When you think about your fridge, it might not inspire a lot of awe and curiosity. But at IFA 2015, there was so much innovation in these everyday appliances that I couldn’t stop snapping pictures.
One of the most exciting developments was Haier’s magnetically cooled wine fridge. It completely does away with the traditional compressor, meaning it’s super quiet and doesn’t vibrate. It also doesn’t fluctuate in temperature as much as regular fridges, making it great for storing wine. Because it’s energy-efficient and doesn’t use refrigerant, it’s also better for the environment. This may be the beginning of a refrigerator revolution.
Not quite as radical but still mind-numbing (in the brain-freeze kind of way) was Beko’s HomeCream, a fridge with a built-in ice cream maker. It might change the world of refrigeration but it would be sort of life-changing on the hottest days of summer.
Another interesting innovation from Haier was its smart window technology. Instead of having to open the fridge door when you’re not sure what to make for a snack, the door turns from opaque to translucent when you approach, triggered by motion sensors. Not having the door hanging open for minutes at a time helps save energy and keeps the food inside cooler and therefore fresher for longer.
Not everything is about what’s on the inside, though. Sometimes something just looks cool, like the Bompani fridge we saw covered in chalkboard paint. Instead of leaving a Post-It on the fridge, just write it on there with chalk. Washing it down is probably easier than dealing with smudges on stainless steel. Speaking of, Liebherr had some eye-catching fridges that definitely stand out from the rows of silver appliances you often see lining the walls of Best Buy.
