October 2017 - CoolerVino

NutriChef 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler

In today’s wine fridge review we’ll check out the NutriChef 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler. This a modest sized thermoelectric style cooler that will work as either a freestanding or countertop unit. It has a lot of great features and is a popular buy at the moment, so let’s dive right into the details to see if this might be the right wine cooler for you.

Product Details

Let’s start by looking at the size. This wine cooler is 9.9 inches wide, 19.7 inches deep, and 25 inches tall. This means it doesn’t take up a whole lot of horizontal space, whether on your countertop or free-standing on the floor. Remember that you’ll want to have a bit of buffer room between the rear of the fridge and the wall in order to get the most effective cooling from the thermoelectric unit.

This model has precise digital temperature control. Unlike some models, the controls are on the exterior so there is no need to open the door and let cool air escape if you want to adjust the temperature.

The 12 bottle capacity is achieved with 8 bottles positioned horizontally on racks and 4 bottles standing upright. This configuration makes it a little easier to store the occasional odd-shaped bottle. It also allows you to easily keep opened bottles cool.

The manufacturer backs their product with a one-year warranty. This is always a good sign because it allows you to buy with confidence.

Pros and Cons

You can adjust the temperature between a range of 50-64° Fahrenheit (10-18°C). So long as you don’t allow the ambient room temperature in your home float up above 75 degrees you can expect this unit to reliably cool down to whichever temperature you choose in this range. This will allow you to keep wine at the optimal temperature for long-term storage. You can also keep your red wines at your preferred ready-to-drink temperature. Furthermore, the cooling power is effective enough to even keep full-bodied white wines, such as Chardonnay, at a good serving temperature.

This model looks great with a genuine stainless steel door and interior LED lighting. Some coolers made by other brands go a little cheap by using metallic colored plastic on the door and handle instead of real stainless steel like we have here.

The fan runs quietly enough that you’ll probably never notice it. And the temperature inside really holds nicely and doesn’t jump around. This is the whole point with getting a wine cooler fridge in the first place, so this is really a strong point.

The only real downside I can see for this model is that it might not be large enough for some potential buyers. This really will depend on you and your wine-drinking habits.

If you are the type who collects a few bottles here and there, buys a few bottles when you visit the supermarket, but also tends to drink a couple bottles per week, then a 12-bottle capacity cooler will probably be plenty.

If you think you might want a little more space, NutriChef also makes an 18-Bottle Wine Cooler that is worth checking out. Aside from the larger capacity, the main difference with the 18-bottle model is that all of the bottles sit inside laying horizontally.

Buying Recommendation

Obviously, if you want a large wine fridge or a dual-zone cooler than this isn’t the one for you. Otherwise, if you are looking for a super-dependable wine cooler with a 12 bottle capacity, this one should do the trick.

This is also a great wine cooler if you’re shopping for a gift for either the holidays or someone’s birthday. It’s not so expensive as to break your budget, and yet they’ll be very impressed with its looks and functioning. Also, the size really fits into that sweet spot where it doesn’t seem like you’re just getting the smallest or cheapest cooler and yet it isn’t so large that they would have trouble finding a place to put it in their kitchen or living room.

Wine Enthusiast 21-Bottle Dual-Zone Curved-Door Wine Cooler

I’m really liking the Wine Enthusiast 21-Bottle Dual-Zone Curved-Door Wine Cooler. Today I’m going to review this model, looking at the features that distinguish it from competing products, the pros and cons of this unit, and finally give you my recommendation as an item to consider purchasing or not.

Product Features

First of all, I’d generally categorize this cooler as a highly versatile medium-sized wine fridge. It has a maximum capacity of 21 regular sized wine bottles, which probably puts it in the smaller range for medium-sized coolers. It’s versatile due to different shelving options and the dual cooling zones, which allow for wine to be stored at different temperatures.

This model uses solid-state thermoelectric cooling technology. The upper zone can be set to 46-65 degrees F, while the lower zone can be set to 52-65 degrees F.

The top zone holds 2 racks of 3 bottles each for a total of 6 bottles. The lower cooling zone has 2 different shelf configurations. For maximum capacity, you can use the normal horizontal racks to create 5 standard rows of 3 bottles. This would make 15 bottles in the bottom and 21 bottles total for the entire cooler.

The other option is to use the special standing rack for the 4 lowest rows. With this rack, 4 bottles can be stored on their sides and another 4 bottles can stand upright. In this configuration, the fridge can hold a total of 17 bottles. While the total capacity is reduced, this allows for the storage of odd shaped bottles and also bottles that have been opened already.

There are independent digital temperature controls for each cooling zone. Interior blue LED lights, a smooth black exterior, and curved front doors all contribute to give it a highly modern look.

Pros and Cons

One of the strong points for this cooler is obviously the ability to adjust the interior of the bottom zone to a configuration that suits your needs. For many wine drinkers a capacity of 17-21 bottles is more than enough to keep them happy. Tall bottles such as German Rieslings and wide bottles such as Pinot Noir can be accommodated when not using the maximum capacity setup. Also, when in the max capacity configuration you can easily fit 21 standard sized bottles without having to stuff them in ridiculously.

If you’re worried about the effects of low humidity for long-term storage, there is a water tray you can fill to add moisture to the cooler’s interior air.

Temperature controls are straight-forward and easy to use. And the actual cooling power is reliable.

The fans can sometimes make a bit of noise, but nothing to really complain about. As with all thermoelectric coolers, ambient room temperature and placement of the unit will have an effect on the maximum cooling achievable. If the air temperature in your home is 75 degrees, nothing you do will be able to help a thermoelectric cooler chill your wine below 50 F.

Buying Recommendation

I highly recommend this model if you’re looking for a reliable dual-zone cooler and don’t require super large capacity. A very serious wine collector might find the 21 bottle maximum capacity to be less than they need. But I think many individuals will find it to be more than plenty of space, especially if you’re the type to replace bottles at the same rate that you drink them.

On the other hand, for the type of person who drinks red wine exclusively, there isn’t any particular need for a dual-zone cooler, and you may be better of choosing one of the single-zone cooler models. If, however, you quite like the appearance of this Wine Enthusiast curved door cooler, you can always simply set the temperature for both zones to a suitable setting for red wines.

Igloo 6-Bottle Wine Cooler Review

In today’s review, we’re gong to look at the highly-popular Igloo 6-Bottle Wine Cooler. This is a nifty little countertop model that looks slick, gets tons of positive reviews, and has the backing of a well-known appliance brand.

If you happen to be reading this and it’s still before the holidays, you also might want to consider this small wine cellar as a potential gift for those on your Christmas shopping list.

Product Details

Igloo makes wine refrigerators in a number of sizes, but this particular model is built for 6 bottles and sized to fit on your countertop. The arrangement is 3 vertical rows of 2 bottles each, which is a logical design that minimizes the appliance’s footprint.

It features a double-layer glass door, black exterior, interior LED light, and wire shelving. The cooling is accomplished with a thermoelectric cooling unit, which is most typical for wine coolers in this size range. The temperature can be adjusted to a range of about 46 to 64 degrees F.

Pros and Cons

Igloo’s 6-Bottle cooler has a sleek, modern black design and looks great in any kitchen. The size is perfect for someone who just wants to keep a few bottles of wine cooled to a good storage and serving temperature. The target customer is probably someone who enjoys wine but isn’t a hardcore collector or connoisseur. It’s also ideal for a grad student or young professional living in a smallish apartment without lots of room to spare for a bulky wine fridge.

The price of under $70 (at the time of writing) also makes this the perfect first wine cooler or gift item for a wine-loving friend.

It cools well, but you have to remember how thermoelectric coolers function in order to get the best performance. As a general rule, solid-state thermoelectric wine coolers can only achieve a difference in interior-to-exterior temperature of about 25 degrees F. So if it’s 85 degrees in your kitchen, you’ll have a hard time getting the cooler to chill down any lower than 60.

Furthermore, thermoelectric coolers need some space to function properly. They work by transferring heat to the outside air, and in order for the outside air to not remain too warm you’ve got to keep the back side of the cooler spaced away from a wall. One foot of space will provide for enough air circulation to do the trick.

Buying Recommendation

I’d recommend getting this model if you are a casual wine drinker who just needs to keep several bottles at a good temperature. If should hold enough wine to last you between trips to the supermarket. This is also a great product to give as a gift for a novice wine lover. The slick design will look great in most anybody’s home, and they’ll love the experience of popping open a bottle of properly cooled red wine vs one that has been sitting around at full room temperature.

If you are really serious about establishing a wine collection, then of course you’ll want to purchase a larger model for your home, perhaps a 28-30 bottle capacity wine cooler.

Does Wine Go Bad in the Fridge?

You know that an unopened wine bottle can be stored for years, but what about after you pop the cork? Does wine go bad in the fridge? Or can you just keep it there for a while until you have the urge to drink more?

Let’s take a look at the best wine storage practices, and answer whether wine storage in the fridge is actually a good way to go about it.

Don’t Let It Remain Open!

Wine coming in contact with too much air is bad news for the wine. Oxidation of the elements of the wine, drastically interfere with the chemical makeup of the wine and as a result, render it discolored, smelly and unfit for consumption. Oxidized wine will turn brown and sharply acidic after sufficient time.

Therefore, always re-cork a wine bottle when putting it in the fridge to finish later.

Is Refrigeration the Right Answer?

While refrigeration of opened wine is a nice idea, one has to be really careful in its handling. White wine and sparkling wine, like champagne, is often recommended to be chilled in a fridge. However, red wine can be chilled only after it has been opened. The ideal temperature to store any wine is between 40 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Opened wine once stored in the fridge is prevented from decaying rapidly, thereby successively preserving the taste and flavor of the wine for a few days. For this to work, the wine should be tightly corked in order to prevent more air from entering the bottle.

How Long is OK to Keep Wine in the Fridge?

So once placed in the fridge, how long can it be stored before the wine is unfit for consumption?

The answer depends on the type, but a good rule of thumb is three days. Once a bottle of wine has been opened, it is imperative that you consume it within the next three days.

It’s true that there are special inserts available that once fixed into the stopper, remove the air from the bottle to a large extent. These are great for making sure wine doesn’t go bad quickly during the first few days after opening, but it can’t return your wine to an un-corked condition, because oxygen has already been mixed in when you first popped the cork.

Therefore, it is just best for you and the wine that you use it up within a couple of days at the most. This way, you will be able to make the best of the freshness of the wine, without which, all flavor is lost to oxidation.

Bottom Line

The three day limit is the rule to live by for storing and consuming wine from the fridge. Moreover, opened wine should be safeguarded from light, strong smells and unnecessary movement, just like unopened wine is.

Drinking 2 Glasses of Red Wine a Day – Latest Health Research

Over-consumption of any alcohol can be dangerous to the body. Even with that warning, there is a still a bright side to drinking red wine. For some time, there has been a debate about the health benefits of wine to humans when taken moderately. While many people think that drinking two glasses of red wine a day is an important part of staying healthy, others think otherwise. Below is what researchers have found out about red wine.

Reduces heart disease risk

According to recent health studies, drinking small amounts of wine, one or two glasses in a day, may lower the risk of having heart diseases as well as stroke. This does not mean drinking high amounts of wine, as that may instead increase your risk.

Lower dementia risk

Researchers have found that moderate drinking of red wine can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by 23%. However, this does not mean that non-drinkers should start drinking. For those who drink, moderate consumption is beneficial for their health.

Prevention of type 2 diabetes

Drinking two glasses of red wine has been found to have health benefits especially when it comes to the prevention of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is common in women. Red wine increases insulin sensitivity and thus lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Lowers the risk of depression

The latest health research has revealed that red wine consumption in moderation can help to reduce the possibility of depression. A study conducted on the elderly and middle-aged people revealed that those who drank two glasses of wine in a day were less prone to depression.

Conclusion

It is now evident from the latest health research that moderate drinking of red wine has more health benefits. However, you could put your health at risk if you habitually drink wine or any alcohol in larger amounts.