A Guide to Outdoor Refrigerators & Coolers

Are you planning some poolside adventures in your backyard? You’ll need an outdoor fridge or an outdoor wine cooler to liven up the party. Once you’ve set up this great outdoor equipment, you can stock them with everything you’ll need for the adventures, including some chilled beverages.

There are so many types of outdoor refrigerators to choose from! Let’s take a look at what might work best for your backyard. #Creekstone Share on X

What should you know before buying an outdoor refrigerator or cooler?

When choosing an outdoor refrigerator or cooler, select a device that can withstand the outdoor temperatures. There are several types of fridges and coolers designed based on specialty and the intended use. Here are the different styles of outdoor refrigeration.

1. Compact Refrigerators and Freezers
2. Outdoor Beverage Coolers
3. Outdoor Ice Makers
4. Outdoor Wine Coolers
5. Difference Between Indoor & Outdoor Refrigeration
6. Undercounter vs. Freestanding
7. Classes of Refrigeration to Consider

1) Compact Refrigerators and Freezers

In most cases, outdoor compact refrigerators are ideal for storing refreshments, treats for kids, and kitchen perishables and ingredients. It keeps food and other items below 40°F, preventing the growth of bacteria. On the other hand, compact freezers can safely and conveniently store food for a long time at 0°F.

2) Outdoor Beverage Coolers

Your wine and beer deserve proper storage, and that’s where the outdoor beverage coolers come in handy. Most of these cooling devices operate around 40-45 °F, the right temperature for beer and carbonated drinks. Consider a cooling unit with interior lighting, rather than an incandescent bulb producing UV light.

3) Outdoor Ice Makers

You don’t want to have to run to the store to look for bags of ice in the middle of your party. Thankfully, an outdoor ice maker can keep your outdoor party and adventures going by always making fresh ice streams. Different types of ice makers can produce different shapes of ice for a variety of uses. 

4) Outdoor Wine Coolers

If you would love to add some wine to the outdoor party, the outdoor wine coolers are must-have assets in your backyard. The equipment operates at a temperature of around 45-60 °F and within appropriate humidity levels. Thankfully, most outdoor wine cooler models can keep your drinks safe from UV light and absorb shocks and vibrations.

5) Difference Between Indoor & Outdoor Refrigeration

Indoor refrigeration involves applications inside a house while the outdoor refrigeration involves applications outside the home, let’s say the backyard. However, there’s more beyond this simple difference. For instance:

• Indoor refrigeration appliances tend to use less electricity and produce less noise compared to their outdoor counterparts. That’s because the temperatures within the house tend to remain relatively steady.
• Outdoor refrigeration appliances get exposed to adverse weather conditions, sudden temperature swings, and other environmental elements. So, the fridges have to work harder to keep the temperatures down.

Pro Tip: While almost all indoor and outdoor fridges consist of stainless steel, the two systems’ stainless-steel food-grade differs. For outdoor usage, choose a refrigerator with a higher stainless-steel grade.

6) Undercounter vs. Freestanding

There are two main differences between these two refrigeration models:

• Undercounter Refrigerators: You can build these models in a kitchen or bar island. However, these refrigeration models rely heavily on front-venting designs. It also requires adequate space under the counters for proper ventilation.
• Freestanding Refrigerators: As the name suggests, stand-alone refrigerators can work effectively both indoors and outdoors. Most of them have rolling casters to facilitate movement from one place to another within your home.

7) Classes of Refrigeration to Consider

If you are looking for an outdoor fridge, figure out the class of refrigeration system you need, whether it’s luxury, standard, or premium refrigeration. Both premium and luxury refrigeration have a stainless steel exterior to prevent damage by external factors. On the other hand, standard models may not be reliable in extreme outdoor environments.

Choosing the Perfect Refrigerator for Your Outdoor Kitchen

Now that we’ve looked at the buying guide for an outdoor fridge and outdoor cooler, you can choose the right refrigerator for your outdoor kitchen. After buying the new fridge or cooler, stock it full to ensure it works perfectly. Remember to clean the refrigerator regularly using edible cleaners, such as vinegar and baking soda.

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