Mike Testa | Tuesday, August 15, 2006
There was visible damage to the box when we received this on August 14, 2006 due to the inadequate Haier factory packaging. There was almost no protective Styrofoam or cardboard employed. After unpacking, we observed that there was cosmetic damage to the top rear, back panel and lower doorframe. We monitored and determined there was no mechanical damage.
We decided to keep the damaged wine cooler since the cosmetic defects weren't readily noticeable after I touched up the doorframe, and we put a large serving tray on the top. Amazon agreed on a partial refund that brought my net cost to approximately what I'd expect to pay for a nicked or dinged item at Home Depot.
This was the only wine cooler in this price range that had UV-protected tempered glass and a decent capacity. While it's not quite the advertised 50-bottle capacity, it's close. The variable is the bottom shelf--half shelf, actually. But still, plenty of capacity for us. This wine cooler does not have any sort of built-in thermometer, and the dial does not identify temperatures, it just indicates "cooler" around the knob. We bought a Chaney 00985 Wireless Digital Refrigerator/Freezer Thermometer with Two Sensors, to measure and monitor the temperatures at both the top and bottom (where the whites and desserts are). I posted a review of that product also.
The wine cellar is a solid, heavy unit and it will likely hold up for many years. The fit and finish are good with no sharp edges, loose parts or gaps anywhere. The door closes completely, and is perfectly aligned. While this unit can be built-into cupboards, we are using ours as a stand-alone unit. There is some audible compressor sound when it's cranked itself up (infrequently) to maintain the temperature, but nothing overbearing. The subdued lighting is attractive. In fact I wish there was a separate switch so we could have he light on when the door is closed.
After reading reviews of these moderately priced consumer wine cellars, you should consider an extended warranty. We decided to get the 3-year in-home extended warranty ($30 at Amazon). Also, when you open the door for the first time, you'll see the door handle was run down through the center of all of the metal shelves for shipment. Open the door fully, then you can pull each of the shelves out part way to remove the handle. There's a yellow "Notice" sticker on the glass door with that obnoxious adhesive that won't remove easily. Strip off the top, shiny layer of the sticker, then use something like Goof-Off to rub off the gummy material. The aluminum doorframe had what appeared to be grease spots, apparently residue from the manufacturing process. We used some spray stainless steel cleaner and it cleaned up quickly and easily.
All in all, the Haier HVB050ABH Designer Series Wine Cellar is a good bargain at the $400 price. I believe the mechanics will hold up well, as will the unit itself. If not, we have the comfort of that 3-year extended warranty. If Haier had done a proper job with protective packaging, I might have rated this as a 5-Star product. Conversely, if Amazon.com hadn't responded as reasonably and satisfactorily as they did, I might have rated this at 3-Stars overall just because of the packaging and damage.