When it comes to new tech, I try to keep an open mind even though at my core I am a true skeptic. When I first got an email about Shelfy, a smart refrigerator assistant that keeps your groceries fresher, I was very skeptical. After a couple months with the thing, I can say this is precisely why I take the time to test everything out—even when I’m not fully on board. In the case of Shelfy, seeing is believing.
Putting it bluntly, it works. I have an old fridge, believe me. But Shelfy has been helping my veggies last longer and mitigating any wilting produce smells.
The unbearable smartness of Shelfy.
There is a ton you can do with Shelfy, but in short, it’s an air filter. It filters out bacteria and odor from your fridge. Whether that’s the whole fridge or one produce drawer is up to you.
It being a smart device, there is of course an app to download. The Vitesy Hub will help you keep track of things like how much you open and close the refrigerator door. That’s actually the main focus of the app—it even tells you how much energy your saving when you don’t open your fridge. It seems accurate enough, but I’m not just opening my fridge for no reason. Conflicts of interest include my Brita water filter and milk for coffee refills. Sorry, Shelfy, but I don’t know how much your helping me manage my energy bill.
The arduous process of signing up for a new app means saying yes to a contract I don’t have time to read, and inevitably letting my data be collected at some point along the way. I can’t say my experience with the Vitesy app was much different, nor did it really enhance my experience with the Shelfy unit.
Despite all the over-done smartness, the device still does one thing and does it well. Put it in that veggie drawer and let it filter. Somehow, that’s all I need.
My hands-on impressions.
But what about the actual day-today use of the Shelfy? The device is about the size of a small Bluetooth speaker. It can be easily dismantled so you can rinse the forever filter. No need to pay for replacements every three months or some other bullshit. While I can’t yet speak to the forever of it all, I can say I’ve been using Shelfy since November and it’s still working. Keeping my produce drawer clean and stink-free.
I’ve really grown accustomed to storing my device in that crisper drawer next to my fruits and veggies. I moved it around, but it’s here that it’s done the most good, genuinely giving extra days of life to my produce, saving me money and reducing food waste (albeit at a micro scale). In the months I’ve been using Shelfy, I’ve noticed my vegetables are consistently lasting longer, relieving pressure to cook when I’m just not feeling up for it after work. And I only wind up having to charge it about once a month.
Even when it can’t fully stop a bunch of fresh herbs from wilting, it at least helps neutralize the smell decaying produce tends to give off. That’s a good and bad thing, since smells are often a great first indicator that something in your fridge needs to be tossed immediately. On the flipside, I’m pretty on top of my relatively small fridge so this tends to not be a frequent issue.
Do You Need A Shelfy?
Yes. But you don’t need the app.
Obviously it’s not a kitchen essential like a knife set or your first good cutting board, but if you want to reduce how much food you throw away, then yes, I recommend you getting one of these. It’s not an impulse buy, but it also won’t nickel and dime you over the years. A one time purchase with minimal maintenance. Now that’s what I want from my culinary gadgets.
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