The Rocco Smart Fridge
A unique solution to a problem we didn't know we had
In my quest to create a smarter kitchen, I've purchased a smart induction range. And outfitting the kitchen ceiling with recessed Philips Hue Smart lights was one of the first things we did when moving into our new home. And of course, I purchased a slick new refrigerator with a magic door that could connect to wifi and be controlled with an app.
So why one earth did I just buy another smart refrigerator? Do I really have a smart appliance addiction?
Well, maybe don't answer that last question.
OK, let me back up for a second.
As our home has gone through some changes over the past few months while we prepared for child number two, we were presented with some questions. You know, mostly about what pieces of furniture should go where. Did we need some new plants? How could certain rooms be fun and child-friendly while still retaining their chic adult sensibilities?
Tough questions to be sure! As we shuttled a shelving unit from our dining room to a more useful location, it left a vacant space. A space that would need to meet that criteria of practical yet fun. We could just get another piece of similar sensibility, or we could try something totally different.
A wine fridge?
Hey, what if we got a wine fridge? We drink a fair bit of wine and living in Northern California comes with it a responsibility to have the perfect bottle at the ready for the perfect moment. My search for the ultimate wine fridge led me to plenty of options like the one seen above. Most wine fridges are kinda boring. They do one thing well and they don’t typically look all that nice.
But in the mundane haystack of drab wine fridges emerged a colorful needle in my search! It was called the Rocco Smart Fridge and it really stood out from the competition.
As someone who works in the world of influencer marketing, I'm always skeptical of nascent brands who seem to put more effort into style and marketing than innovation or reliability. There is probably a reason why there aren't a ton of startup refrigerator brands right? It's not an easy market to get into. Most people don't want to be replacing a large appliance like this every couple of years. You want to purchase a fridge from a reliable brand who can support you for at least the better part of a decade!
How Rocco is different
However, there was something about the Rocco fridge that really stuck with me. Primarily, it's a beautiful piece of machinery. Even if the fridge functionality stopped working immediately, you'd have yourself a pretty stunning conversation piece. It looks both futuristic and timeless. It somehow gives off retro steampunk and futuristic Jetson's vibes simultaneously. Even if we didn't need a wine fridge, it seemed like the perfect piece to bring our dining room together.
This is probably the time to assure you that this is not a paid product placement. I purchased the Rocco fridge on my own dime and they haven't influenced this writing whatsoever.
So aside from the looks, why buy this thing? The Rocco folks like to refer to it as a "Good Time Machine". Obviously that is a fantastic little piece of copywriting but the sentiment is powerful. In our case, we already have a fancy smart fridge in our kitchen. Surely, it can keep our wine chilled as well right? Yeah, it could. But it just feels strange to have your wine hanging out next to your other food. To say nothing about keeping it at the proper temperature, it's just a turn off to have a nice bottle sitting next to food in various states of decomposition.
You know that I'm a sucker for some new smarts injected into classic appliances and the Rocco doesn't disappoint. The intent is to keep your wine (and other beverages) at the proper temperature for enjoyment. But it makes sense that the appliance could also act as a simple database of your liquid inventory. The Rocco companion app allows you to keep track of what's being stored in your fridge even without looking inside. It's outfitted with a camera that aims to recognize your beverage choices. But on a basic level, you'll just have a quick reference of what wine you have on hand and if it's chilled. Then with that knowledge, you can properly pair it with an upcoming dinner or purchase replacements as needed.
It's certainly clever, but I can't give it my full stamp of approval just yet. Sadly, the Android app is still in development. And I haven't had a chance to test out the iOS version. I suspect that there is still some work to be done to really master the magic of an experience like this. But if the Rocco folks can really nail it, it seems like the killer reason to own their product.
I'm still early on in my days with the fridge. Its beautiful yellow color is unlike any other appliances in my home. Aesthetically, it can fit most styles. I thought the yellow was the most unique option while they also offer grey and white as well.
Conclusion
It doesn't seem fair to offer a full-on review at the moment. You can consider this a "first look" or more of an exploration of the thought behind the purchase rather than a way to justify it. The biggest question is do we need "Good Time Machines" in our homes? No, we probably don't need them, but it's perfectly fine to want them.
Rocco seems to be correct in their assumption that many consumers may need a dedicated beverage fridge. They're careful not to position the product solely as a wine fridge. Wine fridges come with some baggage. There is an image in our head of what type of person buys a wine fridge, for better or worse. No, this is an all purpose beverage fridge for hosting fun parties even if they're just for the inhabitants of your home. You can chill your sparkling waters, kombuchas, and beers of both the alcoholic and (increasingly popular) non-alcoholic variety.
While it can be hard to parse through the marketing facade, it does seem like the company is having trouble keeping the item in stock. It's a clear indication that there is likely a need (or just a want) for this type of item in the home. Will Rocco be just another flash-in-the-pan DTC company that is better at marketing than execution? Perhaps, but I'm also willing to take a chance on them. Everything I've read has been positive and I particularly enjoyed the interview with co-founder Alyse Borkan on the Modern Retail podcast.
At the very least, Rocco is showing the big box appliance manufacturers that you can create a refrigerator in unconventional colors. You can have fun with the copy on product packaging and user manuals. And yes, you can create a new product category like "beverage fridge" or "good times machine" that consumers are eager to tell all their friends about.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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