Would a Transparent Fridge Force You to Clean Up Your Act?

3 Comments | Written on June 20, 2012 at 1:00 pm, by Lesley Kennedy

Changhong

Oh, great. Just when we thought we could con our way into making guests think we actually bother to clean our homes, we find out about the latest advance in kitchen technology: the see-through refrigerator.

And, sure, the idea behind the S.Home Refrigerator is super environmental and all … but still, it means our mother-in-law is going to get an eyeful of the leftover takeout boxes, half-empty Diet Coke cans and those veggies that are God-only-knows-how-many-weeks-old littering our fridge.

As the Huffington Post reports, Chinese manufacturer Changhong came up with the refrigerator that features a door that looks opaque when you’re far away, but when you get up close, becomes clear. Thus, you don’t have to stand there slack-jawed with the thing swung wide open, letting all the cold air rush out as you weigh your dining options.

But how much energy does that really waste, you ask? It turns out an estimated 7 percent of electricity in a home is used from open refrigerator doors, calculates Home Energy Magazine.

D’oh!

Details on the availability and price of the newfangled fridge haven’t been released yet, the Huffington Post adds. But here’s the part Changhong probably didn’t think of: Where are we supposed to put all the kids’ artwork if we’re supposed to keep the door see-through?

Wait! That could be our quick cover-up when guests come over. Genius, Changhong, simply genius.