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Perfect for storing my wine
I have had this cooler for a couple of months now, and it has worked great. The temperature stays consistent. It's relatively quiet (minor compressor noise when it turns on). And depending on the shapes of the bottle, you can fit more than 30 bottles in - I think I have 38 in there. It is a bit more attractive in real life than in the photo here on the site. A must for any wine enthusiast! I've had this bad boy for a year now and I love it. It's been through two moves in that year, and it's still running strong. The cons: First, yes - there's a slight hum and gurgling every now and then. If you have a regular fridge right now, you'll be fine with the noise output of this unit. Second, and this is hardly a con, the AIR temperature (and therefore the temp on the display) does fluctuate sometimes up to 7 degrees. That's simply a reality of any device that changes temperature of the air. Since we're using this for wine (a fluid) it doesn't really matter as long as the average temperature is stable. It takes more time and energy to change the temperature of a fluid than it does the air surrounding it, so the wine will remain a relatively constant temperature. The pros: 30 bottles!!! That is the maximum of any unit I was looking at and I am sure glad I went with it. Most wine enthusiasts will say that they quickly grow their collection to the limit of their space and budget and I am no exception. I went from keeping maybe two bottles on hand to having this thing stocked at all times. You'll rarely find less than two cases at my home these days, and the cellar helps keep that selection populated and ready to drink. My mother got an 8-bottle fridge this year, which I suppose works for her, but I like to have 8 KINDS of wine on hand, usually a few bottles of each, so I am better off with more space. The display with curved glass and light inside really shows off the contents - good stuff! Another reviewer asked how to manually adjust the thermostat - hold down the + and - buttons together until the display starts blinking. Then press + or - to the desired temperature then press SET to confirm. That's really all the info needed from the missing manual. It does also say it's warmer at the top than the bottom, as one would expect. I've measured a temperature difference of 5 degrees at most, but that's fine. I keep reds up top and whites at the bottom. That way red wines are about 55 degrees, white wines about 50, so it takes only a short time to chill a white wine to drinking temperature. So far so good I read the other reviews and ended up buying the wine cooler at Lowes, which was cheaper than anywhere else I had looked. It was the last model at Lowes and I bought the one on display for 30% the retail price of $268, so am very happy with the price. The only problem is that it did not come with the key to the lock, not a big concern for me.. But also it did not come with the owner's manual which is a bit of a bummer. Anyone know where I can find one or how I use the manual controls to set the temp manually rather than the programmed temps for red or white? Buy cheaper elsewhere!! I give it 4-stars because so far it seems to work like it says it's supposed to. It's very attractive with the two-tone paneling & smokey glass and is a good size. Though, it's not a wine frige with all the bells & wistles. We did a decent amount of research in advance and this seemed perfect for what we want it for ... the great price didn't hurt, either! As of yet, I have absolutely no complaints about noise; There's virtually none to speak of. Some reviewers comented on the lousy lock. Admittedly, I don't think it won't keep a monkey out, but we questioned the real need for a lock ... I don't lock my fridge today & up to now, I've never had my wine somewhere that kids cannot reach it; have you? I'd be more worried about locking up a liquer cabinet than a wine fridge ... but that's just 1 persons opnion. It appears Amazon is offering this item for a relatively good price (compared to other online distributors), however you can get it for UNDER $300 (including taxes) at Lowes Home Improvement and you don't have to worry about shipping costs. They don't sell it through their website, but as of today they have it in the stores. found it at lowes 70.00 cheaper I am looking for a wine cooler and chose this one for the reviews and looks. Found it 70.00 less at lowes and told amazon about it. Never received a response. I have bee ordering from them for a long time and they NEVER reply to my questions. I guess they have so much business that they do not care about 1 customer. I do not think I will order from them anymore. | |
