Over the last few decades, we have seen a huge surge in wine sales and there doesn’t seem to be any indication that this will end any time soon. Many people love a glass of wine at home and this is especially true now when many people are avoiding crowded bars and restaurants. A glass of wine with dinner can really add a lot to any family meal and it’s a great ice breaker at parties. For this reason, many wine enthusiasts invest in a wine refrigerator to get the most enjoyment out of the wine they purchase. But, if you don’t understand your needs before you make a choice you could be disappointed. In this article, we will look at four key things that you need to understand before you buy a new wine refrigerator.
1. Wine Refrigerator Costs
In the past, you could purchase a wine refrigerator at a very reasonable price but that has risen in recent years. This isn’t due to price gouging by manufacturers. The reason is the introduction of new EPA conditions that came into effect back in 2016. In order to meet new emission and energy efficiency conditions the cost of wine coolers needed to rise. But, you can still find good and affordable wine refrigerators in our store.
2. The Refrigerator Location is Important
Some people prefer a living room location for their wine refrigerator and others like to keep it in the kitchen. A wine cooler is a smaller dedicated refrigerator that doesn’t use a standard compressor that you would find on a larger appliance. These types of refrigerators tend to use a thermoelectric cooling system instead. The best thing about thermoelectric cooling is that it’s reliable, quiet, and energy efficient. A wine refrigerator will not vibrate and it can be placed in a living room without creating ambient noise. But, the refrigerator does need access to fresh air which is required to keep the humidity and temperature down to an absolute minimum. Storing wine under optimal conditions is the main priority for most wine enthusiasts, but you don’t have to sacrifice the aesthetic appeal of your home (more on this later).
3. Maintaining Humidity
One of the more surprising differences between a wine refrigerator and a standard appliance is how they handle humidity. Many people believe that a wine cooler is just a small format refrigerator but this is incorrect. A standard refrigerator is designed to remove humidity from the internal air in a similar manner to an AC system. A wine refrigerator is designed to keep a certain level of humidity in the appliance to create optimal wine storage conditions. The humidity levels help to slow the aging of wine by keeping the corks and bottles wet. Another key difference is that a wine refrigerator has dedicated wine bottle racks improving airflow around the bottles.
4. Aesthetic Appeal
As we mentioned earlier, you want the best storage conditions for your wine, but you don’t have to sacrifice the aesthetic appeal of your home. There are many design features that can look great in your home without impeding the functionality of the appliance. You can choose the style, size, color, and many other aspects of your wine refrigerator. The most obvious choice that you will see is the wine cooler door. Many people choose a solid door to protect the wine bottles from UV light. Solid doors can have a wood finish, brushed steel, and tempered glass is a popular choice. If you choose tempered glass, you can look at your wine collection which is a nice design feature.
Now you know what to look for in your new wine refrigerator, we’re sure you will find the exact model to meet your needs in our store.
