Special Series: Appliances: Part Six: Outdoor Appliances

Keeping It Cool Being outside isn’t all about the food—it’s also about the beverages. Outdoor refrigerators, ice makers, wine cellars and beer dispensers can turn your outdoor kitchen into party central. Most outdoor refrigerators are available as 24-inch-wide undercounter models. Viking uses drawers to make sure their fridge doesn’t remind you of your college dorm room. The full-extension drawers allow you to easily store wine bottles or 2-liter soda bottles. The stainless-steel interior provides protection from the elements, and an LED-digital temperature readout allows for perfect climate control no matter how hot it is outside. You’re never more than minutes away from a fine draft beer with the Marvel Deluxe Half-Keg Beer Dispenser. If always having a perfectly chilled draft beer on hand is your priority, Marvel Industries in Richmond, Ind., offers a Deluxe Half-Keg Beer Dispenser. The unit comes complete with a draft tower, hoses, CO2 tank and regulator and a programmable thermostat. Outdoor icemakers are the ultimate in outdoor luxury, Passaglia says. They require both an electric hookup and water line. Marvel’s outdoor ice machine makes up to 35 pounds of ice per day. But the units are not incredibly popular, Passaglia says. “Customers cannot justify the cost of making the ice outside versus just going to buy a couple of bags of ice,” he says. Keeping It Comfortable If bugs and the heat are making outdoors unbearable, then what’s the point to cooking or eating outside? Thankfully, there are a host of outdoor appliances made to help beat the heat and keep the bugs at bay. For bug control, consider a device such as Woodstream Corp. of Lititz, Pa.’s Mosquito Magnet. The unit works by emitting a pesticide that either mimics the smell of human breath or human sweat. The Liberty Plus model will capture all mosquitoes over a one-acre radius. And because it features a rechargeable battery fueled by a standard propane tank, you can put your Mosquito Magnet anywhere on your property. The Hunter Stand Fan keeps bugs away while keeping you cool during the hottest days of the year. Fans are another way to fight bugs and fight off the heat. Because bugs hate a breeze, Hunter Fan Co. offers both outdoor ceiling and stand fans. Their motors are completely sealed and impervious to moisture, the components won’t corrode in salt air and UV-testing ensures that sunlight won’t damage the finish. Heat and bugs aren’t the only deterrents to being outside. To combat a chilly summer night, consider an outdoor fireplace or heater. “The whole outdoor hearth is one of the fastest growing categories in terms of outdoor environment,” White says. “It expands the season so we are not just grilling out in the summer, we are grilling out and living outdoors year-round.” Bringing your kitchen outside is a great way to relax after a long day of working, commuting or chasing after the kids. It provides the opportunity to reconnect with nature and, hopefully, with your family as well. “So many people have said, ‘I would much rather have my outdoor kitchen than my indoor kitchen because I am spending more time with my family and more time with my friends and I am relaxing again,’ ” says White. “It is essentially a more casual, relaxed environment and it is a great place to unwind at the end of the day.” Read other Special Series: Appliances articles here.

...Continued - Page 2 of 2 ( 1 2 )
< Previous Page