Kimchi refrigerator

A kimchi refrigerator is a refrigerator designed specifically to meet the storage requirements of kimchi and facilitate different fermentation processes. Kimchi usually becomes too sour when stored in a conventional refrigerator for about a week. In contrast, kimchi can be stored up to 4 months without losing its qualities in a kimchi refrigerator.[1] The kimchi refrigerator aims to be colder, with more consistent temperature, more humidity, and less moving air than a conventional refrigerator, providing the ideal environment for fermentation of kimchi. Some models may include features such as a UV Sterilizer.[2]

Kimchi refrigerator
Korean name
Hangul
김치냉장고
Hanja
김치冷藏庫
Revised Romanizationgimchi naengjanggo
McCune–Reischauerkimch'i naengjanggo
This article is part of a series on
Korean cuisine
한국 요리
조선 료리

In a consumer survey aimed at Korean homemakers conducted by a top-ranking Korean media agency in 2004, the kimchi refrigerator was ranked first for most wanted household appliance.[3]

History and design

The prototype of kimchi refrigerators was created by Billtec in 1992. In December 1995, after three years of comprehensive work on development to best suit kimchi fermentation and storage, WiniaMando launched its first commercial brand, DIMCHAE (Hangul: 딤채), into the mass market. As of November 2007, more than a dozen home appliance manufacturers, including Samsung and LG, were involved in commercial production of kimchi refrigerators.

The top-loading or "lid-type"[4] designs were introduced first. The initial design took up much space and heavy plastic kimchi containers had to be lifted to get to the bottom part. Some units are now designed instead with two deep drawers on the bottom, that are accessible from the outside. Top or bottom, the bins can be used to refrigerate anything from kimchi to fresh produce and meats.[4][5]

The door-drawer types (the "stand-type" in Korea) are gaining popularity[4] because of their space-saving ergonomic design. A single door with a wine-bar type design at the top can be opened in full or partially at the wine-bar section to save energy. The top portion can be used as a freezer.

Compact single-drawer Kimchi refrigerator

References
  1. "김치냉장고" [Kimchi refrigerator]. 신규사전 New Dictionary (in Korean). 두산백과 Doopedia. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  2. Yoon Ja-young (21 November 2011). "Kimchi refrigerator maintains taste of fermented food". The Korea Times. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. "Overview". DAYOU WINIA. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016.
  4. "Features and Speciality". WINIADIMCHAE. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  5. "기획䟷/상품 테스트: 김치냉장고 - '김치보관전용 다목적용'등 사용 목적 고려 후 구입해야" [Planning / Product testing: Kimchi refrigerator - It should be purchased after considering the purpose of use, such as ‘only for kimchi storage’ and ‘multipurpose application’] (PDF) (in Korean). CPB Korea. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.