Smaller Homes, Bigger Fridges?

Trends for 2010: SUV-sized Fridges

Here's an early 2010 housing and home style prediction: smaller homes and bigger . . . . refrigerators.

Really.

It's got nothing to do with Americans being increasingly overweight (obviously true); average household size getting bigger (the opposite is true); or even Thanksgiving approaching (that's just a seasonal blip).

Rather, it's more a feature of today's economic landscape.

Here's the logic:

In a rocky economy, people eat at home more.

Sooner or later, meat loaf, tuna casserole, and spaghetti (or pizza, chips, and ice cream) get old. And fattening.

Meanwhile, with all that "staycation" time on their hands, people apparently are watching . . . cooking channels (what are there, 14 of them now?)

From there, it's only a small evolutionary step to start preparing better, more interesting food -- which necessitates buying more and better ingredients -- which takes up more space!

More Educated Palates

Think of it this way: 25 years ago, the typical American fridge stocked milk, eggs, red meat, and some veggies.

Now, at least in more well-to-do households, the list can easily include things like fresh basil, arugula, goat cheese, three different kinds of kefir, two different kinds of olive oil, etc.

Add to that modern maladies like lachtose intolerance, peanut allergies, etc., and suddenly every family member has their own, unique dietary requirements.

SUV's may no longer be in fashion, but the refrigerator equivalent is increasingly starting to show up in the kitchens of upper bracket homes.