Smelly Ice and Other Stories in Refrigeration

If you're anything like me you assume refrigerators work much like they did when you were a kid, (maybe minus that giant crust of frost in the freezer that occasionally you had to defrost the refrigerator to get rid of). Major advances that you're aware of include Stainless Steel and bottom mounted freezers (we all know heat rises!). So what is up with these refrigerators that cost upwards of $6,000? Is it just their enormous commerical size?

Two words : Dual cool refrigeration. Most of our everyday-bought-at-Sears refrigerators are single refrigeration systems, meaning that a single compressor and evaporator produces the frozen air in your freezer, and then this cold dry air is pumped into your refrigeration, then circles back into the freezer and the cycle continues. Dry air is not good for your perishables, especially fruit and vegetables, and this is exactly where it goes to find and eat away the moisture, which causes decay. According to Sub Zero, 14% of our purchased groceries are not consumed due to 'improper storage techniques'.

Conversely, onCe the humid air from the refrigerator hits the freezer it causes frost crystals that contain all the odors that come from the food in the fridge. These frozen particles are attracted to the coldest items in your freezer, aka, ice cubes. This is where you get 'smelly ice'

So with *two* compressors, once can be dedicated today freezer air, and one can be dedicated to the humid air that your produce craves (FYI most refrigerators feature 25% humidity, while dual cool gives you the optimum 85%!). No air, odors etc pass between the two. I have seen claims that your food will last 65% longer with dual cool and average savings are about $1,000 a year. So in 6-8 years you have paid off your refrigerator in food/energy savings!

You might think "OK, so I shell out the money up front and my food lasts longer, but won't my energy consumption go up?' Not the case. Because the two compressors have to work less than the single compressor to keep each temperature constant, they are just as efficient. Your coldest air is shut tightly in the freezer which is opened typically less than your refrigerator so your system is working less to bring the temperature back up.

Ready to buy? Beware that some of the descriptions for less expensive refrigerators hint at dual cool refrigeration but don't truly employ the same technology. According to Richie Craig, my salesperson at Yale Appliance & Lighting, the brands that currently feature dual cool are SubZero, Thermador and Miele.