Other Uses For A Wine Refrigerator

If you keep a wine refrigerator in your bar, cellar or kitchen, you may be wondering if you can store other items in there as well. Your wine refrigerator might be filled to the brim with bottles, but if you have a little extra room, you may be interested in maximizing your space.

Snacks

Wine refrigerators keep wines, especially whites, at a cool temperature between 45 and 65 degrees F. There are some foods that are sometimes stored in the refrigerator, but are safe on a counter. These include many fruits, such as apples, peaches, pears and grapes can be kept at room temperature, but would be preserved longer in a cool environment. Keep them in the wine refrigerator.

Cheeses are a popular snack with wines. Store your favorite cheeses along with your wines. Keep cheeses well wrapped, especially if they are pungent. The aromas of cheese could potentially pass through the semi-permeable corks in the bottles and change the taste of the wine. Also, consume the cheese in a timely manner so it doesn't have time to mold.

Preparations

If you are hosting a party, you might find it useful to store preparations in the wine refrigerator. This is especially helpful if your party and the refrigerator are in a room away from your kitchen.

Prepare salads and appetizers the night before your party. Keep them in the wine refrigerator until it is time to serve them. To save yourself time when you make entrees or meals for a party, prepare your ingredients early. Chop fruits and vegetables and keep them in the wine refrigerator until it's time to cook them. Remember that wine refrigerators tend to be about 10 degrees warmer than a standard refrigerator. Keep meats and meat products in the standard refrigerator, not the wine refrigerator.

Nonperishables

If you are serving a white wine or just enjoying one yourself, put your glass in the wine refrigerator before pouring. The wine refrigerator will cool the glass and keep your wine at a palatable temperature longer. You can also do this with your glass cheese boards. Put them in the wine refrigerator for a few hours to cool them down.

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