The GE wall refrigerator-freezer is the vintage kitchen appliance that perhaps draws the most gasps from readers when they see one for the first time. And, it’s one of the appliances that inspires many folks to ask, “Why don’t they make this today?” Why did it disappear? I have a few hypotheses. According to the copy in these marketing materials (part of my personal collection), the GE wall refrigerator-freezer was introduced in 1955 — the same year that GE introduced the Wonder Kitchen and a whole suite of kitchen appliances all meant to encourage the “built-in” look.
Here’s what the ad says about this exciting new invention:
… This magnificent refrigerator-freezer that hangs from the wall provides a completely new and advanced concept of modern living. Truly, it is the most convenient and magnificent refrigerator-freezer ever produced!
The advantages of this new G-E Wall Refrigerator-Freezer are obvious: there’s no need to bend or stoop for foods because everything can be seen at a glance… It can be installed directly above a work counter to provide extra counter surface. And, there’s room in the kitchen for extra base cabinets because this compact new appliance occupies no floor space.
…Six Mix-or-Match colors including white.
Specs: “This de luxe refrigerator-freezer has 10.7 cubic feet of storage room — 8.7 cubic feet for fresh food and 2 cubic feet for frozen foods. It is 5 feet 4 inches long, 3 feet 3½ inches high and 17½ inches deep.
- Long-lasting baked enamel with a wide band of textured aluminum.
- All 3 doors are kept shut by famous alnico magnets. No handles, no catches.
- Separate vegetable and fruit compartments have transparent sliding doors.
- Top shelf provides space for tall bottles. Shelves are adjustable to various levels.
- Separate compartments inside door or butter, egg rack; and door shelves for small jars and cans.
- Zero-degree food freezer has room for up to 83 packages of frozen foods.
- Four new-style Mini-Cube® ice trays.
- Frozen fruit juice storage rack.
- Dependable whisper-quite ealed-in G-E refrigeration unit is built into the refrigerator. No need to install it separately.
Above: Note the special hanger gear on the wall. Readers experienced with this units advise: If you find one to buy for your kitchen, Be Sure to Get The Hanger Thingie!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these “live” working in a reader’s kitchen. But I see no reason that these could not still be used. They may require some refurbishing.
Mix-and-Match style: Above, this image produced to advertise Armstrong Flooring shows just how the different GE cabinets and appliance colors could be mixed and matched Mondrian-style.
Above: Another interior design from Armstrong floors — Note here, how the GE wall refrigerator-freezer unit is built into an appliance wall. Cool to the max. Plus: Love that floor!
Above: Here’s the GE Wonder Kitchen.
Above: Reader Chris scored a GE Wonder Kitchen, refurbished it, and installed it in his apartment, which is in a building designed by Mies van Der Rohe.
Okay, so can I now really blow your mind? Above: A full GE Refrigeration Center — combining the wall refrigerator-freezer with base cabinets refrigeration and even tucking in two Cabinettes. I don’t know the year of this ad, although this marketing image is somewhere in my files.
Above: And this one blows our minds too: The GE Partio Cart, introduced in 1960.
Why did GE wall refrigerator-freezers fade from the marketplace?
I hypothesize: (1) An 8.7 cu.ft. refrigerator was not “enough”, especially as manufacturers continued to offer new, larger refrigerator designs. (2) Kids could not reach the refrigerator. (3) Many women [average height was 5’4″, I remember reading once] themselves had trouble reaching. (4) I’m guessing these were expensive.
Diane says
I would love to have these–I see no reason why you could not use apartment size fridges and mount them to the wall side by side–alot lighter and cheaper to replace if need be. And if you have the space put a upright or floor freezer in some other area of the house.
Anne Walker says
For all of 4 days, I have known about wall hang refrigerators. I’m living in my deceased father’s house that was purchased over 15 years ago. My “other” house is actually across the street, but I spend very little time there. I care for my 95 yr. old grt Aunt and my house is just too small to accommodate her. When Dad’s house was purchased, it had the PINK GE kitchen, minus a refrigerator, although it had this “strange” empty space. We kept/keep a frige in the laundry room. I’m gradually working on the house, but sometimes it is counter productive. While cleaning the cooktop, I cracked a coil by scraping it with a knife. So, that’s what lead me on a mission to find coils/elements & a new timer for 1 of the built in ovens. Still trying to track these down, but on the journey discovered the hanging refrigerator in a 1998 post. WOW! Now I’m on another mission to find one. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. I am in southern Illinois. Wish me luck.
Anne Walker says
By the way, I’m responding @ this point in the string because I have placed a counter high refrigerator (from college) and freezer in the “strange” empty space where there is not enough head space for an average size refrigerator. However this mix match looks awful to me. I was just thinking about at least replacing the 2 substitute coolers with 2 new ones that match in maybe black or aluminum if I can’t find an original wall unit.
Barb S. says
I can’t stop talking!! Who knows what is in those drawers in the last ad???
pam kueber says
As far as I can tell, those are under-counter refrigerator drawers.
52postnbeam says
I’ve always assumed they were freezer drawers, to make up for the fact that the freezer on the wall fridge is barely enough to hold ice …. in fact, the wall fridge came with its own miniature ice cube trays.
Barb S. says
So happy you posted this! I have this one in pink!! I actually have the original advertisement for the fridge decoupaged on the wall above it. I love it so much, we baby it! In an otherwise cool house, we block off the kitchen in the summer and put in an air conditioner so the compressor doesn’t have to work so hard. I hope it lasts forever. Don’t let the ads fool you, you are *not* fitting a ham or a turkey in there. Yes, we do have an extra in the basement to actually store our food. Also, I have no idea how that refrigeration center is standing in the room (last ad). The refrigerator weighs about 300 lbs!!! I may be exaggerating, but you need three men and a boy to lift it into the air. And YES, do not attempt to hang it on the wall without the slide bracket. We found that the studs in the wall it hangs from are STEEL. So please be sure your house was built to accommodate this. We brought a 1956 GE model home kitchen back to its original state. OH, I could gush all day about my Petal Pink kitchen with the keyboard range 🙂 !!!!
Want to see? http://www.flickr.com/photos/28506787@N05/
Anne Walker says
Thanks for sharing. I have the ovens & cooktop in pink & would love to have the fridge.
april says
Our knotty pine kitchen when I was a kid had a turquoise one built into the wall and a shallow counter below it. I remember how cool I thought it was even then..so easy to set a glass on the counter and pour a drink.
What I wouldn’t give to have that kitchen now!
Steve says
I live in a house that was originally built with one of these; unfortunately the kitchen was remodeled by the time we moved in so it was long gone. A few years ago when we were restoring the kitchen more to period we contemplated and even had in our possession a wall hung unit but decided against it due to the capacity, not frost free, and it was not in perfect condition. I think that back then it was more feasible for a lot of homes had a second freezer in the garage or basement. Pam did a story on our house a few years ago and had posted an image of the original kitchen where part of the wall hung fridge can be seen in the upper right hand side of the image. It is difficult to determine from the image but in the original kitchen the counter on that fridge side was 6” below standard height. The brochure mentions this and says that it is easier for “mother” to lift the hot pots on and off of the cook top but the reality was the counter area under the fridge would have been virtually unusable if the counter was not lowered. Story:
https://retrorenovation.com/2008/08/19/rochester-stevens-1957-alcoa-aluminum-house/
pam kueber says
ahhhh! I will go harvest that photo and add it to this story. thanks for the reminder, oh coolest of the cool ones!
Angie says
The one we found was not cooling quickly so we had it serviced for about $200 total and it cooled down quickly and has run fine ever since. The hanger thingy is actually a metal French cleat- an extremely strong way of holding up heavy objects. We love ours and can’t wait to install the entire kitchen! (we also plan to have a secondary refrigerator or bulky items.)
Keith says
I encountered one of these about 10 years ago when shopping for a condo in Chicago. It was a 1960s Bertrand Goldberg building, Astor Tower, and the GE kitchen and wall refrigerator were original equipment.
Here’s a current Zillow entry that shows a complete yellow kitchen with the wall refrigerator, just as I saw it. It also features the same trippy 1960s bathroom vanity. Heck, maybe it’s the same apartment.
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1300-N-Astor-St-UNIT-8D-Chicago-IL-60610/65563115_zpid/
Sherree says
I would also like to see a feature on Frigidaire Flairs 🙂
pam kueber says
I’ll start hunting…. 🙂
Lisa9000 says
Pam, I just finally bought a single oven version of the Flair – found it on Dallas craigslist. I’ve been looking for at least 2 years, and found one listed from time to time. But it always turned out to be so far out of the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex area that picking it up and paying to transport were cost prohibitive. I’m excited to find one in great shape only 15 minutes from my house. When I take delivery next weekend I’ll send a photo to celebrate! Persistance pays off!
pam kueber says
Congrats! THanks! Please do!
monique says
my grandparents still have one of these in their kitchen that they use!!
philq says
I just pulled out the original receipt from 1956 for the kitchen cabinets and appliances:
The St Charles cabinets for the kitchen, breakfast room and pantry were $2560.00. The GE wall refrigerator was $503.75.
pam kueber says
WOW! That’s terrific info to have — THANK YOU!!!
JKM says
$2,560 in 1956 is approximately $21,500 in today’s dollars and $504 is around $4,200. The GE wall refrigerator definitely wasn’t cheap back then but it’s coolness factor was off the charts!
Jason says
Love to see pictures of your home!
philq says
Check out the indie movie “Manna From Heaven”. I donated the use of my house to the Burton Sisters. Several rooms of the house, including the kitchen, are featured in the movie!
I think I sent Pam some pictures “years” ago.