Fisher & Paykel CoolDrawer

Clever, convenient refrigeration at its very best the Fisher & Paykel CoolDrawer is an ever popular appliance choice for kitchens of all shapes and sizes. This multi-purpose integrated appliance has five different food modes to choose from that includes fridge, freezer, pantry, chill and a wine setting offering total flexibility in the kitchen. Here’s why we love them…

W I N E  M O D E 

Wine mode (one of our favourite settings for easy entertaining) can offer both long-term or short term wine storage depending on your lifestyle and needs. For a mixture of bottles with the intention of long-term storage you can keep all your bottles at a steady 12°c or opt for 7°c (ideal for white wine) or 15°c (for red). We opted for Taittinger Champagne to chill in CoolDrawer and just in case you want to do the same, there’s space for at least 14 bottles at any one time.

The Walton barn project (pictured above), has a Fisher & Paykel CoolDrawer at the far right end of the island so that drinks can be served to guests sat at the nearby banquette seating area or relaxing in the garden without having to disturb the other person preparing food on the far side of the island.

F R I D G E  M O D E

The refrigeration setting is ideal for most foods such as fruit, vegetables, dairy and drinks, the smaller more compact upper storage compartment is a great spot to store more sensitive foods whilst the tall bin can be used for large bottles and containers.

P A N T R Y  M O D E

The pantry setting is cleverly designed for foods that may require darker, cooler storage. Providing a stable environment at 12°c it’s ideal for sensitive foods like tropical fruits like bananas, tomatoes and other foods that need to ripen slowly as well as nuts and herbs to name just a few items that benefit from this type of storage.

Pantry mode is also great for freshly baked items like homemade cakes and bread which can quickly turn mouldy in a conventional cupboard or go hard and stale in a fridge.

Top tip: you could also try storing your moisturiser or sun cream in the Fisher & Paykel whilst on pantry mode for a refreshing lift during warmer weather.

F R E E Z E R  M O D E

The freezer setting can be used for general frozen food storage but with a twist. There’s three freezer functions to choose from: bottle chill, fast freeze and deep freeze. As well as being perfect for multiple tubs of your favourite ice cream flavours, the bottle chill function has to be one of our favourite tips for this appliance – if you fancy a glass of wine but it’s at room temperature, place it in the F&P CoolDrawer on bottle chill and it drops the freezer down to its coldest setting for a 15 minute time period. After 15 minutes an alarm will sound to remind you to remove the beverage. Simple but effective.

C H I L L  M O D E

Lastly, the chill setting brings the temperature down to a chilly -0.5°c, just above the freezing temperature for meat – and just right for highly perishable foods like poultry and seafood. However, if you aren’t in need of additional food or drink storage, chill mode is perfect for keeping bottles of beer, mixers and soft drinks cool for a weekend family barbecue.

Cleaning the Fisher & Paykel CoolDrawer is fuss free – you can simply remove the storage bins from the compartment and wash them in warm soapy water then simply dry and replace in the compartment.

Top tip: To help remove lingering smells/ odours just add a few drops of vanilla essence or vinegar to the water before cleaning.

A discrete but brilliant cooling appliance that aids a host (or busy families) in multiple ways from drinks storage near to a dining area to avoid getting in the way of the person cooking (similar to the Sevenoaks project, Kent pictured above), a place to keep delicate foods if a walk-in pantry isn’t an option, or simple additional freezer space before a big party.