The Chill Factor

Fact: the air-conditioner is one of the most energy-heavy home appliances you will ever own. Fact: every time you set your air-conditioner one degree lower, you are increasing your electricity bill by 10 per cent. So, increasing the air-conditioning temperature by just five degrees (25 degrees Celsius versus 20 degrees) will almost half your bill.

Despite being one of modern living’s better inventions, the air-conditioner is neither friendly to the pocket nor the planet. We check out some other gadgets that can help you stay cool and give you the pros and cons.

Stay Cool

Besides the air-conditioner, the next best thing that can help beat the heat is the fan. Since the first fan made its appearance in the late 19 ^th century, fan technology has improved tremendously. One of the more interesting creations of late is the bladeless fan. Traditional fans rely on rotating blades to generate wind. A bladeless fan works like a jet engine, sucking air into a cyclone accelerator that amplifies the air 15 to 18 times before blowing it out over an airfoil-shaped ramp.

Because there are no blades, the air stream is smooth; cleaning the fan is a cinch; and there is no fear of damage or injury caused by spinning blades. On the flip side, bladeless fans cost upwards of S$500 while conventional ones can go for as low as under S$50.

Another type of fan that is catching on is the mist fan. These fans have special high pressure pumps that generate water pressure. Combined with nozzles, they reduce the water to tiny droplets. When the droplets come into contact with air and sunlight, they become a fine mist. As the mist evaporates, it cools the air that is blown out.

Courts and Gain City carry a selection of mist fans from brands like Mistral, Iona, Sansui and Sona. When shopping for a mist fan, make sure you listen hard. Some powerful fans are also very noisy and what may seem acceptable at a crowded store may become intolerable in a quiet home. While they are more expensive than conventional fans, you can easily get one for under S$200.

Although not as popular, an alternative to the fan and the air-conditioner is the evaporative cooler. Like the mist fan, it cools the air through the evaporation of water. Harvey Norman has the Delonghi EV 100 Evaporative Cooler which comes with a timer and a remote control. Evaporative coolers need a constant water source to work though. So they may not be as convenient to use.

Eat Cool

If staying cool from without is not enough, try staying cool from within. Brands like LG and Panasonic which can be found at Best Denki are among those which have refrigerators that dispense cold water and ice. The advantage of such refrigerators is that you do not have to open the refrigerator every time you need a cold drink. This reduces energy wastage because every time the refrigerator is opened as much of seven per cent of energy is used up. According to some estimates, leaving the refrigerator door opened while you pour a drink can use up to 50kWh of energy a year or enough energy to run a washing machines 50 times.

If you are inclined to be more creative in the kitchen, there are a slew of appliances that can help you make cool treats. The most popular is the ice-cream maker. There are a few brands that can be found at Best Denki and Courts like Kenwood and Philips. Harvey Norman stocks up on Lenoxx ice-cream makers which come in either Ben 10 or Dora the Explorer designs.

Whatever the make, there are some things to consider when you want to buy an ice-cream maker. The first is the capacity of the ice-cream maker. Not all ice-cream makers are the same size. The amount of ice-cream you can make also depends on the extras you add into your ice-cream. So a 1.5 litre ice-cream maker may not give you exactly 1.5 litres of ice-cream if you choose to add nuts, chocolates and other goodies into your creation.

Most ice-cream makers give you regular ice-cream but Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker churns out soft serve ice-cream. Because the machine uses a freezer bowl to freeze the product, the bowl has to be frozen solid to get the results you want. The 1.5 litre bowl makes about six to eight regular-sized servings. So if you are catering to a larger crowd, you need to re-freeze the bowl for a good half an hour before you can continue. In addition, with soft serves, the ice-cream has to be eaten once it is made. Freezing the leftovers will affect the texture of the ice-cream.

For the health conscious, there is the Yonana Frozen Ice-cream Maker. Simply feed a frozen peeled banana into the machine and it will churn the fruit into a dessert resembling a soft serve ice-cream. For variety, you can add in other ingredients like fruits, nuts and even chocolate. The creamy concoction that comes out really resembles ice-cream minus the sugar, cream and calories. But you must be a banana-lover to like this appliance because only bananas can be used as the base ingredient.

It takes just a little more effort and imagination to beat the heat without the trusty air-conditioner. But there is no shortage of gadgets to help you. So, here’s wishing you a cool time chilling out!

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