before putting them into the refrigerator. Or you put the material into a plastic bag, and fill in vacuum :) (suck out as much air as you can).

Alanna

13 October, 2006 - 16:38

Hello Maki, I wonder if you are a vegaterian?

I am a chef from Australia travelling through SE asia. The food here is great, spicey and slightly unusual in flavour. I haven't been to Japan yet but can not wait.

I have a website functioning to show people food types, markets and the price of living. OK so there are no fridges at street venders yet the food hasn't made me sick once, you can't beat true freshness.

Take a look at the site www.L_A_M.com.au
There are recipes that my interest you LAM BITES: some may have been achieved, Malaysia). Feel free to leave a comment, I look forward to hearing from you.

Hunter Cashdollar

13 October, 2006 - 22:24

I've rarely heard someone say those humidity controls work. Hunter Cashdollar

Mark

18 October, 2006 - 12:07

I like my tiny refrigerator (and tiny cupboard) here in Japan. They don't hold that much, so I have to go shopping every day, on foot. I get exercise, and everything I eat is fresh, having been purchased in the previous 24 hours.