Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Electric refrigerator
Needs the grid
One of 4 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
An ordinary electric fridge, with a compressor that pumps heat out of the insulated box. It keeps food cold whatever the season. It needs power all the time, though a small, efficient model can run from a solar system with batteries.
Build it
This solution is not buildable as a DIY project.
Cost
Medium
Upkeep
Occasional
Skill to build
Basic
Lifespan
10-15 years typical for a residential compressor-based refrigerator
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Electric refrigerator (This page) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you want food kept cold in every season.
Root cellar (passive cool storage) Can I use it? Not in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to keep vegetables and fruit for months with no power.
Zeer pot (evaporative pot-in-pot cooler) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Regular · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if your climate is warm and dry and you want vegetables to keep weeks longer with no power.
Insulated cool box Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want food kept cold through a power cut, or away from the kitchen, with no power at all.
Sources
General refrigerator-appliance industry durability consensus
Limitations of this page
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.