My refrigerator makes its own ice cubes. No it does not spit them out into your glass like the beverage dispensers at most fast food restaurants. I still have to open the freezer door and transfer the cubes of frozen water from the collection container into my glass. But that is the extent of effort required. No trays to fill with tap water. No waiting for the water to freeze solid. Just open the door and scoop out the ready-made ice cubes.
To anyone under the age of 45, even this manual effort may seem a bit old fashioned and the thought of handling ice might even send a chill down their spine. However, I am old enough to recall my parents receiving large blocks of ice delivered weekly to their icebox by a person they called the Iceman. In those days some people had the new GE refrigerators that not only transformed trays of water into ice cubes, but they also kept meat and milk cold enough to last for days--even in the Summer.
However, the average GE unit cost more than a month's wages in those days and even those who could afford to buy one worried about paying the monthly electric bill that came with ownership. So most people bought meats, milk and produce every few days from a local Butcher shop, Grocery store, or from Dairy farms that delivered milk and eggs to your doorstep. These items would have to be consumed within a day unless they were stored in the icebox. It had to have enough ice to maintain 32-degrees Fahrenheit. And I recall my parents warning me not to open the icebox unless I had permission and when I did open it: "Get in. Get what you want and close the door as fast as possible so the warm air won't melt the ice" I guess even modern refrigerators that dispense ice have the same problem when the power goes off.
And that is the hidden value of that pile of pre-made ice cubes in my refrigerator. If the power goes out like it has in many areas this past week, I know that food stored in my refrigerator could last a littler longer if I do not open the door unless I am starving. That is the way it was back in the day. And that is still the way it is today.
Pick 102 - Generation Alpha
Screen technologies are the base of everything that characterizes Generation Alpha and truly distinguishes them from every other generati...
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