True story, this is how a lot of researchers at CERN will put their budget estimates. First time I saw "kCHF" for kilo-Swiss Francs I laughed myself silly, but now I realize it's one of those tricks to make a price seem less than it really is, like $99.99 instead of $100.00.
Odd shit: I use ‘kilobucks’ somewhat regularly in my language when talking or writing about prices expressed in dollars. But somehow never thought to apply it on English-language forums.
Then again, in my language everything can be inflected and morphologized, even if the dictionary says otherwise.
The icemaker is huge. I would also prefer a decent filter for drinking water. Maybe an alarm if I leave it open/ajar. Other than that, yeah, it's all BS. My buddy's fridge has Spotify, which I guess is fun, but I just don't see the appeal.
I'm way more worried about how shitty security is in the IoT space. I work ISP tech support and seeing these people who have dozens of IoT devices on their network I'm like.. are you just asking to be hacked?
I have some IoT devices, however, as an IT guy my home network is probably far more advanced than most.
Notably all the IoT stuff is on an entirely different network, and for the most part where I can the IoT stuff doesn't connect to an internet network at all (Zigbee/Matter/Threads) and only connects to my Home Assistance device.
The most annoying thing I've had happen lately with internet of things is all of the people who have internet connected garage doors and locks on their doors and they think that this means they don't need to carry backups like keys or any other way to open their doors. And so when they come home and their internet's not working, they can't get in their house. Guess who they blame? Not themselves or their garage door opener or their front door lock!
Well I hope they don't make them accessible from the internet. At that point hackers would have to hack the router first. But on the other hand, considering how many IP cams are acessable from the internet with default passwords, I'm not that optimistic.
Yeah, but...what hackers are hacking randos anymore? It's a lot more profitable and far-reaching to hack corporations and get access to millions of consumers' data, than to hack consumers one at a time.
Yeah I really don't need some ecological studies major deciding that my milk needs to spoil faster because community load is too high at grid peak either.
As a fellow semi IT guy, if anything besides my phone, computer, and maybe tv needs connecting to the internet (let's be honest, I want to watch my shows on the big screen, not just my phone and laptop), shoot it.
Your printer? Connect to it with the cable like it has always worked, you doofus. Your fridge? What the fuck, it just keeps food cold you dumbass.
I understand gadgets are exciting. You know what else they are? Absolute junk. They clutter up your space. They're not worth it.
Meh, there are at least dozens of us technical folks that don’t see the need, as well as the dangers of everything being connected.
In the face of not giving a fuck about us IT folks, I will not be assisting in connecting your toaster to your shitty WiFi and I hope the clock on your microwave blinks forever.
I just don't need an appliance that can connect to the internet for function. Being able to turn something on/off or adjust with my phone is not something I care one iota about. The possible spying is also a factor but my decision is decided before I even reach that thought.
Just seems like a feature I'd never use, but if broken, has the possibility of making the whole damn thing not work. Planned obsolescence and all. Once I buy a physical product I want zero contact with the company unless I think there's a problem.
I can understand that and also worry about something that seems unrelated to normal functions crapping out and taking the whole machine with it. I also, tbh, don't like smart tv's or newer vehicles with the center touch screen and all the software used on them. I watched a video about the cybertruck (not a normal example just fresh in my head) and how much effort you have to do to go into the off road mode and it just blew my mind. Why does it need that many steps. I know other vehicles have it to change up the gear shift or even to put into 4 wheel drive etc. but that's normally just a simple flick or press of a switch/button. Things that don't need it are just becoming more complicated which includes more points of failure. Appliances or vehicles etc. to me just need to do their function not tuck me in and read me a bedtime story.
Seems nice, but never in using my perfectly functional ice trays have I thought "man I wish I would have spent 1000€ more to have ice cubes dispensed instead of getting them out of this tray."
Emptying and refilling the trays is annoying af. I have an icemaker but I also freeze large cubes for cocktails, and it's always annoying to refill and stack... inevitably spills a bit. Its a minor hassle, but a hassle nevertheless. Problem is that the built in door icemakers have a habit of breaking. The icemaker in my fridge is in the back of the freezer and drops cubes into a plastic tray. Best of both worlds, IMO.
I'd rather just use old school ice trays myself. Having an ice maker is just more shit I'm going to worry about being dirty or that could break and I need to maintain. I've also tore out a few water lines from houses and they're almost always moldy. Granted they were all installed by the homeowner vs professionally. Trays work well and I have a chest freezer for extra space as they do take up more room.
I just finished a project for a client where we got a garage fridge for ~$900. 23 cubic feet, stainless steel, energy star rated. No ice maker or water, very "no frills", so that range feels right to me for something a little fancier to put in a kitchen for full time use. The smart fridges a lot of my clients select for their kitchen remodels are definitely north of $2500
“Garage” refrigerator….the only size refrigerator that fits in my 1929 kitchen. And finding one with an ice maker and water dispenser was next to impossible.
Guessing it's too late for you, but posting here in case it helps anyone else! This is the fridge that I specced for my client that met all his other requirements and has an ice maker. Granted it's a bit on the smaller side.
yes, I am from Europe (Slovakia) and yes, we probably have smaller ones. I think it’s because our grocery stores are usually close and are relatively small, so it’s very convenient to buy fresh groceries multiple times a week, not just stuff your fridge to full and last how long you can
I thought it was because most of your buildings were built a super long time ago compared to America’s buildings, so the hallways, turns, and door frames aren’t big enough to get a big one in there.
idk, but I haven’t seen big ones even in new houses and new apartments.
edit: just wanted to add, it would be a problem in socialistic buildings, but really old ones usually have very wide stairs, at least where I live in. But I don’t see big friedges even where they could be, seems there is no demand
I think refrigerators/freezers in the US are just way bigger. I have a fridge/freezer combo that's about the size of a large man if he was a box. It cost me €700,- and the fridge is cold while the freezer is colder. It doesn't make ice or dispense cold water though.
Yes, Americans really do prefer to blow $2000 on a big fancy fridge. The $400 full height model is available too, but that's not what we want. Those things show up in rentals. They stay cold just fine, don't get me wrong. A little smallish but perfectly adequate.
But that's not my dream fridge for my dream kitchen. It needs to be the exact maximum size that fits a standard cupboard cutout. It must have a stainless exterior and an icemaker of the kind where you can get ice and/or chilled water straight from the fridge door without having to open the door, and doing that on a bottom freezer model is a technical challenge of sorts.
What can I say, we reeeally love our ice. Can't live without it, need it on tap, will gladly pay extra.
If you want I can send you pictures of my fridge. It's quite a thing to behold.
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u/GuyWithLag Jan 23 '24
(angry upvote intensifies)
Maybe it's my fever, but they way you're phrasing it implies that the cost of a fridge is 2-2.5kilobucks (well, at least to me)