Wine Fridge Recommendations?

[Brian Swanson]

Hi Guys,
I live in a 2 bedroom apartment in Manhattan. I have an Avanti wine fridge that is starting to crap out. It holds about 40 bottles (that's the capacity listed, but it actually holds a lot less). It's a little over 5 years old. I'm looking to replace it with something a bit higher quality, but I don't want to spend any more than $1K. In fact, less than $1K would be preferable. I'm flexible with the amount of bottles it can hold, although I don't want anything that holds less than 30 bottles. Any make / models you can suggest would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

[Brian Tuite]

Hi Guys,
I'm looking to replace it with something a bit higher quality, but I don't want to spend any more than $1K. In fact, less than $1K would be preferable.

Good luck with that. Tough call.

[Freek S u i j v e r]

Go for second hand, replace the filters.

[KristiDavis]

Second hand is always a good idea, you can start looking on Craigslist for various models.

[Brian Swanson]

Second hand is always a good idea, you can start looking on Craigslist for various models.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I will definitely check out Craigslist. I am also looking at the following fridges from Wine Enthusiast - any thoughts on any of these (positive or negative)?

N'FINITY 23 Compact Two-Temp Wine Cellar ($549 with free shipping)

Wine Enthusiast Silent 28 Bottle Touchscreen Wine Fridge ($329 with free shipping)

VinoView Silent 35 Bottle Wine Display Fridge ($359 with free shipping)

[Jay Miller]

My Avanti 34 bottle unit has been going strong for 13 years now so that's what I would have recommended.. Looks like the current models have more electronics though (touchpad instead of dial) so there are more possible points of failure.

[Otto Dobre]

Brian, I have a number of wine cellars in my garage and I would highly recommend the Noreseman 106. Fantastic cellars, extremely quiet, good looking too.

[drsugarman]

I bought a 35 bottle Danby for $199 from 67wine in Manhattan when I moved here 2 years ago ... delivery was free in the city. I'm happy and it actually holds 35 burgundy bottles. Also swing by Costco ... they have an awesome return policy if there's issues even years down the road.

[Michael Martin]

Pretty happy with this. 50 or so will fit, no vibration, quiet and keeps consistant temp.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Kit ... ogId=10053

[Ethan Abraham]

Has anyone ever used this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Kit ... ogId=10053
for $150 it seems like it's hard for it not to be worth the money.

[David White]

Brian: Check craigslist religiously -- as Eurocaves do pop up. I got a Eurocave Comfort 266 (which retails for $2500) with a bunch of rollout shelves for about $1500. And I've been extremely pleased with the purchase.

[Audrey C]

If you have a Costco membership, they have a few different models to select from in your price range

http://www.costco.com/Common/Search.asp ... or&topnav=

[Chris Caldwell]

Was wondering if there are certain name brands you would recommend...theres so many to decide between...

[Kim Caldwell]

Pretty happy with this. 50 or so will fit, no vibration, quiet and keeps consistant temp.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Kit ... ogId=10053

Michael - Other than the shelves, this looks a whole lot like the GE Monogram unit I have in my kitchen,which happens to sell for more than double the price. Think I'll check it out. :)

[M Kelly]

Perhaps someone can correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding was that ALL of these <1k things are basically small refrigerators and lack any special details that would make them any different from a fridge, and for this reason one "needs" to buy a Eurocave, Dometic, etc etc if you want a "cellar." If so, and you are storing for short term, why not just put the wine in the fridge and spare the expense? Or do it right, and buy the smallest Eurocave on the market?

[Michael Martin]

Perhaps someone can correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding was that ALL of these <1k things are basically small refrigerators and lack any special details that would make them any different from a fridge, and for this reason one "needs" to buy a Eurocave, Dometic, etc etc if you want a "cellar." If so, and you are storing for short term, why not just put the wine in the fridge and spare the expense? Or do it right, and buy the smallest Eurocave on the market?

I think it boils down to what someone wants. I don't have the room for short term storage in the fridge, nor would I want to expose long term storage to the vibration or temp extremes of a fridge. I like knowing that the wines I enjoy drinking both long term or short term are stored ideally and away from the leftover pizza.

[M Kelly]

Perhaps someone can correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding was that ALL of these <1k things are basically small refrigerators and lack any special details that would make them any different from a fridge, and for this reason one "needs" to buy a Eurocave, Dometic, etc etc if you want a "cellar." If so, and you are storing for short term, why not just put the wine in the fridge and spare the expense? Or do it right, and buy the smallest Eurocave on the market?

I think it boils down to what someone wants. I don't have the room for short term storage in the fridge, nor would I want to expose long term storage to the vibration or temp extremes of a fridge. I like knowing that the wines I enjoy drinking both long term or short term are stored ideally and away from the leftover pizza.

Thanks, Michael. I guess that's what puzzles me. They aren't stored ideally in these less pricey fridges. If it's space, then I get it, but other than that, I don't get why one would buy one. Part of my personality, but I'd save until I can have the small Eurocave before spending the money on one of the mini-fridges from home depot dressed up like a wine cellar, when it's not. The temp variations are probably the same and I don't buy into the vibration stuff (but that's for another thread!)

MK

[Randy Bowman (Online)]

Pretty happy with this. 50 or so will fit, no vibration, quiet and keeps consistant temp.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Kit ... ogId=10053

Michael - Other than the shelves, this looks a whole lot like the GE Monogram unit I have in my kitchen,which happens to sell for more than double the price. Think I'll check it out. :)

We bought two of them on sale for 299 two and a half years ago. One burned out six months ago. The same unit, under the name Avanti (I think), was on sale at Home Depot for $ 149.00 during the 1st week of December. Wish I had made there and got one. $149 replacement is cheaper than a $ 210 repair.

PS. the U-line 52 bottle unit we have at the house is now old enough to vote. 18 years without a problem.

[Michael Martin]

[quote="
Thanks, Michael. I guess that's what puzzles me. They aren't stored ideally in these less pricey fridges. If it's space, then I get it, but other than that, I don't get why one would buy one. Part of my personality, but I'd save until I can have the small Eurocave before spending the money on one of the mini-fridges from home depot dressed up like a wine cellar, when it's not. The temp variations are probably the same and I don't buy into the vibration stuff (but that's for another thread!)

MK[/quote]
I think you're throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I agree that most of the sub $500 units are basically "beverage coolers", but with a little research, you can find some that present good long term storage options. I've been very happy with mine. It has served me well to the point of considering adding a second one.

[jerryw]

I used to work with IWA and we sold a varity of brands. Although some are not well insulatred and indeed do not hold the capacity that they claim...all efficiently store the wines at 55-60F. I always liked the Danby units and the Avanti is reliable. Both should be under $1K depending on the brand and knobs/whistles.

[Chris Caldwell]

whats your opinion on this one from Best Buy...seems to have good reviews for 500 bucks

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/GE+-+Profil ... Id=5435111

[Kim Caldwell]

FWIW, I keep a wet sponge in a small dish of water in the smaller kitchen unit to increase the humidity. It dries up so I suspect its doing something.

Truthfully, I'm not sure the Eurocave does anything more to control humidity. It seems to follow the ambient humidity in my basement. I use the little beads in the bottom in the winter - but remove them in the summer when the humidity is high.

[N. Justl]

My 42ish bottle Frigidaire gave out last night after only 1.25 years. Looking for an affordable replacement, and I see some good recommendations in this thread, but was curious about feedback on these brands:

Danby
Wine Enthusiast
Avanti

Those are the brands that seem to be similar in price and capacity (but hopefully more durable) as the Frigidaire. If there are any others, I would love to learn about them.

Thanks,
Nick

[loren.grossman]

I just bought the NFinity 170 bottle (yeah right) unit from Wine Enthusiast through Costco. $1400, delivered. Hold between 135-150 bottles. Runs quiet and looks very nice. I ran out of room in my regular wine cellar and now am using this as my on deck circle.

[N. Justl]

This may be a silly question, but I just wanted to check since y'all have much more experience with wine fridges than do I.

Is it okay to use a wine fridge that is designed to be "built in" as a freestanding unit? Is the only difference that it vents from the front? I just wanted to make sure before I buy a unit, and am unhappy with it because I am not using it as intended.

Here is a link to the unit I'm considering purchasing and using as a freestanding unit since my other fridge just burned out.
http://www.homedepot.com/Vissani/h_d1/N ... ogId=10053

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

[N. Justl]

Bump for advice

[Poppy Davis]

The unit you're looking at says: "Suitable for built-in or freestanding installation", so you should be just fine. The reviews are hit and miss, so it looks like they have some lemons, but Home Depot is good on returns.

[N. Justl]

The unit you're looking at says: "Suitable for built-in or freestanding installation", so you should be just fine. The reviews are hit and miss, so it looks like they have some lemons, but Home Depot is good on returns.

Thank you very much for the response. In store, they push it as a "built-in" unit, so I just wanted to double check with the WB'ers, but you and the website are probably more accurate. It seems that all units with this bottle capacity and price range have mixed reviews, so it's tough to pick one out based on reviews alone. That is good info to know about Home Depot returns though.

[David Kaufman]

My Whirlpool 35-bottle unit just went down yesterday. Ran over to Costco and picked up a $200 VinoTemp to use in the interim (thankfully they have a generous return policy). Debating whether or not to go used on a higher-end model via craigslist or to spend about a grand on a 166-bottle Avanti.

There is an interesting Trantherm Ermitage unit for sale locally. Seller says it is about 6-7 years old and hasn't been run in about 2 years. Wondering if anyone has any longevity estimates for such a unit.

[M Hudson]

Pretty happy with this. 50 or so will fit, no vibration, quiet and keeps consistant temp.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Kit ... ogId=10053" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

+1

good friend of mine has two of these and been going strong for two years now...and honestly at that price and size, they are more or less disposable. If I got 5 years out of it, I would be more than happy.