If you have been reading the blog for any length of time, you likely know that I am a huge fan of Wine! I have actually started doing a little bit of “collecting” – I have been doing that with the “hard stuff” for quite a while but now I am trying to evolve that a little bit 🙂
David and I had for a while been saying I needed a wine fridge to properly store my wines in, but it wasn’t something that I had figured I would get anytime soon- and I was right it has been several years since that idea had popped into my head, but with getting some wine this summer when I went on a trip, and wanting to keep some of my moms wine on hand it was a little more on my radar because I don’t have that much cabinet space!
A really random thing about me? Usually in the past I haven’t been one to drink my wine cold- I have been used to drinking it at room temperature or sticking my corksicle in it- or even the horrible sin of adding ice to my drink in the past (don’t worry I haven’t done that in many many years) This was another reason that I was excited about being able to possibly get one sometime another- even though I have started drinking boxed wine and keeping it in the regular fridge!
So when I got the chance to review an item from hammacher schlemmer and I found out they had wine refrigerators – I was really excited of course! I got to choose between a counter top model and a free standing model. We don’t have a really big kitchen- and what little bit of counter space we have is already ate up with various things so I chose the Ultra Slim Wine Refrigerator by Wine enthusiast.
When you get it you want to wait a couple of hours before plugging it in, just in case it got turned wrong when it was being shipped and you don’t want to risk that messing up the refrigeration in the refrigerator. Thankfully I read that before I plugged it in – but almost missed it so it is worth mentioning!
The Ultra Slim Wine Refrigerator has lots of attractive features including being very slim and holding up to 18 bottles depending on how you have it laid out! There is a built in shelf to divide the fridge up because it is dual zone temperature controlled which gives you the optimal temperature for reds on the top and whites on the bottom.
There are 7 chrome removable and adjustable shelves to aide in your storage needs and options. Believe me there are multiple ways to lay out the fridge! I actually believe it or not currently have my box of wine on the top level and 6 bottles in the bottom level (mostly white but a few blushes and one red) and I believe that if I had them I could put 2 more bottles in the bottom as well-
Of course there are many options for layout including if you had a bottle open and wanted to stand it up and even if you had bigger bottles – it really is up to you on how you utilize the space, because there is an rack available where you can have a single bottle standing with a rack with the double bottles on top and then 3 bottles single spaced going down the side.
However, that’s enough on talking about how to layout your wine and the options you might want to use because there are several other awesome features to talk about. Now I did mention that the fridge is dual zoned and helps with your optimum wine temps for both red and white wines with the top holding up to 10 bottles of red at the lowest temp of 54 degrees and the bottom will hold up to 8 bottles with the white lowest tempt of 46 degrees. You control this by a digital touch pad on the front and it also tells you what the temps of the zones are and you do have the option of going up to 66 degrees in both zones.
One thing to mention while we are on this subject because it wasn’t something I would have thought about if I hadn’t had it happen to me is that if your power happens to glitch and go out it will not set the temps back to the lowest temperature setting for your area. I didn’t think about it when ours barley flickered one morning but I happened to notice my temps were off and then I realized why. It is just something you might want to keep in mind is all!
Also on the touch pad you will find an option to be able to turn on the light which is really nice
The fridge operates VERY quietly. I never really hear it- it is just like my deep freezer or my regular fridge on that note. if you hadn’t noticed it has a reflective front and at the top part there is a little window where when the light is on you can see that part of the inside of the fridge from the outside. It reminds me of the oven light (which I have always wanted to have on but none of the stoves at my apartment places ever have had it!)
My Ultra Slim Wine Refrigerator from hammacher schlemmer has been a great conversation piece as well. We have ours in what I guess you would consider our dining area even though we don’t have a table and opted to just sit bar stools at the bar and we have a shelve with cookbooks, a blanket box that doubles as a window seat and the deep freezer – everyone has been wanting me to let them have it/ wonders what it is and compliments it on how neat and cute it is!
I really like how it just fit right in and looks like it belongs. I admit at first I didn’t know where we would put it and had actually considered putting it in the extra bedroom but that would go to show you exactly how slim it really is! I like that there are so many options and the fact that I can drink my wine at more desirable temperatures too! I know that right now a lot of my real estate is tied up with my box wine being in there but it is just too neat and I love just walking over there to get my wine and getting to look out the window in the evening- and put the light on while I do so (I really am enamored with the light!) I know that I will surely enjoy it for many years to come!
Here are a couple more pics of the fridge- one is with the light on and one is with Sam who loves the fridge
