Shaken but not stirred

They’re sleek, they’re stylish and they suit today’s trend for home entertaining. We look at why ice and water-dispensing fridges and wine coolers might just be the coolest appliances in the home

Remember that dreary white box that used to hum away in the corner of the kitchen and occasionally needed a kick? An essential item, for sure, but a non-starter in the ‘cool and sexy’ stakes. Then it underwent a major makeover and suddenly the frigid fridge became a sultry, pulsating – well, you get the point.

It is hard to think of any other kitchen appliance, with the possible exception of the cooker hood, which has been so radically re-invented and pumped up by our industry’s technical equivalents of Botox and plastic surgery. 

Together with an equally smouldering dance partner in the classy wine cooler, the fridge is definitely stepping out.

Both fridge-freezers and wine coolers have made their mark as fashion statements of the home, products to be admired as much as used – welcome additions for entertaining purposes. Their ever-improving technology makes our lives easier, while their dramatic upgrading to near iconic status adds a nice touch of class and aesthetic gravitas to our homes. 

Sleek designs and product intelligence will improve still further at an ever-quickening pace in the years to come, as technology streaks ahead and crashes through new barriers.

The fridge has already become a multi-purpose media appliance and will continue to gain new ‘personalities’, just as the mobile phone has. But what of its flexible sister, the wine storage unit, which can be built into the fridge or stand alone even more glamorously as a product in its own right?

It may surprise some to learn that the market for wine cellars is currently the fastest-growing sector in kitchen appliances. Here is another product of great charisma that wins on both looks and performance.

Wine connoisseurs of all levels are now seeking out quality, stylish wine cellars that can effectively store their favourite wines for short and long periods, and at the optimum temperatures. 

With so many different fridges and wine storage units now flooding the market, kitchen specialists have a fertile field in which to roam and maximise their selling skills, especially in the built-in sector. Here, the advantages of integrated appliances over freestanding become much more evident. It is a category into which fridges and wine coolers fit beautifully.

As ATAG’s national sales manager Graham Gleave says: “Extra refrigeration, especially integrated, can now find its way into the study, wine refrigeration into the dining area of the kitchen, and beer and drinks chillers into the family room. These ideas are all gaining ground with the aspirational consumer and have a luxury appeal to all consumers at different price points.”

Ray Isted, head of training for Whirlpool, says: “The technology behind cooling products today is some of the most intelligent available, so it is imperative to understand and be able to explain these often hidden gems to the consumer, who is probably coming back to the market after several years, unaware of the great strides made in technology.”

Multi-purpose fridges and newcomer wine coolers are firmly in the sights of aspiring consumers as a stunning showcase for the home, as Mark Bristow, md of Viking importer, Coolectric, points out. “Like range cookers and wine storage units, big fridge sales are benefiting from the increase in home entertaining as well as open-plan living, when the whole kitchen is on show. Similarly, big iconic appliances need to be displayed together, either in the showroom or in an audio-visual presentation, to sell a complete design concept. Water and ice dispensers should be working to demonstrate their added-value benefits.”

No less attention should be paid by salespeople to wine storage, which has become a very serious proposition in terms of both fashion and practicality. Rita Balestrazzi, marketing manager for Baumatic, tells ek&bbusiness: “According to recent research conducted by GfK, wine cooler sales had increased by over 30% to 42,000 units in 2007 before the recession began to bite hard.

“Wine coolers are the latest ‘must have’ gadget for every upwardly-mobile kitchen and are effectively a fashion statement. During the recession, consumers have changed their lifestyle, from frequent restaurant-goers to stay-at-home gourmet diners. Home entertain­ment has soared in popularity as consumers emulate the fine-dining experience of top restaurants in their own homes, and wine coolers are all part of creating this luxurious, professional ambience. They are the ultimate status symbols with which to impress guests.”

Craig Davies, president and ceo Europe for Sub-Zero and Wolf, concludes: “Across the entire kitchen industry we are seeing more demand for luxury, well-produced appliances. For the ultimate design statement, opt for a wall of multiple wine storage and refrigeration units.”