Refrigerators emerged in stages: artificial refrigeration was first demonstrated in 1748, the first vapor-compression system appeared in 1834, and home electric refrigerators arrived in 1913, with mass production following by 1918 and widespread popularity by the late 1920s.

Early milestones

• William Cullen demonstrated artificial refrigeration in 1748, showing cooling by rapid evaporation but without practical application.

• Jacob Perkins built the first vapor-compression refrigeration system in 1834, laying the foundation for modern mechanical refrigerators.

Home refrigeration

• The first electric refrigerator for home use is credited to Fred W. Wolf in 1913, with a refrigeration unit fitted atop an icebox; early production followed under names like DOMELRE starting around 1914.

• Mass production of self-contained home refrigerators began in 1918 under William C. Durant, accelerating adoption into the 1920s.

Widespread adoption

• By 1923, Frigidaire introduced a self-contained unit; GE’s “Monitor-Top” (popularized late 1920s) helped make refrigerators common in U.S. homes, as safer refrigerants like Freon in the 1930s further expanded the market.