Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsFor those who want to dry age beef
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2020
After extensive online research trying to find the perfect beverage refrigerator for dry aging beef, this one appears to work really well. Most glass door beverage refrigerators do not get cold enough or hold temperature steady enough to dry-age beef successfully. This one will hold temperature in the low-to-mid 30s, with the exception of its defrost cycle that it runs automatically every few days. During the defrost cycle, I have not seen the temperature rise above 40°.
You do need to add a thermoworks refrigerator / freezer thermometer with a wired probe so you can accurately measure the temperature, and record highs and lows. I think the best temperature range for dry aging beef seems to be between 34 and 36 degrees average temperature. I recommend placing the thermoworks temperature probe into a glass of water covered with cling wrap so you don't get rapid fluctuations in temperature, but rather track the temperature of something with more thermal mass, much like having a thermometer probe in the center of your dry aging meat. Tracking air temperature in a refrigerator will not give you as accurate of a picture of the average temperature. The thermoworks model that I'm speaking of can be purchased on their website for approximately $25, and the probe wire is so thin / low profile that it can be ran under the door seal without creating an air gap.
This refrigerator can be a bit noisy when the compressor is running, but I was able to quiet it down by finding one of the copper cooling lines near the compressor that when firmly gripped resulted in decreased noise. I wrapped this line with a large mass of plumber's putty, which acts as a nice noise damper.
When you are dry aging meat, and I've been able to fit approximately 50 lb of bone in ribeye on the provided racks, there is a substantial amount of moisture that you are removing from the meat, which condenses and freezes on the cooling mat in the back of the refrigerator. This refrigerator does an excellent job of defrosting itself every couple of days, and the water from the melted ice runs through a tiny drain into a reservoir that sits immediately above the compressor. I modified mine with a small length of flexible clear plastic tubing, cut a notch in the side of the reservoir's built in corner overflow spout so that the water level would start spilling over earlier, and glued the plastic tubing into the bottom of the overflow spout and ran the other end into a small plastic container to catch the excess water. It works like a charm. I am certain that if you don't do this modification, and dry age substantial amounts of meat, the amount of ice that will form on the cooling mat and ultimately melt during the defrost cycle will overwhelm the small reservoir, and you will end up with water on the floor. It is an easily fixed problem, but I don't consider it a flaw given that I'm using this fridge for something other than its intended purpose. If you were just refrigerating beverages, there would be nowhere near as much ice build up, and the reservoir would suffice.
The other necessary modification is to add a small electronics / PC cooling fan that sits on the back of the top rack and runs continuously to provide air circulation and appropriate drying of the meat. All I did was find one on Amazon for about $25, cut the power cord near the plug end, and ran the power cord through the small defrost drain in the back of the fridge, which exits immediately above the reservoir previously mentioned. The wire runs laterally over the side of this reservoir, and does not interfere with the function of the drain. I then simply rewired the plug to the cord once it was passed through the drain, using wire nuts and electrical tape. This fan runs continuously and provides the necessary air movement for dry aging. While the refrigerator does have a built-in fan near the light, I don't believe it runs continuously, and likely does not provide enough airflow on its own.
Considering that the most basic purpose-built dry aging fridges cost around $1500, this is a much more cost effective method for small scale home use. I personally do not think that built in humidity control or a UV light will make any substantial difference in the quality of dry aged meat in the 30 to 60 day range, and are mainly gimmicks that are used to make you think that the purpose built units are worth exorbitant prices. Salt blocks are also essentially pointless, but they won't hurt, so go for it if it makes you feel better. I am a physician with a background in microbiology before I went to medical school, so I'm not just making uninformed statements.
Dry aging can be done successfully at home with great results. Buy choice or prime grade ribeye primals, preferably bone-in with lots of remaining outer fat, at least 10 pounds each, place directly on the wire racks in this dedicated fridge, monitor the temperature, provide constant air flow, and be patient. 45 days is the sweet spot. Anything less than 30 days will not be worth your time. Over 60 gets too strong of a flavor for most people. Trim off the dried outer pellicle and enjoy.
Cheers!
