The first thing that you will notice when opening up this product is an incredible job of packing. Double Cardboard box with foam corners in-between the boxes. so you know your product is coming from a high quality facility.
onto the product:
Pros:
1. Great Sturdy Design
2. Slim Profile - only takes about a inch more on each side
3. Strong Suction door
4. Aluminum Solid Handle
5. Blue LED as appose to Light Bulbs
6. Touch Controls
7. Easy to read BLUE LED Thermostat
8. Glass Door
9. Pull Out Shelves
10. Extra Space on top Shelf for FAT bottles
CONS:
1. No Lock
I chose this wine cooler because the reviews seemed to be really favorable (I read the review that 'the dual zone didn't work', but without specifics this review is worthless). I ordered this non-Amazon Prime cooler on Oct 1, was told the expected delivery was between Oct 9 and 12, but I saw the Fedex truck pull up the next day, on Oct 2, and deliver my cooler????!!!! Wow, I was impressed. The packaging was excellent, the unit was easily set up and leveling was a cinch. I 'thought' I had a problem with missing hardware, the two screws for the door handle, but after looking everywhere, finally noticed them poking out in the door, captured by the door seal...not a big deal, but maybe a small note in the instructions would help. It took overnight to get to the lowest temperature it would achieve...the instructions say 18 degrees below room temp, and it's pretty close. I did call Customer Support to ask them if I should let the cooler sit for awhile before plugging it in (fyi - got to an english-speaking person IMMEDIATELY!!!)...a refrigeration device with a compressor DOES need to sit for a bit and let lubricants go where they're supposed to, but this is a thermoelectric unit, and while it won't get as cold as a compressor-type cooler, you can just unbox this baby and plug it in. So far so good...only 1 day with my new cooler, will update review if I have problems, but the bottles are chilling in a nice unit and overall the coooler seems robust and well-designed and well-packaged for the price, and the accessible customer support deserves a mention. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home and pulling a good chilled bottle of wine out of my new cooler....
This is a great and beautiful wine fridge. I've only had it for a week now but so far I'm very happy with it. For those complaining about the temps, it will always depend on the outside temp where you have placed the fridge. And this will especially affect the top compartment. I have it set for 48 (top) and 56 (bottom) each 4 degrees higher than the lowest temp that can reach, this took approx. 4 hours. I have my apt. always at 77 plus I live in FL (just helping my electric bill), therefore my top temp sometimes varies from 49-50 and my bottom one is kept at my desired temp of 56. Make sure not to open your fridge's door too often as the temp rises fast. I've never owned one before so not sure what to compare the sound it makes to, but the motor runs constantly very quiet, you can still hear it though as it is a fridge And not a laptop/computer. Overall I definitely recommend this wine fridge, the blue LED lights just makes it even fancier, and it's black/stainless steel color is even more perfect, as I'm obsessed with that color combo and everything in my apt. is like that, even my electric toothbrush is black/stainless! If you're wondering, that's an electric wine bottle opener on top (black/stainless) of course.
I bought this cooler for our anniversary for my husband. It meets all the expectations of all the other positive reviews I read. Quiet,
nice looking, doen't take up too much space. It reached the temperatures we wanted overnight. The blue light has one in top and bottom which makes it look very classy. Very happy with the purchas so far. I sat it right next to my small buffet in the eating area.
First one I got, the box and cooler were damaged. It was a blessing in disguise. I returned it and when I went to reorder it it was 40 bucks cheaper. I love the blue lights. Cools down fast. Air coming from fans is cool when running so not much heats is produced. Because of that when I build cabinets around it I'm only leaving a 1 inch gap for the air intake and more space for back. Fans are fairly quite. Comes with six racks, but there is room and rails for another rack at the bottom. Don't understand why it didn't include a seventh rack.
Feature Product
- 21 Bottle Capacity: Compact, 21 bottle storage, perfect for red and white wines.
- Cooling System: Quiet and vibration free thermoelectric cooling system allows you to set the temperature as low as 44 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 64 degrees Fahrenheit and protect sediment.
- Noise level: 25 decibels. Digital Display: Quickly monitor and set temperatures in both temperature zones with ease using the push button controls mounted on the door frame.
- Interior LED Lighting: Cool blue LED lighting is included to better illuminate your collection.
- Adjustable Shelves: 6 chrome plated wire shelves pull out to make for easy bottle loading when needed.
Description
Avalon Bay AB-WINE21DS Dual Zone Wine Cooler The Avalon Bay AB-WINE21DS Dual Zone Wine Cooler is the perfect wine storage solution. This sleek, black cooler can hold up to 21 bottles of wine and has a dual zone cooling system that lets you to store red and white wine together in the same unit. Its compact design makes it easy to store and the thermoelectric cooling system keepsyour wine will remain perfectly chilled. The cooler even comes with an elegant, blue LED light to showcase your collection. Special Features Include 21 Bottle Capacity Dual Cooling Zones Silent Thermoelectric Cooling System Freestanding 6 Removable Chrome Wine Racks Blue LED Light 21 Bottle Capacity The Avalon Bay AB-WINE21DS can hold up to 21 standard size wine bottles. It comes with six chrome wine racks that slide out in order to give you quick access to your wine. Each rack can be completely removed in order to make room for larger bottles. Dual Wine Storage Zones The AB-WINE21DS has two wine storage zones, so you can store red and white wine together in the same unit. The upper zone can be set for 44°-64°F, while the bottom zone can be set for 51°-64°F. The temperatures in each zone are controlled by independent thermostats that pipe in cold air as needed to bring out and preserve the flavor, aromas, and structure of your wine. Thermoelectric Cooling System The AB-WINE21DS is powered by a thermoelectric cooling system that is silent and vibration free. Protected by thick insulation and a double pane glass door, it keeps your wine safe from heat and other disturbances. Easy Operation The AB-WINE21DS is operated using a set of easy-to-use push button controls at the top of the unit. The controls let you adjust the temperature in each zone up or down to their ideal level. Temperatures are tracked and monitored with two LED displays at the top of the unit. Compact Design The AB-WINE21DS is 21.63 inches long, 13.63 inches wide, and 31.63 inches high, so it's easy to fit into anywhere: your kitchen, den, dining room, living room, or home bar. Elegant Style The AB-WINE21DS has a sleek, black wine cabinet offset with a stainless steel trim around the door. It comes with two blue LED lights at the top of each cooling zone that transform the cooler into a stylish display.
After "shopping around" and reading all the reviews concerning this wine cooler I finally took a chance and bought it. I am absolutely delighted with it. It is slim, sleek, yet hold 27 bottles, and had no problem to fit all my bottles, except for the champagne bottles, but since the shelves are removable, room can be made to accommodate them. And contrary to the comments made by some reviewers, there is no vibration at all, and this cooler is absolutely quiet. I heard a humming noise -and it was still quieter than the tower fan I have in the kitchen- when I first plugged in the cooler, but by the next day, when it reached the temperatures I had set it was so quiet I wondered if the cooler was actually working. For the following next days I opened the door now and then to make sure that the bottles were cold because I couldn't hear any thing! So, so far so good. If this cooler keeps working as quietly as it does now I plan to order another one.
This is my first wine fridge. I didn't have a lot of room for one, so I was looking for a unit that could store around 20 bottles in a compact size. Dual zone wasn't that important, as 90% of my wines are red and I'm not too concerned about long term storage of my whites. This unit appeared to fit my needs so I decided to give it a go. I couldn't be more pleased.
First off, setup is a breeze. Just a few steps to install the racks and door handle and you're good to go. The LED temperature display is very handy at showing the temperature level. And adjusting that temperature is as easy as selecting up and down arrows. So overall use is simple and intuitive.
I have this unit running in my downstairs daylight basement, so noise it not a concern at all. However, when it does run (which is minimal) it's not loud at all, sure you can hear it, but it's just a slight hum. But that's when it's running at all. I have to say this unit does an amazing job at keeping and holding its pre-set temperature for a long time. I have both zones set to 55 degrees and I can't remember the last time I actually heard the unit kick on, yet the temperature is maintaining properly. I've tested bottles coming straight out of the fridge, and they range within +/- 1.5 degrees of the desired temperature. The last bottle I opened straight out of the fridge, which was being stored on the bottom rack of the upper section came out at 56.1 degrees. That's completely fine by me. Maybe this unit would have to work harder in a warmer environment such as a kitchen in a major living area, but being in our basement, which is typically 5-10 degrees cooler than the upper living area of our house, doesn't tax this unit much at all. When we spend a lot of time downstairs we will turn on the fireplace and warm it up, but again the unit still doesn't need to run much to hold its temperature.
As for bottle room, it can be a bit tricky especially for Pino bottles with the larger diameters. I was able to get 3 Pino bottles in the very bottom shelf, but I had to alternate their direction, with the middle bottle pointing to the back of the fridge. May not be aesthetically pleasing, but it works and I'm happy with it. Normal wine bottles fit in this unit just fine. It's cramped and inserting or pulling out a bottle will rub against the rack above it, but I ok with that as I wanted a compact unit, and this one wastes no space!
Although I'm not using the dual zone for different temperatures, I did test that during the first week of ownership and the dual zone did work, maintaining a 5 degree colder zone at the top than the bottom. So if you're looking for dual zone it should work for you.
Overall I'm extremely satisfied with this unit. It lets me store my most precious wines without the worry of poor aging and the worry they will go bad. The unit is quiet, does an outstanding job of holding its temperature and not having to work hard to maintain it. I didn't want to break the bank, but wanted to put a little money into my wine investment and this unit fit that perfectly. So far 2 months of ownership and no complaints.
I did quite a bit of research and reading reviews prior to purchasing this wine cooler. I found that Avalon Bay had more positive reviews than any other one I looked at. So I made the purchase and I am so glad I did. The cooler arrived on the first estimated day and was so easy to assemble. Once we set the temperatures it cooled off pretty quickly. It's also very quiet, I don't even hear it running at all. I have only had this a few days and will update if anything changes, but so far I love it. It looks awesome sitting in the corner beside our bar and I can't wait to entertain and show it off!
UPDATE: When the weather warmed up last week and we had not turned on the air in the house yet, the upper level did not cool to the temperature it was set at. I have it set at 45 and it wouldn't cool below 50. We turned on the air the next day and it cooled right off. It should not be kept in a warm room or it will not cool properly. However it has held the temperature since I got it except that one day the house was warmer than normal and once the house cooled off, it worked great again. I still love it!
UPDATE #2: The fan started making a horrible noise just under a year after I bought it. I did the troubleshooting and nothing worked. I finally thought maybe a "hard restart" would work as a last resort before I contacted Avalon Bay for a replacement since I was still under warranty. I removed the wine and unplugged it for 24 hours. I plugged it back in and it has ran quietly ever since. That was about 5 months ago. I still love it and it is still cooling properly.
I've had this wine cooler for a few days now, and it seems to be working just fine. 27 bottles should be more than enough capacity to suit us. We tend to drink a lot more white and dessert wines than we do reds, so I have the bottom section set a little cooler for those, and use the top part for reds. I like that the lights for each zone can also be turned off independently. I see that some people have complained about excessive noise from this unit. I have a bar area that has a couple mini-fridges, standalone ice maker, and this wine cooler, and I have found that most noise complaints with these types of appliances are often a result of not being level. Once this unit was leveled, I found it to be the quietest cooling appliance we have, I had to unplug everything else to really listen to it. When it is actively cooling, it is a low hum, and when it is not cooling you can barely hear it if you are right next to it.
The reviews were not great on this fridge, but so far for us it has worked great. We have it in a cabinet that isn't to closed off and it seems to be doing fine.It does put off a lot of heat, so I am not sure how much we will like it this summer. It does seem to keep a steady temperature. It also looks great in my kitchen and I love the lighting.
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