California cooler (cabinet)

The outside vents are separated from the outside by a screen, preventing the incursion of insects, and downward slanting slats shut out rain.

[2] Prior to the widespread usage of home refrigeration, iceboxes were used for the cool storage of food items.

[5] The California cooler could be used to free up valuable space in the ice box by storing items that did not require as much refrigeration.

[5] Subsequent to the advent of refrigerants such as Freon in the 1930s, California coolers, along with ice boxes, waned in popularity.

Many modern designers have completely removed the cabinets in renovations;[4] however, some have replaced the exterior vents with windows to bring light into the area, or even occasionally provide an opening for a cat door.