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As featured in CNC’s Spring Home & Garden
April 2010

A New Way to Chill Out
Save $500 Each Year with the Right Refrigerator!

Spring means local fruits and vegetables are back! However, before you dive into this year’s farm stands in New England, you may want to take a look at how you plan to store those seasonal treats. Are you constantly throwing out vegetables and fruits that have spoiled? You’re not alone. A study from the University of Arizona suggests that the average U.S. household throws out well in excess of $500 worth of fruits, vegetables, leftovers and other food items every year due to spoilage. Much of this waste can be reduced by proper refrigeration, the reduction of ethylene gas in the refrigerator, and food storage education.

“With food prices constantly on the rise at the supermarket, and volatile gas prices encouraging fewer trips to the store, it’s more important than ever to keep food from spoiling in the refrigerator,” said Tom Clarke, CEO of Clarke, New England’s Ultimate Kitchen Resource Center, located in Milford, MA. “Part of Clarke’s mission is to help homeowners design beautiful kitchens that inspire great, healthful cooking and better food preservation.

“An investment in kitchen technology like a Sub-Zero refrigerator is substantial,” continued Clarke, “ but when you consider the engineering features that make food preservation a priority, you start to see that you can actually save hundred of dollars a year by reducing food waste. This goes a long way to paying for that refrigerator.”

While many “designer refrigerators” may look alike, according to Clarke, only Sub-Zero offers a freshness preservation system, which is a dual-compressor operating system that separately controls the temperature and humidity of the refrigerator and freezer compartments, and holds preset temperatures within a plus-or-minus one-degree.

“This precise, independent control of the refrigerator and freezer compartments ensures the highest air quality and therefore, fresher food and energy efficiency,” said Clarke Showroom Manager Sandra Lashway, who works with a team of highly skilled consultants offering showroom tours to homeowners researching appliances before purchasing at a retail dealer. “Other refrigerators utilize just one compressor to push air from the freezer into the refrigerator, and this recycling of air from one compartment to the other causes not only unwanted odor transfers but also contributes to the drying and decaying of fresh food and freezer burn of frozen foods.”

“Sub-Zero’s new built-in (BI) series includes an advanced air purification system that ‘scrubs’ the entire volume of air in the refrigerator an average of once every 20 minutes,” explained Lashway, who is also a home economist. “This purification system significantly reduces odors, viruses and bacteria – as well as the ethylene gases present in some foods that cause premature ripening and, ultimately, food spoilage.

“It’s a fact that certain foods shouldn’t be placed within proximity of each other in the refrigerator,” added Lashway. “Some fresh foods, such as apples, naturally emit ethylene gas, which will make carrots in the refrigerator taste bitter and leafy vegetables decay faster.”

Every Sub-Zero model in the BI series actually comes with a freshness guide that offers easy-to-understand tips and reminders that can make a big difference in keeping food fresh.

According to Lashway, another significant feature of these refrigerators is its water filtration system. Sub-Zero created one of the most-advanced water filtration systems in the industry, designed to significantly reduce contaminants such as viruses and bacteria that may be present in water and ice. Most refrigeration water filters typically reduce chlorine and sediment, but Sub-Zero’s new design takes filtration a step further. The new microbiological water filter preserves the fresh taste of clean water and ice.

So, if you are looking for ways to save while keeping your family healthier, consider the refrigerator. This is one investment that is still producing significant returns.

Have questions?
Clarke
393 Fortune Blvd.
Milford, MA
800-842-5275
clarkecorp.com