[gthomson]

I have a tiny kitchen - about 8' x 8'.
I have a standard sized dishwasher - about 24x24x34h.
I've used it maybe a dozen times in the past 15 years.
It's a waste of space for me as is.
I transitioned to being vegan the past year, so fruits and veggies are now a bigger part of what I keep on hand.
I'd like to replace the dishwasher with a wine cooler, I think, same size.
I live in Southern California, so summers can be hot, and stuff on the counter goes bad quick.
But the fridge also doesn't seem like the best option at about 39 degrees.

I'm thinking a dual compartment wine cooler, the size of the dishwasher, might be good.
And may give me good options in the 55-70 degree range to keep fruits/veggies better for longer.

I'm at the start of this, so just curious on what others have done and learned.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

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https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4135e/

 

[ktkelly]

Using a wine cooler for anything other than wine is blasphemy.....;-)

 

[Calson]

There are a number of companies that make "under-counter" refrigerators that are designed to mount inside a cabinet. Important to have space for venting of the heat from the compressor or they will have a short life.

There are simple double drawer units that would be an easy way to pull out the dishwasher and put in the fridge. You can sort the fruits and vegetables into different drawers which make minimize problems from one fruit or vegetable off gassing and causing other fruits to go bad faster.

In one case a new floor wax used in a chain of supermarkets caused the fruit to ripen faster and caused a lot of it to be dumped before they determined the cause of the problem.

I would be cautious though as to the noise rating as the new fridge will run 24x7.

 

[Mystriss]

We did something like this because our commercial fridge freezes all the veggies.

We found a cheapy bar fridge at a garage sale and it does work alright. However, I'd highly suggest finding one with adjustable temps, also try to find one that's got flat shelves rather than special bottle shelves which are really hard to find flat replacements for and don't hold veggie containers well at all. Some have wire shelves you can flip over, so the "bottle slots" are facing down and you have a flat surface for stuff - I prefer those.

 

[fran91]

I have never thought of using a wine cooler this way, but i mean... why not? thats creative

 

[Two Knots]

We have an under the counter fridge that we use outside on our deck.
They are reasonably priced at at about 100.00 to 130.00 price range
in the big box stores. But, if you prefer the more expensive wine fridge,
I guess it would work if you can adjust the shelves for you needs.

We gave a friend of ours a 50th birthday party and four of us chipped
in for a wine cooler for her. She uses it as an end table in her family
room (with a lamp on top) and it looks “very nice.” She’s an artist and
her home has a lot of lovely decorative accents.

Just thought I’d throw that out for you to consider — as it the wine
cooler doesn’t have to go only in the kitchen; actually the under the
counter fridge doesn’t have to only go in the kitchen as well. :smile:

And, if you don’t want to see it, cover it with a nice piece of fabric
to match your decor.