I’m currently appliance shopping on a strict budget because our old fridge finally gave out after 15 years. I went into the local appliance store today and almost every single mid-to-high range refrigerator has a giant Wi-Fi touch screen on the front door.
The salesperson spent 20 minutes trying to convince me that I need a fridge that can sync to my smartphone, play music, and tell me when I’m running low on milk.
Why on earth would anyone want to pay an extra $800 to $1,000 for a screen on a kitchen appliance that is probably going to stop getting software updates in four years? A refrigerator has one job: keep food cold. Am I missing something here, or are these smart features just an expensive gimmick designed to make us spend more money? I ended up looking at the basic, mechanical models with no screens, but even those feel cheaply made compared to the old stuff. Anyone else feel this way?