Avalon Bay Thermoelectric Wine Cooler [review]

Disclosure: I received an Avalon Bay Wine Cooler for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

Having a large family (if you don’t already know, I have five daughters), fridge real estate is at a premium. We have so much food and milk and other things in our fridge we just don’t have room for extra amenities like adult beverages. I would just keep my wine in the pantry and then try to chill it before we were about to drink it or add ice to my glass. So when I was offered the chance to review the Avalon Bay AB WINE12S 12 Bottle Single Zone Thermoelectric Wine Cooler, I jumped at it.

First thing you should know is this is not a beverage fridge. It’s a wine cooler. What’s the difference you ask? Well a beverage fridge uses freon to keep the temperature cold, like your big fridge. A wine cooler only uses fans to keep wine (both red and white) at it’s optimum temperature. So you wouldn’t use a wine cooler to keep your beer and soda cold. And you really shouldn’t use a fridge to store your wine because the temperature is too cold and not consistent (think door opening 100 times a day in my case). Plus to help sediment settle, keep the cork moist and preserve the wine, you should store wine bottles on their side, and you know that to save space you will pop them up in the door when you need to. Come on, you know you do, admit it!

I was so excited to come home from an errand and see the cooler had been delivered. Until I noticed the box that was clearly marked this side up, was upside down and looked a little squished. I carefully unpacked the box and thankfully the fridge looked intact. Set-up couldn’t have been easier… take it out of the box, remove the instructions from inside and plug it in.

I set the thermostat for 51 degrees F (I like my wine on the cool side). I had it plugged in for 48 hours but the cooler never got down below 53 degrees. I called air & water and the customer service agent told me that the room I had the cooler in was probably too warm (although I had it in the coolest room of our home and planted in front of an A/C vent). She said to turn down my A/C some more and give it another day to cool.

I followed her instructions, freezing out my family in the process, but no luck. The cooler still wouldn’t budge below 53 and when I actually added a few bottles of wine, it got even warmer and never dropped back down. I emailed my Mom Spark Media contact and she arranged to have the old cooler shipped back and a new cooler was sent out to me a couple days later.

This time the box was delivered upright and in pristine condition. I was hopeful that the new cooler would work. I plugged it in, added some (already) cold wine and turned the thermostat down to 51. It started off at 84 degrees and dropped quickly and I thought, ‘Yay, it works!’ Unfortunately this unit also only went down to 53 before stopping.

Now, the recommended “best” temperature for red wine is 62-68 degrees F and white wine is 49-55 degrees F so this wine cooler is going to work for most people. Unless you are like me and want your wine on the colder side. I just popped some ice in my glass and I was happy.

Overall, I really like this wine cooler. It basically does what it says, it saved room in my fridge and stores wine properly.

Positives:

• small and portable, weighs less than 24 pounds
• quiet, you can’t even tell it’s running
• roomy, stores 12 standard bottles of wine on their side (they also have an 18 bottle version if you need more space)
• push button thermostat, so you can control the temp easily
• nice LED light

Negatives:

• Doesn’t get as cold as it says it will
• Customer service could have been better (air & water have a great return policy (see below) but the person I spoke to on the phone didn’t seem to want to help me, it was like she couldn’t get me off the phone quick enough, and I was very polite, not an irate customer)

Description: Avalon Bay AB-WINE12S Single Zone Wine Cooler

If you’re a devoted wine lover who enjoys a nice glass of wine with dinner, but lack the space for an enormous wine cooler in your home, then Avalon Bay has the solution for you. This 12 bottle capacity wine cooler is small, compact and freestanding which will fit nicely in any small space. Place it in your living room for easy access when entertaining guests or for more convenience on your kitchen countertop.

Special Features Include:

• Single Zone Cooling
• 3 Removable Shelves
• Stores 12 Standard Size Bottles of Wine
• LED Light
• Silent Operation
• Temperature Control

This thermoelectric single zone wine cooler can age your favorite vintage wines at ideal storage temperatures. With its push button temperature control set interior temperatures between 51 and 64 degrees F for ideal storage and serving temperatures. The thermoelectric cooling system is quiet and vibration free, so you won’t even know you have it installed in your home.

12 Bottle Storage Capacity
Even though its small and only weighs about 24 lbs, this cooler has the capability of storing 12 standard size bottles of wine. For ease of use, its three shelves slide in and out, so you can access your beautiful wine collection easily. This is also a great feature if you decide to store some larger bottles of wine or if the occasion arises some champagne. Construct the AB-WINE12S wine cooler to suit you and your wines. This unit really has been created with craft in mind.

Sleek Design
With its attractive and stylish design the Avalon Bay AB-WINE12S is guaranteed to compliment most homes and mini bar interiors. It also comes complete with a blue LED light which will illuminate your wine collection without sending any unnecessary heat to your wine.

Guaranteed Satisfaction.

1. 1 Year Limited Manufacturers Warranty
2. Up To 30 days to return your purchase
3. Money back guaranteed
4. Free return shipping
5. No restocking fees

Disclosure: I received an Avalon Bay Wine Cooler for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.