BerryBreeze: Battery Operated Activated Oxygen Generator
Product Description: “BerryBreeze uses clean, activated oxygen to kill bacteria, germs and mold, as well as eliminate odors.” The manufacturer claims that the unit has been proven effective in independent laboratory tests using its patented design. “Activated oxygen”, also known as ozone, has been used commercially for decades for its ability to retard the decaying process. The company claims that the BerryBreeze “can eliminate pollution”, since it helps reduce waste; “will “help save the planet and reduce your carbon footprint” by reducing your use of wraps, bags and containers; “sanitizes your fridge by safely and naturally neutralizing undesirable mold, yeast, fungus, bacteria, microorganisms, germs and viruses”; keeps your fruits and vegetables fresh “2 to 3 times longer”; and they estimate that the BerryBreeze will save you “$2200 per year per household by avoiding spoilage of food”.
Test Kitchen Overview: We were intrigued. The unit is about 5.5-inches high, 4.5-inches wide and 2.5-inches thick commanding quite a footprint in our fridge. It is intuitive to use and opens easily for insertion of batteries, which we had to supply (4, D batteries). We put it in the fridge and left it in there for several hours. Upon opening the fridge we were amazed at how much fresher the fridge smelled. We hadn’t thought this would be so obvious, but it was and the experience was pleasant and surprising.
Pros: We definitely experienced a fresher smelling refrigerator. For those where this is a problem – and for some this is a huge issue – you will sense a noticeable improvement. It was obvious and immediate upon opening the fridge.
Cons: The item is not small. If you struggle with space, this could be an issue. The units are pricey; the suggested retail price is $49.98 (but if you experience longer shelf-life with produce it will pay for itself in the long run). For the money we would have liked the unit to come with a set of batteries. While we are a Test Kitchen, we are not a laboratory. We purchased strawberries, lemons, Romaine lettuce and fresh parsley. The optimum situation would have been to have two identical refrigerators run simultaneously, one with the BerryBreeze, each stocked with produce purchased at the same time. Even then we would not have 100% assurance that both strawberry containers (for instance) contained berries that were picked at the same time from the same field and handled exactly the same way between the field and when they got to us. What we did do was purchase fresh produce and watch it in the fridge for a week without the BerryBreeze and then in a subsequent week repeat the test with the BerryBreeze with new produce. We did experience about an extra 2 days freshness with the BerryBreeze. Whether this was due to the unit or the fact that the produce was fresher to begin with is hard to assess.
Suggested Use: The point is to keep the BerryBreeze in your fridge to create a fresher smelling environment and to preserve freshness of produce. If you are interested in saving money in the long run and don’t mind the initial outlay and the green components of the claims are important to you, then the BerryBreeze might be worth a try.
Where to Buy: Free shipping through BerryBreeze.com. You can find through Amazon
Price at Time of Review:
Suggested retail price is $49.98.
Have you tried this product? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Bakepedia received this product as a gift for review. All opinions are the reviewer’s own.
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