If your interior space is very limited and yet you still want to entertain the wine enthusiast in you, this Wine Enthusiast 6 Bottle Wine Cooler review will come in very handy. Our exploration of this compact, lightweight and very portable (and affordable) wine cooler will shed some light on a great choice for you, or to be purchased as a nice gift for a fellow wine-loving friend or loved-one. Read on if you are indeed short on space to house a wine cooler, or indeed if you are on the hunt for a portable wine cooler.
Design
As far as optimal wine storage, display and protection go, the design of this 6 bottle wine cooler is deeply-rooted in convenience. This isn’t only an effective entry-level capacity wine cooler but is also a design feature that will actually enhance any countertop area you decide to put in on. The reflective surface of the smoked glass door is a sight to behold, with the stainless-steel trimming and chrome shelves completing the elegant appearance of this eye-catching cooler. This cooler makes very good use of stainless steel as its lining material to achieve a very enviable sophisticated appearance.
Features
Weighing in at a comfortable 30 lbs, this wine cooler is quite portable, especially when you consider that it only takes up a volume of 16” (H) x 10.5” (W) x 19.6” (D). Because of the entry-level capacity of only 6 bottles, it only makes sense for this cooler to be thermoelectric-cooled. Thermoelectric cooling does make it very energy-efficient and relatively quiet though; it’s free of CFCs and subsequently has a very small environmental footprint.
An LED-based interior light gives you effective visibility of your bottles (labels), while the internal temperature is easily observed and manageable through the digital touch-screen control/display unit.
This very affordable cooler comes with a one-year limited warranty and is not meant for under-counter or built-in application. It’s a countertop counter through-and-through and is very portable too.
Functionality
This compact and portable wine cooler comes with a hassle-free setup and installation process, with a lot of little functionality features just waiting to give you a wine lover’s surprise with each day that goes by. One such feature is the automatic, default temperature setting of 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the ultimate average temperature to store both red and white wines. This auto-default 55-degree setting would naturally be used if you only want to store your wines and protect them from spoilage, however, otherwise the cooler’s wide temperature range of 46 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal to chill either your reds or whites at their optimal temperatures for decanting. Chilling wines at temperatures ready for serving is probably what you’d typically use a six-bottle cooler for.
The cooler’s internal temperature can be easily tweaked via the touch-screen up/down controls, with a convenient on/off switch for the internal light. This cooler’s internal light actually works to display the bottles and illuminate the labels, something which is otherwise just for visual appeal in many other wine coolers.
Although this is indeed a countertop cooler (it is NOT intended for built-in or under-counter use), you should ensure proper electrical grounding, otherwise, you might get some unexpected electrocutions, however, small and slightly uncomfortable they may be.
For a thermoelectric cooler, this unit reaches the user-set cooling temperature quite quickly, even when it has been moved around (which you’d probably do quite a lot since it is a very portable cooler). It does have a bit of a dependency on the ambient room temperature, however, as is also expected of a small thermoelectric cooler, so strategic placement should be exercised.
Although it operates without the formation of frost, condensation does form, but this is provisioned for with an integrated water collection container right at the bottom of the cooling compartment.
Pros:
- One of the most compact and versatile wine coolers around, which fits and operates well in any space you’d want to put it
- It’s light weight and compactness makes it a breeze to move around whenever you feel like re-arranging your interiors or if you just want to bring it out to an entertainment area where it’ll be more visible to your guests
- You can never go wrong with a touch-screen-based digital display, making it easy to monitor the temperature and to tweak it as required
- All of this wine cooler’s pull-out racks are completely removable and can be rearranged to either make more space for bigger bottles or to simply shake up the cooler’s appearance
- One of the best-looking wine coolers around, with a very stylish exterior and visible interior; it literally fits in well with any interior space
- One of the more affordable wine coolers in its class, especially when one takes into account the features it has
- Has a wide temperature range which is consolidated on by the short time it takes to reach the user-set temperature
Cons:
- Although this is a compact and versatile cooler that can be placed just about anywhere, the placement options are limited only by the fact that the door isn’t reversible
- Depending on the ambient noise of the room it’s placed in, this cooler can appear to be a bit noisy, but only when it periodically cycles on (It’s not THAT loud though, so the generated hum is relative)
Verdict:
The WineCoolerLab team of wine lovers completed this Wine Enthusiast 6 Bottle Wine Cooler review taking into account its design, build, size and weight. Our biggest take-away from testing this cooler was that it fitted well in just about every suitable place you can think of to place it. Because of its sheer attractiveness to the eye, it is best brought out to an open entertainment area when some of your fellow wine-loving guests are over, but you can also place it in a setting such as your garage or den if all you want is to store your wines at their optimal storage temperatures. If you’re particularly limited of space, you’ll find this to be a very versatile countertop cooler that is also great to give as a wine-lover’s ultimate gift.
