Iceboxes- Does Anyone Use One?

Leta

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We don't have an upright fridge. We have three chests that, altogether, use less electricity than one energy star upright- one very big freezer in the basement, one medium chest fridge in the basement, and one small (dishwasher szed) chest fridge in the upstairs kitchen.

The stuff in the basement is perfect. The one upstairs is just okay. I mean, the energy savings are fabulous, and I can't see myself every going to back to conventional refrigeration, but things have been getting tipped over in the bottom. I have been thinking about ways to intentionally make it less deep. And it is just a white box. Nothing special or attractive.

I love old iceboxes. They are surprisingly cheap, at least around here, and they would fit right in with the era of our house and our unremodeled kitchen. So I am thinking of getting an icebox to have an upright cabinet for cold food storage in the kitchen. I'd use our downstairs chest freezer to freeze bottles for ice for the ice compartment, so I wouldn't have to deal with dripping/runoff. The chest freezer is in use anyway, so the icebox (vs. the upstairs chest fridge) would use even less electricity.

We'd still have the basement chest fridge if we went away or something.

Does this sound insane? Does anyone else do this?
 

Britesea

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I think I remember reading that Sunsaver uses an icebox, but his computer has been giving him fits so he hasn't been on lately to confirm this.
 

~gd

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In one sense I do. The refrig that came with the house is basically a large dorm type unit, It is stuck away under the kitchen counter. There is a small chest type freezer stuck away in the ultility room (back entrance to the house) and next to that is the ice box, basically a old timey ice box fitted with some modern inprovements. The drip pans have been plumbed to a floor drain And tiny 40 watt bulbs provide light to see well. also there is a thermometer that shows the temp at the bottom of the box. So as goodies come in the back door they are broken into 3 groups. Freezer group is unchanged The kitchen refrig. gets such things as fresh meat, eggs, dairy and leftovers. The icebox gets fresh produce to keep along with beer and soda. things that you want to have cold or cool but that wont be harmed all that much if they get warmer than standard refrig temps. Most frozen items are put in the ice box to thaw for later cooking. Warm items to be frozen (like some left-overs) chill in the electrical refrig so to not put the heat load on the ice box. Ice is frozen in 1 gallon milk jugs and switched daily even it they are only half thawed.
Not the best system in the world but it did break me of the habit of sticking stuff in the refrig and forgetting about it.
 

FarmerChick

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doesn't sound insane at all.

if you don't want a modern refrigerator now, that icebox sounds good. And the freezing bottles should control mess very nice.

how cheap are they? I haven't priced something like that.
 

Leta

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Well, there is one that my neighbors have had on their porch for an age... it's a huge porch, on a giant Victorian house (and I mean GIANT, the owners are a judge and a nursing professor, and they have eleven children) so it fits in with the decor and is protected from the elements... for a while it had a "FREE" sign on it, so I could go inquire without seeming like too much of a vulture.

Depending on what kind of shape the porch dweller is in, I can also go check out the antique mall here. One town over is the U.P.'s antique capital, and I'd bet a large sum of money that I could find several there. The nicest ones that I have seen (looking for other things, not hunting intensively) have been under $300, and they have been very large (I think they came out of a grocery or drug store) far bigger than what I need, and in perfect condition. I know if I look around I should be able to find one in "meh" condition very reasonably, and it should be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase, and I love those kind of shopping expeditions!

I was talking about it with DH this morning, and he was, somewhat surprisingly, very into the idea, primarily because then he could put our dishwasher sized chest on casters and use it for curing his salumi, LOL. We discussed how we wanted to get one that was not in perfect condition because we want to do some refurbishing and we don't want to ruin some antique with historical value. Most old iceboxes just have sawdust in them, and we want to up the R-values and maybe install some magnetic weatherstripping if that's possible.

Thanks for the support, everyone!
 

FarmerChick

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Are you back yet???? :lol:


if that icebox had a FREE sign on it I would be at their home right now LOL

that would be wonderful if you could get one free. best price around....and you aren't a vulture. You just say you saw a free sign, didn't have the room for it, but do now cause you moved a few things around, and is it still available! :)
 

Leta

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Hehe! I'm canning pears and putting the finishing touches on costumes right now, so not yet, but I was thinking I'd ask about it when we go trick or treating on Monday.
 

Arielle

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Leta-- i'm dying to know if you procured that ice box!!

And I'm glad to know I am not the only person that thinks out side the box! hehe I have been toying with going with a small dorm size refridge ( when current 20 yr old model quits) and now you tell me there are small chest type REFRIDGERATORS that fit under the counter!! I hate all the cold air falling out when I open the 'fridge, or the kids-- and it must add up to a hundred times a day!!
 

jamescolon

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And if an ice box melt then what about water ??? energy will be required to make this frozen again.
 
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