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KITCHEN APPLIANCES: WINE FRIDGE

How cool are these wine fridges?

Want to keep a lot, 98 bottles to be exact, of wine cool within an efficient space? Thermador’s 24 inch Freedom Wine Preservation Column is a good example of one wine cooler fridge that will keep you organized with full-access wine racks that make picking out the perfect bottle a snap.

What considerations do you need to make, to assure you buy the right wine fridge? …location, location, location!

Do you want to store your wine within your kitchen cupboard layout as a "built-in wine fridge" and if so how many bottles do you want to chill at once? Determining size of the unit in consideration of the cupboard space required is a first step and don’t forget to double check the measurements on the model you have chosen. Again that's why we keep suggesting buying or at least deciding on appliances BEFORE you start building your kitchen cupboard.

Decisions that are part of your kitchen cupboard layout are location, electrical requirements and if ventilation for the back or front of the unit is necessary. In the kitchen cabinet design phase, you need to make sure that this kitchen appliance is not going to be hit by direct sunlight or near a stove, range top, radiator, or similar heat source, or you'll be paying more on your hydro bill for nothing.

IMPORTANT: Observe all governing codes and ordinances during planning and installation. Most wine fridge models require their own separate, 110-120 VAC, 15 amp grounded circuit controlled by a circuit breaker or fuse. Follow the National Electrical Code and local codes when installing the electrical outlet. The electrical outlet must accept a grounded 3-prong power cord. A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) type is not recommended because it may cause interruption of operation.

Liebherr Wine Fridge Today’s wine fridges offer some amazing features. …heres' a few of the bells and whistles.

Dual zone wine fridge that allow you to store red and white at individual temperatures, with electronic sensors to help keep the temperatures consistent.
Full extension wine racks that provide easy access to your wine.
Door alarms that gently notify you that the door is ajar for over a minute
and don’t forget the reversible door swing units like the Liebherr Wine Fridge in the picture to the right that offers you a degree of versatility if you every rearrange the furniture.

Energy Efficiency:

For energy efficiency many models support an economy mode for everyday use, vacation mode to conserve energy while away for a prolonged period or some models even have Sabbath mode to comply with certain religious holiday observances.

Larger Capacity Cabinet Style, Stand-alone Wine Fridges.

If you desire more cabinet to your wine fridge there is a great selection of manufacturers and styles to choose from. Wine cabinets with bottle storage from 36 to 500 bottles units can have single or double doors, a long list of woods and exterior finishes to chose from, and for those with a larger budget fine hardwoods with a hand rubbed finish to match your own woodworking.

With that in mind you may want to colour and style match to your own cabinetry. Reason number two, to make these decisions first. Small alterations to your kitchen cabinet plans, can accommodate off the shelf stains and design elements that will make accessory appliances like these wine fridges compliment any kitchen cabinets that you might build.

Small Capacity Stand-alone or Built-in

Should you just want to keep a few bottles cool at a time then consider a small free standing or built in unit to do the job. With basic features that fit the bill shall we say!

Consider the Danby Wine Fridge in the picture to the left, with single zone temperature control range from 39F- 64F (4C-18C) offering 34 bottle capacity in a compact space-saving 15”design. .

It even has a cool blue interior LED light and offers frost-free design so you don't have to worry about manually defrosting.

More Information

Master list of Kitchen design Ideas and thoughts on building your own kitchen cabinets.