A wine freezer, or cooler as they are also known, is a wise investment if you enjoy drinking wine. They retain your wine in storage at ideal temperatures to preserve its finest quality. But, wine refrigerators may be customized to be used in a variety of various ways and are capable of much more than just storing wine. And, can a wine fridge be used for food?
The short answer is yes but not all food storage may benefit from the lower temperatures found in most wine refrigerators. So, what may be stored in a wine refrigerator, you ask? Discover all the dos and don’ts regarding why you require a wine fridge by reading on!
Can a wine fridge be used for food?
Yes, a wine fridge can be used to store some kinds of food. To know which food to be stored in a wine cooler, check the below information.
Wine coolers are not the best choice for items that are more prone to deterioration because they operate at slightly warmer temperatures than standard refrigerators. Examples include milk and eggs, which should be kept in a conventional refrigerator set to a temperature of about 40°F (4.5°C).
But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep any kind of food in a wine cooler. Certain food items can withstand somewhat higher temperatures because they aren’t as sensitive as the examples given above.
For instance, cheese, salads, or leafy greens can be securely stored in wine coolers.
Any food items with a strong or pungent fragrance, including fruits and vegetables, should not be stored. Garlic, cabbage, onions, and durian are a few examples. This is due to the possibility that these odors will combine with your wine and give it an odd flavor, which is the last thing you want.
The majority of common fruit varieties may live contentedly in a wine cooler. The wine cooler is a great refrigerator for pears, apples, bananas, grapes, or peaches that take up little room in the refrigerator.
You may also keep and preserve your vegetables, such as cilantro, parsley, and leafy greens, in a wine cooler for a respectable period.
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How Do Wine Fridges Differ From Regular Refrigerators?
While both a refrigerator and a wine cooler maintain cold temperatures and increase the shelf life of food and beverages, there are important distinctions between the two cooling devices.
Wine coolers are the best type of refrigerator for long-term wine storage since they have a broader temperature range than regular refrigerators.
The table below includes further noteworthy distinctions.
| Wine Cooler | Standard Refrigerator |
| 45-65 degrees F | 35 – 40 degrees F |
| Perpetual humidity | No humidity constant |
| Constant amounts of heat and humidity | Fluctuating humidity and temperature |
| Hardly no vibration | There’s quite a strong vibration |
| Operating quietly | Audible noise during operation |
| Shelving made of wire and wood for maximum storage | Storage with shelves and drawers |
What Items Can I Keep in My Wine Fridge Except for Wine?
You can use a wine fridge for many purposes. See whether some of these suggestions can help you live a simpler life and organize your fridge by reading on.
1. Cheese
When cheese is kept at temperatures a little bit higher than those offered by a standard refrigerator, it both tastes better and lasts longer.
If you intend to serve wine with cheese, keeping it in a wine fridge might be the wisest move.
You can create a whole shelf for your cheeses in your wine refrigerator by covering the wide-gapped shelves with mesh fabric or another breathable surface. This will allow the cheeses to chill at the right temperature.
2. Meat/Charcuterie
In your wine refrigerator, you can also keep the meat. Sliced meats for charcuterie boards and sandwiches retain well in a wine refrigerator due to the slightly warmer temperature. The mesh material can be necessary to construct a complete and breathable shelf, depending on the size of the holes in your wine refrigerator shelves.
Moreover, drying out or curing meat can be done in a wine refrigerator. It may be necessary to add hooks, remove shelves, and add a humidifier depending on the type of meat, so make sure to research the best methods for curing your meat of choice.
3. Drinks
A wine fridge can be used to freeze bottled water, soda, etc, and even other alcoholic drinks like beer and wine coolers.
Milk and other dairy products should typically only be stored in a wine refrigerator for brief intervals since they need the frigid temperatures of a regular refrigerator to keep them from deteriorating.
4. Snacks
Adapt your wine refrigerator to serve as a snack refrigerator. The food in your kitchen refrigerator will stay cold and fresh if the products that everyone always wants are placed in a separate section for your kids and guests to grab from.
Put fruits, vegetables, applesauce, and other chilled snacks in a wine refrigerator for quick access and to stop your children or visitors from standing with the refrigerator door open for long periods.
Wine refrigerators frequently feature glass doors, so you can look inside without even opening the door and know exactly what is inside in addition to the fact that all the delights are there in one place.
5. Chocolate
The best place to store all of your favorite chocolates is in a wine fridge. The ideal conditions for chilling and aging chocolate are created by the controlled temperature and consistent humidity.
The humidity range most typically employed in wine refrigerators, between 60 and 70 percent, is ideal for keeping chocolate.
6. Products
You can put some fruits and vegetables in the wine fridge like:
- Apples
- Oranges/Nectarines
- Pears
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Plums
7. Ready-Made Party Food
Chilling party treats before guests arrive is another excellent application for your wine refrigerator. Prepare your meats, cheeses, fruit salads, veggie trays, and chip dips in advance and keep them perfectly chilled in your wine cooler. Take your snacks and prepared meals out of the fridge to serve when the guests arrive and the party begins.
8. Avocado Oil
One of the most respectable places to keep your olive oil is in wine coolers. Around 50% of the natural flavor of olive oil will be lost if it is not preserved in a cold storage facility. Very likely, you won’t finish your bottle of olive oil at that time. To keep the natural flavor, you can store it in a wine refrigerator.
9. Food for animals
A wine fridge is a place where you can store food for your pet if you have one. Creating a special space in your wine fridge for your pet’s food is a good idea because it keeps anybody else from eating it (people might think your pet’s food is for them if it’s in your kitchen fridge).
Your pet’s food will also last longer because of the wine refrigerator’s ability to preserve items for a longer period.
Other Things That May Be Kept in a Wine Fridge
Although the name of the appliance suggests that wine is the proper item to keep in it, we have already seen and talked about other items that can be kept there. Other non-food objects can be stored in wine fridges indoors or outdoors, as shall be described below.
1. Cigars
Keeping your cigars in your wine refrigerator is a fantastic additional purpose for it. Wine coolers maintain a constant humidity level, which is crucial for preserving the flavor of your cigar. Your cigars will stay fresher for a longer period if you store them in a cold, wet environment.
2. Cosmetics and skincare items
When refrigerated, some skincare products perform better like face creams. It will last longer when kept in the refrigerator. It preserves their effectiveness for a longer period than if they were stored at standard room temperature.
3. Medicine
Cold storage is required for the majority of drugs, especially injectables like insulin. You can store them in your wine fridge as opposed to storing them in your kitchen refrigerator, which your entire family uses for various reasons. Medication can be stored in a wine refrigerator at the proper temperature.
4. Drinkware & Bowls
A wine fridge can be the ideal choice for you if you frequently host gatherings or simply prefer dining on cold food. To keep your dinner guests’ salad bowls, plates, and glasses chilled before serving, stack them in a wine fridge. Maintaining the food’s temperature is made easier by serving cold foods like a salad on cold plates. Pour your drinks into a chilled glass with ice to keep them cold after serving.
Things Not To Put In Your Wine Fridge
But, because of the temperature, there are several things you should not keep in your wine refrigerator. With a wine fridge, dairy goods like milk and eggs that need a much lower temperature will quickly go bad. So, a typical refrigerator that can sustain a significantly lower temperature is the best place to store items.
You may quickly get the answer on Google if you are unsure of the safety requirements or storage temperature for an item. The storage temperature for most things will also be printed on them.
Are Wine Fridge Purchases Worth It?
Yes, if you like drinking wine or if you have a wine collection that requires temperature controls. Although wine does not function as well in refrigerators because of the too-low temperatures, wine refrigerators were created expressly to preserve the unique flavors of your wine.
Please read this informative article in its entirety to learn more about whether wine refrigerators are required for appropriate long-term wine storage.
Also, they are small and can practically fit anywhere, including next to your couch. Due to their small size and small compressor sizes, wine refrigerators are silent and use less energy than standard refrigerators.
The majority of your wine-friendly snacks, like fruit, nuts, cheeses, and chocolates, can also be stored in them. Put everything in one spot so that it is simple to reach.
We promise you that there is a wine fridge to meet your particular demands, whether you need a little wine fridge to hold 10-15 bottles or a large wine fridge to house 30-50 bottles, whether you need dual climate controls or separate compartments for maturing.
If you can’t locate one that’s ideal for your needs, you can have one created specifically for you or make your alterations at home.
Before making a purchase, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of your needs and conduct some research because there are wine fridges to suit every demand and financial position.
It will be a lot less intimidating to shop if you keep your unique requirements in mind, and you’ll be sure to find the ideal wine fridge.
FAQs
1. Do wine coolers reach the same temperature as refrigerators?
No. As opposed to a refrigerator or beverage cooler, a wine cooler is set to a higher temperature range. Rarely will a wine cooler provide temperatures below 46°F.
2. Do white wine cellars exclusively hold white wine?
Yes, of course. A wine refrigerator may hold both white and red wine options.
3. Can other beverages be chilled in a wine cooler?
Wine refrigerators are incredibly adaptable and can hold a wide range of beverage options. Simply choose the temperature you’d like your drinks to be at and enjoy everything from lager to soda pop. For this circumstance, you could even install a dual-zone wine fridge to create a variety of drink temperature alternatives.
4. Do wine coolers require ventilation?
Indeed, integrated wine coolers, like all other types of wine coolers, require airflow. Due to space constraints, integrated coolers have venting at the front.
5. Can a wine cooler be used as a standard refrigerator?
Yes, wine and beer can be refrigerated in a wine cooler, but not all of the food. Several beverages than wine are good for temperatures between 45 and 65°F. Stored securely within the same temperature range are bottled water, soda, iced tea, etc. This makes room in your typical kitchen refrigerator, which is helpful during the busy holiday season.
6. Do wine refrigerators draw a lot of power?
A wine fridge will use less electricity than a regular kitchen refrigerator. A large wine refrigerator with a capacity of 300 bottles will consume more electricity than a small wine refrigerator with a capacity of six bottles.
7. Is a wine refrigerator a bar refrigerator?
Beer and soft drinks do well at the 5-degree temperature of a bar fridge, but wine does not. Hence you should choose a bar fridge if your primary storage needs are for beer and soft beverages. Wine cabinets are designed for keeping wine, as their name suggests.
8. Why are wine refrigerators so pricey?
Due to the sophisticated temperature control technology, UV-blocking glass, etc, a wine fridge is pricey. Also, it is common for wine refrigerators to require custom fabrication to fit into a cabinet space, which adds to the cost.
9. Do wine refrigerators regulate humidity?
As already stated, humidity control is often absent from wine refrigerators.
Conclusion
Can a wine fridge be used for food? Yes, of course, beer and some foods can be kept fresh in a wine refrigerator. Take caution not to store food intended for the kitchen refrigerator in your wine refrigerator.
To do so is to invite trouble. Kitchen refrigerators are a far better option for safe food storage because they get significantly colder than wine cooler refrigerators.
In contrast, beer may be kept for a long time in a wine refrigerator with tremendous success. Moreover, refrigerate a couple of bottles or cans of beer in the kitchen refrigerator the night before if you prefer your beer to be ice cold when served. But, a wine fridge is excellent for the longer-term storage of beer.
In 2014, Leo Colon began working with Big Cottonwood Winery. Over the years he has remained part of this prestigious winery’s team and is also a contributor to other notable wine publications. As an ardent advocate for knowledge, Leo continues his vinous education to this day.