Better title- 😉Anyone else in love with smaller but more expensive retro refrigerators?

[Peaceseeker]

I am in love with Smeg. Does anyone own one? Anyone downsized to a tiny fridge? I have a smaller than average fridge that is not full after doing my weekly grocery shopping. I live one mile from the grocery store, so it's not a big deal to stock up. But they are so pricey!

 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8c/44/ce/8c44ce332448866b86d9c306516358be.jpg

 

Hopefully this link works! We are renovating a small farmhouse (over 100 years old). Small kitchen and dining area so the fridge will be kind of out in the open between the table and the kitchen cabinets. It would look so adorable, but for much less than the price (around 3k) I could get a big ugly contemporary fridge with all the bells and whistles.

Edited April 19, 2017 by CaliforniaDreaming

[Katy]

I think they're gorgeous too, but won't work for us.  Half the time we overflow the upstairs fridge to the one in the basement.

[Rosie_0801]

That looks like a normal sized fridge to me.

 

[Mergath]

My fridge is around that size. Not nearly so cute though!

[Rosie_0801]

I couldn't live with Smeg written on my fridge after years of watching Red Dwarf. :lol:

[DawnM]

It just looks like a 50s fridge to me.  

 

I prefer larger, with auto ice makers and water dispensers.  

 

 

[Peaceseeker]

I love the size. I think I might have been born in the wrong country...

 

I have a small whirlpool that has less than 14 cubic feet in the fridge and there is still a good bit of space in there. I think the largest Smeg sold in the USA is only around 8-9 cubic feet for the fridge and another 3 cubic feet for the freezer. They have a bigger one overseas about the size of my fridge but I haven't found it over here yet.

 

I am also looking at North star but they are even pricier. This one is about the size of my current fridge though, so plenty big enough.

 

http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar/refrigerators/models/model-1952/

[Guest]

I love it so so much.

[Guest]

"optional draft beer system"

[Catwoman]

I think small refrigerators are cute, but they are way too impractical for me. We recently bought a new refrigerator, and my first question to the salesperson was, "Can you point me in the direction of the biggest refrigerator you sell?"

[Peaceseeker]

Then there is the Big Chill. I had discounted this one as it was big and clunky, but they do make a slim version and a studio version that might work.

 

https://bigchill.com/shop/refrigerators/slim-big-chill-retro-refrigerator/

 

Off to order color samples from all three companies and dream!

[Rosie_0801]

I think small refrigerators are cute, but they are way too impractical for me. We recently bought a new refrigerator, and my first question to the salesperson was, "Can you point me in the direction of the biggest refrigerator you sell?"

 

You live in the tropics?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Gosh no.  We have a small fridge and it's awful.  I hate that it is so small. 

 

 

[Pawz4me]

It reminds me of my grandmother's fridge when I was a kid!

 

We have a smallish, no frills fridge. I've never seen the need for a larger one. There are two grocery stores within a five minute drive of my house so it's easy for me to stop. And I despise automatic ice makers and water dispensers. 

 

Edited for type. It's one of those days. Sigh.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Pawz4me

[Katy]

You live in the tropics?

 

Not who you asked, but I do this too.  It's because of the insane amount of fruits and veggies I try and cram into the kids.  Half of the time the lettuce gets frozen and some of the others break out in mold less than 24 hours after I bring them home, so I have to buy extra because it will go to waste or I have to go to the store every day, and I don't have time for that.  Our produce quality has definitely declined in recent years though.

 

Anyway, once you have your normal groceries, plus whatever you need for a potluck or party or you've been assigned to make treats for whatever reason, there's not enough room for all of it.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Not who you asked, but I do this too.  It's because of the insane amount of fruits and veggies I try and cram into the kids.  Half of the time the lettuce gets frozen and some of the others break out in mold less than 24 hours after I bring them home, so I have to buy extra because it will go to waste or I have to go to the store every day, and I don't have time for that.  Our produce quality has definitely declined in recent years though.

 

Anyway, once you have your normal groceries, plus whatever you need for a potluck or party or you've been assigned to make treats for whatever reason, there's not enough room for all of it.

 

Same here.

 

The weather in my area (and Cat's) is humid subtropical in summer.  Stuff will be dead if you leave it out in summer.  I also don't leave it out in winter because the stuff is half dead by the time it's at the store so keeping it in the fridge extends the life a little bit.  So I don't leave fruits or veg out.

[Shellydon]

Super cute but totally impractical.

[SparklyUnicorn]

And then holidays...or guests...there is always more.  If you have leftovers or want to make some food ahead.  I already have issues with my small fridge and it's not that small.

 

 

[TCB]

I couldn't live with Smeg written on my fridge after years of watching Red Dwarf. :lol:

 

That's what I thought too!!

Also, that is actually a big fridge by British standards, although I think American style fridges are getting more common there now. My grandmother had a tiny fridge and a lot of things were not even put in the fridge but were left in the pantry, which was usually quite cool.

[bibiche]

I've always had a small fridge and prefer them. Smeg is a good brand. You are going to be looking at your fridge every day, so why not spend a little more and get the one that will make you happy? But IKEA sells fridges if you decide to be more frugal but still want a smaller appliance; have you looked there?

 

ETA ...or maybe not: IKEA seems to only market their biggest fridges in the US. Too bad. :(

Edited April 19, 2017 by bibiche

[TCB]

Super cute but totally impractical.

 

I have to tell you many many people in other countries manage fine with a fridge this size, and often even smaller.

[Jane in NC]

The American obsession with large refrigerators boggles my mind.  I have no idea what people keep in them other than loads of soft drinks and beer.  I would prefer a fridge that has a larger freezer compartment and smaller refrigerator area for fruit and veg. 

 

Granted, we are a small family so I was never in a position of buying three gallons of milk at one time...

 

Also we turned off the automatic ice maker and use the ice cube box to store berries, etc. No water dispenser either as we are content with tap.

 

 

[bibiche]

The American obsession with large refrigerators boggles my mind. I have no idea what people keep in them other than loads of soft drinks and beer.

Bigger fridges for bigger people. ;)

 

I think it is probably because Americans use a lot more prepared food and also don't go to the market as often as people in the rest of the world.

[Guest]

Of the three posted, I like the smegging Smeg the best.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Bigger fridges for bigger people. ;)

 

I think it is probably because Americans use a lot more prepared food and also don't go to the market as often as people in the rest of the world.

 

I don't know.  I don't use a lot of prepared food.  I hate my small fridge!

 

And FWIW, none of the Germans in my husband's family have tiny fridges.  Many of them also have more than one fridge! 

[Peaceseeker]

I think my life would seem impractical to many people. But I have downsized so much the past few years. I don't need as much as I thought I needed. And I know a lot of people on these boards have big families but there are just four of us. We have a small house with one bathroom and it has been totally fine. Still debating on whether I can exist without that dishwasher (see my other thread!). I love these little retro fridges that take me back to a simpler time. People managed to entertain in small houses with small fridges. They piled around on porches and potlucked and made what they had work. I spend a lot of time thinking about what is enough (for me- no judgments on what is or isn't enough for anyone else!)

 

But then again spending a bunch of money downsizing a fridge is kind of silly. Simpler living would be a small, inexpensive and ugly white box like I already have. So my practical side is arguing with my aesthetic side. I like a simple life, but I also love beautiful things. I get a lot of enjoyment out of beautiful things. I joke that I can do small but I can't do ugly...And I can do frugal a lot, but then occasionally fall in love with something ridiculously over budget. Now I can't even picture my new kitchen without one of these cuties!

[regentrude]

That is not a tiny fridge. It's a pretty big fridge.

Edited April 19, 2017 by regentrude

[Bluegoat]

That looks like a regular size fridge to me.  Not a giant one like those popular at the moment, but not small.

 

In fact, I'm not positive that would fit in my 1960 Canadian kitchen, at least in the spot the fridge is meant to go.

 

When I think small European fridge, I think under the counter.  You can get that brand in that size and it is fairly expensive, but there are cheaper ones the same size. 

[bibiche]

Aesthetics should win and I definitely hear you on not being able to do ugly.  Splurge on what will bring you joy and cut costs on something less important.  

[Guest]

I couldn't live with Smeg written on my fridge after years of watching Red Dwarf. :lol:

 

That was *exactly* what I thought when I looked at those the other day.  HAHA

[Annie G]

I love the style and the size would be perfect for just me and dh.  

[Guest]

I think my life would seem impractical to many people. But I have downsized so much the past few years. I don't need as much as I thought I needed. And I know a lot of people on these boards have big families but there are just four of us. We have a small house with one bathroom and it has been totally fine. Still debating on whether I can exist without that dishwasher (see my other thread!). I love these little retro fridges that take me back to a simpler time. People managed to entertain in small houses with small fridges. They piled around on porches and potlucked and made what they had work. I spend a lot of time thinking about what is enough (for me- no judgments on what is or isn't enough for anyone else!)

 

But then again spending a bunch of money downsizing a fridge is kind of silly. Simpler living would be a small, inexpensive and ugly white box like I already have. So my practical side is arguing with my aesthetic side. I like a simple life, but I also love beautiful things. I get a lot of enjoyment out of beautiful things. I joke that I can do small but I can't do ugly...And I can do frugal a lot, but then occasionally fall in love with something ridiculously over budget. Now I can't even picture my new kitchen without one of these cuties!

 

I had a pink fridge from the 50s when I moved into a house 28 years ago.  It was so great.  BUT it had to be defrosted, and that made it a no-go after awhile.   I mean like once a month.  The kind of retro I like is retro look and feel but frost-free.

[Bluegoat]

The American obsession with large refrigerators boggles my mind.  I have no idea what people keep in them other than loads of soft drinks and beer.  I would prefer a fridge that has a larger freezer compartment and smaller refrigerator area for fruit and veg. 

 

Granted, we are a small family so I was never in a position of buying three gallons of milk at one time...

 

Also we turned off the automatic ice maker and use the ice cube box to store berries, etc. No water dispenser either as we are content with tap.

 

Milk can take up a lot of room.  We get delivery once a week and that's 12gallons.  In the old days when people had daily delivery, it's no wonder fridges were smaller.  Our farmers market is alo once a week so I find I do need room for a fair number of veg.

 

But, what I find I can easily get overwhelmed with if I am not careful is bottles of things for different styles of cooking.  I think people just used to cook a lot more of the same foods and styles of food.  Now, many people like cooking in different styles, but you end up having quite a variety of things to store if you cook Mexican, Indian, Thai, French....

 

I also think many people in North America refrigerate things they don't need to, and really shouldn't in some cases. 

[Guest]

That cute reefer will tickle you every day. I'm solidly in the buy it camp, if we are voting :)

[SparklyUnicorn]

Milk can take up a lot of room.  We get delivery once a week and that's 12gallons.  In the old days when people had daily delivery, it's no wonder fridges were smaller.  Our farmers market is alo once a week so I find I do need room for a fair number of veg.

 

But, what I find I can easily get overwhelmed with if I am not careful is bottles of things for different styles of cooking.  I think people just used to cook a lot more of the same foods and styles of food.  Now, many people like cooking in different styles, but you end up having quite a variety of things to store if you cook Mexican, Indian, Thai, French....

 

I also think many people in North America refrigerate things they don't need to, and really shouldn't in some cases. 

 

Yes bottles of condiments.  Goodness.  I seem to be quite the collector!  LOL

[Arcadia]

My refrigerators has always been smaller than the SMEG fridge you linked. The furthest I have lived from a grocery store is 0.2 miles (about 1000ft) down the road so I could buy milk and bread everyday if I want to.

 

My current home came with a dishwasher and we have never used it. My husband would just help me hand wash the dishes after dinner while my kids wash their own utensils, bowls/plates and cups. We have a cup per person so that is easy.

[unsinkable]

I think small refrigerators are cute, but they are way too impractical for me. We recently bought a new refrigerator, and my first question to the salesperson was, "Can you point me in the direction of the biggest refrigerator you sell?"

I'm must be delirious, this made me laugh so much.

[Jane in NC]

Milk can take up a lot of room. We get delivery once a week and that's 12gallons. In the old days when people had daily delivery, it's no wonder fridges were smaller. Our farmers market is alo once a week so I find I do need room for a fair number of veg.

 

But, what I find I can easily get overwhelmed with if I am not careful is bottles of things for different styles of cooking. I think people just used to cook a lot more of the same foods and styles of food. Now, many people like cooking in different styles, but you end up having quite a variety of things to store if you cook Mexican, Indian, Thai, French....

 

I also think many people in North America refrigerate things they don't need to, and really shouldn't in some cases.

12 gallons? That must be a typo.

 

The door of my fridge does contain a number of bottles of sauces: soy, red curry paste, Chipotle peppers... Most of what is in my fridge is produce, leftovers, or partially prepped foods. There is a drawer of cheese, bottles of homebrew and jars of homemade jam and pickles. Still room though except perhaps during the holidays...

[heartlikealion]

That pic looks like a normal size to me. I have seen small ones in Europe. Made the boxes of juice make more sense to me. We were offered juice from a box that looked like our shelf stable milk containers or chicken broth containers.

[MotherGoose]

The American obsession with large refrigerators boggles my mind. I have no idea what people keep in them other than loads of soft drinks and beer. I would prefer a fridge that has a larger freezer compartment and smaller refrigerator area for fruit and veg.

 

Granted, we are a small family so I was never in a position of buying three gallons of milk at one time...

 

Also we turned off the automatic ice maker and use the ice cube box to store berries, etc. No water dispenser either as we are content with tap.

I bought seven gallons of milk today from a farmer who only comes once a week at an inconvenient time and in an inconvenient place. The crisper is full of apples. Beer. Water (it could be unrefirgerated but it is necessary for us to keep bottled water because we get our water from a well and if the power goes out, then there we'll pump Doesn't work and we have no water. Eggs from my chickens when they are in lay, which they are now, at a rate of 10-12 a day. And yes, dh's Diet Coke. :). I'd enjoy living in an European country with a grocery store that stocks everything fresh daily. Italy was wonderful when we visited. But that's not the reality of life here, especially if you have a larger family, which I do. ETA and this is for the second refrigerator. The first one contains normal stuff like vegetables, fruits, leftovers, etc. Edited April 19, 2017 by MotherGoose

[heartlikealion]

The American obsession with large refrigerators boggles my mind.  I have no idea what people keep in them other than loads of soft drinks and beer.  I would prefer a fridge that has a larger freezer compartment and smaller refrigerator area for fruit and veg. 

 

Granted, we are a small family so I was never in a position of buying three gallons of milk at one time...

 

Also we turned off the automatic ice maker and use the ice cube box to store berries, etc. No water dispenser either as we are content with tap.

 

No beer or soft drinks in ours right now. Occasionally dh has beer in there. I don't know the last time we purchased soda. We buy a 3pk of OJ from Sam's Club so sometimes we have 3 jugs of that. Things currently or often in my fridge... one or two jugs of milk (sometimes one jug of cow milk and one carton of almond), one or two containers of yogurt (been making a lot of parfaits lately), deli meat, veggies, fruit (not all of it but some), leftovers, tub of butter, ketchup, pickles, salad dressing, jello cups, cottage cheese, lettuce and some other stuff.

 

We are not a large family, but our main grocery stores are not close. We also have a deep freeze (small chest freezer) which is often pretty full. We typically go grocery shopping once a week. There are things that stay in the deep freeze for a long time so it's not like it's constantly replenished from scratch.

[8circles]

The American obsession with large refrigerators boggles my mind.  I have no idea what people keep in them other than loads of soft drinks and beer.  I would prefer a fridge that has a larger freezer compartment and smaller refrigerator area for fruit and veg. 

 

Granted, we are a small family so I was never in a position of buying three gallons of milk at one time...

 

Also we turned off the automatic ice maker and use the ice cube box to store berries, etc. No water dispenser either as we are content with tap.

 

I love me a big fridge. No beer, no soda.

 

We have 1, sometimes 2 gallons of milk, maybe a carton of juice. Several salad dressings, condiments, various jarred sauces, jams, etc. Yogurt containers - some large, some single-serve. Our deli drawer has sliced cheese and lunch meat. Our crisper has a variety of fresh veggies, fruits in the other drawer. The rest is full of several dozen eggs, packages of meat for this week's dinners, a couple loaves of bread (leaving it out gets it moldy fast, it's very humid here), and some leftovers. 

 

It's full. I wish it were twice the size so I wouldn't have to fit it in like tetris.

[madteaparty]

Bigger fridges for bigger people. ;)

 

I think it is probably because Americans use a lot more prepared food and also don't go to the market as often as people in the rest of the world.

Ok I don't fit this profile in any way, I go to the farmer market and grow food and don't refrigerate the eggs my chickens make and yet...I inherited a huge fridge and sort of love it. I mean, I wouldn't go out and buy one without feeling dirty somehow, but since it's here...

The bottles. Milk, tea lemonade I make and, the sparkling water etc take up most of it.

[Shellydon]

I have to tell you many many people in other countries manage fine with a fridge this size, and often even smaller.

 

Yes, but people in other countries are within 2-5 minutes of a market and go by one daily.  In my part of the world, the grocery store is often 20-40 minutes away.

[Garga]

I couldn't live with Smeg written on my fridge after years of watching Red Dwarf. :lol:

 

 

My first thought, too. And then my second thought after Red Dwarf was the medical term that smeg seems to be based on. I couldn't look at that word in my kitchen all day.

 

 

 

Bigger fridges for bigger people. ;)

I think it is probably because Americans use a lot more prepared food and also don't go to the market as often as people in the rest of the world.

 

 

I go every two weeks. The store near me is entirely too expensive, and if I want to spend a decent amount on food, it's a 45 minute round trip. Can't do that every day or else I'll be told I'm an irresponsible American driving around everywhere and wasting gas. Americans! Sheesh. :)

 

 

That was *exactly* what I thought when I looked at those the other day.  HAHA

. Yup.

[Shellydon]

I have 2 gallons of milk, 4 types of cheese, apples, pears, avocados, lettuce, spinach, various berries, bacon, ham, bread, 3 carton of eggs.  2 cartons of OJ, 1 grape juice, 1 apple juice.   Family of 6= lots of food.  Cooking from scratch = lots of ingredients. 

[Garga]

We bought a new fridge about 6 months ago. I looked at the tiny ones (by American standards) and wanted one sooo badly, but in the end I got a honkin' big fridge and I looooove it. I love that thing! Love my big fridge.

 

Now, when the kids are gone and we need a new fridge, then I'll get the cute tiny one. But for now, I love the big fridge.

 

 

ETA: To answer the OPs question about whether or not I love the tiny fridge--yes! But when there are just two of us. I love the retro look of it. Adorable.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Garga

[Peaceseeker]

It is interesting what people think is small. Some think 11 cubic feet is large and some think it would be impossibly tiny! I think it is totally doable for my family, if I can justify the cost. I love the Smeg the most.

 

American refrigerators can easily go up to 25-30 cubic feet and I recently saw one that had a built in TV on the door (why?) But I am not really looking for a tiny under the cabinet fridge. It's a small house but not that small. I don't think I want to downsize that much unless I also get to move to Europe.

[Peaceseeker]

Ok I had to look up this Red Dwarf reference as I have never seen this before. It kind of sounds hilarious. A made up swear word in a sci-fi comedy show? That kind of makes me like the Smeg even more now.

[Peaceseeker]

I do think I could have gone my whole life without knowing what Smegma means, but now it's too late. Thanks well trained mind....lol