My Talking Fridge

I have a new fridge/freezer for my kitchen, courtesy of a Reviewer Rewards Program. It talks! Honestly! And this isn't a scene from the movie 'The Brave Little Toaster', where appliances have voices and feelings. This is real life.

Our old fridge/freezer was an upright model, squeezed into a tight spot in our kitchen. We had always struggled with the narrowness of the freezer opening on the left hand side, since the door was unable to open fully in the confined space. We had to tilt and maneuver things out very carefully (many’s the time the item dropped onto the tiled floor and cracked one of my storage containers). Replenishing ice trays and returning them to the freezer in their liquid state was a precarious operation. There was not enough width to get a rectangular casserole dish through the opening.The cold water and ice dispenser had not worked for at least 5 years. But, really, these were small inconveniences that didn't necessitate replacing the appliance in our eyes, when it was doing its essential job of keeping our food fresh. It was otherwise perfectly functional and in good running order.

Our usual preference is to have the freezer in the lower section, since that is less frequently accessed (a key factor for tall husbands), and makes scientific sense. So, when that option popped up on the reviewer rewards program last month, we were very excited to claim it. The dimensions were perfect for our limited space restrictions in our kitchen. This is a super luxury item, with way more bells & whistles than we would ever have contemplated buying for ourselves. And it didn't cost us anything!

It has a large screen on one door. When I saw my husband setting it up and familiarizing himself with the interface, I mocked that it was not a necessity and was really silly. Such excess embarrasses me.

Until ... I discovered that I can access and display my recipes on the large screen as I bake! Luxury in excess! (I still hold that this is not a necessity and I can do without it). I can play music from my fridge. I can check the weather. I can have a running grocery list, tailored for different stores. I can look up specials and coupons, and use the camera to see what’s inside my refrigerator without opening the door (except, I don't use that feature since I already have pictures in my mind of what's in my fridge). I get quite incensed when it tells me that my yogurt and milk are out of date and need to be replaced. I know better! The expiration date on the milk is next month!

It's doing a great job as a fridge/freezer, and it's so much easier to use in that little nook. The ice dispenser works - most of the time (it has already had a few hiccups). I’m skeptical about having so many extras running on a refrigerator, and wonder what the long-term reliability of the product will be. If the computer dies, will it still work as a fridge?

That is the question ...