Monday, May 18, 2020

NewAir Wine Fridge Delivers Cooling Comfort: A Review

NewAir 15 inch wine fridge is attractiveWe put the NewAir 24 in. Black Stainless Steel Wine Fridge to the test in our latest review.

A Forceful Rap

About 10 or 12 years ago we received a nice gift from our friends. It was an eight-bottle wine fridge that found its place in our wine cellar basement. When we relocated to North Carolina the trusty little fridge made its way with us, finally settling on the counter in the butler pantry.

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For a couple of years, the little unit was stocked with rosé and chilled white wines that could be grabbed when the mood struck or when my wife decided to have a bubble bath. For a few days I noticed a strained whirring sound. In the beginning, a slight rap on the top ended the noise and the faithful servant returned to its duty.

The dreadful day came, though, when even a forceful rap couldn’t rouse the aging machine. With no power and no alternative, the faithful fridge was retired to the electronics recycling center.

NewAir is easy to set upThe NewAir Is A Major Upgrade

The replacement is a major upgrade. The NewAir 15” Black Stainless Steel 29-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Fridge (SKU: NWC029SS01) was a joy from the glad moment I unpacked it. This is a beautiful looking unit. Mine is black with a stainless steel front door and handle.

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The assembly is a snap. The wooden shelves are inserted and the door handle attached. Along with a good wipe-down with warm water, it all can be accomplished in a few minutes. The instructions recommended that the fridge be allowed to settle for 24 hours before being plugged in. It was difficult, but finally the appointed time came.

Once plugged in, I was surprised how quickly the fridge cooled each zone to the appropriate temperature. The upper zone (for whites and sparkling) can be set between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower zone can be set between 50 and 66 degrees for reds. The top and bottom shelf give extra height for large Champagne or Pinot Noir bottles.

Bottles in NewAir wine fridgeThe NewAir wine fridge is cooled by a compressor and really delivers cooling power. By contrast, thermoelectric units can only cool the wine relative to the ambient room temperature. With the NewAir, my whites are ready to drink straight from the fridge.

Another pleasant surprise is the noise level. Having a couple of thermoelectric fridges, I expected the compressor to be noisy. Not so! The operation is very quiet – almost undetectable unless the house is completely silent.

Finding A Place For Your Bottles

The stated capacity is 29 bottles, but it will require some savvy bottle placement to achieve that. That capacity could probably be reached if all the wine were in Bordeaux-style bottles and placed head to toe on each shelf. I’ve got quite a few bottles of Pinot Noir, which have the wider Burgundy style bottles. Fifteen to 20 bottles will fit comfortably in the NewAir and several more with planning.

IMG_20200517_145746Technically, the NewAir pushes all the right buttons. It’s quiet. It cools swiftly. It can accommodate large sparkling wine bottles.

The NewAir 15” wine fridge really shines aesthetically, too. This is billed as a built-in wine fridge and I didn’t realize that it is a very attractive stand-alone unit as well. We had intended to place this under the counter in the butler pantry (and it still may end up there). It looks mighty nice in our dining room right now – and it is within arm’s reach. The blue LED lights are elegant and gives it a first-class look.

This is a well-crafted wine appliance that we’ve enjoyed greatly. We’re pleased to give it a high rating and recommendation.

Full disclosure: This wine fridge was received as a marketing sample.

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