Purchasing the right type of wine cooler or wine refrigerator depends on where you plan to install your appliance, your available space or space limitations and the amount of wine you plan on storing in the cooling unit. The different styles of wine coolers - built in, free standing and countertop - are described below. Before considering basic and special wine cooler product features, think about space planning within your home and which type of wine refrigerator makes the best use of your home’s available area.
Similar to kitchen refrigerators, built in wine coolers are designed to sit evenly, and blend seamlessly, with the rest of your kitchen cabinets. Built in wine refrigerator units with compressor based cooling systems require front venting so the sides and back of the appliance can be enclosed in the surrounding cabinetry. Built in wine coolers are typically placed in the kitchen to uniformly merge with other kitchen appliances, provide easy wine access and eliminate the taking up of floor space. Generally speaking, built in wine coolers are up to 24 inches wide and deep and up to 36 inches high. Built in wine refrigerators normally hold up to 70 bottles of wine.
As the name implies, a free standing wine cooler requires an open floor space, but obviously does not require any cabinetry installation. Assuming a proper electrical outlet is available; a free standing wine refrigerator is a “plug and play” unit and can be moved to your most convenient floor space as needed. However, free standing wine coolers do require adequate space on all sides for compressor based cooling system’s ventilation. Free standing units offer great spacing and placement versatility and can be used in home bars, basements, closets, storage areas, studies, dens, or any other open space. Generally, built in wine coolers can also serve as free standing wine refrigerators. Thus, free standing units have the same size characteristics of up to 24 inches wide and deep and up to 36 inches high. Free standing wine coolers normally hold up to 70 bottles of wine.
Countertop wine coolers are ideal for homes that have more limited free space and or for wine enthusiasts that do not need or desire larger wine storage capabilities. Countertop wine refrigerators provide the same temperature and humidity protection as the bigger built in and free standing units, but use less space and provide a less expensive alternative. Countertop wine coolers are usually up to 21 inches wide, deep and long and need adequate space on all sides of the unit for proper venting of a compressor based cooling system. These units can hold up to 36 bottles of wine.
Published 7/18/2009 12:00:00 AM
Tags: Free Standing Wine Cooler, Counter Top Wine Cooler, Built In Wine Coller, Thermoelectric Cooling, Compressor Cooling