05 Sep 2013 Siemen’s “vacuumTechnology” fridge sucks at keeping food cold

Siemens has used the 2013 IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin this week to unveil a new advance in consumer refrigeration – using a vacuum to keep food fresher, longer. [Click pic to enlarge]

The model, Siemen’s KG38QAL30 Freshness Center featuring “vacuumTechnology”, measures 1.9 m tall and sports a stainless steel exterior and three different storage zones.

The topmost door opens up on the conventional cooling area, while the freezer and ice-maker are at the bottom. In between, there’s the vitaFresh section, which is itself broken into two sections: the crisper drawer at the top and the vacuum drawer underneath.

Both drawers in the vitaFresh section cool food to close to 0°C, with the crisper drawer featuring automatic humidity control and intended for fresh fruit and vegetables. The vacuum drawer is intended for food that spoils easily, such as raw meat and fish and is hermetically sealed with a special handle.

After closing, a pump can be activated with the press of a button to remove air from the sealed drawer and reduce the air pressure by 300 millibars. Siemen’s claims that the system can keep food fresh up to five times longer than non-vacuum cooled food. It also eliminates the need for defrosting.

The new fridges will be available shortly in Germany and the Netherlands for the recommended retail price of €1,499. Siemens is waiting to see how it is received before deciding on a wider release.

Source: Gizmag.com