I live in a one-room flat in Korea. Do I need a kimchi refrigerator before kimjang?
I am from Vietnam, living in a one-room flat in Incheon on an E-9 visa. My Korean colleagues say they will make kimjang kimchi in November and share some with me, which is kind, but my fridge is small and there is nowhere to put a container that size.
Should I buy a used kimchi refrigerator, or just buy kimchi in small amounts as I go? And what capacity actually makes sense for one person in a one-room?
1 Answer
Living alone in a one-room, do not buy the kimchi refrigerator first. Wait until you see how much kimchi you actually receive this year, then decide. Kimjang sharing usually arrives by the container, but the amount one person gets through over a winter is smaller than people expect, and the more common problem is having kimchi you cannot finish rather than nowhere to put it.
For now, two or three well-sealed kimchi containers will do. A normal refrigerator stores kimchi perfectly well; it simply runs warmer, so the kimchi ripens faster and the smell finds its way into everything else. The workaround is to decant what you will eat in the next few days into a small container and keep the rest sealed in the coldest part of the fridge. When it does turn sour, that is what kimchi jjigae and kimchi fried rice are for, so very little gets thrown away.
If you decide to buy one anyway, the top-loading type is the realistic choice for a one-room. Stand-up models are easier to reach into but take a lot of width and height, whereas a top-loader opens upward and spares you thinking about which way a door swings. Before buying, measure the footprint where it will go — and check that the lid can open fully without hitting a shelf or the ceiling of a low alcove.
Used units appear on Karrot (당근마켓) constantly. Prices swing widely with capacity and age, so watch the same model for a few days to get a sense of the average rather than jumping on the first listing. Check three things in person: that it actually cools when plugged in, that the rubber gasket around the lid is not cracked, and what energy efficiency grade it carries. A kimchi refrigerator runs all year round, so the efficiency grade goes straight onto your electricity bill.
When you eventually get rid of it, the free home collection service for waste appliances takes it away at no cost — call 1599-0903 to arrange a pickup. Knowing disposal is free is worth factoring in while you are weighing up a second-hand purchase.