We were looking for a freestanding wine cooler that did not have an exposed hinge on top. As the controls are located at the top of the machine, this unit avoids that look.
I think it's important to put his unit in context of other options. It's definitely on the upper end of freestanding wine coolers in fit/finish, capacity, controls and functionality. You are getting close though to built in price with lower capacity. If you are looking at some point to fully enclose your cooler it might be worth looking at one of those other options.
As some have pointed out, this item doesn't ship well. Mine arrived in a single box with minimal styrofoam packaging. The top right portion of the door is damaged as was the bottom door hinge. I was able to bend the door hinge back into shape, and the blemish on the top right of the door is not visible in my application due to the countertop overhanging the unit. I subtracted half a star for this.
Once assembled you can definitely see the fit and finish difference from the $200-300 units. I've seen a few of these in person, and they really come across as similar in quality to that mini-fridge you had in college. Not so with the Edgestar. The door has significant weight to it closes with a satisfying feel. The shelves are all very straight and easily hold the weight of the wine, even if they are more loaded on one side vs the other. The wood shelf fronts are all beautifully finished and complete the premium look.
A few have complained about the 34 bottle capacity. I'll admit it can be a little bit of a puzzle. The top four shelves load 6 bottles in an alternating pattern, while the bottom two load 5 bottles in one direction to accommodate the compressor in the back of the unit. Bottles taller than standard will not load in the bottom two shelves. Bottles wider than standard will not load in any of the shelves without taking up extra bottle space resulting in lower overall capacity. I loaded 24 bottles and had only one that was too wide and takes up two spaces. I had two that were too long for the bottom shelves, but was able to locate them on the other four shelves. I'm fine with this compromise as the unit is already quite large, and making it any larger would start to become problematic for a freestanding unit.
The controls are wonderful to use as others have pointed out. Very simple functionally, they respond with a simple press, or press and hold in the case of the power button (I assume to avoid turning off accidentally). Not much more to say there, they simply work.
Temperature control, is well a bit perplexing. I've noticed that the unit will vary between 0-4 degrees from the 53 and 57 degree settings I have (the ideal temperature for white and red storage). From a design perspective it makes sense. The unit has one compressor and uses a fan to first direct cooler air to the upper compartment. Since they aren't independently controlled, there has to be some variance between the two. I'm not super bothered by this though, in my SF apartment the temperature can vary ten degrees or more during the day. So up to four degrees doesn't bother me, especially considering they are pretty close to ideal wine storage temps. I did subtract half a star though, as I expected close to 0-2 degrees of variance.
As far as noise goes, it has a compressor just like your normal fridge. It will make a small amount of noise as it operates during the day. As there really aren't premium thermoelectric options on the market, this is a compromise you have to make. I'll be honest though, I live in a small apartment with the kitchen not more than 12 ft from my work space. The noise is minimal and I'm hard pressed to tell you if its the fridge or the wine cooler. Chalk it up as the price to pay for a premium unit, and realize that compressor refrigeration is a much more proven technology with good longevity.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with this purchase. It meets my expectations, and with an upgrade to packaging would be very close to a 5 star rating.
Looks great and does a good job keeping the wine cold at two different temps. It seems like other reviewers are all over the place on this unit and similar units both on and off of Amazon due to unrealistic expectations. It's not magical object, it's a refrigerator setup to put wine inside. It is quieter then my kegerator of the same size and quieter then my mini deep freezer. I was able to get different sized bottles in by strategically choosing what shelf to use but I didn't need an advanced degree in spatial relationship engineering to figure it out. It lost a star for two reasons. First the shelves should pull out a few more inches. Second the LED temperature displays should be dimmable or at least able to be turned off because they are really bright. Neither of these issues is in any way a deal breaker. I recommend this wine cooler.
The unit works very well and has little noise. It takes some practise to figure out how to fit 34 bottles in it as wine bottles do vary in size. It is possible, but for most of us who but a wide variety of wines, 30 bottles is more realistic. Our unit arrived with the top display price bent at an angle. The bottom part where it screws together was broken. With some effort i was able to properly snap the part in place properly and securely attached it back in place. It works just fine. We also flipped the door opening around. The instructions did not match what our unit needed, as they state that you can just flip the door around. You can't. You have to move the handle over to the other side. It took some effort and a few mumbled curses, but it went together. Now it is setup the way we want, and we are happy with it.
We ordered this wine fridge almost a month ago- it came quickly but we just set it today. It was purchased for our vacation home so it sat for a long time after shipping to allow its compressor fluids to settle. We unboxed it, set it up in a corner and it turned on instantly, and is very quiet! We don’t keep expensive wine in it- most are $40-$50 average. The expensive stuff is kept in a very large wine fridge at home. This was a bargain at this price in comparison so it’s great for what we use it for and it looks so much better than we thought it could at this price. Will update in a few months to see if it holds up!
I received my cooler in good shape – it was double-boxed and the inner box slid off easily after cutting the packing bands. There was no damage from shipping, and the door handle being on the left worked for me, so I had no issues with the handle. As others mentioned, the internal temperatures of the two zones do not hold – I set the lower zone (red wine) to 63 degrees, and it cycles between 61 & 62 degrees. Not a real issue there. I set the upper zone (white wine) to 53 degrees, and it cycles continuously from 49 – 55 degrees. I would prefer that zone to be more stable but, I can live with it. The unit is fairly quiet although, in a silent room, you will hear the compressor. It’s not inordinately loud, but you will hear it. Some folks have complained that their units gave out in less than a year’s time. I’m hoping that will not be the case for me but, if so, I’ll be doing a review update. All in all, so far, this is a great unit for me, and I’m very happy with it, and am looking forward to filling it with some great wines.
Feature Product
- Capacity: 34 standard wine bottles; Dual temperature zones
- Compressor based cooling; Freestanding application only, NOT for built in use
- Upper zone: 41-54 degrees F temperature range Lower zone: 54-64 degrees F temperature range
- Reversible door, Towel bar handle, Wire wine bottle racks, Built-in security lock
- Weight: 94 lbs Dimensions: 33 1/8" H x 19 7/16" W x 23 1/16" D
Description
Store your wines in the Edgestar 34 Bottle Free Standing Wine Cooler (CWF340DZ) and keep them chilled to perfection no matter what types they are. This dual temperature zone wine cooler can hold up to 34 standard wine bottles, and has two (2) separate temperature zones to chill both white and red wines at different temperatures. The upper zone can house white wines at a temperature between 41 and 54 degrees F, while the lower zones holds red wines at a temperature between 54 and 64 degrees F. A reversible door enables you to adjust it to swing to either the right or left, allowing the refrigerator to adapt to it's environment and surroundings. The stainless steel-trimmed door and towel bar handle give the refrigerator a stylish design, while the wood-trimmed wire wine racks add to the overall presentation, allowing you to easily show off your wine collection to friends and other collectors. Factory-installed locks also help to keep your wines safe from theft, so you can rest assured that your collection is safe wherever it is housed. Internal LED lighting highlights your collection while not overexposing it to too much light, which can easily harm your wines. Perfect for professional and amateur wine collectors and connoisseurs, this wine refrigerator is perfect for use in the kitchen or wine cellar and will be sure to keep your wines chilled. Factory-Installed Lock: A built-in lock gives you a peace of mind in knowing that your collection is safe from theft even when you aren't around Dual Temperature Zones: Two (2) temperature zones allow you chill whites and reds at their optimal temperatures for a better-tasting and longer-lasting wine Elegant Design: The stainless steel-trimmed door, wooden wine racks, and LED lighting add to an overall great presentation of your collection
I’ve had this cellar for a couple of months now. I do regret opting for a dual zone configuration. The upper cooler is not separated from the rest of the unit so I find that it tends to chill my reds in the lower space a bit too much. This unit also does not accommodate larger sized or oddly shaped bottles vey well.
Overall it’s very good for the price.
Next time I will definitely spend a little more and opt for a unit with separated zones and more bottle capacity.
So far, so good. Have only had on for a couple weeks to this point. The temperature inside seems to fluctuate more than I thought it would, however does seem to be keeping the different bottles of wine cooled properly. Removed a shelf, so I could store a open bottle without it leaking. Some coolers had a feature where it left a side of the racks open for this purpose, but did not like the size. Too small. This cooler is a great size and as long as it keeps working for years down the road, I will be a happy wine cooler owner.
I have only had this fridge for about two months but thus far it has run well and held its temperature to within a few degrees. I let it sit for about 4 days once I got it into the spot I wanted before turning it on to let everything settle and haven't had any problems yet. It came double boxed with plenty of packing insulation and arrived in perfect condition.
I was concerned based on the reviews but it arrived on time and in perfect condition. Quite heavy so really could use 2 people to bring in the house. Quiet and seems to cool our wines well. Only had it a few weeks but so far so good. Looks great in our little kitchen- we put it under our table. Fits perfectly.
We have only had this cooler a littlr more than a month but have had no problems. It holds as many “regular” (Bordeaux & Burgundy) bottles as advertised although it is a tight fit. Our cooler sits on carpeting and is quite quiet for a compressor-cooled fridge. My only mild quibble is that the temperatures are a little off. Both upper and lower zones are set for 54 deg. (weonly have red wines) and the readings on the display usually show about that, give or take a degree or two. However, using a calibrated thermometer, the upper zone is about 49 deg. andthe lower is about 60 deg. While differing from the settings and display, it is still only about 5 deg. difference and within the range for proper wine storage.
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