Photo Courtesy: Monogram
Some of summer is spent at home of course. That means grilling and chilling on the back patio, around the pool and hopefully enjoying all of the great updates you did last year when you had no choice but to play at home. Grilling and outdoor entertaining is demanding on a kitchen. We previously had our friend Sarah Prazak with Monogram update us on new trends in appliances. We saved the refrigeration portion for now, when we really need it in full-on summer! Summer has hit us fast and hard. It seemed to go from the 80s to 100 degrees in just a week or two and it’s still only June. Yikes! I am sure some of Sarah’s refrigeration tips will be of use to all of us since keeping cool – us and our food – will be important during the long, hot summer! Here’s some fabulous insight on refrigeration trends and features in the kitchen from Sarah.
Sarah Prazak with Monogram
As things are heating up this summer we rely on our refrigerators to provide those cold treats and preserve the season’s produce that we’ve thoughtfully put into our cart, virtual or otherwise. The refrigerator is a workhorse in the kitchen, but rarely does it get the focus when we talk about appliances. Unlike our cooking products that are there when we need them, the refrigerator never gets a break. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, then REPEAT. That’s why it’s important to choose a reliable product that not only keeps your food cold but gives you the best results in keeping your food the freshest and longest it possibly can.
When it comes to ultra-high-end appliances your experiences with your refrigerator should not only look luxurious but feel luxurious too and that’s why Monogram Appliances has the finest materials to elevate that ownership experience, especially in the newest column products. Convenience features are important too and many consumers are not aware of some of these amenities that can be utilized through apps on the phone to make life easier. As many homeowners look to remodel their kitchens after spending an extreme amount of time quarantining in them during the pandemic, there are some key considerations to think about when starting that purchasing journey. Consider this your “Cool Contemplations Checklist” to get you started when looking for luxury column refrigerators.
Cool Contemplations Checklist
Food Preservation/Air Flow
It sounds simple. A refrigerator or freezer should cool or freeze your food, right? Correct, but not all refrigerators are created equal. Monogram column refrigerators and freezers feature tower cooling to evenly disperse cold air throughout the unit, without creating areas that are too cold or too warm. Other manufacturers have one specific point where cold air enters the unit, also referred to as “air dumping,” with the assumption that the cold air will get to all areas of the fridge. (There’s a reason those owner’s manuals may recommend that you don’t store milk on the door for this reason). With Monogram refrigeration you can store any of your food how you want and feel confident that your food will be preserved to its optimal freshness.
Photo Courtesy: Monogram
Premium Materials
If you’re going to invest your money in a premium refrigerator, why would you want to settle for materials that are anything less than premium? You shouldn’t have to! Monogram’s door bins are a perfect example. The door bins are made from extruded aluminum and glass that elevates that experience to something more than traditional plastic (found in some luxury price points still).
Lighting
Sure, a refrigerator on display at a showroom looks bright and inviting. That’s usually because there’s nothing stored inside of it. Really think about how that lighting story will play out once the refrigerator is utilized in the home setting. Monogram thoughtfully designed its lighting story around this notion. With LED lighting that gives a crisp white appearance in multiple sources around the unit, it provides light to the entire interior even when filled with groceries and at its maximum capacity. The shelves even have LED lights embedded into them to provide that extra bit of elegance and illumination to otherwise dark areas. Fun fact too- the shelves have a perimeter that includes a liquid-spill deterrent. If something is spilled, it repels it and pushes it away from the edge of the shelf to contain it in the middle for ease of clean up.
Photo Courtesy: Monogram
Organization/Storage
Let’s be honest, we all have in our mind the way we want our fridge organization to look, and then there’s the reality of how we actually organize our fridge. Monogram makes it super easy with adjustable shelves and temperature-controlled drawers for specific storage for meat or produce. This is ideal to keep that food fresher for longer and having less waste along with it.
Convenience Features
Photo Courtesy: Monogram
Technology has come a long way and luxury appliances now offer features that you didn’t even know were possible until now. Monogram’s Smart HQ app gives you a range of benefits across the many categories of appliances. When it comes to cooling products, it allows you to monitor temperatures and the capacity of your icemaker, activate features like Turbo Cool and Night Time Snack Mode (dimmed lighting), and get notifications of water filter changes or if a door has been left open for too long. You might think, “I don’t know when I will use those,” but let me give an example.
Imagine you’re entertaining some friends for the evening and you’re still at the grocery getting all your ingredients for your dinner party. The bottles of wine will need some time to chill back down before serving and so you activate the Turbo Cool setting to rapidly cool the fresh food compartment for the next 8 hours, so it will more quickly get that wine and other fresh ingredients back to optimal temperatures after that humid drive home. You also notice in the app that your ice bin is only half full, perhaps from that fishing trip your spouse decided to fill up a cooler for this afternoon. Better buy some more ice while at the store. No one wants to run out of ice when entertaining! Thankfully you have the Smart HQ app to make these adjustments while in the line at the grocery store. Total convenience!
Photo Courtesy: Monogram
Another exclusive feature in the Monogram column is the autofill pitcher (shown at right), providing fresh filtered water that is ready to go every time for a faster fill-up when entertaining. Monogram takes water filtration even further by removing pharmaceuticals for the ultimate freshness story.
Appearance
Appearance is often times what leads with the appliance selection and what’s great about Monogram is that the same great features mentioned above are offered in several different appearance options. There’s a stainless panel accessory with two handles to select from: the statement handle with brass endcaps or the minimalist handle with stainless steel throughout and a very seamless design. Another option is panel-ready and working with your cabinet manufacturer to match the surrounding cabinetry. The unit depth allows for them to be installed flush with cabinets in all appearances.
Photo Courtesy: Monogram
One other cool contemplation: what other places might you need refrigeration? Consider the new Monogram Wine Sommelier for your butler’s pantry with a dual-zoned wine storage in the upper compartment, a center freezer drawer with ice, and a bottom drawer that’s convertible to either fridge or freezer. It’s an entertainer’s dream to store all the fixings for a happy hour all in one unit!
No matter your plans for the summer, I hope you stay cool and contemplate some of these features when it comes time for your next refrigeration purchase.
