Learn about the many benefits of outdoor refrigeration appliances and why you should add them to your backyard kitchen. Read on to learn about the outdoor refrigeration appliances advantage.
If you’re like many outdoor chefs, for years, your primary concern for your backyard space has been heating things up: grilling and searing them, smoking them, tossing them in a pizza oven so hot you can have a pizza ready before you’d even get a delivery app to open on your phone.
But what about cooling things down?
Nothing pairs with hot food quite like an ice-cold drink or cool, creamy condiment. But to get those range of temperatures, you’ll need some help (and we’re not talking about your old, leaky cooler here).
Outdoor refrigeration is the answer.
Outdoor refrigeration options eliminate the need to run between your backyard cooking space and your home to grab things from the fridge or freezer. They can also serve as a stylish, welcome upgrade to your standard plastic cooler.
Aside from the convenience factor, outdoor refrigeration can bring a variety of benefits to your backyard. In this article, we’ll cover some of the biggest ones, from allowing you to entertain more people and upgrading the value of your space to saving money with bulk beverage options.
After reading this article, we hope you’ll come away with a better understanding of how outdoor refrigeration can level up your entertaining game and why it’s a truly cool option for your backyard.
In This Article, We’ll Explore:
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What Are Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances?
Outdoor refrigeration appliances are, to put it simply, devices that can keep things — from drinks to sauces and foods — cold or frozen.
If you have a refrigerating appliance inside your home, chances are there’s an outdoor equivalent. You can find outdoor refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, beverage coolers, wine coolers, and kegerators that can fit seamlessly into your outdoor kitchen.
Why Should You Add Outdoor Refrigeration?
Outdoor refrigeration takes your outdoor cooking setup and transforms it into a proper kitchen. You’ll have more flexibility for cooking, not to mention additional benefits like:
You Can Host Larger Parties
Refrigeration gives you extra places to store food and ice, so you aren’t tethered to your kitchen or reliant on your family’s decades-old plastic cooler to keep the snacks and drinks flowing.
Plus, you don’t need to worry about your supplies for your upcoming party competing for space with your everyday groceries, or (the horror!) accidentally being used by someone else before the party even starts.
Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances Keep the Party Going
With outdoor refrigeration, you aren’t just able to have more people over — you’re able to entertain them for longer, with stores of ice-cold beverages and ice that won’t run out. Instead of winding the party down or running out to the store to grab more provisions, you can keep everything you need outside where the fun is.
We cannot stress this enough — with outdoor refrigeration, the party doesn’t end when you reach the bottom of your cooler.
The Convenience Factor
Whether you’ve mostly grilled solo or have thrown big parties in your backyard, you know how obnoxious it can be running between your house and your outdoor kitchen to grab ingredients or drinks.
Outdoor refrigeration completely removes that hassle, allowing you to keep everything you need to cook (and your guests need to party) right at your fingertips.
They Save You Money
This seems counterintuitive since you need to buy new appliances first but stick with us.
When you have outdoor refrigeration, you can buy in bulk and store things like kegs of beer, multiple bottles from discount wine clubs, and large cuts of meat from butchers in our extra outdoor storage space.
By doing this, you’ll save money in the long run and never have to take valuable real estate away from your primary indoor fridge to hold a keg or a rack of ribs.
They Are Great for Families Who Enjoy Being Outdoors
If your definition of a great day with the family is one spent swimming, playing, and kicking back in your backyard, outdoor refrigeration will be a perfect addition to your home.
You won’t need to interrupt your activities to grab lunch, drinks, or popsicles for everyone from inside — outdoor refrigeration keeps everything you need for a fantastic day outside, where the fun is.
They Produce Less Waste
When you install a refrigerated beverage appliance like a kegerator, beer or wine dispenser, or ice maker in your outdoor kitchen, you’re not just setting yourself up for some great parties. You’re helping save the planet!
Dispensing ice and beverages straight from your outdoor kitchen or grill island means there’s no waste from individual bottles, cans, or ice bags. Taking care of the environment by pouring ourselves an ice-cold drink? Don’t mind if we do.
Modern Outdoor Refrigeration Is Reliable
Worried about some hot weather melting your ice or rain getting into your barbecue side salads? Don’t be!
Today’s outdoor refrigeration options are designed to withstand the elements, and come with food-safe certifications, so you know your food and drinks will stay fresh and safe to consume no matter what the weather is like outside.
They Add a Wow Factor to Your Outdoor Kitchen
The outdoor refrigeration options on the market today won’t remind you of your dorm room mini fridge. With LED-lit interiors and glass-paneled doors, many of the refrigeration choices available can upgrade your outdoor kitchen to a luxury oasis and impress your guests with their high-end finishes.
Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances Increase Your Storage Space
If you’ve ever shopped for a party only to run out of space to store your ingredients halfway through unpacking, outdoor refrigeration will be your best friend.
One freestanding refrigerator unit can easily double the amount of storage space you have, while ice makers can eliminate the need to find a place for those bags of ice you hauled home from the store.
With all of this added space, you’ll just have to entertain more often!
They Make Cooking Outdoors Simpler
Outdoor refrigeration can help make cooking outside just as easy as cooking in your indoor kitchen. You can store your ingredients, sauces, and marinades outside, so they’re ready whenever you need them. No dashing back inside, and no juggling everything you need on a little tray.
Refrigeration appliances bring the convenience of your indoor kitchen outside so that you can have the complete outdoor cooking experience with none of the stress.
Where Is the Best Place to Shop for Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances?
Like just about everything, there is a great variety of outdoor refrigeration appliances available online! We’re fans of BBQGuys Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances since ordering is simple, and they’re incredibly knowledgeable about all things outdoor cooking. They even have agents on standby to answer all your questions.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances
A kitchen isn’t a truly kitchen without some sort of refrigeration, and the same can be said for outdoor kitchens.
Having refrigeration appliances in your outdoor kitchen brings all of the comforts and conveniences of your indoor kitchen outside, so you never have to run between the house grabbing ingredients for grilling or worry that you’ll run out of drinks or ice before your guests are ready to stop the party.
If you’re on the fence about installing a refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, kegerator, wine or beer dispenser, or drink cooler in your outdoor kitchen, we hope this article helped you add a few more “pros” to your pros and cons list.
Outdoor refrigeration allows you to have all of your ingredients for grilling or smoking, and your drinks, ice, and snacks for entertaining, right where you and your guests want to be — outside, enjoying the fresh air. Plus you won’t have to take up any space in your primary kitchen!
We really can’t overstate the benefits of adding refrigeration to your outdoor cooking setup. Whether you just like to cook for your family or are known for your huge backyard parties, refrigeration will change the game.
As always with our articles, let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, or send us an email. We’d love to talk more about refrigeration, and the benefits it can deliver to your outdoor kitchen!
Next Steps:
15 Benefits of Outdoor BBQ Grill Islands
Outdoor Kitchen Storage Buyers Guide
The Ultimate Kamado Grill Buyers Guide
Now It’s Your Turn
I want to hear from you:
Have you ever purchased Outdoor Refrigeration Appliances before?
Do you have any feedback to share?
What features do you typically like to see in Outdoor Refrigeration?
Are you going to be purchasing a new grill in the future? Do you plan on looking at a Pellet Grill, Smoker, Built-In Gas Grill, or Charcoal Model?
Let me know by leaving a quick comment below.
If you still have questions, please feel free to send me a message.
Cheers,
Pat G.
Disclosure – At The Grilling Life, I am committed to researching and writing thoughtful, informative and editorially independent reviews of the best products for your outdoor cooking needs. If you like what I do, you can support me through my chosen links, which earn me a commission. This allows me to continue sharing with you my love for all things barbecue. Your support is truly appreciated.
A backyard warrior, certified carnivore, lover of good whiskey, self-proclaimed grill master and I’m Living The Grilling Life!
I have a passion for cooking with live fire and smoke, no matter the weather. I’m a real person just like you, who loves outdoor cooking and BBQ. Food, fun, and time spent with family and friends are what it’s all about! It is my mission to take my passion and knowledge for outdoor cooking and all things BBQ and share this expertise in techniques and grilling equipment with you. In other words, Living The Grilling Life!