We are in the process of getting a built in 2 zone wine cooler (24" width) for our new home and I was curious if anyone had any recommendations on models?
Ideally the wine cooler would be energy star and hold around 40 bottles give or take
I got the Kitchenaid KUWS24LSBS and I am very satisfied with it. It holds 46 bottles and has a graduated dual zone system. It’s around $1200 and really looks sharp. Truthfully I got it because it matched my other appliances but have been pleased with it.
Herbert, save the money and send your cases out to us. We’ll stash them in our root cellar/cheese cave/place of goodness.
Really, we will…
My understanding of the 2 zone coolers is that there are 2 zones b/c they really aren’t that efficient—cool at the top/warmer at the bottom. I have one of the big SubZero’s (300 bottle) and it seems to be always running. 40 btl coolers have other issues—there will be vibration, which for long-term storage is worse for wine than minor temp fluctuations.
Question is, are you looking for a display/short-term storage of a (relatively) few bottles around the house or are you looking for a cooler to lay down 2-3 cases for long term?
You could always skip the dual zone wine cooler and just take the red out 20-30 minutes before you intend to drink it. We have a GE (can’t remember if it is the cafe or profile) and it does its job.