They're thinking about the refrigerator all wrong. Instead of trying to make it cheaper, they should scale it up. Most technological development goes from large to small anyway. Consider how trains were invented long before automobiles, or how computers went from filling a large room to being wearable devices. So, instead of trying to make a refrigerator that every peasant can own in their own home, try making larger ones to sell to stores. Shops such as butcher's, greengrocers, restaurants, or chocolatiers would be able to sell fresher foods at higher prices, and with far, far lower expenses due to food waste. Successful stores would also be in a better position to be able to buy refrigerators, even with them being upscaled for commercial use. There's still a public benefit to be had from access to fresher food, and once people get used to it there's now a big market for home use.