Fisher and Paykel's CoolDrawer
Drawers are considered the most useful and practical form of storage in most kitchens. Capitalising on this concept and the success of their drawer dishwashers, Fisher and Paykel have also produced a drawer fridge.
Called a CoolDrawer and is designed to fit under your worktop or at the base of a tall cabinet. It is 90cms wide it has 104 litres of capacity.
The most impressive feature of this appliance however is that you can change your CoolDrawer from refrigerator to pantry or freezer with the push of a button – in fact it has 5 different food modes to choose from– fridge, freezer, pantry, chill and wine:
Fridge
The ideal storage for most foods such as fruit, vegetables, dairy products and drinks. The compact upper storage tray is a perfect place for sensitive foods while the tall bin is ideal for large bottles and containers.
Pantry
Designed for foods that require a cool, dark place for storage such as tropical fruits, tomatoes and cereals.
Freezer
Ideal for general frozen food storage with the added flexibility of three freezer functions - bottle chill, fast freeze and deep freeze. Freezer mode is set at -18°C for longer term storage of frozen items.
Wine
Wine Mode is ideal for long term storage of all wine at 12°C. It also offersshort term storage at 7°C for white wine and 15°C for red wine.
Chill
Chill Mode sets the compartment to a temperature ideal for highly perishable meats, poultry and seafood. Chill Mode sets the compartment at -0.5°C, just above the freezing temperature for meat.
Who is it for?
Given the multifunction’s, the cool drawer is not a replacement for a fridge. It serves as a compliment for those who might need it. We have used them for clients who entertain a lot and want additional capacity at the push of a button, families where children are away a lot, drinks cabinets or where the Fridge is away from the main cooking area and this allows easy access.
The ability to switch modes has made it very useful for our clients, who have highlighted pantry modes for storing cheeses at the right temperature before a dinner party, cooling wine and even freezing ice lollies during a heatwave for a child’s birthday party.
On the downside, it takes up space under a counter, which if it is at a premium, could be better served by oak drawers.
We would also like to see a slightly smaller version to allow us to put a normal drawer underneath or above it.
Is the CoolDrawer worth it?
Our customer feedback is that they love it. It has a wow factor and provides additional capacity in a variety of ways.
In our view, it works well for certain projects complementing a fridge and freezer. With its price, it is also a nice to have rather than a necessity, but it is rather nice.
If you would like to see one please pop to our showroom and we can show you our one.
