Refrigerator

=Refrigerators=

In 1,000 BC, the Chinese cut and stored ice for use in warmer weather. 500 years later, the Egyptians and Indians made ice on cold nights by leaving water in wet earthenware pots outside.

In 1700’s England, people collected ice in the winter and put it into icehouses, where the sheets of ice were packed in salt, wrapped in strips of flannel material, and stored underground to keep them frozen until summer.

Ice chests were made of wood and lined with tin and insulated with cork or sawdust. Sometimes even seaweed was used to keep ice cold and "refrigerate" food. A drip pan collected the melted water and someone had to empty it every day. An iceman delivered weekly ice to the house.

In 1911 a home refrigerator was invented by a French monk. A dial in the back of the fridge controlled temperature. A typical fridge at that time looked like a wooden cabinet with a water-cooled compressor. Later, more stylish steel and porcelain cabinets replaced the wooden ones. Freezers with ice cube trays were added on top.

Today fridges come in many colours, shapes and sizes. They include ice makes, chilled water, televisions and even internet access.

What can we expect refrigerators to be like in the future?