Benefits of Outdoor Refrigeration
Larger Parties
Having extra food storage appliances and a constant stream of fresh ice allows you to host bigger events than you otherwise could.
Longer Parties
Staying fully stocked on beer, wine, and ice will keep your guests happy and your backyard parties rocking well into the night.
Convenience
No more trips inside as the party goes on without you. Cookout ingredients and supplies are stored outside so you can stay there, too.
Save Money
With additional outdoor refrigeration appliances, you can save a buck buying in bulk from butchers, breweries, and wine clubs.
Great for Families
A long day in the pool means the kids can’t wait for snacks. Keep frozen treats close at hand in a nearby outdoor refrigeration unit.
Less Waste
Outdoor kegerators, beer & wine dispensers, and ice makers create less waste than individually bought cans, bottles, and bags.
Reliability
Outdoor ratings and food-safe certifications give you the confidence to store food and drinks outside, even in harsh climates.
Display Piece
Refrigeration appliances with LED-lit interiors and see-through, glass-panel doors can add a wow factor to your outdoor kitchen.
Why Do You Need Outdoor Refrigeration?
Your indoor kitchen has a refrigerator and freezer, right? Well, why shouldn’t your outdoor kitchen be the same? Outdoor refrigeration appliances give you all the same conveniences in a durable package built to withstand all the rigors of outdoor environments. Your entertainment capabilities will be better than ever before (especially if a kegerator or wine cooler is involved), and you’ll have an outdoor space that can truly be considered complete.
Refrigeration Appliances Keep the Party Going
Picture this: The party is going strong, everyone’s having a great time, and then the unthinkable happens — you’ve run out of beer! Even worse, those wine bottles have become strictly decorational and that bag of ice is now a puddle on the floor. It’s closing time much sooner than you intended, leaving you wondering what could have been. If only you had an outdoor kegerator and wine cooler, guests could’ve had their fill of beer and vintage vino well into the night. An outdoor ice maker would’ve ensured the cocktails stayed cold (and saved you from spending so much time looking for that “caution: wet floor” sign in the garage).
Wine Coolers Protect Your Delicate Wine
Your wine treats you well, so it’s time you start returning the favor. But to do so, you must understand its needs. There are 4 factors that can ruin wine if left unchecked: light, noise, temperature, and vibration. Take a moment to think about where you typically store your wine — odds are you haven’t accounted for one or more of those unfavorable factors. Wine coolers, however, are built with them in mind and specially designed to hold those forces at bay. Some models even come with dual cooling zones, which can be used to store different vintages at their appropriate temperatures or provide both short- and long-term storage.
Refrigeration Products Increase Your Storage Space
There’s a wide variety of outdoor refrigeration products out there, but they all have a common theme. At their core, they’re meant to increase the amount of space you have for food, beverages, or ice. Built-in outdoor refrigerators and freezers look stunning in an outdoor kitchen, but something as simple as a freestanding unit in a garage can essentially double your storage capacity (hello, buying in bulk). Outdoor ice makers do more than just store extra ice; they continually replenish your supply so you always have fresh cubes on hand. And outdoor beverage coolers? Perfect for storing cold drinks poolside or in Dad’s workshop.
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Outdoor Refrigeration Innovations
Want to talk about innovation? How about refrigerators in general? These appliances have made more of an impact on the lives of everyday Americans than perhaps any other invention of the last century, and even so, they’ve come a long way since their inception. For example, modern models have branched off from the original locking steel home refrigerators into many indoor and outdoor specialty products designed for dozens of purposes. We’ve carved out a section of this article to take you through some of our favorite innovations in outdoor refrigeration, from compressor technology to new types of ice makers to kegerators with multiple taps.
Reciprocating Compression Refrigeration
Since their invention, refrigeration compressors worked on a simple principle: turn on when the box is too warm, turn off when the box is cold enough. This method has worked for decades, but it has a big drawback — the compressor pulls a huge amount of electricity every time it kicks back on, inflating the cost of your power bill. Perlick luxury refrigerators solved this efficiency problem by designing compressors that never shut off instead of repeatedly switching on and off. But, wait, how does an appliance that never turns off save money? Perlick compressors simply speed up when the box gets too warm, and slow down when it sufficiently chills. Because they’re always cooling, they don’t draw a surge of power to start again. This reduces the total amount of electricity used and keeps temperatures inside the unit incredibly even.
Gourmet Ice Makers
A notable benefit of outdoor refrigeration is an appliance’s ability to class up a place, and that’s especially true of outdoor gourmet ice machines. This recent innovation can put a fine finishing touch on any gathering with its distinct shape of ice — think a thimble or a top hat (we’re told monocle-shaped ice makers are in the works as we speak). “Top hat” ice has become the shape of choice in high-end bars and restaurants for both its classiness and cooling properties, particularly its extreme density. Dense ice melts very slowly, keeping your fine bourbon cool enough to sip throughout the evening without tainting its taste. Adding to gourmet ice’s appeal is its crystal-clear nature, a desirable side effect of ice made with few impurities. Looking for some of your own? Look no further than Hestan outdoor gourmet ice makers.
Multi-Tap Outdoor Kegerators
Everyone has their particular beer preferences, and making sure they’re all accounted for at the gameday cookout can be a headache. You’re not the kind of host who wants to include “BYOB” on those invitation texts, but have you ever tried carrying 8 different 6-packs out of the store at once? (Now that should be a sport.) A multi-tap kegerator relieves that pressure by allowing you to store and serve up to 3 distinct beers at once, making you a bona fide bartender in your own backyard. They have space for a few smaller kegs — great for lovers of craft and specialty brews — such as the quarter and sixth kegs most American brewers produce. With such a setup, you can surprise guests with a new selection at every gathering, or keep it simple and stick to the group’s favorites. The whole point of these things is that you’ve got options.