An understated wine cooler that does the job well
Let’s be clear. 36 bottles of wine does not exactly qualify as a small collection of wine. We’re not talking about 8 or 12 bottles, or even 18. Okay; I will acknowledge that 36 bottles of wine is not quite enough for you to remodel your house from the ground up and install a wine cellar, but I would still consider it a pretty decently sized collection. And for that, you will need an appropriately sized wine cooler.
So if you are looking for a sleek, elegant wine cooler and you happen to need storage space for 36 bottles of wine, the Danby DWC032A2BDB 36 Bottle Wine Cooler might be just what you’re looking for. Or maybe not. I’m just here to help you decide whether or not this Danby model is right for you.
Form
Let’s start with the design of the Danby. Like other Danby wine coolers, this freestanding model comes in all black with a door made of smoked tempered glass with a glossy black frame. This protects your collection from ultraviolet light, which can be harmful to the wine. Your wine collection will be lovingly and gently highlighted with blue LED light emanating from the interior of the unit. This showcases your bottles in an energy efficient manner. The back of the unit is smooth so as to allow for it to be placed flush against the wall, and the door hinge can be positioned on either the left or right side.
Inside, you will find 6 full size adjustable shelves made of a coated black wire material, and two partial shelves toward the bottom of the unit. Each full size shelf can hold 5 750 mL bottles of wine, and the shelves at the bottom hold 3 bottles each. Of course, you can adjust the full size shelves for any wine bottles which may require more or less space.
Overall, the glossy all black exterior of this Danby unit makes it one of the sleekest, most minimalistic, and most elegant wine coolers I have reviewed. Even the full length door handle is recessed, taking away any potential distractions from the display of your wine. (The recessed handle also means that your clothing won’t catch on it accidentally whenever you walk by) In fact, the only thing about this unit besides its contents which may stand out to you or your guests is the brand name “Danby” printed toward the bottom of the door. Honestly, I rather like the looks of this Danby unit, in all its sleek, black, and minimalistic glory.
Function
Okay; I may have spent a bit too much time talking about its looks. But happily, this wine cooler does not sacrifice function for form. In addition to housing and handsomely displaying the advertised 36 bottles of wine, it allows you to select the optimal temperature for your wine, within the range of 43°F to 57°F, using a temperature knob. It utilizes a compressor cooling system which I didn’t find particularly noisy, but it is arguably louder than some non-compressor units.
Overall
And that’s basically what this Danby does. It keeps your wine at the temperature range of 43°F to 57°F, a temperature range suitable for most whites and some reds. Simple. No bells and whistles. Obviously, if you have wines in your collection requiring vastly different storage temperatures, this is not the unit for you; a dual zone cooler will undoubtedly serve your needs better if you wish to keep all your wine in the same unit.
But I personally love the sleek, black, minimalistic elegance of this Danby unit. Sometimes, all I want is an understated wine cooler that does the job well (without any bells, whistles, or complications) and displays my collection simply, functionally, and beautifully. Also, it is quite reasonably priced for a wine cooler of this size and storage capacity. If that sounds good to you and you happen to have 36 bottles of wine to store, you can pick one up here on Amazon to begin cooling your wine with understated elegance, minimalism, and sophistication.
Further Information