Coming In To The Cold

Priceless expression (Economist photo)

In California we like to pay huge premiums for stuff that is hardly distinguishable from the unbranded commodity--think water and "organic" produce--but to seek out an item that the rest of the country avoids? We want bitter cold.

CryoZone invites customers to spend $75 for three minutes in a cryogenic chamber cooled to -110°C [-166°F] for fledgling freezers and -132°C [-206°F] for chilling connoisseurs. The treatment is meant to calm inflammation and soothe muscle soreness, but Angelenos swear by it to solve all sorts of ills, from tennis elbow to the urgent need to lose a bit of weight before a daughter’s wedding.

Cryotherapy chambers are unlikely to be sold for home use any time soon. In 2015 a Nevada cryo-worker died when she took a solo dip after hours. Another person now must be present to avoid such mishaps.

Yelp lists 27 cryotherapy outlets in the SF Bay Area.

Hey, local cryophiles, move to Wisconsin where the sub-zero temperatures are free, and buy an equivalent house in a university town for 20-25% of the price you received for your property in the Bay Area. Think of it as unfreezing your assets while you freeze your...