Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with refrigerator Questions tagged with 'refrigerator' at Ask MetaFilter. Sun, 01 Jun 2014 11:24:03 -0800 Sun, 01 Jun 2014 11:24:03 -0800 en-us 60 Refrigerator filter cover won't budge I am trying to change the fresh air filter in my Samsung LG refrigerator. Unfortunately, the filter cover won't twist off - it's jammed in good and tight and won't budge. Hope me budge it! I have a Samsung LG French Door refrigerator and it's time to change the filters. I changed the water filter with no problem, but the fresh air filter cover won't budge. It won't twist, it won't jiggle, it won't move an inch even with me using a silicon grippy glove to try to turn it. Any helpful hints as to how to loosen the cover so I can twist it off? <a href="">This YouTube tutorial</a> makes it look so easy, so maybe I'm doing something wrong. <br> <br> This is the first time I have to change the filter, since the refrigerator is fairly new. I'm also a small woman with small hands and I wonder if I'm going to have to call in someone with bigger, stronger hands? I'd like to try to get the cover unstuck before I give up. Hope me!,2014:site.262842 Sun, 01 Jun 2014 11:24:03 -0800 Rosie M. Banks Is your refrigerator running? No, it is not! Sometime in the last 24 hours, my refrigerator (Kirkland Signature by Whirlpool, aka the cheapest fridge you can buy at Costco*) gave up the ghost. The light is still working and it seems that the back panel of the freezer is cold, but the fan is not blowing and the fridge itself is not cold at all. We've had lots of power outages lately, and I'm sure some surges as well. However, no other appliances in the house are wonky. We've pulled the fridge out, checked to make sure that there's nothing blocking the coils, turned it off, unplugged it, and then replugged it. Nothing. The fridge is less than a year old. <br> <br> This is a massive pain and the ruined food is going to be costly and really difficult to replace (we live in remote Alaska with limited access to groceries). We'd really like to get it working again as soon as possible, but have no idea what to do beyond what we've done. The guy who does maintenance is off island at the moment. <br> <br> The other fridge questions have mostly resulted in "call a repair person!"-type advice, which is... not applicable. We're looking for DIY-type advice. I can take pictures if it would be helpful, but as far as I know, nothing looks externally wrong.<br> <br> *Please note: despite their wonderful return policy, returning to Costco is NOT an option. The nearest Costco is 1200 miles away and returning it would require paying airfreight. Not happening.,2014:site.260611 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 17:36:46 -0800 charmcityblues Kitchen appliance anxiety It's time for another big grown-up milestone: new kitchen appliances. And I'm paralyzed by the thought of making the wrong decisions. Our current kitchen set-up is: electric stove/vent hood original to the house (late 1980s), bottom-of-the-line fridge (a little over 10 years old), and mid-level dishwasher (about 10 years old). We want to re-do the whole shebang. I'm kind of irrationally drawn to the <a href="">GE slate series</a>, but I want to be smart and not swayed by esthetics. I'd like to stick to new, brand-name items, not the cheapest but not the fanciest, and keep the whole budget (including install/delivery/whatever) around $5,000 if possible. I'm not averse to mixing-and-matching if that's the best solution. (Not concerned about resale value.)<br> <br> Specific questions:<br> <br> The house is a cheaply built 1980s townhouse. Are we going to have issues with wiring? Should we have someone come in and check first?<br> <br> I'm wary of the smooth cooktop stoves, but that seems to be our only option if we want convection or anything above the most basic level. How hard is it to keep them clean, really? How easy it it to damage them?<br> <br> Our current basic fridge does not have ice or water attachments. I heard many different answers asking if a water line could be installed from the sink from "no problem" to "you have to call a plumber."<br> <br> Is there a real difference in where you buy? Everyone seems equally fond of small print and hidden costs, and you can find online horror stories about everyone as well.<br> <br> Extended warranty. I was brought up to think they were nothing but scams, but...should we get one? Maybe just for the stove and/or fridge?<br> <br> Any and all advice appreciated! We are located in the DC metro area if that makes a difference.,2014:site.255220 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:13:15 -0800 JoanArkham Put it in the fridge. No, not THAT part. As I was leaving for work yesterday, I instructed my mother to "help yourself to the oatmeal; afterwards, put it in the downstairs fridge." This morning, as I opened the downstairs fridge, I discovered she'd put <i>the actual slow cooker appliance</i> into the fridge along with, instead of just, the ceramic insert with the food. Will this harm the slow cooker? I have done the requisite facepalming and removal of the appliance from the fridge. But what's next? I want to think that fridge temperatures are no worse than what the slow cooker will experience during shipping (it is rather cold out there), but I'm not sure. Electronics are not meant for the fridge! There are air vents on the underside of the appliance, so condensation in its innards is a certainty--in fact, as I was moving the appliance to a proper location I noticed it left a small (maybe three quarters put together) puddle of water. The air vents are dead centre to the underside and the puddle was more to the edge of the machine, so I might be overthinking it; I didn't have time to check.<br> <br> Mefites: do I have anything to worry about regarding the health of my beloved slow cooker? I'll probably put it in a warm place for a few days regardless.,2013:site.253575 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:03:10 -0800 Zelos Small fridges Does anyone make an undercounter refrigerator that's somewhere between a dorm fridge and a Sub-Zero bar fridge? I swear I've googled this.<br> <br> I'm trying to layout a small kitchen that has a lot of windows that limit the locations for counter space. A full-size fridge would just make it worse. We'd like to use a small fridge in the kitchen for day-to-day food prep items and produce, and run a full-size fridge/freezer in the basement for more typical storage. But our only options seem to be the dorm room fridge (which I don't trust for storing food), or incredibly top-of-the-line Sub-Zero stuff, which is just stupid money. Surely there has to be something in between where a 5 cf fridge doesn't cost more than a 20 cf fridge.<br> <br> Also, same question for undercounter ice maker?,2013:site.251459 Wed, 06 Nov 2013 08:21:34 -0800 hwyengr Any plumbers awake? We need to disconnect our refrigerator's water line (going to the ice maker) ASAP. Like, tonight, or before 8am tomorrow. (It's a long story.) There is a copper line that runs from the fridge to a hole in the floor. There are no valves. What do we do? I don't know what else to say. That's the situation - we need to fix it. We have some basic tools. We do not know anything about anything. Family tension is running high and Mr. BlahLaLa has been doing some cursing. Can you help?,2013:site.248042 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 22:23:37 -0800 BlahLaLa Chalkboard-painting a stainless steel refrigerator: possible? Can I paint my stainless steel fridge with chalkboard paint? I've found lots of tutorials on how to do it with a regular white fridge (whatever those are made of) but nothing on stainless. Should I try to sand it? Do I need primer? Please advise. I've been thinking of replacing it anyway, because my adorable 1922 house is not a "stainless steel appliances" kind of house. But the fridge works just fine and it seems silly to get rid of it just because I don't like how it looks. So...chalkboard paint! Fun?,2013:site.247697 Sun, 01 Sep 2013 12:48:07 -0800 exceptinsects An inquiry concerning the cooking and preservation of rice. What's the best way to keep rice (primarily brown rice, although I could see other grains being used in the future) in the refrigerator overnight? I want to start bringing lunch to work rather than burning $8-12 a day on some decidedly uninspired and usually unhealthy food.<br> <br> The projected staple food would be brown rice with meat or fish. The few times that I have tried this, though, I've found that the rice I've made the night before is kind of dry, chewy and not very appetizing. <br> <br> What's the best way to prepare rice for a brown-bag lunch and maintain decent texture and overall quality. Let's assume that preparing it in the morning while I'm running around and getting ready for work is not an option. The ideal is to prepare the whole shebang the night before and be able to grab it from the fridge on the way out the door. <br> <br> Any tips or suggestions, factors I may have overlooked, etc. would be welcome. <br> <br> Many thanks in advance.,2013:site.246871 Sun, 18 Aug 2013 12:53:41 -0800 jason's_planet Shooter Sandwich, left out overnight. I just made <a href="">this</a> for a picnic tomorrow. Yeah, it does look awesome. The last page unequivocally states not to refrigerate. I'm a North American, I'm squeamish about things left out. I realize the English aren't fans of cold things, (beer, eggs at the grocery store, ice, etc.) but this seems like looking for trouble. Any opinions? I'm in Vancouver where the temperature is currently in the middle seventies inside the house, so a cool root cellar is available. What to do?,2013:site.246407 Sat, 10 Aug 2013 18:50:27 -0800 Keith Talent mystery fridge shelf We have a <a href="">refrigerator/freezer shelf</a> that <a href="">fits in the door</a> of our GE Profile fridge, but isn't shaped in a way that actually holds anything...if we put stuff in there, it just falls out. Dr. Google and the GE website are not helping me. What is this shelf for and can we use it for anything?,2013:site.244927 Wed, 17 Jul 2013 22:28:16 -0800 quinoa Can I Eat It Filter: Refrigerator Left Open Edition We left the refrigerator door open an inch this morning before going to work today. Is our food still okay to eat? Unfortunately, we just took a trip to the grocery store last night, so our frig is full. Most with yogurt, fruits, veggies, milk, and condiments. My partner and I accidentally left our <a href="">compact frig</a> open an inch or so, and I'm wondering about whether the food within is still okay to eat?<br> <br> I'm not worried about the fruit or veg, nor am I concerned about the butter and cheese. The condiments are probably fine, I'm assuming. Yogurts... I think are okay? And I have no idea about our hummus.<br> <br> My partner closed the frig when he got home 45 minutes before me this evening, around 4:45pm. When I got home at 5:30pm, I temped the milk and got 44.6 degrees F. I am slightly worried about the milk, as it did not drop below the Danger Zone (between 140-40 F) so was collecting bacteria. But how much bacteria? Is the milk still good?<br> <br> Also, we have a pound of chicken breasts in there as well. The chicken temped 46.4 F just now (6:13pm). I am most worried about the chicken, and ready to chuck it out. Please help me, MeFi!,2013:site.244769 Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:13:48 -0800 horizonseeker Baa baa warm sheep Asking for my sister: "Accidentally left the fridge door a crack open last night. Inside was a pound of ground lamb. When discovered this morning, a thermometer registered the meat at 50 degrees. Is the meat ruined, or still within temperature limits?",2013:site.243993 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:51:30 -0800 deezil Do I really need ½" of space on either side of my refrigerator? Do I <em>really</em> ½" of space on either side of my refrigerator? Our 16-year-old fridge died and we're looking for a replacement. It's tucked into our kitchen pretty good, with about a ⅜" gap on either side. <a href="">Here's a crude diagram</a> of the current setup. The problem is that the refrigerators we like are all at least a tiny bit wider than our dead one, leaving an even smaller gap.<br> <br> Many of the installation guides I've seen say to allow ½" of space on either side. But the dead one lasted 16 years that way, and there is that open space on the left side of it. Is it a bad idea to leave so little room? We have plenty of depth and height available. Thanks!,2013:site.243179 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:32:20 -0800 DakotaPaul Living without a fridge My fridge is a 115L bar fridge with a small freezer, and it's never particularly full. I've been thinking about getting rid of it altogether. I would like to hear from anybody who successfully gets by without a fridge: any tips and tricks? what did you not realize before you made the transition? anything else I should consider? I live and work in the CBD of a major city, five minutes' walk to a large farmer's market, grocery stores and restaurants.<br> <br> On weekdays I eat lunch at restaurants close to work. Weekends and evenings I cook at home and eat the leftovers over the next day or so.<br> <br> I'm vegan, so I never have animal products that need refrigerating (e.g. meat, eggs, dairy) on hand.<br> <br> Pretty much all that's in my fridge is a carton of rice milk (used for porridge, hot chocolate and cups of tea), some condiments, and whatever leftovers I've cooked up that I'll be eating within a day or two.<br> <br> There's nothing in my freezer except an ice pack.,2013:site.242415 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:10:28 -0800 paleyellowwithorange Is there a strategy for buying major appliances? Looking for some advice for buying a refrigerator, washer, and dryer for the first time. My boyfriend just purchased his first (town)home, and he is moving in the next 30 days.<br> <br> We are going major appliance-shopping this weekend, hoping to score some deals. <br> <br> This includes refrigerator, washer, and dryer. Off the top of my head, I know about Sears and Best Buy, and that's about it. I looked around on Best Buy's website, and they have a low price guarantee, so that's neat.<br> <br> If anyone's got any tips about brands or models, things to consider, financing options, or know other stores to check out, I would really appreciate it.<br> <br> I'm in San Jose, CA, but any of the surrounding cities are fine.,2013:site.241619 Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:09 -0800 massofintuition Brittle fridge Why did all the plastic parts in my fridge turn brittle and start cracking after only 3 years? We bought a Kenmore fridge 5 years ago, and within 3 years all of the plastics (bins, drawer guides, shelf supports, door shelves), even though we treated it fairly gently, started getting brittle and cracking. Of course, there is only a 1-year warranty on it. It has now gotten to the point that so many of the plastic parts are broken that we are seriously considering replacing the thing (in addition to the self-destructing plastics the door is starting to sag and the freezer and fridge seals don't seal properly). <br> <br> So, my questions are: why did this happen? Is there anything I can do to stop this from happening? Is this a common problem with all fridge plastics? If we replace the fridge, which makes do you recommend?,2013:site.240465 Mon, 06 May 2013 12:14:49 -0800 fimbulvetr Should I eat this? Another one of metafilter's favorite topics. Fridge left open since 7am (CDT) this morning. Just discovered 20 minutes ago, so approximately 5 hours ago. It was only left open a crack because one of the drawers was part way open. Is everything a totally loss? Some things are still cool to the touch. The light bulb in the fridge warmed everything up on the top shelf to a significant degree. We tossed any meat and dairy on the top shelf. We kept bread, figuring it would be fine. Also kept some chopped walnuts, which I put in the fridge knowing it would be a while before I got to using them. The next shelf down things were cool, but not cold, so tossed dairy there, but kept pickles and pickle relish. The shelf below that, things were actually cold to the touch.<br> <br> The door, where condiments are, were varying levels of cool and cold. It's things like soy sauce, taco sauce, tartar sauce, mayo, jelly, dressing, mustard, lemon juice, more dressing. Oh, and the butter on the top shelf on the door is warm, but I think butter is okay if it gets warm, right?<br> <br> My gut is that we toss everything. But really can't afford to start over, at least not this week. What is the likelihood of any of it being safe to eat?,2013:site.239583 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:45:42 -0800 [insert clever name here] So pretty! But do they actually work? Friends are in the beginning process of thinking about a kitchen remodel, and are wondering if anyone has good or bad things to say about the stoves, fridges, or dishwashers from <a href="">The Big Chill</a>. Consumer Reports doesn't seem to have reviewed these yet, and my friends haven't found a ton of objective-looking reviews online. They love the look of these, but since they really do like to cook would be very sad if they got them only to find they don't really work. They're considering this <a href="">stove</a>, probably <a href="">this</a> model fridge, and I don't know which dishwasher. Any advice appreciated.,2013:site.234738 Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:02:00 -0800 rtha How to buy a new fridge? We need to get a new refrigerator. So which of the new refrigerator features are worth it? And how bad is bisque color really? Our original to the condo early 80's refrigerator is on its way out. The door won't close well, the drawers are cracked, and it's just small.<br> <br> So we go to Home Depot and look at them, and there is a huge variety of features and prices nowadays, from $500-2000. We know most of the features are just to have something new to sell this year (a pizza drawer?). And we've heard conflicting things from friends over whether the big "new" features like french doors and bottom freezers are good at all, or just trading old problems for new. Anyone with a recent fridge have experience here?<br> <br> Also, choosing a finish is a big dilemma. All our appliances now are "bisque" which is appliance-speak for tan. A lot of the mid and high-end models only come in stainless / black / white, and we don't want black and don't think stainless is a good match with our kitchen cleaning practices. White is OK but is white any better than bisque in future buyer's eyes, or is it stainless vs not? And what is next after stainless, it seems like its been the high-end choice for 10 years now.,2013:site.232612 Mon, 07 Jan 2013 06:28:15 -0800 smackfu Is my fridge broken or is it just me? Is my fridge broken or is it just me? Two nights ago we discovered that our fridge was not cycling on, even if we turned the thermostat all the way to 6. The light and fan are fine, and I can sometimes hear what I think is coolant moving through the pipes in the back. But no sound of the compressor (?) cycling on to actually do its job. And the fridge compartment was indeed getting warmer and warmer. (We have been rectifying that with a basic 'icebox'-style solution -- good thing it's winter.)<br> <br> This is a ten-year-old basic model Frigidaire. <br> <br> The odd thing -- what's making me question my senses, if not my sanity -- is that the freezer compartment has shown no noticeable effect. Everything is still frozen solid (including a couple things I put in there only a few hours before noticing the problem). Ice cream is a tad softer than expected but nothing else seems out of line. We haven't opened the freezer much, and things are very tightly packed in there, so I was initially thinking that much of the existing cold was being retained. But this much after two days???<br> <br> Due to the holiday and impending travel, we did basically the only thing we could: bought a replacement (essentially the same model) yesterday for delivery tomorrow. But the freezer behavior is making me wonder --<br> <br> Is the fridge really fully broken? Or might we be buying a replacement for no reason? And is there anything I can do to determine one way or the other before 8am tomorrow (so I can cancel the order if need be?)<br> <br> I am not, as they say, "handy", so I won't be able to get into the innards of the fridge if that's needed to determine the offending component.<br> <br> (FYI, we did discover yesterday that the area underneath, behind the kickplate, did have lots of dust; we vacuumed it out yesterday morning and unplugged / replugged the fridge, apparently to no effect.)<br> <br> Thanks!,2012:site.231821 Tue, 25 Dec 2012 19:36:26 -0800 sesquipedalia Will I replace these contents one way or another? Can I Eat It: Whole Fridge Edition. Either my fridge is dying or I've forgotten how to shut the door properly. Twice in the last two or three days I've opened the fridge to a whiffy smell and a noticeable lack of cold. In all instances the lack of refrigeration would have been for several hours, then I'd lower the temperature gauge and make sure the door was closed. Food would get cold again. Now that it's happened again, I ask you this question because I really don't want to toss everything. I will if you think it's dangerous to eat:<br> <br> * Greek yogurt and cottage cheese in never-opened containers.<br> * Turkey lunch meat in a sealed tupperware container.<br> * Shredded and sliced cheddar.<br> * Left-over quinoa.<br> * Bagged salad.<br> * Eggs that were expired anyway.<br> * Condiments like fat-free mayo and ranch dressing.<br> * Almond milk (I put it in my coffee, I think it's OK).<br> * Unopened carton of orange juice.<br> <br> I really don't want to replace everything in my fridge, but I really don't want a gastrointestinal disaster. What should I do?,2012:site.231188 Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:14:47 -0800 mibo Inflatocheesebag Why would my bag of sliced swiss cheese have inflated in the refrigerator overnight? So I had some Food Lion brand sliced swiss cheese in the fridge. There was one slice left, and the most recent slice was eaten yesterday. I reached for the package, and it had a pocket of air in it that I don't remember from last night. The slice that was left was folded over, propping the bag up a bit. Pretty sure I <em>did</em> do that. It was sealed, however.<br> <br> The fridge settings are fine, as far as I know. It's set to 7, with 5 being labled "normal" and 9 being labeled "coldest". Our power has not gone off. And the package has never been out of the fridge for longer than it takes to make a sandwich (or get it home from the store, I guess). Nothing else in the fridge is inflated, although it's kind of gross in there and could use a good scrubbing.<br> <br> We're not going to eat it, so that's not the question. I just wonder what the hell could have made it inflate since last night? Does it mean we have to throw out the rest of the stuff in our fridge? Loooord.<br> <br> Thanks!,2012:site.230876 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:09:30 -0800 Coatlicue I have a bunch of taters. I need to eat these taters. How should I eat these taters? I have a bunch of taters. I need to eat these taters. How should I eat these taters? So I bought this big 10lb/5kg bag of red potatoes. I like potatoes, don't get me wrong, otherwise I wouldn't have bought such a big bag. The problem is that I kinda forgot I had another almost full bag of the same size in my mini-pantry, so now I have nearly 20lb/5kg of delicious baby red potatoes. What should I do with them?<br> <br> Bonus points for variety and if it's something I can prepare ahead of time in bulk (rice/slow cooker) then portion out and store for <a href="">the Modular Meal System™</a>. All I can really think of that's fridge friendly is mashed potatoes, which I also plan on doing.<br> <br> If it helps, I also have a shiny new <a href="">mandonline slicer</a> that I would like to learn to not cut my fingers apart on. I've never liked scalloped potatoes, though.,2012:site.229184 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:39:51 -0800 Evilspork How to clean a stinky fridge My friends just got power back after Sandy, and their fridge stinks. We've thrown out all the food. What's the best way to clean the fridge? The food was primarily fruit and veg, with a few prepared dishes like casseroles (no meat). Some of it may have gone bad even before they lost power.,2012:site.227938 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:30:31 -0800 Ash3000 Cleanliness: On tap! What's the best system for cleaning a kegerator? I have <a href="">this</a> kegerator. I've enjoyed several kegs of beer in it, but now I want to clean the lines to keep everything fresh and tasty. What are my best options for doing so? Are the pump cleaners worth it? Can I make my own gravity feed system (I'm pretty handy with stuff)? What's the best cleaning solution? What's your best pro-tip? Tell me everything.,2012:site.226412 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:11:15 -0800 1f2frfbf