MODULAR REFRIGERATION
Cooking has become more convenient than ever and new designs make achieving gourmand results easier than ever before. From storing food to cooking it, at every step of the culinary process advances and innovation are designed to improve results. Even relatively simple improvements, such as the creation of a door-within-a-door to keep high-traffic items such as beverages handy without opening the main compartment, have made it easier to prep meals or just grab a drink (while also keeping foods in the main compartment fresher). But in the long-run, modular refrigeration will lead the way.
Modular refrigeration is a natural extension to the personalisation trend in interior design, yet it also plays into the kitchen trend of zone-based workflow. Furthermore, this approach allows the kitchen to be tailored to the chef, and to be individually crafted to create a unique/bespoke-looking living environment. Such a system offers a flexibility and convenience lacking in traditional refrigerators by making it possible to place various units (such as ice-makers, wine preservation units, drawer units, freezers and beverage centres) in scenarios that fit a particular lifestyle. What’s more, they present designers with the opportunity to create highly personalised kitchen designs. For example, a culinary whiz may opt to flank the kitchen’s range with demandbased refrigeration to create a high-efficiency cooking zone; or allow wholefoods lovers to install a set of refrigerator drawers dedicated to precisely preserving produce; or place beverage and snack refrigerators out of the way to keep kids away from busy areas.
True Residential is one brand which produces a line of under-counter refrigeration products. Its new Mise en Place drawer pan kit offers an orderly
space for home chefs, to mirror the approach used in professional kitchens when organising and arranging ingredients before beginning to cook. Every detail – from the hinges to the handles – reflects the exacting standards of a commercial kitchen. From adaptable shelves, drawers and baskets to ramp-up lighting, Mise en Place is the perfect marriage between high-end style and sensibility.
“We know that personalisation in kitchen design is here to stay, and with this shift in how designers approach the kitchen, one appliance – the refrigerator – is evolving rapidly to enable a more unique, custom solution,” states a report from appliance maker Thermador, which has seen a significant increase in demand for built-in column refrigeration over the last five years. “More and more progressive and innovative designers are adopting this integrated look and creating highly customized ‘culinary preservation centres’ throughout the home, including entire walls of refrigeration (sometimes measuring as much as 228 to 305cm).” Still, the latest more-expected refrigeration introductions prove nothing to sneeze at.
From renowned German-appliance maker comes a series of particularly energy efficient, future-orientated refrigerators and freezers, presented in Berlin earlier this year. Its new BluePerformance fridge-freezers have a high-resolution touchscreen display, measuring nearly 18 cm across, integrated in the door. The system includes a number of easy-to-use preset programmes, which provide everything from energy-saving tips and to food storage advice. What’s more, the new unit can be integrated into smart homes via WLAN, facilitating convenient remote control of appliances from mobile devices.
“The integrated and personalised look is a paradigm shift that has culinary enthusiasts moving away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to refrigeration, and searching for personalised configurations that cater to their unique style of cooking and entertaining,” the Thermador report states.