Energy Star 50's

This is an e-mail I sent to GE back in May. Only they didn't get the pictures.

The Kelvinator in question

I'd like to recommend some design changes for your future refrigerators. Mostly I want you to look back at older designs.

There are warehouses in DC, Baltimore and I'm sure many other places where one can buy items that have been salvaged from houses undergoing renovation. Lumber, moulding, windows, and the like. They also have old furniture and appliances. We go to "Community Forklift" in Washington, DC and drool over ovens and refrigerators that our grandparents might have used. The outbuildings on my family farm in Kansas contain great looking refrigerators that belonged to my great grandmother. And any time my girlfriend sees a house with a Smeg refrigerator on TV she gets all excited. She just sent me pictures of a 1950-something Kelvinator on sale on Ebay.

My point is that there are loads of appliances with 40's and 50's styling that lots of people would absolutely love to own. The reason they don't is because modern refrigerators are so much more energy efficient. And they're not in the stores.

I'm sure the exterior design has nothing to do with the energy consumption. Just as I'd love to drive a Prius with a Porche body there's lots of people who would love a refrigerator with 50's design but that meets Energy Star ratings.

I hope that you'll at least consider a focus group to consider this option.

I did get a personal response from GE. I won't post it or identify the author because it would be rude to do so without permission. But the writer agreed about the appeal of older fridges and also notices them on TV. My letter was passed on to marketing and I was thanked for my comments. So, not a form letter.

Hey, GE!  It's only been 3 months since I asked and I can't expect to see new products out so fast, but it's coming up to time for me to redo my kitchen. I see companies that refurbish old refrigerators that I feel I should ask about power consumption. And I see Smeg refrigerators being sold at Sears. I'm just sayin'.

If any of the rest of you want to write to GE or any other appliance company it wouldn't hurt. 

For my new oven I'm torn between an old one in good shape or some nice super efficient and easy to clean induction stove.