Review of Silent 48 Bottle 2-Zone Wine Refrigerator

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.00
Sale Price: $597.79
Today's Bonus: $1.21 Off

Pros:

1) 2 sides so you can keep different temps

2) Looks nice

3) Quieter than compressor 'cellars'

4) Keeps temperature

Cons:

1) Doesn't fit 48 bottles

2) Pinot bottles don't easily fit

3) Racks scrape labels

4) Light only illuminates top 2 rows

5) Doesn't get as cold as documented/advertised

I read all reviews before purchasing and knew going in about the first 4 `Cons' I've listed, but I was okay with that. What I had not read anywhere was `Con'# 5 (the unit's inability to get as cold as documented), so I will focus on that...

First things first, the manufacturer (Wine Enthusiast) states the internal temperature range is 50 66 F +/7 degrees. Although they state the proper temperature for both whites and reds is between 53 and 57 I have to disagree. I have read and discussed with many `wine enthusiasts' (wine makers, store owners, and drinkers) the proper chilling temp for white is 45 47 F. I `assumed' (bad idea) that I could set each side at 50 F and expect to have the lower sections reach 43 F. Therefore I could chill whites on the lower shelves and reds on the upper shelves. I figured this would meet my needs and decided to purchase the unit.

I ordered the fridge from Amazon and received it within days. I anxiously unpacked it, plugged it in, set the temp to 50 F on both sides, placed a couple tester bottles in it from my other chiller and waited. 24 hours later I grabbed the bottles and tested the bottle temp (using an infrared thermometer used to test surface temperature). To my surprise the lower bottles on each side were only 54 55 F, while the upper bottles were as warm as 59 F. Thinking my gun needed calibration I decided to test the internal temp of the unit. I placed two thermometers at the bottom of the left side (one digital and one analog/liquid) and waited another 24 hours. I checked each thermometer and sure enough the left side was only getting as low as 54 degrees (I repeated the test on the right side, same results).

I phoned Wine Enthusiast and they told me to unplug the unit, wait a couple hours, and plug it back in to `reset' the thermostat. I did that and conducted the same test (with all three thermometers) 24 hours later and received the exact same results. I called back the next day and spoke to a technical representative who said possibly a board was bad and they would ship me another unit.

The shipment came about a week later and again I conducted the same tests. This time the temperature range was 51 53 F (lower section to upper section, respectively). I checked the temperature over the next several days and it never wavered (51 F lower section, 53 F upper section both sides). So although the temperature was steady it was not cold enough to truly `chill' white wine.

After contemplating my options I decided to keep the unit and store only reds in it. I think it would be fine for storing whites as well but not for chilling. I have another unit that goes as low as 41 (actually tested at 37 F) so I use that for my whites and the Wine Enthusiast for my reds.

Solutions for common issues:

To resolve pinot bottle storage, I remove the top rack and store pinot bottles on the next available rack (only 2 per side will fit comfortably) but this reduces total capacity by 8 bottles. The top rack is pretty much useless due to its proximity to the thermostat anyway.

To resolve the scraping, I use a 3 2 3 configuration. I flip every other rack upside down and this prevents scraping (but it reduces the storage capacity by another 6 bottles).

Bottom Line, there are a lot of bargain wine `cellars' out there and from what I've read all have issues. However, I would not recommend this one to anyone wanting to chill whites. If you only want to store reds then maybe this is for you, but don't be fooled into thinking it can store anywhere near 48 bottles (I think the total is closer to 32).

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Perfect for the not-so-snotty wine buff. Keeps plenty of wine stocked outside the refrigerator. Dual controls a plus. Racks are small so oversized bottles don't make it and the racks can actually scrape the labels off if you are not careful. All in all, a bargain wine cooler for the average wine consumer.

Best Deals on Silent 48 Bottle 2-Zone Wine Refrigerator

The Wine Enthusiast 48 Bottle 2-Zone Wine Refrigerator was received as a Christmas gift and purchased through Costco by the gift giver. Lovely! It was delivered on time and carried to its appropriate spot -inside wall of finished basement. Once set up the system was allowed to run for several days at the desired temperatures before placing bottles within. Since adding the bottles we have been unable to regulate the temperature controls at all. No matter the temperature set, the inside remains at 45 to 48 degrees on both sides. A freezer thermometer has been used to check the actual temperatures ensuring it was not just a faulty read on the display -it's not. A call was placed to the Wine Enthusiast who stated that they have been seeing many complaints related to the temperature controls with the 48 bottle unit only. They attempted to help by making the following recommmendations -a) move unit to a warmer place in the house if located in a cold basement or such; b) reset the unit by unplugging and replugging; c) contact Costco for a replacement due to having been purchased through them and not directly from Wine Enthusiast.

None of their recommendations have worked to date to include receiving a replacement from Costco. Costco's initial response of replacing it immediately has since turned into "none available" after several calls regarding the lack of communication for delivery of replacement and hearing from a company wanting to pick up the malfunctioning cooler. (Note: currently you can still buy one via Costco.com-online as of this typing. Still hoping to rectify the situation due to the bottles currently in the cooler.) Situation is still on-going.

The unit itself is nice though it technically will not hold 48 bottles if storing any "odd" sized bottles -Pinot Noir as an example. Shelves must be rearranged, turned over or removed to keep bottles from scraping the shelf above. Even without holding the true 48 count, this unit would work perfectly for us if the temperature control issue could be rectified.

Summary: Based on the Wine Enthusiast's statment TO US regarding seeing temperature control problems with the 48-bottle units and our own experience with the same, we can not recommend this particular unit. Nor currently do we recommend purchasing it through Costco.

Honest reviews on Silent 48 Bottle 2-Zone Wine Refrigerator

Just purchased this wine refrigerator about a month ago. We have filled it up and it seems to be working perfectly. It's a quiet and reasonably attractive free-standing unit that was easy to get up and running. We look forward to years of use.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Silent 48 Bottle 2-Zone Wine Refrigerator

Item was delivered 15 days after it was ordered only to arrive damaged (looked like it was dropped a couple times). The doors didn't shut and the top was bent. After being on hold for 20 min, they were gracious enough to re-ship another unit but did not allow for the option to expedite shipping or change to a different carrier. The second item arrived 21 days later and was in worse condition than the first. The doors were ajar and the entire back was bent in. After another 30 minute telephone conversation, they agreed to refund the purchase price but were not going to refund the $85 shipping until I requested it. Very frustrating experience.