With everything going on with the global pandemic, chances are that you are staying in more…just like everyone else. If you have a backyard, a garden or even a small outdoor area, then you’re one of the lucky ones.
If you miss going out for drinks with your friends and family now is the perfect time to reimagine your outdoor space and create your very own outdoor bar to stay safe and fix your drinks from the comfort of your own home.
While you can use old furniture and cabinets to furnish your soon to be favorite place in the world, you can’t just bring your old fridge outside and expect it to do the work. And if you think that you’ll just hop inside the house every time you need a cold drink that defies the purpose of having a home bar.
Continue reading to find out more about the centrepiece of this year’s hottest destination – the bar fridge.
Indoor vs Outdoor Bar Fridges
If you’re planning to build your own home bar or you’re thinking of upgrading your existing one with a quality beverage fridge, it’s important to choose the right type for your space. You can choose between indoor and outdoor fridges which serve different purposes. While you can certainly use an outdoor drinks fridge for your indoor home bar, you can’t use an indoor bar fridge for an outdoor bar. If you don’t choose the right type, you might damage the functionality and longevity of the appliance.
Indoor bar fridges are built for environments with consistent temperature and can’t withstand the drastic weather changes that occur on a daily basis. If you place an indoor fridge outside, it won’t perform well and can be a potential safety hazard. On the other hand, an outdoor bar fridge will stand up to the fluctuating temperatures of the great outdoors and will keep your beverages cold between day and night and during every season.
Indoor fridges will need to work twice as hard to cool your drinks in the hot sunny days, and that doesn’t guarantee they’ll succeed, but you’ll certainly notice it on your electricity bill. Outdoor fridges have stronger cooling components and better insulation which means they’ll maintain the temperature even when weather conditions drastically change.
Indoor and outdoor bar fridges are also built from different materials. The key difference is that a quality outdoor fridge will incorporate weatherproof electrical parts which will handle rain, excessive heat and cold. The most reputable manufactures also use the highest grade stainless steel because of its ability to resist against rust and corrosion.
Indoor fridges often have a lot of additional features to choose from such as built-in TV screens and whatnots whereas outdoor bar fridges tend to be simpler and usually serve one purpose – keeping things cold. Outside bar fridges are also smaller and more compact which means they’ll fit in almost any space.
Freestanding vs Built in
After you’ve determined that an outdoor fridge is a better option for your alfresco bar, it’s time to choose between a freestanding and a built-in refrigerator.
Built-in bar fridges are specially designed to fit in alfresco kitchen islands and cabinetries and they also have additional vents because good ventilation is crucial for the cooling components to run efficiently.
Freestanding fridges offer you the freedom to switch their location, but they don’t have the built-in vents, so your placement options are not quite limitless. You need to ensure that the freestanding fridge has enough space for ventilation in the back, top and the sides so it can function properly.
Your choices, in this case, are limited only by your personal preference, but still you have to be careful not to place your fridge near a heat source such as the stove or the BBQ unless it’s a specially designed for this purpose. If you’re working with a smaller space you can choose a compact unit that contains a burner, bbq and a fridge.
Top Picks
The Gasmate BFM 2 Burner BBQ & Fridge is a small, but powerful unit that’s already a complete bar by itself. Not only that you’ll get everything you need from just one elegant appliance, but it’ll also maximally utilize your space. This piece comes fully assembled and it features satin enamel cast iron reversible hotplate, stainless steel grill and a stylish 97-litre fridge with a single glass door. The fridge comes with an adjustable digital thermostat controller, double glazed glass door with lock and a black rippled powder coat exterior finish.
If you need a sleek, super cool outdoor mini-fridge, look no further than the Artusi Premium Single-Door fridge. This little fellow is designed for today’s entertaining household and it’s everything you need to get the party started. It features “party” and “super cool” settings for every occasion. It has a black triple glazed glass door and LED touch temperature control backed with an alarm to ensure drinks stay cold at all times.
For those who need even more space for ice-cold drinks, the Beefeater double door fridge is the perfect option. It has 190L capacity, a frost-free system with auto defrost and self-closing, lockable doors. The powerful cooling components are enclosed with high-grade stainless steel which will beautify any decking or patio area.
Additional Tips
When choosing a fridge for your outdoor home bar, you need to ask yourself whether beverages will be the only thing you’ll keep inside. This is of huge importance because an outdoor mini bar fridge is built for that purpose only. If you plan to use one fridge for your alfresco kitchen and your mini bar, then it’s best to choose one that runs below 40°F to ensure the food is safely kept fresh.
In winter, when you’re not spending time in the backyard as much, you can always bring your mini bar fridge inside to upgrade your bedroom or man cave so you’ll always have a cold one within arm’s reach.