Help with buying a wine refrig.

[tonyportale]

Hello,
I need to get a wine refrigerator asap. I don't necessarily need dual zone but I need something in the 50 - 75 bottle range that can be used both undercounter or stand alone. Does anyone have something similar and / or recommend a unit?
I bottle my wine mostly in Cabernet style bottles. I have a few Pinot Noir style bottles.

Thank you for you help
Tony

 

[Startwining]

I'm in the same boat as you. I find it extremely difficult since there isn't many places in my location that actually carry them in store.. I hate buying something, especially for what $$ wine fridges go for without seeing it first.

Hopefully someone will chime in, however in the mean time I'll keep you updated on anything I find.

 

[Runningwolf]

I see them at Home Depot and Lowes all the time. I would look there and write down the brands they have then come home and pull them up on Amazon and check the ratings. After you make a decision check the internet for the best price and print it out. Both of these guys will match the internet price. I prefer Lowes for appliances. Incidently their warrenty packages are so cheap at these two places I always get them. Most all repair guys will also tell you to always buy them due to all the electronic parts in appliances now a days. I just bought a range and dishwasher and saved about $900 between the two of them by matching internet prices.

 

[ibglowin]

I am going to add my $0.02 here.

I really really would like a 48 bottle wine fridge but have never bought one as the reviews wherever you buy one of these guys are all the same. HORRIBLE!

We were just at Lowes and they had a beautiful Fridigare wine fridge with wood shelves for $399. If you look at the online reviews there are 5 reviews and an average of 1STAR.....

Its not much better if you buy a really expensive unit either!!!!!!

I am still looking but for now I am happy with a small window unit in my "cellar" that keeps stuff at 65 degrees in the Summer and 55 degrees for the other 6 months.....

If anyone finds a decent fridge at a decent price let me know! I would like to put one in the house at some point but for now I am staying with what I have.

I can live with the 65 degrees for a few months. The rest if the year its perfect with little or next to no cooling.

 

[Redtrk]

What I do with a lot of the things I buy is search for them on Amazon.com and read the reviews. You might consider giving this a try. BTW my wife's wine fridge is a shelf I made to go above the keg in my beer tap fridge.

 

[Runningwolf]

I am going to add my $0.02 here.

I really really would like a 48 bottle wine fridge but have never bought one as the reviews wherever you buy one of these guys are all the same. HORRIBLE!

We were just at Lowes and they had a beautiful Fridigare wine fridge with wood shelves for $399. If you look at the online reviews there are 5 reviews and an average of 1STAR.....

Its not much better if you buy a really expensive unit either!!!!!!

I am still looking but for now I am happy with a small window unit in my "cellar" that keeps stuff at 65 degrees in the Summer and 55 degrees for the other 6 months.....

If anyone finds a decent fridge at a decent price let me know! I would like to put one in the house at some point but for now I am staying with what I have.

I can live with the 65 degrees for a few months. The rest if the year its perfect with little or next to no cooling.

Mike I have a two zone (double compressor) wine fridge I won from Home Depot. I would not give it a high rating either. It is good enough for what I want which is just to have a supply of chilled wine. I really believe if you just bite the bullet and buy one that looks good to you, you'll be happy if you're not expecting it to knock your socks off.

I will say it work a lot better then the kegerator I have as far as keeping a constant temp.

What I do with a lot of the things I buy is search for them on Amazon.com and read the reviews. You might consider giving this a try. BTW my wife's wine fridge is a shelf I made to go above the keg in my beer tap fridge.

I've heard that some where before also.

 

[cindy]

I got mine off craigslist, its in new condition and holds 55 bottles for 100 bucks.

 

[Flem]

I got mine off craigslist, its in new condition and holds 55 bottles for 100 bucks.

That sounds like a great score!

 

[BobF]

I bought this one from lowes during an appliance sale. I paid 160 or there abouts. I've had it for a while. It does what I want very well. It uses Peltier cooling - no compressor, so it's quiet. Sometimes I prechill in a regular frig b/c it does take a while to everything to temp when it starts out empty. I keep the top (10) at 55 and the bottom (8) at 46. 46 is as low as it goes.

Ratings? It shows less than 4 average. I would rate it higher. It keeps wine at the temp I want. I'm not sure what else it should be doing!

http://www.lowes.com/pd_326326-4722...5&Ntt=wine+cooler&pl=1&currentURL=&facetInfo=

 

[Boatboy24]

I have a 50 bottle fridge I bought at Home Depot about six years ago. Is it high end? NOPE! I paid about $225, IIRC. No sliding wood shelves, or anything else fancy. One zone and that's it. Glass door with a light inside. It works fine for me - I have no complaints. I could have spent 6 or 8 hundred dollars on a nicer fridge with similar capacity, but I don't see the need unless you're using it for long term storage.

 

[cindy]

craiglist special the day I got it, its up and running now and works great so why pay retail? I also bought an extra regular fridge off craigslist sitting next to the wine cooler for 75 bucks I plan to change the thermostat on it and turn it into a wine cooler as well.

good link
http://www.practicalhacks.com/2012/03/12/convert-a-standard-refrigerator-into-a-wine-refrigerator/

 

[Sirs]

seems like you could get a regular fridge and redo the thermostat. When I ever get around to getting one that's probably what I'll do, only add extra rack to put the wine on instead of the regular ones. I'd probably get one of the older types too not the newer ones with all the odd shelve sizes in them

 

[cindy]

thats exactly what I was talking about Sirs the good link has great ideas.....