Built for the Best Bars
If you are in search of a 46-bottle dual zone wine cooler I must assume that you know a little bit about wine and wine coolers. I’m guessing that this isn’t your first rodeo, so to speak. I’ll do my best not to make too many long explanations here, since I will assume you are looking for the facts. That being said, just in case you are new to this world (perhaps you are a new restaurant owner) I will take the time to explain some of what we will look at here.
This cooler has been built specifically with the wine enthusiast in mind. If its large holding capacity didn’t tell you that already, you will surely be able to tell from its incredible quality and awesome features. Let’s look at each of those features here. And hey, if you know a lot about coolers already, feel free to just skip through the headings instead of reading these sections fully – I’ve purposely set them up so that you can do just that.
Wide, Not Tall
When we are talking about a capacity as large as 46 bottles, people start to worry about how they will accommodate a cooler. This is a very valid concern, if you ask me. In a lot of cases, we are trying to fit these coolers into bar-like areas and really don’t want to accommodate a tall piece. I mean, this is the reason they created bar fridges, right? So they can fit tidily under the bar top without overtaking the visual area.
This cooler is just what you need if you are trying to fit it into a bar-like space or simply do not want something tall. Kalamera made it wide instead of tall, meaning that it can hold a substantial amount of wine without taking up a substantial amount of wall space. It measures about 23.5 inches wide and a miniscule 33 inches high. Still, it easily manages to hold 46 bottles without squeezing them all uncomfortably inside.
Beech Wood Shelving
Anyone familiar with the world of wine knows that a perfect bottle is one without scratches. Unfortunately, this is not something which many companies consider when they build their coolers. Instead, they are often in search of the most cutting edge aesthetic style. This quest often leads them toward curvy steel shelving system which, while they look neat, can scratch the heck out of your bottles. The beech wood used for these shelves will not allow that to happen as easily, since it is gentler on the glass surface of the bottles.
What’s more impressive, to me at least, is that these shelves pull out nicely along rollers so that you can select your perfect bottle with ease. This makes it even less likely that you’ll scratch the bottles in the process of removing them.
Low Vibrations and Built-In Friendly
Okay, you may have heard about those fancy new cooling systems on the market today. People rave about how those thermoelectric coolers can maintain optimal temperatures without making noise or creating disruptive vibrations in your cooler. I must admit that the noise of traditional systems, like this one, can be a little annoying, but they do have their advantages.
One of the biggest downsides of the thermoelectric systems is that they need extreme ventilation. That means that they cannot slide under a bar top, sit flush against a wall, or sit trapped between two parts of cabinetry. This traditional system, on the other hand, can do just that. So, while it may be a little bit noisier, try to keep in mind that you will be not be able to put those other options under you bar top or countertop.
I also understand that people are attracted to thermoelectric systems because they do not create vibrations. Even the slightest vibrations can disrupt the sediment in the bottom of your wine bottle. I get this, I really do. Still, I have to choose this cooler over one with a thermoelectric system because it can go under the bar top and (I’m really emphasizing this point here) it has been made with a special vibration reduction system to keep your sediment still. So, you still won’t have to worry about the sediment moving and floating around – even without a thermoelectric system!
No UV Gets Through
Many people are cautious about purchasing wine coolers with clear glass doors because they know that the tint of darker doors protects the wine from harmful UV rays. I have to admit that I took extra care when looking into this particular cooler because I did see that it had a clear glass door. All my instincts told me that it couldn’t possibly be as great as everyone says it is. I told myself, “They must all have dark rooms where they can keep this thing out of the sun.” Rest assured though, because this clear glass features a special anti-UV layer which protects it even in direct sunlight.
Overall
Look, I haven’t even scratched the surface here. This cooler also has an easy-to-use touch control panel which monitors the separate temperatures in each section. The two zones have different temperature ranges – 40 to 50 degrees in the upper section and 50 to 66 in the lower. This makes the top perfect for whites and even dessert wines (a rare find since few go below 46 degrees) and the bottom perfect for reds. The upper zone of the fridge is smaller than the bottom section, since white wines are, generally, less popular than reds.
Kalamera is a well known wine cooler brand, and once again they have over-delivered. You can get this unit here on Amazon.com, where customers rave about it even more than I do. If you can afford it, there’s no reason to hesitate.
Further Information