At this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, manufacturers unveiled a raft of new technology-rich wine and beverage refrigeration products that addressed the growing demand for connected products.
The recent wine and beverage cooler announcements for 2021 focus on improved designs and new technologies and greater storage capacity. Manufacturers are trying to meet the growing demand for storage as well as connected capabilities.
An increasing number of kitchen and bath projects include upgraded storage solutions, such as cabinetry, kitchen islands, and even wine coolers. According to Houzz’s 2021 Kitchen Trends Study, one in seven renovating homeowners incorporates a wine or beverage refrigerator into their remodeled kitchen.
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Similarly, connected technology is becoming a greater part of the residential kitchen--no longer a nice feature to have, but a necessity for many buyers, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) says. The five new beverage refrigerators offer Wi-Fi connection capabilities and updated technology, such as Dacor’s Integrated Wine Dispenser or Signature Kitchen Suite’s Undercounter Wine Refrigerator.
Kitchens are the room seeing the most innovation when it comes to technology, and it’s likely because many homeowners want technology in that space. According to the NKBA, some of the most popular kitchen technologies include smudge-proof, internet-enabled touch screens and recipe guides, mobile apps to control appliances, and open refrigerator door detection. Many of the new beverage and wine cooler introductions for 2021 feature these technologies.
The majority of these new releases also offer customizable options, whether it be panel-ready, such as Sub-Zero’s Undercounter Wine Storage or an array of finishes available, as seen in Cafe’s latest wine and beverage centers.
Here are some wine and beverage refrigerator introductions you should expect in 2021.
Dacor Integrated Wine Dispenser
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Dacor’s upcoming release will combine wine preservation with a serving function. The Integrated Wine Dispenser will store up to four wine bottles in separate cooling zones, meaning white wine can be cold and red wine can be at room temperature in the same appliance. Homeowners can use the touchscreen to choose three different glass sizes. Dacor says wine will remain fresh for up to 60 days. This wine cooler and dispenser will roll out starting June 1 in both silver stainless steel and graphite stainless steel finishes.
Signature Kitchen Suite Undercounter Wine Refrigerator
Signature Kitchen Suite’s new wine refrigerator will feature the company’s Wine Cave Technology, which claims to minimize vibration, temperature fluctuations, light exposure, and optimizes humidity. The new unit holds 41 bottles of wine of any kind and two independent temperature zones can accommodate for the array of wine types. The wine appliance features its own smartphone app, Signature Sommelier, that helps homeowners manage their wine collections with photos and labels. The app can also offer food and wine pairing recommendations based on the wine refrigerator’s contents. Signature Kitchen Suite’s wine refrigerator comes in stainless steel or panel-ready options with unfinished interior wood shelves.
Cafe Wine Center + Cafe Beverage Center
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These two undercounter refrigerators feature Wi-Fi connection capabilities, LED light panels, and magnum bottle storage. Both undercounter beverage centers are available in matte white, matte black, stainless steel, and modern glass with customizable hardware options. Wi-Fi connection allows homeowners to remotely change temperature and lighting settings through the SmartHQ app. The wine center offers two temperature zones and can hold up to eight magnum wine bottles, while the beverage center can hold four magnum wine bottles, 14 bottles, or 126 cans.
Dometic MoBar Mobile Bar
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Swedish mobile food and beverage appliance manufacturer Dometic announced its entry into the U.S. market early this year with the availability of its Dometic MoBar series. MoBar, short for mobile bar, is a bar on wheels designed for entertaining, the company says. It features a Scandinavian design in three different models in varying sizes and capabilities: 550, 300, and 50. Dometic MoBar 550 features professional graded stainless steel, prep areas, dry storage, and can hold up to 39 bottles or 155 cans. Its presentation basket can hold another 22 bottles or 32 cans. The mid-sized 300 model can hold up to 19 bottles or 70 cans inside and an additional 22 bottles or 32 cans in its presentation basket.
Sub-Zero Designer Series Undercounter Wine Storage + Beverage Center
Sub-Zero’s latest refrigeration offerings can be fully customized to blend into any space. The Designer Series undercounter wine storage and beverage centers are 24 inches wide. Both are panel-ready and can be connected to Wi-Fi for remote control of temperature settings, door ajar alerts, and remote service diagnostics. The wine storage unit can hold up to 42 bottles and can be controlled through a touch control panel. Wine racks fully extend for easy access and all bottle sizes can be stored. Dual evaporators moderate humidity to keep corks from drying out and an inventory tile system helps with organization. The beverage center features a patented, fully extendable upright shelf with adjustable gates that keep contents upright and in place. The shelf can fold down flat to make extra room for other items. Shelves are nano-coated and entirely spill-proof, according to Sub-Zero.