Appreciation post: My old fridge versus the one in my new apartment

I moved from a house in Spokane to a smaller place in Tacoma last month, and the new fridge is a basic apartment model with just one crisper drawer. I used to let veggies rot in the back of my old fridge, but now I have to see everything right away, so I actually use it all. Anyone else find that a simpler setup forces you to cook better?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_young8d ago

And it makes you realize how much of a game changer just seeing your food is. I had the same fridge swap years ago and I started keeping a couple of those clear plastic bins in there to group things like leftovers and produce. That way I can just slide one out and see everything at once. You're basically training yourself to be a better cook just by having less space to hide stuff. I swear my grocery bill dropped by like 20 bucks a week after I downsized.

ward.piper2mo ago

Oh man, this is so true. I read something a while back about how restaurant kitchens use those basic fridges on purpose, so cooks can see everything at once and nothing gets lost. It totally forces you to plan better. My last place had a huge fridge and I wasted so much food. Now with a tiny one, I actually make a shopping list and use what I buy. It feels weirdly good to not throw stuff out.

betty_reed612mo agoTop Commenter

Ha, my friend had the exact same thing happen! She went from a giant fridge with fancy drawers to a tiny one in her city apartment. She said she used to buy three kinds of lettuce and forget about two. Now she buys one head of romaine, puts it right in front, and actually makes salads all week. She even got better at using up leftover chicken before it went bad.