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bibliomom

Liehberr BioFresh vs Miele MasterCool

bibliomom
14 years ago

Can anyone really explain the BioFresh thing? From the posts (and the Eurostoves video) it seems to more than a gimmick. I've read the whole spiel about perfect humidity/perfect temperature and about the HydroSafe and DrySafe but I really don't understand *how* it works. How is the humidity controlled? How is the drawer temp controlled? How does this affect the rest of the fridge?

I also don't understand how (if at all) it differs from the Miele SmartFresh/MasterCool drawer. Well, okay I *do* understand that the user sets the SmartFresh drawer themselves, but does anyone have any idea if it's supposed to be better or worse than the Liehberr? Anyone know if one is more mechanically sound? Just another thing to break or a really valuable feature?

It's my own dumb fault for looking at the fancy-pants fridges in the first place. DH likes the hard core hinge and metal rails on the Miele and I liked the organization on the Liebherr, and the potential for longer lasting produce is really enticing.

So now I feel I have to thoroughly investigate each fridge before we can decide if either would be worth it for our family. Pros, cons, similarities, differences -- any and all comments would be appreciated.

Thanks so much - as always, I appreciate your thoughtful advice and guidance.

Comments (16)

  • dodge59
    14 years ago

    Sorry, I don't know about either Fridge, as far as the "Extended Prodcuce Capabilities" go. I do however recall a post, from a "knowledgable user", at least to me, that while the produce may look and feel fresh, it probably has lost a significant amount of it's vitamin content.---Perhaps this poster will see this and reiterate.
    It might be something You many want to consider in spending a whole lotta extra cash for such a feature????
    Good Luck in your Decision!

    Gary

  • hidroman
    14 years ago

    Liebherr Bio Fresh is not a marketing hype. Consider this fact: Liebherr, aside of tractors and cranes, produces just commercial and residential refrigerators and no other kind of appliance. So they know what they do

    Don't know who makes Miele american fridges, but i can tell you in Europe they are the very same thing of Liebherr Bio Fresh : Miele Smart Fresh 24" and 30" models are outsourced from Liebherr.

    So I guess this applies **only** to american 48" (and maybe 60") side-by-side Mieles and Liebherr. (Guess Miele doesn't sell 24" models in north America

    As a clue compare this 30" Miele with this 30" Liebherr

  • rococogurl
    14 years ago

    No idea how it works. I have Liebherr 30" and it's been a shock how long stuff stays usable (I won't call 10 day old veggies fresh). Great reports on both here.

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    14 years ago

    Simply put....there are only two ways to stop food rotting
    1) Freezer it.
    2) Eat it.

    Bio fresh is a sealed area in the refrigerator that is set at 1 degree above freezing there by slowing down the rot process.

    It is certainly not a gimmick, we did a video comparing the following

    Jenn Air.
    Liebherr Refrigerator.
    Liebherr Bio Fresh.

    The results speak for themselves.

    click the clapper board below
    "Liebherr Bio-Fresh vs Liebherr Ref vs JennAir Ref"

    Here is a link that might be useful: Video

  • bibliomom
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Yes, the video and the good reports on the forums are one of the main reasons I started seriously considering the Liebherr - just seeing the press at the home shows didn't convince me. ;-)

    Trevor, thanks for letting me know that it's sealed and just above freezing - that does help me wrap my mind around it. Is there anything special you need to do to help it along? Anything you can do to mess it up? (I'm assuming there are no problems with things freezing a the back or I'd have heard about it by now.)

    I know it's better to eat fruits and veggies as soon as you get them, but for various reasons I need to space out my shopping trips.

    Thanks for the help!

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    14 years ago

    you have no control over the Bio-Fresh unit so nothing to worry about in that department.

    As for freezing at the back that will only happen if you push something all the way to the back wall which could never happen. certain items will freeze due to the water content but in general you will be ok.

    If you download the PDF on the page in the link below you will see what you can expect from the Bio-Fresh area.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bio-Fresh Chart

  • aprince
    14 years ago

    Although both are similar in results, Mastercool is an improved version of Biofresh by utilizing a food driven menu.
    What this means is, with Biofresh, you must put your food in the compartment that is designed for that specific type of food. i.e., vegetables go in the vegetable compartment.

    with Mastercool, food is put into a certain compartment and then you activate the interface and let the refrigerator know what you put into that compartment.

    Mastercool allows for more flexibilty, if you want/need it.

    Miele says that BioFresh is the technology that is in their older European refrigerators

  • User
    14 years ago

    hindro - Miele's American offerings are currently being produced in BSH's Turkish factory along side (though on a separate line) the Thermador/Bosch and Gaggenau cousins. In the UK , the line is called "MasterCool".

    Miele supplies a lot of the parts for the unit from their own supply chain and I have heard is planning on moving fridge production in house.

  • bibliomom
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks! The clarification really helps. And since it sounds like Miele's use of the BioFresh evolved into MasterCool, I'd expect them both to perform in a similar manner.

    Unless you can think of any other major technical differences between the two, I'm back to comparing apples to apples. Now I just have to decide if I want to buy the whole bushel ...

  • mamaduckling
    14 years ago

    Does the Miele have dual compressors? I thought only Subzero and Liehberr use a dual compressor system.

  • davidro1
    14 years ago

    Liebherr knows how to create features that make people want to buy them.

    I happen to know a bit about linguistics. When you invent new terms instead of using terms that everyone else uses, you keep some mystery and you have the advantage of being able to define your term as you wish over time.

    Instead of calling it "passive cooling" it's a double-syllable term that somehow does something sorta undefined. German society puts up with this and even encourages it, because the thinking is that if anyone is fool enough then fine let them part with their money. The German language allows it to happen, and German speakers know this and don't fall for it, but they are happy to let others fall for it. Note that in other languages, you don't see new terms being invented all the time by private entities. It's a German cultural thing. We fall for it. They make export sales.

    Passive cooling is good at keeping organic stuff fresh, for longer than otherwise. I mean the kind of organic stuff that is not hermetically sealed.

    Of course, you should eat fresh foods while they are still young anyway.
    Of course, all fresh foods will rot one day. Nothing new in these statements.

    If you want passive cooling in the fridge, instead of air circulating in the fridge portion, you can find it in several makes: Blomberg is another German-Turkish fridge with passive cooling. The Summit CP-171 is this AND it has dual compressors in a 24" size (and tell me if Liebherr ever discusses this in their literature, about this 24" size)

    An air circulating fridge that is good at regulating temperature swings will keep fresh food fresh a long time.
    A passive cooling fridge keeps fresh food fresh a long time. If it's good at regulating temperature swings, it will be great.

    In my opinion, there are too many good competitors out there now to justify paying a cool thousand for undefined Liebherr or Miele BioFrash or MusterCool terms. Those people who want to buy status symbols are free to do so. It's only a thousand dollars, and that is less than half a peanut compared to the dollars blown for other symbols. It's all good.

  • dodge59
    14 years ago

    Trevor , the 1st part of your answer was really "The Most Factual" "Simply put....there are only two ways to stop food rotting
    1) Freezer it.
    2) Eat it.

    I was hoping that the poster that had originally mentioned that the produce may look nice and shiney and fresh--and all that "stuff", that they indeed had still lost a significant amount of their vitamin content. As that poster has not replied to this thread, I did some of my own research into the matter, and it confirms what that poster said!
    This was from "EPost" Be Timely: To keep the vitamins in your produce,
    buy it when it's as fresh as possible.
    Then use it within 4 or 5 days.
    Fresh fruits and vegetables lose vitamins
    the longer you store them.---do some googling and you will find many more that support the thesus of lost vitamins.
    But going even farther, one will find that it is not a good idea to try to store all your produce in the same way.
    Take carrots for example, the recommendation here is to store them nearer the front of the fridge since they keep better both visually and vitamin wise if they are kept slightly warmer.
    Anyway, my point here is do some reading on keeping produce, You will see recommendations on storing some in paper bags, store some in cooler areas rather than warmer, etc etc, These bags are sure a lot cheaper than paying double for a fridge that has Bio this or bio that or whatever Miele calls it---so ya gets 2 birds with one stone, save some of your hard earned greenbacks and at the same time save you green veggies (and other colours too) so they not only look good but they are good for ya.
    Now, not picking on ya, Trevor, (LOL), you are a lotta help to folks here, but an "Old Saying" (yea I know, another one)---but here goes anyway, ---- "Quit While You Are Ahead"

    Gary

  • bibliomom
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Davidro 1 - thanks for the term "passive cooling" - I always like to know the un-trademarked name for the process.

    I don't know that this brand of advertising is specific to the Germans though - using trademarked terms and patented processes to blow smoke up the public's skirt has been going on at least as long as patents and trademarks have existed. (Old radio plays and print ads always crack me up.)

    But that's why I'm so grateful to those of you helping me cut through the mysticism and find out what the darn thing actually does.

    Dodge59, I think I *may* have read the post you're referring to, though I haven't been able to find it since. Was it the one comparing the Liebherr to the new - SubZero, maybe? - that had some sort of gas filter to prolong produce?

    I do know it's best to eat produce as soon as possible, but I have two high-functioning autistic kids and am lucky to make it to the store every other week. Thanks for the information on produce storage, but it's more than I can handle right now - vitamins are less important to me than just getting them to eat. ;-) Maybe in a few more years ...

    Thanks again!

    (BTW, DH is still pushing for the Miele on the basis of those hinges alone - our kids have already cracked the bottom freezer on our LG. As well as other parts ...)

  • dodge59
    14 years ago

    I hope some of the storage ideas help, I had no idea you had to store "this & that" different ways to preserve vitamins etc, I probably like most , just tossed them in the chrisper---I will be a lil more careful now---You know, us old guys need all the help we can get!!!!!

    Gary

  • James McCallum
    3 years ago

    Miller frige and freezer are made by liebherr miele is about the teachers but the built quality is the sactlay the

  • Life Debugger
    last year

    Avoid Miele Mastercool. Delivered New Mastercool with faulty door. the door gets stuck when closing and needs a hard push or slam to close. Miele refursed to acknolwedge this as defect and refused to fix it. The product is clearly faulty as the fridge in showroom does not have this problem at all. You are going to get poor quality and no warranty honour after purchase. Avoid Miele at all costs if you don't want defects from brand new.

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