Peaks of 40 degrees: our summers are scorching. We seek shelter everywhere and often without success. The refrigerator saves us. We are in the era of robotics and artificial intelligence that helps us do everything, but often it is some "machines" invented in the last century that have truly improved our lives.
The refrigerator. Have you ever thought about a life without this invention? Our beloved food, the one that does not survive unless kept cool, the one that could "commit suicide" in the distance between the supermarket and our kitchen... all outside the fridge. Our vegetables, the sparkling water that only tastes good when icy, white wines, the fine bubbles, those to be enjoyed at precise serving temperatures: what would happen to them?
Admit it: the idea of a full fridge makes us feel good.
We find everything we need to whip up a quick dinner, to avoid going to the supermarket every day. "I have nothing, what should I cook?" Then you open the fridge and you always find something. Creativity explodes in the kitchen. If you've cooked too much and don't want to throw away the leftovers, no problem: just store them in the fridge. In the middle of the night, it’s almost poetic. Its white light, cold yet comfortable, wraps around you and brings relief during sleepless moments.
In these scorching days, we often find ourselves in front of the fridge, hesitating before closing it, as if we want to live inside it. Some open it in secret because the fridge is almost a witness, a priest that welcomes your sin. It is a discreet accomplice, and if you’re clever enough to close its mouth before someone catches you, it won’t betray you. If you try to open it twice in a row, it opposes you, resists: almost reminding you that it must guard the food and its temperature.
Imagining the kitchen before the refrigerator is difficult. But how far back do we have to go to trace its invention? There are several mentions, because before the machine we know today, there were experiments and prototypes. I choose to mention one woman: Florence Parpart. The patent for the first electric refrigerator was granted in 1914. The success was not only technical but also communicative: Parpart devised innovative marketing campaigns to promote it. Naturally, due to high costs, it wasn't until the 1950s that the fridge entered the majority of our homes. With the economic boom, the fridge became indispensable.
For a fridge, people are even willing to go into debt.
Monica Vitti and Enzo Jannacci remind us of this in the film The Couples: in a basement studio apartment of a couple of emigrants in Turin, a 180-liter refrigerator bought on installment is the silent protagonist next to the double bed. Around it, relationships and neighborhood dynamics revolve.
This appliance has inspired creatives and designers to make it more beautiful and functional. A curious note: the first models had a lockable handle. The refrigerator was considered a luxury item and had to be locked to protect the precious contents. The refrigerator as a status symbol of well-being and freedom. Perhaps not for everyone. Certainly not for Tom, the protagonist of the Netflix series Ripley: “I don't want to get a refrigerator. While we're at it, let's also buy a sofa… and a mortgage. Before you know it, you're old. You've lost your freedom and it all started with counting ice cubes.” His friend invites him to reflect on the advantages, but Tom is adamant: “This is not freedom. The refrigerator is not freedom!”
Perhaps, then, it is sensuality. We all remember the famous scene from 9 Weeks and ½, when John cooks for Elizabeth in front of the fridge. The scene, described as "gastro-sexual", transforms the refrigerator into a central scenic element, a symbol of play, intimacy, and desire.
In American cinema, the fridge is often a subject of family memories: photos of the children, school drawings, travel magnets.
It is also a means of domestic communication: post-its, schedules, messages... The refrigerator tells the story of our days.
And today? On social media, fridgescaping is all the rage. The trend of decorating the fridge, even at the expense of its functionality. The interiors are organized thematically, like libraries or display cases. And on social media, there is competition for creativity with a flurry of Instagrammable posts.
And you, what is your relationship with your fridge? Have a great summer. Eat well, under the shade of a tree or beneath a starry sky. And for those who stay in the city... in the coolness of our faithful friend.
