Having recently acquired a Wine Enthusiast Silent 21 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator with Curved Doors and since I already own the Whynter WC-241, I was excited by the prospect of a head to head comparison cooler review in the same price/feature bracket. So what I'll do is do a side by side comparison based on product features and then provide an overall declaration.
====Storage Capacity====
Right out of the Gates, the Whynter comes out swinging with an extra 3 bottle advertised capacity, while the WE Silent 21 clocks in a bit lower. WE silent 21 also has a much larger lower deck which is good if you have more white than red wines or vice versa. The steel rack inserts on the Whynter do not accommodate larger bottles, so I removed a few, and I also experimented with using the bottom section for a beer cellar for my 700 ml craft beer bottles. Stored upright, I was able to fit 15 bottles below for an overall storage capacity in the Whynter of 27.
Winner: Whynter
====Design Features====
The Whynter is fairly boxy and slightly larger (about 1" on all dimensions) with attractive blue LED temperature indicators and touch control. The WE Silent 21 features a curved case design and more flexible storage layouts. WE Silent 21 has similar indicators and also includes the benefit of interior LED lights to help you navigate your personal wine cellar. I think the industrial designers over at WE paid a bit more attention to those little details which pushed it over the edge for me.
Winner: Wine Enthusiast
====Value====
At about $80 less with more configuration options, slightly wider temperature range, and ultimately more capacity the Whynter comes out ahead as the right buy unless aesthetics and product design are a consideration...ie: if you're storing this in a prominent place or need the extra LED interior lighting.
====Temp Consistency & Energy Use====
I monitored both over a 24 hour period with an indoor ambient temperature swing between 59 degrees in the morning and 85 degrees in the house during the hottest part of the day. I noticed no fluctuation in either. Both claim 120 Volt usage, but I haven't run extensive energy efficiency tests on both units. Perhaps to come later.
Winner: TIE
====Noise/Sound====
Both are fairly quiet; the Whynter operates at a low periodic hum, while the WE Silent 21 is not so silent. Like other reviewers I did notice some occasional clicking/whirring sounds.
Winner: Whynter
Bottom line: The WE Silent 21 is nice, and certainly prettier, but the real value lies with the Whynter which provides a bit more bang for the buck, or as we in the wine world say, "QPR" (quality price ratio).
Very happy after 30 days of use with the wine chiller filled about 3/4 full. It works better than expected with small consistent deviation from set temperatures. The convenience of separately adjustable temperatures between the compartments is handy for when we go from having a few whites to all reds. The unit did suffer some dents during shipping. Four stars are for unit’s performance and sharp modern look. I dinged the packaging in separate comments to Amazon which should really go to the manufacturer.
Details on performance: The wine chiller works quite well. It is installed with more than recommended clearance on the sides and back. Used a thermometer to determine top temperature runs about 2 deg cooler than set (consistently down to 55) and bottom temperature is about 4 deg cooler than set (consistently down to about 52). I have about a 10 deg difference between the top and bottom compartments and the unit is holding this difference. Not all the shelves are exactly the same height so slightly larger bottles fit easily on the top shelf of each compartment. There is about 3/4" more room on the top shelf in the top compartment and about 1/4" more room on the top shelf in the bottom compartment.
Details on shipping woes: On arrival the interior packaging had deformed the door seal across the middle shelf. Heated this with a hair dryer and it now seals perfectly. The box looked like it had some normal wear and tear, some abrasions, one cut that went into but not through underlying styrafoam corner. Inside however there was significant dent on the right rear side and the entire back panel looked slightly askew with one screw hole being torn to the point that it looked like the screw was missing. It was still there under the back plate with now a slightly larger screw hole. Choosing to live with cosmetic issues given unit's placement. It is working quite well.
This wine frog seems to work well. I particularly like the dual zones for white and red wines. The temperature seems to keep stable (it is summer and super hot right now, so this is a plus). The back of the fridge had a little ding causing the back corner to not be flush with the rest of the body - likely happened in delivery. I'm not particularly concerned about that, it works well and is an attractive addition to my decor.
The first machine had a faulty dual control, so had to be returned. The second one works fine. It has narrow bottle slots compared to the pricier units my friends have built-in. But for the money and convenience and good looks, this is a fine choice.
Perfect for us. Reasonably priced, very quiet and holds temperature in both red and white sections.
Feature Product
- Measures: 20.5" Long x 14" Wide x 33.5" High. Soft interior LED lighting with on/off switch
- Total capacity: 24 wine bottles, Upper Zone capacity- 12 bottles, Lower Zone capacity- 12 bottles. Voltage: 115V /60Hz. Power: 100 watts / 1.4 Amps
- Vibration-free thermoelectric cooling, dual zones for different wine varietals with adjustable thermostat for both zones: Upper Zone 54ºF - 66ºF, Lower Zone 46ºF - 66ºF
- Space saving design, 6 premium stainless steel trimmed scalloped shelves, 1 zone divider, recessed handle
- Internal fan-forced circulation for even temperature distribution throughout the cabinet. Ensure there is at least 20 of clearance from the air intake air filter area and keep the length of the exhaust hose is as short and straight as possible ,do not block or cover the air exhaust
Description
Whynter wine coolers offer premium quality and innovative design. Whether for the office, the bar or home, Whynter wine coolers are a center piece of any entertaining space.The Whynter WC-241DS 24 Bottle Dual Zone Touch Control Stainless Trim Wine Cooler is an outstanding wine storage solution for any small space. This compact wine cooler can securely accommodate up to 24 of your best 750ml wine bottles. It is equipped with dual-temperature zones to appropriately store both your reds and whites. The Whynter WC-241DS Wine Cooler is the perfect addition to any area with its interior light display, sleek black cabinet, and stainless steel trim dual-pane glass door.Quiet and Vibration-Free CoolingOperating on a thermoelectric cooling system, the Whynter WC-241DS is energy efficient and runs quietly. This cooling method generates minimal noise and also keeps vibration of the unit at an absolute minimum, ensuring the delicate wine sediment is not agitated.Dual Zone StorageThis unit features two distinct temperature sections allowing you to maintain specific temperatures for different wine varietals.Digital Temperature Control and Soft Internal LightingEffortlessly control the LED light and temperature settings of your wine cooler using the digital control panel located on the door. To minimize internal temperature fluctuation,do not add large amount of contents at once
Works great, keeps wine at perfect temp. Loveit.
Unit arrived with no dents, scratches, etc... unboxed, set up, set the upper/lower temps, put bottles in and has maintained a consistent 54 degrees.
The product has the red wine storage in the top section and white in the bottom. It has space provided (according to the literature) for 24 bottles, however it depends on the diameter of the bottle. We have been pleased with our purchase, but it appeared to be a product that would not be put on display because of a dent and a small section on the back of the product that was missing. However, we are still pleased with our purchase.
Love this frig. Fits nicely in corner of my kitchen and blends well with all the other appliances. Roomy for many bottles.
I purchased this as summer was coming on and I had to get my wine into storage to keep it from heating. It has worked well with maintaining my wine at long term storage temperatures.
Cons
The bottom zone does not maintain temperature as well when the room gets hot. I have my top zone set to 57 degrees and my bottom zone sent to 47. If my condo gets above 80 degrees the lower zone will slowly creep up. It will level out at 57 degrees and maintain the temperature with the top zone. This still keeps the wine in storage temperature but above serving temperature for my whites.
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