A refrigerator or fridge, is a large electrical appliance which is artificially kept cool and often used to store food and drink.

Most refrigerators are made from plastic, glass shelves and some metal parts in the mechanics.

The vapour compression system used in fridges was invented around 1834 and the first refrigerators, as we know them today, were invented in 1913.

Before 1834, people would use multiple methods to preserve their foods. This included salting, smoking, spicing, pickling, drying or storing them in ice, all of which are still used today.