Many described this piece of appliance as handy and useful. In the past, its invention has created an entire new industry, while reshaping our society and food preparation. With its help, foods are now able to last longer and get transported all over the globe. Craving for a salmon slice from Alaska? No worries on that.

However, let’s take a look at a smaller scale – the refrigerator at your home. How much do you know about it? Or at least, how much do you know to properly take care of it?

1. Empty and overstuffed refrigerators are equally bad

We always heard of the trick to save energy with your refrigerator is to maintain a certain amount of food in it. But why?

A normal functioning refrigerator requires some rooms inside for air circulation. When the items are stocked till little to no space left, the air circulation is not only hindered, but the air vent could also be blocked. This will make the fridge to work harder to push the air through, hence, consuming more energy.

On the contrary, an empty refrigerator or the one with only a couple of items could be bad as well. The food inside absorbs cold and it helps to chill the other food next to it. It is a chain reaction that helps to chill the entire refrigerator, while reducing the need to pump in more cold air. However, this can only happen if you have a certain amount of food placed next to each other.

2. Food stored under 0 °F (-18 °C) is safe forever

According to US Department of Agriculture, food that is kept under 0 °F (-18 °C) can be safely consumed forever. This is mainly because it slows down the movement of molecules, causing any microbe in the food to enter dormant stage. Nonetheless, only certain types of parasite can be killed by freezing, while the rest will still continue to thrive upon taken out from freezer.

Freezing a food does not change the nutrient contents and quality by large, but slight change of taste and discoloration can still be visible. To avoid this, it is advisable to freeze food that you need for later while they are still at peak quality.

3. Never place your fridge too close to wall or heat source

Your refrigerator’s compressor is one of the most important part and the main cooling component. Without it, the refrigerator will simply stop doing its job. Having that in mind, where do you place the refrigerator must suit the component perfectly.

One of the few reason for these compressors to stop working sometimes is due to coils or fans problem. They are likely to build up dirt when left unchecked for far too long, making them harder to diffuse heat properly. You can avoid this by cleaning up the tight area using vacuum or special long-handled brush.

Air ventilation, too, play a big part at resolving this problem. To achieve best result, you shouldn’t place anything on top of the fridge, back it too near to the wall, or place it near to any heat source such as oven or stove. This will obstruct the heat distribution and causing severe damage in a long run.

4. Inverter vs non-inverter

For those of you who weren’t sure of this, most refrigerators are divided into two types – the inverter and non-inverter. The terms are actually used to signify the compressor that is built within it.

An inverter refrigerator, in general, possesses a smart feature where it adapts the power consumption according to your usage habit. For instance, when the door is open, the compressor will work harder to ensure cool air is sufficiently supplied. This helps to ensure your food is well kept at the right temperature. However, if the door is remained close, the compressor will slow down its operation as not much work is needed at the moment. Due to this factor, inverter refrigerator helps to save tons of electricity bills in a long run.

On the contrary, a non-inverter fridge does not offer this feature. The compressor will only shift around when you manually change the temperature setting. It also remains the same despite the door is being opened regularly. All in all, non-inverter refrigerator offers a lower price but might consume a bit more energy depending on your usage.

5. One of the longest lasting appliances

This is a good news for those who plan to buy a new refrigerator, because it will stay with you for the next 13 years (averagely). Some even reported to last up to 29 years. This, of course, is backed up by good maintenance, such as cleaning the inside, dusting the outside, and stocking a proper amount of food.

The refrigerators available in the market may be varied, ranging from a 3-digit price to 4-digit. Even so, it is great to know that the money you’re spending will stay with you for up to three decades. Now that’s a good investment.

But how about the kitchen, where you prepare all these food? Does the cleanliness of your kitchen affect your food?

This might sound like a simple question, because a normal person would straight away answer ‘yes’. But do you really mean it? Do you actually practice it?

Whether the effect on hygiene or one’s mood while preparing food, those tiny little stains around your kitchen corner, at the edge of your stove, or right at the mouth of your cups, they are bound to give a certain impact to those who spend a lot of their time in the area.

Among those areas, one corner that is worth mentioning is the kitchen hood. That long airway that suck up smelly fumes from your cooking. Whether you believe it or not, many seem to not understand how to clean and maintain it.

Before deciding how much do you want to spend on that huge air pulling machine, ask yourself whether do you understand these several aspects.

1. Will the design effect my budget?

Kitchen hoods come in several different designs, such as bulky, curvy, thin, wide etc. All of these are offered to suit your personal preference. Keep in mind that the prices may be overly different depending on their market demands.

For instance, the curving hoods may seem elegant and modern. However, the truth is, not many people would choose it due to its impracticality.

Standard kitchen cabinets mostly come with a rectangular compartment where you may fit in the hood easily. The curving design, on the other hand, requires customization which will cost you extra money.

Besides, arch structure has been observed to easily accumulate grease residue from smokes. Prolong usage of it with little cleaning may form grease droplets, and when that happens, what is the point of having such an elegant design?

Another concern pertaining this aspect is the material. Take note on these two and you might want to compare them yourself.

Stainless steel is cheaper. However, despite having a reputation of not turning rusty, it still will eventually if not taken care of properly. Aluminium, on the other hand, may last longer with little cleaning but can be quite costly.

All in all, there are pros and cons to every design. Just be sure to consider those with better lighting that can brighten your entire kitchen area, not just the stove. Don’t mind that extra cost for the light bulbs, because they will all be worth it.

2. How do clean up the grease?

Every hood comes with a tool to trap the oil particles from smoke. The common form is the oil cup or oil tray which allows the oil particles to accumulate and drop into that specific area. The engineering behind it is simple but requires some extra efforts in cleaning them.

If cleaning is not your forte, you may consider getting kitchen hoods with carbon filter. The concept if far simpler as you only to replace the filter every time it gets too greasy.

Another consideration is the bolts around your filter.

The idea of having a bolted filter may not be that awful. It provides safety if you are worried of the things falling onto your hot pan while cooking. However, if it comes in between you and smooth cleaning, you should probably give it a thought or two.

3. Is my cooking suitable for having a hood?

The function of having a hood is to prevent your kitchen or entire home smelling like a greasy sewer. If you are a light cook that that produces minimum fumes and smokes, having a hood should never be a problem.

A heavy cook, on the other hand, might render your hoods useless if not properly maintained. Perhaps, a better example would be to get a higher suction power and those models with centralized suction.

If none of these work, get yourself an outdoor kitchen instead. It will save you and your family from the risk of suffocating.

4. Will the warranty last long enough?

Commonly, you will see a 2-year warranty by multiple brands. This will cover up any unexpected damage on panel controller, power supply, motor etc.

In rare occasions, certain brands such as Rinnai, provide up to 6 years of warranty for the motor. If you plan to use the hood for long term, having such warranty may save you tons of cash.