The bathroom and the kitchen in any house are critical to update if you are trying to sell your home or flip an investment house.   Of the bathroom or the kitchen, the kitchen upgrades are most likely to leave the best first impression when others are looking to buy your home.   Additionally when visiting, my family seems to gravitate to the kitchen as I imagine happens in most families.   The kitchen is where “it’s happening” and where enjoyment of your surroundings is most important.  

In the kitchen, the obvious upgrades include new cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint and depending on the circumstances, maybe new appliances.  The traditional appliance approach would include refrigerator, dishwasher, stove/oven and built in microwave oven.   There are some important trends in society that may point to consideration of another class of under counter appliances, besides trash compactors and dishwashers, which will quickly present an air of sophistication to your remodel.  

Consider the fact that wine is becoming an ever-increasing favorite of many people.   With over 1000 different wine varieties, the choices, which one has, seem nearly infinite. Many sources even tout the health benefits of drinking wine, in moderation of course.   It is time to ramp up and modernize our approach to the old-fashion kitchen remodel.  

Today’s market place has a wide variety of quality products that will fit under counter remodel situations.   Three of those product categories focus on the current society trends in wine and beverage cooling needs.   Those categories include wine coolers, beverage coolers and icemakers.   Imagine a newly remodeled kitchen that can accommodate, in a standard 15 or 24-inch base cabinet space, a new wine or beverage cooler to fit your needs.   You should also be able to imagine never running out of ice again even if your refrigerators ice machine jams, as it always seems to do.  

Under counter appliances do cost slightly more that free standing ones, because they require front-vented cooling systems.   However, the efficient use of floor space more than compensates for the higher cost.   Generally, you will find quality under counter wine coolers, beverage centers and ice makers for approximately $350 to $1000 depending on what “bells and whistles” you want to incorporate.   Products are also available that are pantry size built in uprights that can accommodate over 160 bottles of wine or a combination of wine bottles and beverage cans.   These larger products will often cost from $1000 to $2000, also depending on the features you select.  

Using a more up to date idea for kitchen remodeling will give your home a new and unique décor that you can be proud of and enjoy.   The sophisticated look to your new kitchen will make your home a showcase that will attract new buyers, because of your unique kitchen appliances.  

For more information see:  http://www. idealwinecoolers. com 

Author: Ronald Senn, VP Ideal Wine Coolers, September 2009

Portable ice makers are great gourmet items to show-off at your next get-together or party.  Such units will also save you time, money, and effort.  Say goodbye to frantic runs to the store for ice in the middle of a party or wasting money on overpriced store ice – a portable ice maker gives you an endless supply of ice within minutes. 

Although most modern refrigerators have built-in ice makers, they are often slow and may not have the ability to produce larger amounts of ice at once.  As such, one of the most beneficial features of a portable ice cube machine is that it produces ice quickly. Once plugged in, simply pour in water, set your desired ice cube size, and the ice-making cycle will immediately begin.  In most cases, there is no installation required.   While these appliances are not designed to store large quantities of ice for prolonged periods of time, they can still produce ice rapidly and are a welcome addition to any home, office, boat, or RV. 

Portable ice makers come in a range of styles and sizes, so when choosing a unit, pay attention to these details:

Ice Making Capabilities:  As opposed to refrigerator ice makers which can take up to 30 minutes to make a small batch of ice, portable ice makers take only minutes – anywhere from 7 to15.  Pay attention to how quickly each ice making cycle takes, as well as how much ice can be produced in a day. 

Ease of Use:  Most portable ice makers such as the NewAir AI-100BK or AI-100R are extremely simple to operate.  In most cases, bottled or tap water is usually poured directly into the water reservoir. Some larger or commercial units may even be able to accommodate a direct water line. 

Ice Cube Size:  Look for a portable ice maker with more than one ice cube size and/or shape.  A quality unit will usually allow you to choose from three cube sizes – large, medium, or small.  Some models may be able to produce different shapes of ice such as cubed or crushed. 

Durability:  Look for a portable ice maker that is sturdy.  Stainless steel or heavy-duty plastic are both good choices in terms of housing materials. 

Appearance and Design:  Select a portable ice maker that goes best with your décor and other home appliances.  Many commercial units can be quite large, so choosing the right size is also important.  If you have limited kitchen storage space, you’ll want to look for a compact countertop model. 

Easy to Clean:  Being able to rinse out and wipe your ice maker down when it’s no longer in use makes life easier.  However, some ice makers also come with “self-cleaning” functions and/or side mounted drains.  This will allow you to easily empty out any unused water from the tank. 

Recommended Models:  Our product team recently came across two new portable units from NewAir – the AI-100BK and AI-100R.  These ultra-modern units have the ability to make up to 35 pounds of ice per day in three different sizes.  Available in either black or red, these eye-catching, counter-top units are not only efficient, but they also look great sitting in your kitchen.  Best of all, the NewAir AI-100BK and AI-100R do not require direct plumbing.  Just fill the reservoir with water and ice is made in as little as 15 minutes! 

Magic Chef Countertop Ice Maker
One of the most popular is the Magic Chef Countertop Ice Maker which is perfect if you find yourself buying those bags of ice from the convenience store. It makes ice as quickly as six minutes and about 30 pounds of ice in 24 hours. It has a four pound capacity, but some people said that it didn’t keep the ice cold very long. So with this model you should probably be ready to use the ice as you go. Ice is made quickly so you can keep filling the water tray. Another issue with the Magic Chef was that some say it wasn’t very reliable and would quit working after a few months. There is a one year warranty on the unit and many have been sold without issue.

Countertop Crushed Ice Maker
I did find a machine that made both cubes and crushed ice. It is the Whynter SNO ICE-100S and runs around $350. It’s portable, too, and a lot of people like it. There is a direct hose connection, if you want it to be a little more permanent in your home. It draws water from a 3 gallon tank and keeps making cubes but will dispense them crushed on demand. There are a few other units on the market that make crushed ice, but keep in mind that the machine has to actually masticate the cubed ice.

Waring Pro Professional Countertop Ice Maker
This was a real cool unit and I’m not sure why Waring discontinued it, but if you can find one still out there on the ‘net, buy it. It can make about 35 pounds of ice a day and has simple LED controls that let you set cube size, cycles, and how fast the unit should run. There is an ice storage basket and small cubes can be served up in about 8 minutes. Talk about sweet. But I would try all the online stores that have sold the Waring Pro Professional Countertop Ice Maker and see if there is one still in stock.

Best Countertop Ice Maker
If you had to pin me down, I’d probably go with the Haier line of countertop ice makers because overall I believe most people have been satisfied with them over any other brand. That is not to say you can’t get a good ice maker with another brand, it is simply to say according to my research they had fewer problems and did a better job at what they were designed to do.