This paper introduces an innovative technique on use of an applied electric field for control of frost over evaporator coils with fin density and geometric configuration of interest to freezer/refrigerator applications. The technique discussed in this paper, referred to as the "dielectric barrier discharge" (DBD) method, may be particularly suitable for application in evaporator coils with high fin density. Experiments conducted with a small-scale laboratory test-module, as well as a full-scale supermarket evaporator are presented. The DBD technique is based on generating localized non-resistive heating within fins of an evaporator coil via application of a high-voltage, alternating current through electrodes. Our experiments demonstrate that the defrosting time using DBD is substantially shorter than conventional techniques, while the energy consumption associated with the process is less than one half of the corresponding energy of the electrical resistance heating methods. Basic operational principles of the technique, its advantages and limitations when compared to conventional electrical defrosting techniques are discussed and presented for the first time in this paper. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.