Welcome to Liesl, veteran writer for many New York papers and magazines who now is weighing in on kitchen appliances instead of books for a change.
Continuing on from Chapter #3...
"...Anyway, end of story: by the beginning of February, I’d tracked down an efficient, no-frills fridge, made in Eastern Europe (so I’m told) and sold by a Bronx-based company called Summit. My new fridge (or “rotter,” as I continue to call it) was delivered to my home on Ash Wednesday, and the old one was carted away..."
"The new fridge is two feet square, and 5’10” high; and is white and plain--which would do nothing for Speed Racer, but makes my kitchen look twice as big. (I had ordered it first in stainless steel, but when it was unwrapped, it turned out to be dented, so the deliverymen took it away--which was a mercy, because in person, the stainless steel fridge looked mouse-gray, whereas white is bright and light-amplifying).
>> Summit Link
Between the arrival of the new fridge last Wednesday, and the arrival of Chinese New Year--the Year of the Rat--last Thursday, I found myself in a celebratory mood. On Friday, I threw a “Rat and Rotter” party to use up all the food and drink that the new rotter could not hold. I didn’t really expect my guests to understand why I’d throw a party to celebrate a fridge, particularly one that held less stuff than its predecessor, but they did.
Apparently, many New Yorkers have the same wistful, giddy kitchen-appliance dreams, that I do. I think I’ll hold another Rat and Rotter fiesta to kick off the next Rat Year, twelve years from now--by which time Big Chill might have produced the American answer to the Bombatino Doppio, and by which time I just may have sprung for an oven whose door I can open all the way, too.
THE END
About Liesl Schillinger: ...Since 1991, she has written for many publications in the United States and Britain, chiefly The New York Times, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, and the London Independent on Sunday, where she wrote a column about New York life in 1996-98. She now writes full time, and is pursuing the goal of living like an expat in her own city.
>> Go To Fridge Saga #3
>> Go To Fridge Saga #2
>> Go To Fridge Saga #1
You bought the same fridge I got (for the same reasons) ... good choice! The only time it has been a challenge to fit everything into it is when I have a BIG party. (And mine is a little noisy ... is yours?) Congratulations ... and use it in good health (as my dad would have said)!
view Jane's profile
I think I'm going for the slightly larger version, although now I'm worried about the look of the stainless steel.
http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FFBF285.html
Anyone know if any dealer has these in a showroom in the DC area? Also, how's the performance of the Summit refrigerators?
view Shawn's profile
That's a nice little fridge! I'm glad you found one withe a footprint that works.
I know you were hoping for one with a little panache. I remember reading a book put out by the old magazine, "Budget Living," that featured a lot of designers who painted their appliances with special paint to suit their designs.
view OneWallKitchen's profile
Congratulations and I wish both of you a happily ever after!
view Aldyth's profile
What a great story! I was burdened with the worst fridge on the planet when I moved into my apt, and I suffered with it for 2 years before I demanded a replacement from the landlord. My old Automatico was something out of 1960's Mexico- all printing outside and inside the unit was in Spanish. All the door shelves had broken off, the freezer would frost shut within a month of heavy-duty defrosting. *sigh* You should've seen the photo shoot when my new fridge arrived! I was so happy and excited, I took about 40 pictures of it sitting in my kitchen.
view kkf's profile
Shawn:
I got the one in stainless steel. It looks very nice, but it isn't exactly stainless steel proper ... I discovered magnets don't attach themselves to it! But that's okay ... I confine my magnets to the side, which are a gray steel. Whatever the front is made of, it looks just a little "softer" in color than stainless and resists fingerprints.
view Jane's profile
how much did it cost?
Do they sell online?
view DahliaCactus's profile
Congrats! Should help your kitchen feel more functional and fun to be in. You've got so many great elements - for example, the shape of the hutch, and the way the red Chinese rat picks up the red in the flowers on the yellow panel. Now that you've got the fridge problem solved, might you consider editing/decluttering some of the surfaces, like the top of the fridge, so that shapes and colors stand out more clearly? In any event, glad your efforts paid off.
view KarenH's profile
Jane-
Most stainless steel is non-magnetic, so the fact that your door is non-magnetic basically confirms it is stainless. I'm guessing the reason it looks "softer" is that it might has some type of coating on it to resist scratches and fingerprints. It could also be a coating that made Liesl call the look of it "mouse gray."
view okayperson's profile
Okayperson is correct, stainless steel is generally non-magnetic. Thanks for the info, Jane.
view Shawn's profile
DahliaCactus, AJ Madison has Liesl's fridge for $579.
http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FF1320.html
view Shawn's profile
I've been thinking of buying this exact same fridge! Mine's about to konk out and this is just the dimensions I need. Delivery is always a problem because I live in a fifth-floor walk-up, though. By chance do you have stairs in your apt. and was the delivery company OK with that??
view bettyt's profile
Has anyone heard of Northland custom refrigeration? They make really slim ones and for under 4K.
view SAG's profile
It looks just like the LG model that is half the price
view goonie's profile
Ahh, the suspense has been lifted. I was sure it was going to be the Vestfrost Compact.
view annaramma's profile
congratulations on surviving the quest.
although, referring to a fridge as a "rotter" kinda grosses me out. am i the only one?
view my little apartment's profile
Wow, this doesn't even look like the same room from the first lot of photos - now I can see it clearly I personally would have just swapped the fridge and the dresser around - it would have given an extra worktop and storage in the kitchen area and you could have kept the big old fridge!! - would have saved all this agony looking for a small one - and why the white? - I thought she wanted a funky colour? - wasn't that the whole point of these endless posts??
view Violetsrose's profile
Shawn,
I certainly hope Liesl bought it at that price and not the one listed on her link. After all this research and the letters not making sure to get it at the best price possible really would be a shame and an embarrassment.
view Lisa from VA/lsaspacey's profile