Want to Add a Touch of Class to your Kitchen?
If you’ve been reading through our website, you should by now know that I am a bit of a wine enthusiast. Other than drinking it, I’ve also developed what some might call a bit of an unhealthy interest in wine coolers in general. I’ve already been through two. My latest is the NewAir AW218E which I’m more than happy with, but this doesn’t stop me from constantly looking at other models out there. I suppose it’s a bit like someone who likes their music and are always looking for new ways to get the best sound out of their collection of albums. Anyway, I digress.
What I came across recently was the Whynter BWR-18SD 18 bottle wine cooler (which, in fact holds 19 bottles). I guess the manufacturer thought that 18 was a nice round number.
What surprised me about this model is that it can be in-built so it fits flush to the cabinets in your kitchen. The reason this is possible is because the ventilation comes from the front not the sides. However, don’t think you can’t use it as a free-standing wine cooler, it will work perfectly well both ways.
So, here are some of the benefits I came across:
Versatility and Style
I think Whynter has done a great job here. The overall look is understated yet somehow this cooler sort of stands out from the crowd. It has a really nice looking black cabinet and stainless steel door. The handle stretches pretty much the whole length of the door and is also stainless steel.
The door itself is smoky-grey, double paneled and is made from tempered glass. This means it doesn’t matter if you get the sun on it during the day because the glass protects the wines inside from harmful UV rays which (if you don’t already know) can do your wine some real harm.
What It’s like Inside
OK, this may not seem important to a lot of people, but I think it’s worth mentioning. For a start, the digital display is behind the door which protects it from the elements. You know, dust and the like. From here you can control everything, even the level of humidity (which is important with wines!). Going down, you have six shelves which are made from chrome and look just as “posh” as the outside.
For humidity control, this model comes with an optional box which can be placed on the top shelf. However, do bear in mind that you will lose valuable wine storage space if you use this option.
Optional Extra
With this wine cooler you have the option to keep your wines under lock and key. I thought this was a great idea especially if you have teenagers around the home. The last thing you want is a party when you’re out only to find that when you come home your kids and their friends have raided your expensive collection!
Overall
The only thing I would say about this Whynter 18 bottle wine cooler is that it works on a compressor based cooling system. This is great when you want to be able to choose a larger temperature range for cooling your wines, but it is noisier than thermo-electric based systems.
Of course, I was just doing some research when I came across this model but felt compelled to share my thoughts on it with you. If you’re someone who wants a bit of style in your kitchen, don’t have a large collection of wines but you’re keen to store them properly, I don’t think you can go far wrong with this model. As you can see here, this model is well received among customers and reasonably priced for a built-in model.
But remember, you can save quite a bit of money if you don’t insist on a built-in wine cooler, so make sure you check the alternatives. This model for instance is less than half the price of the Whynter BWR-18SD, has two temperature zones and is highly rated as well. And this single zone wine cooler costs even less yet it can store 20 bottles.
Further Information