Innovations in refrigeration and freezing

A wine cooler integrated into a traditional refrigerator, a refrigerator-freezer with a 32-inch display and Matter, a refrigerator with inner walls made of 70 percent recycled plastic, and a trio of energy-efficient models with energy class A - these are some of the recent innovations in the refrigerator and freezer segment.

French doors and wine cooler

Last year, Siemens launched a fridge-freezer with French doors and now they have taken it a step further and launched a model with a built-in wine cooler. The Siemens iQ700 has a built-in wine cooler with a glass front and the wine cooler automatically lights up when you approach it.

The refrigerator holds 401 liters and the freezer 171 liters, and the wine cooler holds up to 17 bottles on two levels – the bottles rest on oak racks and you can choose between five different temperatures for cooling. However, the wine cooler has one zone, so if you want to store both white and red wine, you get the same temperature for both.

The illuminated rear wall of the refrigerator is made of glass and spreads the light throughout the refrigerator. The MultiAirflow system circulates the air evenly in the refrigerator compartment for a constant temperature at all levels, Siemens states. The product is also equipped with an anti-frost function and can be managed via the Home Connect app.

Consumption is stated at 320 kWh/year, the noise level is 39 dB(A) and energy class E.

Family Hub+ with 32-inch display

Samsung premiered its new Bespoke 4-Door Flex refrigerator with Family Hub+ and 32-inch display at CES 2023 in January and the product is now available in the US market. This eighth-generation Family Hub differs from the previous model, among other things, through its ten-inch larger display. The model is also the first refrigerator product from Samsung that is a Matter control unit.

The refrigerator holds 481 liters and the freezer 173 liters and the product is 91 cm wide, 180 cm high and 75 cm deep. There is also a model that is 60 cm deep.

Samsung has sold three million Bespoke refrigerators globally since the product line was introduced and as of this year, the Bespoke line consists of 15 product categories available in 52 countries. They have previously announced that they will launch the Bespoke 4-Door Flex with Family Hub+, new side-by-side and combined fridge/freezer models which are expected to come to the Nordics in 2024.

70 percent recycled plastic

As you may have read in APPLiAnytt Electrolux previously launched a new fridge and freezer with Cooling 360° technology and interior walls made from 70 percent recycled plastic in September. Now the manufacturer is also talking about a unique collaboration with the cultivation company Cubegreens and the Skrapan shopping mall in Stockholm, where the technology is used to provide locally produced and fresh vegetables to customers.

Cubegreens grows leafy greens in Skrapan's courtyard, using hydroponic technology in a converted shipping container. The growing method minimizes factors such as water consumption and unnecessary transportation, and because the crops are harvested in line with demand, they last longer, taste better and have a higher nutritional content, the company says. The lettuce, taken from the Electrolux Cooling 360° refrigerator in Skrapan, is estimated to have a shelf life of at least two to three weeks.

– Thanks to Electrolux refrigerators and the Skrapan shopping mall as a location, we enable consumers to conveniently pick up their harvest centrally in Stockholm. The refrigerator in Green Corner has an optimal climate for the harvest and is equipped with a code lock, which creates valuable flexibility for our customers to pick up their harvest, says Carl Grebing, founder of Cubegreens.

The new Electrolux fridge and freezer is for built-in use and has 186 liters of fridge plus 62 liters of freezer. The product has energy class D and consumes 173 kWh per year.

Fridge and freezer with energy class A

For consumers who prioritize the lowest possible energy consumption, there is a growing range with energy class A in this product category as well. Among the pioneers on the market was Bosch, which launched its first fridge and freezer with energy class A last year. This was followed by Samsung and Miele. What they all have in common is the anti-frost function and zero zone drawers. Zero zone drawers mean that the temperature is closer to zero degrees and in many cases the humidity can also be adjusted depending on the type of food in the drawer. The function has different names among the manufacturers – at Bosch it is called VitaFresh Pro, at Samsung Optimal Fresh + and Humidity Fresh + and at Miele PerfectFresh Pro.

Text: Ola Larsson

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