Row.co.uk Blog

It’s nearly time to put some fizz in your summer! Thursday August 13th is National Prosecco Day, when wine lovers all over the country will be popping a cork or two and enjoying a splash of Mediterranean sparkle.

Fingers crossed, the weather will warm to the occasion too, and all you Prosecco-lovers out there will be able to enjoy the refreshing Italian fizz the way it is meant to be - ice cold on a hot day.

But on that topic - what are your chilling options? Have you got room in your fridge for a couple of bottles of the good stuff? Come to think of it, are you tired of having to find new places to stack jam jars and margarine tubs every time you want to chill a bottle of wine.

If so, National Prosecco Day is just the excuse you need to think about investing in a wine chiller. Just think about it - instead of worrying about space and that awful feeling when a friend drops by unexpectedly and you haven’t got a bottle chilled, you can have a whole selection of bottles all cooled to perfection at any one time, tucked neatly out of the way just waiting for you.

But what type of wine fridge should you go for? If you’re new to the world of wine chillers, here are some things to consider when making your choice.

Standalone, built in or integrable?

One of the first decisions to make is where you are going to put your chiller. Standalone wine fridges have the advantage of flexibility - you can plug them in wherever you like, plus they are available in a much wider range of sizes. However, for appearances sake, you may prefer your chiller to be built-in as part of your kitchen. This takes more work, and unless you are fitting a new kitchen will probably mean having to rip out at least one unit.

A simpler option is an integrable wine fridge, which is designed to slot into an existing kitchen unit (after removing shelves etc) without having to be fully fitted. Depending on how you look at things, the downside is that integrable chillers are built to standard kitchen cabinet sizes, which means they are pretty big. That’s great if you want to store a lot of bottles of wine, not so great if you’re short of space.

Chiller zones

The most straightforward wine fridges do one obvious job - they cool your wine down to serving temperature, which for a sparkling wine like Prosecco is 6 to 8oC. However, if you are serious about your wines, you will also want to regulate their temperature for long-term storage. Dual temperature zone chillers are great for this, providing a second, warmer area that keeps your wine between 12 and 14oC, perfect for long-term storage and ageing.

fridge for wine in kitchen

Energy efficiency and noise

As we are all well aware, refrigerators can be noisy - an unavoidable consequence of requiring electric motors to run the compressors and fans. Adding a chiller to your kitchen where there is already a standard fridge can double this background hum, while a noisy chiller in a living space can quickly become a big irritation.

Energy efficiency and noise go hand-in-hand with wine chillers. Modern engineering has come up with all sorts of solutions to produce low-noise fans and electric motors. But a more basic principle is, the better your wine fridge is at getting rid of the heat it generates, the less the motors will have to work. That also means consuming less electricity.

Whichever wine fridge you opt for, make sure you will be enjoying perfectly chilled fizz long after National Prosecco Day by insuring your unit against damage or mechanical failure. Check out our great appliance policy deals and get a free quote today. 

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

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Savvy ways to protect your mobile phone

Row.co.uk Blog

Savvy ways to protect your mobile phone

Mobile phone insurance generally covers theft, loss and unauthorised calls, but also accidental damage, breakdown, cracked screens and screen and liquid damage.

From as little as £1.49 your smartphone is protected against the odd bounce on the pavement and contact with liquids. Yes, this could be a run in with a toilet or lying in the path of a spilt drink.

How to protect your mobile phone from everyday scenarios
Our mobile phones are constantly in use so they are going to take a few knocks along the way. However, there are a few savvy ways to ensure their longevity and maintain their good looks:

  • Water-tight: waterproof covers are ideal and widely available for those of you whose animated actions send liquid-filled vessels flying on a regular basis. Or if you’re in the company of such demonstrative people. A waterproof cover will help protect your mobile from liquid damage.
  • Bounce-proof: shockproof covers are also widely available and perfect for those of you who are prone to dropping things. Or for those of you who entrust your phone to your toddler to keep them quiet. Shockproof covers absorb the hard knocks your smartphone may be subjected to when it makes contact with the ground or any other hard surface. They also add grip to mobiles with slick finishes that are more likely to slip out of your grasp.
  • As seen on screen: the chances of the dreaded cracked screen appearing on your smartphone are significantly lowered with a protective case. Not only do cracked screens obscure your view, they can also indicate that your mobile phone is suffering more than just cosmetic damage.
  • Out of sight, out of mind: if your phone’s aesthetics are just too good to hide beneath a waterproof or shockproof cover, then you’d be wise to keep it tucked away when not in use. Your handbag or pocket provides great cover from spillages, drops and opportunists, but they’re not foolproof as you’ll discover below.
  • The wrong trousers: now if your smartphone is constantly escaping from your pocket, then a rethink is definitely in order. Currently fashion dictates that we look fantastic in ultra-skinny jeans, but as well as not leaving much to the imagination, they also provide little pocket room for your mobile and cash. If you do insist on following the trend, then at least invest in a waterproof/shockproof cover and smartphone insurance to protect from wandering hands.

Mobile phone insurance
What do they say? Save the best for last? Here goes. Obviously the best protection for all of the scenarios mentioned above is smartphone insurance. Not only will it offer protection against accidents, but also theft.

When a shockproof or waterproof cover fails, accidental damage and cracked screens are covered. When a light-fingered soul takes a fancy to your iPhone and makes a swift exit, you’re covered with mobile phone insurance.

Psst, did you know your phone’s sticking out of your back pocket?

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

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