# Fridge Door Shelf?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 15, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445 "2002-03-15T10:46:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Illuvatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b38774/32.png) [@Illuvatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuvatar)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445/1 "2002-03-15T10:46:57Z")

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Have fridges always had door shelves? We’re plastic milk container dimensions developed to meet the shelve width or was the fridge door designed for milk containers? Or did the two industries have a standardization for dimensions?

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445/2 "2002-03-15T10:58:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Illuvatar \*  
> \*\*Have fridges always had door shelves? We’re plastic milk container dimensions developed to meet the shelve width or was the fridge door designed for milk containers? Or did the two industries have a standardization for dimensions? \*\*

Fridge door shelves were (probably) designed to accomodate bottles of wine or milk, which were, in turn, designed to fit comfortably in the average human hand.

Plastic milk containers are a relatively recent phenomenon and I think they can only have been designed to fit into the fridge.

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**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445/3 "2002-03-15T11:04:49Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Illuvatar \*  
> **We’re plastic milk container dimensions**

I’m amazed at the diverse clientele of this message board!

As to the OP, I think **Mangetout** has the dope.

The fridge shelf was supposedly ([cite](http://www.asme.org/pi/pr/2000/032000a.html)) invented in 1933. Well before plastic milk containers.

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**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445/4 "2002-03-15T11:15:38Z")

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I suppose it serves me right to criticise someones typos, and then make one myself. Of course I meant to say that fridge **door** shelves were invented in 1933.

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**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-door-shelf/98445/5 "2002-03-15T13:47:03Z")

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[http://www.ace.be/articles/The\_origin\_and\_development.htm](http://www.ace.be/articles/The_origin_and_development.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> In 1962, PKL launched brick-shaped Blocpak System […] Its dimensions were based on binding European pallet dimensions.
> 
> In 1963, the brick-shaped Tetra Brik carton was launched in Sweden […] The dimensions of the Tetra Brik are also compatible with international conventions for pallets used in transport and storage.

So at least milk cartons owe their dimensions to forklifts and just fit in.