We have a small refrigerator. Not a mini-fridge, like in a
dorm room, but the size of appliances in the 1950s, when stoves were big and refrigerators
were small. Because our house was built in 1931, the space to hold a refrigerator
was small, with built-in shelves above. It is lovely, and, through all of its
years as a rental, no one ever cut up the shelves and pushed a larger appliance
into the space. We are lucky. Small
fridges are nice.
First, they use less energy, and cooling food is a huge
energy suck. In fact, improving refrigeration is the number one action in Paul
Hawkin’s book Drawdown. He’s’ not
thinking on the household level, but still, we are more energy efficient.
Second, it takes up less visual space in the room. Our kitchen
is small; we do not need that big blank wall of white.
Finally, and most compelling, food does not get lost in it.
When I had big fridges, I’d lose leftovers in the far back corners. Tucked into
an old yogurt container and they were gone. We threw out a great deal of food
when we had extra space. Now, everything for the week fits in neatly and
everything is touched and seen. If I am looking for the mayo, I have to move
the canning jar of beans. Reminder—eat the beans!
Occasionally, the
space is filled, but that happens when we get a big old bag of greens from
Sunbow Farm and I make a batch of soup. When that happens, we put the extra food in
the larder, an outside air cooled, heavily insulated space half way down the
stairs. There’s already squash, fruitcake, and onions (as well as garden seeds
and potatoes) in the space, so we will not forget about our greens. Before we built the larder, we left the soup
pot in the back hall.
I love the small fridge. In fact, when the big one died in
our rental, we replaced it with a smaller unit.
Options:
Clean out your fridge. A clean fridge wastes less food.
Use clear containers so that you can see what's in them.
Menu plan!
Does it NEED to be in there?
Do you NEED all of that space?
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