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I'd prefer a stand alone unit. When I look for reviews on line it seems to me that unless you spend $10,000 on a Viking or some such the units just don't seem to last more than a couple of years. I only need storage for 2 or 3 cases and need something that runs quietly since it'll be in either the kitchen or my study. The upper limit of my budget is around $500.
Be careful with wine coolers/fridges. Know in advance what you're going to be using it for and what temperature you want to maintain.
A wine *refrigerator* is just that; a small fridge, usually with an adjustable thermostat and a single zone. If you enjoy white wines of whatever sort, this is most likely what you want. More advanced and costly versions may have zoned sections, where different temperatures can be set; this is ideal if you enjoy a variety of wines that are best served at varying temps.
A wine *cooler,* OTOH, can be deceptive. Often, they're small (maybe the size of a microwave) but don't actually *refrigerate* and don't allow you to set a specific temperature. Coolers usually operate on the Peltier Effect, a thermoelectric phenomenon that allows for the generation or dissipation of heat. Peltier Effect coolers will be 15-20 degrees cooler inside than outside, but you usually won't be able to set a specific temp and expect it to be maintained in such a cooler.
In my experience, you'll get what you pay for with wine coolers and fridges.
Last edited by Tuna Meowt; 10-11-2013 at 08:27 AM..
Reason: speeling errur
Be careful with wine coolers/fridges. Know in advance what you're going to be using it for and what temperature you want to maintain.
A wine *refrigerator* is just that; a small fridge, usually with an adjustable thermostat and a single zone. If you enjoy white wines of whatever sort, this is most likely what you want. More advanced and costly versions may have zoned sections, where different temperatures can be set; this is ideal if you enjoy a variety of wines that are best served at varying temps.
A wine *cooler,* OTOH, can be deceptive. Often, they're small (maybe the size of a microwave) but don't actually *refrigerate* and don't allow you to set a specific temperature. Coolers usually operate on the Peltier Effect, a thermoelectric phenomenon that allows for the generation of dissipation of heat. Peltier Effect coolers will be 15-20 degrees cooler inside than outside, but you usually won't be able to set a specific temp and expect it to be maintained in such a cooler.
In my experience, you'll get what you pay for with wine coolers and fridges.
I like whites (mainly German and Italian) and my wife prefers oaky reds with a lot of body. We made a few bad choices with those cheap wine coolers before a co-worker clued me in. IMO, the zoned fridges are the way to go.
This isn't the case with us, but if you have any valuable or collectible wines and you plan to store them in the fridge, you might want to consult an electrician about installing an uninterruptible power supply on a dedicated circuit, just for the wine fridge. A hot summer day and a power outage could certainly do some damage to even a modest wine collection!
Edited to add: I don't drink any more for medical reasons, but we maintain the wines in the fridge for guests. It's down in the basement, just a flight of stairs away from our second living room (which contains the bar).
I like whites (mainly German and Italian) and my wife prefers oaky reds with a lot of body. We made a few bad choices with those cheap wine coolers before a co-worker clued me in. IMO, the zoned fridges are the way to go.
This isn't the case with us, but if you have any valuable or collectible wines and you plan to store them in the fridge, you might want to consult an electrician about installing an uninterruptible power supply on a dedicated circuit, just for the wine fridge. A hot summer day and a power outage could certainly do some damage to even a modest wine collection!
Edited to add: I don't drink any more for medical reasons, but we maintain the wines in the fridge for guests. It's down in the basement, just a flight of stairs away from our second living room (which contains the bar).
One choice we have yet to make is whether the fridge will be all appliance or mostly appliance and part furniture, if you know what I mean. Do we get black or stainless steel? French doors or no? And so on.
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