And Then There were Two

Wine storage has always fascinated me. When America discovered wine in the 90's, factories scrambled to find suitable products. Wine refrigerators seemingly popped out of nowhere, but essentially they were regular refrigerators with wine racks inside.

Its pretty sensible using existing products to satisfy a totally different market. It is, however, not practical to someone who appreciates wine. Wine is very different than most consumables. Because it is a living grape, wine needs to be stored properly. It will react to light, temperature, vibration and humidity. Any changes will alter the complexion and the taste.

The first company to address the category realistically was SubZero.

They thought about wine as part of the design of this product. There is a low E door with hidden lighting to block harmful UV light. There are two temperature units for red and white and a gasket to prevent crossover. The racks slide and the compressor is on rubber grommets to prevent vibration

Absent from a cave, this was the best unit until now.

The new Uline 2275 series...

The Uline has many of the same features. It is almost a carbon copy of the SubZero. I am unsure of the vibration difference, but there are certainly 2 products now worth considering.

Tax Free Weekend

Our best month for the last four years has been August, because of the tax free holiday. Now the Tax Weekend becomes the first month of a tax increase...Just because our state government doesn't want to, doesn't mean we can't

So this weekend select GE, Frigidaire, Whirlpool, Maytag, Kitchenaid, Franke, Bosch, Schonbek Crystal, Hinkley, Rohl, Hansgrohe, Bertazzoni, Marvel, Uline and Blomberg will have full tax rebates of the 6.25%

August 15, 16 and 17

Draw it

There seems to be tons of appliance related drawers in the market these days. This seems to be novelty worth a post.

Have a look:



Refrigerator (as well as freezer and in some cases wine) drawers are currently manufacturered by SubZero, Electrolux, Marvel and Uline. I actually see the value in an island especially for children. The prices are $1500-3400, so you will be paying more.

Dishwasher drawers are produced by Fisher-Paykel, who in turn manufacturers the product for KitchenAid. The product is worthwhile ergometrically. You do not have to bend for smaller loads, but at $1400, Miele and Bosch are better products.

Undercounter Refrigeration

Perhaps the least understood product sold is the undercounter refrigerator. Smaller refrigerators have become more popular augmenting larger refrigerators in kitchen or as part of bar/entertainment areas.However, there are not any major brands and the starting price is roughly $1000. Many consumers consider throwing in a dorm refrigerator for $200 and be done with it.





Well you can't...True undercounter refrigerators have compressors at the bottom instead of the back, so it will not overheat when placed in a cabinet. So lets make this easier.

First, undercounter refrigerators, like other appliances, are designed to fit cabinets at 15 or 24 inches wide. The dominant brands are Electrolux, GE Monogram, Uline and SubZero. Now all you have to choose is the configuration: refrigerator, wine storage, refrigerator with wine storage, icemaker, refrigerator with icemaker, freezer, refrigerator with freezer, freezer and icemaker.

Vineyard Part 2...The Bar

Our last post was about affordable luxury. This one is about luxury period.

Typically when you plan a bar refrigerator, the space is either 15 or 24 inches. Appliances follow cabinets, and this is the standard or almost universal size. In this space, the choices could be refrigerator, refrigerator and freezer, freezer alone, icemaker, wine cooler or refrigerator and wine cooler.

Buying a decent brand is my only guideline. The case is produced with metal instead of plastic. The compressor also breathes from the front instead of the back, so the product can be enclosed in cabinets.

There are plenty of decent brands: SubZero, Uline, Marvel, Viking, Scotsman and Monogram. Rick (from our last post) does not seem to be satisfied with one. He did create a magnificent bar and game room.

Have a look:

Under Counter Refrigeration

Under Counter refrigerators are the toughest products to consider when purchasing appliances. Why would anyone buy an under counter refrigerator for $11O0 or higher from Marvel, Uline, Electrolux or SubZero, when they can buy a dorm refrigerator for $199 anywhere.

The answer is simple. The compressor breathes from the front rather than the back, so it can be built into a cabinet. The dormer has the compressor in the back, so it is only stand alone.

There are other differences: Metal cabinet versus plastic and temperature control...