In the beginning before refrigerators how did people preserve their food? A few of the early methods of food refrigeration methods include, snow, ice, cool streams, caves and cellars. The Chinese are credited with using ice to refrigerate food, which was around 100 B.C. Then the English invented the icehouse, these rooms were built underground and designed to keep food cold until the summer months arrived.



Actual refrigerators were invented and began being used for commercial purposes, such as rail cars and grocery stores in 1890. It took another 20 years until fridges were designed for household use. The company behind the first home refrigerator is no other than the General Electric Company.

A few years later a company called Kelvinator unveiled the first refrigerator with automatic controls, then as time passed Frigidaire introduced the first self-contained unit. Some of the early models of fridges used harmful chemicals to cool food, such as ammonia, sulfur dioxide, or methyl chloride as their refrigerant, which were later dropped for safer refrigeration methods.

The 1950s lead way to more innovations and features such as automatic defrost, as well as automatic ice makers came onto the market.

Then in the 1970s government officials began focusing on refrigerators to make them more energy efficient, which led to elimination of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration sealed systems. As time evolved so have the styles and types of units. Now a days you can choose from a number of different styles of refrigerators such as side by side, bottom freezer, top freezer subzero and so on.

Types of Modern Refrigerators

side by side - this type of fridge is designed with the freezer and refrigerator next to one another, these unit are larger than bottom or top freezers models. If you have a large family and you have the space in your kitchen this is perfect.

bottom freezer refrigerators- freezer at the bottom of the fridge

top freezer - freezer located at the top of the fridge

compact refrigerator - If you live in a small space such as a bachelor apartment then this might be for you.

sub zero - this is a type of refrigerator and a brand as well. Sub-Zero fridges are dual refrigeration systems that offer clean air flow, the end result is fresher and longer lasting food.

Now a refrigerator is common in 99.5% of homes in North America. Newer models even offer built in water filtration systems, sleek stainless steel exteriors and more.