How Refrigeration Has Evolved Through the Ages

The refrigerator is something that most of us take for granted but in times gone by, keeping food chilled was much more challenging. Here's how refrigeration has evolved over time.

Early cold storage

Hunter-gatherers would've consumed freshly foraged food straight away, so in days gone by, there was less need to preserve food. Over time, preserving food became more commonplace and niches in walls or holes in the ground were used to fulfil this function.

Early cold storage could possibly date back to the Bronze Age, as archaeologists have discovered ring ditches in roundhouses in Scotland. These were used as cellars for storing and preserving food, some 4,000 years ago.

Up until the early 20th century, snow and ice was collected from outdoors as the main method for preserving food - often kept underground. To prevent the ice from melting, wooden iceboxes were introduced in the 19th century that were lined with tin and filled with sawdust. Any ice that melted would be collected in drip pans that needed emptying daily.

Advent of commercial refrigeration

The first hints of a refrigeration invention can be traced back to 1748, when William Cullen gave a demonstration on artificial cooling.

In the 1850s, American Alexander C. Twinning is recorded as making the first form of commercial refrigeration. Using his basic design, Australian James Harrison then developed the concept of vapour-compression refrigeration. As a more efficient coolant, ammonia was used in 1859 by Frenchman Ferdinand Carre but this was toxic if leaked. By the 1920s, the more advanced coolant Freon was used instead.

Invented by Fred W. Wolf in 1913, the first electric refrigerator comprised an air-cooled refrigeration unit mounted on top of an icebox. The first form of self-contained electric refrigeration units followed in 1915, and the first Frigidaire refrigerator was developed in 1918. A million refrigerators had been produced by 1929.

In 1930, Albert Einstein played a vital role in refrigeration development, when he invented an eco-friendlier coolant containing ammonia, butane and water.

Design improvements

During the 1930s, refrigerators were modified to include ice cube compartments. By the 1940s, they were mass-produced, and they became common household items.

The design and marketing of refrigerators became prominent in the 1950s. It was trendy during this time to purchase a refrigerator that matched a kitchen's decor.

Key features such as automatic ice-makers and automatic defrost functions were added to refrigerators during the 1950s.

By the 1960s, the freezer compartment increased in size to reflect the burgeoning trend towards frozen meals.

Energy efficiency became a growing concern and refrigerators of the 1970s onwards had to comply with new government regulations. Chlorofluorocarbons were also eliminated to make refrigerators safer.

The refrigerators of the 1990s continued to offer greater energy efficiency, but they also became sleeker in design and available in a wider range of colours and styles. Today, refrigerators offer high-tech energy efficiency, with contemporary models boasting smart technology functions.

Solent Plastics stocks a wide and varied range of food grade plastic storage solutions - ideal for storing your home baking endeavours or party left overs, etc. in the fridge/freezer.