Now that I have a house with a bunch of room, I would like to get a wine/beer fridge.  Thinking about getting the Wine Enthusiast 11 or 165 version fridge.  Any suggestions?  I would like something that is relatively quiet and lasts a while, even if it costs more. 

http://www.wineenthusiast.com/wine-enthusiast-classic-wine-cellar-(111-bottle).asp

I'd get this beast had I the room for it.

Under counter? Free standing? There's lots of good options.

http://www.vinotemp.com

https://www.winecoolerdirect.com

 

Free standing

Then my advice is that you look at Liebherr. Ours, a two door fridge and cooler has been working without a glitch for 18 years. It could use a new rubber seal on the top door, but it's doing fine. On that one, besides the good capacity, I like the multi-temperature feature. Think of champagne, white, rosé, red, beer...

Can you get them in the US?

My Frigidaire still going strong after two moves in the past 5 years. But it's probably half the size of what you looked at. It also stores more beer than wine.

I'd probably go something more like this.

https://true-residential.com/Products/Undercounter/Wine-Cabinet/

3 hours ago, shellylh said:

Can you get them in the US?

I'd say so http://www.liebherr.us/HGH/en-GB/96683.wfw

They have a dealer right down the street from me (from favorite home store)!

16 hours ago, n_maher said:

I'd probably go something more like this.

https://true-residential.com/Products/Undercounter/Wine-Cabinet/

I don't really have a place to put it undercounter.  Is there something special about this company? 

On 8/21/2017 at 8:41 AM, Hopstretch said:

Under counter? Free standing? There's lots of good options.

http://www.vinotemp.com

https://www.winecoolerdirect.com

 

 

Some of those look very nice.  Any favorites?

My Dad has roughly about 1,500 bottles now and he owns a number of these types of coolers.

My advice is to get one with nice pull-out drawers. Think of it more as a way to display the bottles you really want to drink than as long term storage.

A cool/dark basement is really all you need for long term storage and aging. These wine coolers are more of a luxury, but the ones with nice pull-out drawers are really nice for choosing what to drink. You can use them for aging wines, but they aren't really necessary for that purpose.

Just my 2 cents.

Edited August 22, 20178 yr by TMoney

I have two Marvel coolers, the freestanding one that has been flawless and steady but the built-in one in a wine closet has crapped out on me and needs to be serviced and perhaps have the seals changed. 

My only real advice is to get two temperature zones because different types of wines and beers have different preferred temperatures.  Also pay attention to the min / max temperatures for the zones because you know you want to serve your stouts warmer than your IPAs. 

Here are some general guidelines from Craft Beer and Brewing magazine.

35–40°F (2–4°C): Mass market light lagers

40–45°F (4–7°C): Czech and German Pilsners, Munich Helles, wheat beers, and Kölsch

45–50°F (7–10°C): IPAs, American pale ales, porters, and most stouts

50–55°F (10–13°C): Belgian ales, sour ales, Bocks, English bitters and milds, Scottish ales

55–60°F (13–16°C): Barleywines, imperial stouts, Belgian strong ales, and Doppelbocks

Edited August 22, 20178 yr by Voltron

What they said. Multi zones great if you want to keep both reds and whites at proper serving temps. Next consideration is capacity -- how many bottles do you plan to accumulate? Followed by budget/price. I think the WE unit you posted looks decent. Vinotemp is arguably better quality but quite a bit more money, too.

the ones with the evaporator on the back of the unit typically last only a few years when you build them in, because there is no place to get rid of the heat generated. then the compressor burns up, and no way to fix it.

Shelly,

True is a huge commercial fridge/freezer manufacturer.  Look in just about any beverage store, sandwich shop, etc., and you'll likely see there products on the floor.  I keep watch on CL for good used examples to replace the small, counter-top unit that I use as a beer fridge (not a True model).

8 hours ago, kevin gilmore said:

the ones with the evaporator on the back of the unit typically last only a few years when you build them in, because there is no place to get rid of the heat generated. then the compressor burns up, and no way to fix it.

I believe this is most likely what happened and wish that I had spec'd it better. It's a great spot but now I've got to find a unit that will fit but not burn out in a few years. 

18 hours ago, kevin gilmore said:

the ones with the evaporator on the back of the unit typically last only a few years when you build them in, because there is no place to get rid of the heat generated. then the compressor burns up, and no way to fix it.

S'truth. When I bought my built-in vermouth fridge for under the bar it was suggested that I buy a unit made for confined spaces. The hot air was vented under the unit and out the front. Will try to dig a little to find the brand but it is still back in IL. It was a commercial unit so I think Nate's suggestion looks good. May be back here in a few months since the new house has lots of space and a new bar is in the future plans.

Edited August 23, 20178 yr by morphsci

2 hours ago, morphsci said:

When I bought my built-in vermouth fridge ...

Next level baller!

 

Mine has a front vent but I still think it may have cooked itself anyway. 

On 8/22/2017 at 11:31 AM, TMoney said:

My Dad has roughly about 1,500 bottles now and he owns a number of these types of coolers.

My advice is to get one with nice pull-out drawers. Think of it more as a way to display the bottles you really want to drink than as long term storage.

A cool/dark basement is really all you need for long term storage and aging. These wine coolers are more of a luxury, but the ones with nice pull-out drawers are really nice for choosing what to drink. You can use them for aging wines, but they aren't really necessary for that purpose.

Just my 2 cents.

No basements or cool rooms in Houston.  

Wet rooms are generally cool, and there may be some of those soon!

1 hour ago, shellylh said:

No basements or cool rooms in Houston.  

I doubt you'll ever get to 1,500 bottles, though.

5 minutes ago, Dusty Chalk said:

I doubt you'll ever get to 1,500 bottles, though.

you lack the will of the warrior

Never say never! I never thought my old man would pass 500 bottles, let alone 1,500.

Then he discovered wine auction sites...

2 hours ago, Dusty Chalk said:

I doubt you'll ever get to 1,500 bottles, though.

You're right...instead she would have 1000 x π ÷ 2 bottles of wine.