The first company to build a domestic refrigerator was the American General Electric, though not for itself, but for the American Audiffren Refrigerating Machine Company of the Frenchman Marcel Audiffren, the first to patent a refrigerator designed for the home.
Audiffren refrigerators were a real luxury: the first one marketed in 1911 cost a whopping $1,000, but $1,000 in 1911 was twice the cost of a car!
The Archez Fridge
Back in the 12th century, a Christian named Alfonso de Valdeflores had relations with the cadi of the town of Archez. They used to meet frequently at the muslin's house where they ate and drank to their heart's content. The Christian knight marvelled at the delicacies.
Perhaps what most attracted the Valdeflores man's attention was the freshness of the wines and the delicacies on the table.
The Castilian asked his Muslim friend to discover the secret of the freshness of the fruit and wine. The muslin asked him to follow him to the kitchen, where he raised a trapdoor in the floor that gave access to what today we could call an original refrigerator. Under the trapdoor a copious stream of cold water fell on baskets of fruit and bottles of wine, which gave them that pleasant natural freshness.