Showing posts with label ratings on refrigerators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ratings on refrigerators. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

NewAir AW281E 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler

NewAir AW281E 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler
  • Removable chrome-plated wine racks can be used for custom storage & slide out smoothly for easy wine selecting
  • Thermoelectric cooling technology features quiet operation & vibration free storage for well-rested wine
  • Freestanding design is perfect for small spaces & makes placement in your home easy
  • Chrome-plated wine racks add sophistication, provide durability & are easy to maintain
  • Digital temperature display is easy-to-read & ensures accurate temperature control

I've owned this unit for roughly 1 month now and have been relatively satisfied. Before I purchased the unit, I had read a number of reviews of this unit and several other units from other manufacturers and had decided that this one would be best suited to meet my needs within my price range.

With respect to initial research, I obtained most of my information either from other customer reviews or by calling customer service directly. Customer service was extremely helpful in detailing the unit's internal dimensions and technical characteristics, as well as explaining the Repair Master warranty in more detail. They were also kind enough to send me a PDF version of the user manual so that I could review it before purchase (since the link on the website was broken).

As previous reviewers have noted, the shelves are closely spaced, so larger bottles with wider diameters or that are taller (internal depth of roughly 13") may not fit. I purchased the unit expressly to house champagne. What I ended up doing was removing the bottom 3 shelves so that I could store the champagne upright without damaging the labeling. In doing so, I can store 8 or 9 champagne bottles in the bottom with ease, with the upper racks still available to store red wine or beer as the mood strikes me.

Temperature regulation seems fairly constant. I have not done an independent check of the temperature sensor. As the manual notes, the unit should be allowed to stand for 2 hrs after shipment/moving to reduce the possibility of a malfunction of the cooling system. I have already moved once and was surprised to discover just how true this statement was. Prior to the move, I had set the cooler to 54. I then unplugged the unit and moved it to my new place (which took me 30 minutes to an hr). I immediately plugged it back in to make sure the bottles didn't heat dramatically. The unit then settled to 56. I'm assuming the reason is exactly what was described in the manual. After a period of 2 days, it then returned to 54 (without me ever touching the temperature controls). The manual does tell you to transport the unit upright when moving (I had it on its side since that was the only way it was fitting in my car). Just something to keep in mind.

In terms of the time it takes to get down to the desired temperature, it will definitely take a while initially. When I first received the unit, I set it to 54 with the cooler empty just to make sure it would work. That took a matter of a few hours. I then filled it with 8 bottles of champagne and red wine. With an ambient temperature (and presumably bottle temperature) of about 78, it took somewhere around a day and a half to get back down to 54.

Once the unit gets down to 54, opening the door to remove a bottle seems to cause it to shoot up to as high as 60, before it cools itself back down.

The door handle does have to be attached by you, the user. This isn't stated in the manual. However, I was prepared for this from reading other reviews. I did receive both screws and had a good idea of where to look beneath the magnetic strip for the screwholes.

The wire racks are metal and removable. Plastic clips on the interior of the unit prevent them from sliding out too far. It may take a little force to bend the clips slightly to create enough clearance to remove the metal racks from the unit. Not something I would advise doing often, considering they are plastic, but they seem durable enough to withstand such action every now and then.

There is a little blue light on the interior at the top of the unit which can be controlled by a light switch on the front of the unit. The manual states turning it on can cause temperature variations within the unit. I just leave mine off and have never verified just how much it causes the temperature to vary.

There is a filter in the back of the unit that fits loosely in a slot. I don't believe I ever saw any mention of it in the manual. The only reason I bring it up is because it can fall out rather easily if the unit is flipped on its side (which I did during moving).

With regards to noise, the unit is not silent, but it is not loud either. When I first turned it on, the hum surprised me, but I quickly got used to it and don't even notice it now.

As for maintenance, I have yet to clean the water reservoir. From reading the manual, it doesn't sound hard. Additionally, the troubleshooting section of the manual does detail a list of common problems the unit may experience. I had to call customer service to get some clarification as to which of those problems were covered by warranty and what the most common issues were, as well as how they could be addressed. They were very up front and I was very comfortable with the apparent relative ease of maintenance prior to making my purchase.

All in all, even though it has only been a month, I have been quite satisfied with my purchase. I knew exactly what I was getting into and the unit has most definitely delivered. Everything still works just fine and I have no complaints.

Buy NewAir AW281E 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler Now

So we bought this wine cooler on reading the specs in the description, and not by finding the manual online and reading it, which was a big mistake. The description says "This wine refrigerator has a black cabinet with stainless steel trim and chrome plated racks. It's sure to complement just about any room in your home." Yeah, as long as your room temperature is between 77-80 degrees (stated in the manual). Our experience in regular room or a little cooler (60-65) -it is winter here in New England, the cooler just got colder and colder -as low as 40 degrees -no matter what the setting was. We pretty much have decided to keep it though, and put it on a 48/0n/Off settings timer -like 30 minutes to 1 hour on and 90 minutes to 2 hours off. That seems to be keeping it in a pretty tight range (we are using one of those thermometer with min/max readings).

Read Best Reviews of NewAir AW281E 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler Here

I purchased this unit because it was cosmetically a match to my Wine Enthusiast 28 bottle fridge. It was also $100 cheaper, but the NewAir unit ran all the time! I emailed NewAir about my issue and they said it was normal. However, my Wine Enthusiast fridge runs for a couple of minutes and then it shuts off.

So I purchased a KillAWatt and tested both units for a 24 hour period. Both were set to the same temperature and tested within 48 hours (so no season changes). Here are the averages for each unit:

NewAir 3.22kwh

Wine Enthusiast 1.33kwh

As you can see the NewAir unit draws 2.4x more energy to keep my wine at temperature. If I would have know that I would have paid more and got another Wine Enthusiast cooler.

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I had concerns about purchasing the AW281E because it seemed to be a no-name brand only sold at a few stores, but the reviews were better than the well known brands so I pulled the trigger and purchased. I'm glad I did. The construction seems to be very good and I love the look. Even with the light off, the digital blue LED temp indicator (haven't checked accuracy yet, but others have commented on this) has a strong glow, which I like. With the light on, it's very nice looking, but I leave it off so as not to adversely effect temperature.

The shelves are adjustable, so despite what others have said, larger bottles, girth wise, will fit. There will be a loss of capacity if you store larger bottles, so get a larger unit if that's an issue. Longer than standard bottles (more than an inch) will have to be put in sideways, or if too long, won't fit. An example of the storage versatility: I put in six boxes of Black Box wine, my daily drink (obviously not an oenophile!), plus another ten bottles, four on the top rack and two stacked on top of each other on each of the three other shelves next to the boxes (I leave out three shelves to fit the boxes). That's 34 bottles worth of wine--some nice bottles and the daily cheap stuff!

As for noise, there is a fan that has run continuously since I've had the unit (three days). If everything in the house is turned off, the fan is easily audible within thirty feet, but it isn't annoying because it's white noise--a constant sound. As soon as you start talking or turn on a TV you will not hear the fan unless you get within a few feet of the unit. If you have a reasonably powerful desktop computer, you have a fan that is going constantly, too. It's noticeable if you listen for it, but does it really bother you? While not constant, your refrigerator probably makes a similar amount of noise. Does it bother you? If they do, then this unit isn't for you, but this would probably apply to any thermoelectric wine cooler, not just this one. While there is noise, and this was a concern while considering this purchase, my wife and I have absolutely no complaints regarding this issue. FYI, I keep the unit in my pantry, with the door almost always open.

I haven't looked into it, but from what little I've read, I believe the only moving part is the fan. If true, this means that the fan is the only thing that would ever wear out and should be easy to replace, when necessary. The front control panel could possibly break and need replacement, but it shouldn't wear out unless you're pushing the buttons every day. There is a drip tray at the bottom back of the unit that is supposed to be emptied and cleaned periodically.

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Ordered this wine fridge lasted 6 months before breaking. Won't cool. Blows nothing but hot air.

Many of the longer Reisling wine bottles don't fit, nor do bottles that are slightly rounder, like Bordeaux.

Terrible purchase.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Whirlpool 1129313 Whirlpool Refrigerator Ice Maker Kit for Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, and Estate

Whirlpool 1129313 Whirlpool Refrigerator Ice Maker Kit for Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, and EstateArrived very quick and fits perfectly. Great product for the money. Would not hesitate to buy again.If you need an icemaker this one is great

I purchased this unit to replace the ice maker I already had... It took about 30 minutes to change the old unit with this one, and the ice is freezing as I type. Easy direct fit install for our fridge...

Buy Whirlpool 1129313 Whirlpool Refrigerator Ice Maker Kit for Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, and Estate Now

Friday, June 20, 2014

SquareTrade 3-Year Appliance Protection Plan ($200-250)

SquareTrade 3-Year Appliance Protection PlanBest extended warranty I have used. I bought this for my second dishwasher, as well as my first and my laptop. Claims process is very easy. It is the only extended warranty I use.

Easy to work with these guys. They provide very quick replacement or payment. I would get their protection for all appliances made in China and most made in the USA.

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I was somewhat skeptical about this service, but it gets great reviews.

The price is fantastic and it was super easy to register my product.

Read Best Reviews of SquareTrade 3-Year Appliance Protection Plan ($200-250) Here

I rated this protection plan a five star but there is no way of knowing if it was worth the cost until I have to use it, if and when my Breville coffee maker breaks and needs repair or replacement.

Want SquareTrade 3-Year Appliance Protection Plan ($200-250) Discount?

Sunday, May 25, 2014

NFL Seattle Seahawks Portable Party Refrigerator

NFL Seattle Seahawks Portable Party RefrigeratorI was very happy with my purchase!! The portable party refrigerator was perfect in every way. The price was great and the shipping was what really helped me out. I truly will be making future purchases here.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

42 Bottle Double Door Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator

42 Bottle Double Door Dual Zone Wine RefrigeratorI bought this fridge because I needed one for my newly built bar. The quality is great! The look is great!! Functionality is awesome!! I love the fact that I can put my red wines on one side and the white wines on the other side. I also love the fact that I have control of the temperature settings. Do note that this wine fridge is ONLY for standard wine bottles. If you are thinking about putting in champagne bottles and the such, this will not work. Please see pictures I uploaded in the product's listing

Friday, April 11, 2014

Koolatron WC12-35D Black 12 Bottle Deluxe Wine Cellar

Koolatron WC12-35D Black 12 Bottle Deluxe Wine Cellar
  • Holds up to 12 bottles
  • Double tempered glass door
  • Adjustable temperature control
  • Advanced heat dissipation system
  • No noisy compressor, no vibration

After installing this wine cellar it started working just fine. Nevertheless, a week into using it, I'm disappointed that once it reaches the temperature it all of a sudden stops cooling and heats straight to 72-80 degrees. Very disappointed on the product (can't say this is the norm for every other Koolatron fridge). Still, I placed a claim with amazon and amazon gladly returned my money.

THANKS AMAZON!!!!!

Buy Koolatron WC12-35D Black 12 Bottle Deluxe Wine Cellar Now

Good product. Only complaint is you can't actually fit 12 regular sized bottles in it with all the shelves in. To put bottles in and get them out you have to take out the shelf above. Pretty quiet, nice looking.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Whirlpool : GB9FHDXWQ 19 cu. ft. Bottom Mount Refrigerator - White

Whirlpool : GB9FHDXWQ 19 cu. ft. Bottom Mount Refrigerator - WhiteI got this refrigerator to replace a 17-cu-ft one that died on me. I bought it off the net, and if I had had a chance to see it in person first I probably wouldn't have--the old, top-freezer refrigerator had much more freezer space. The wire shelves take up way too much room, as does the ice container. Good refrigerator otherwise, I like the additional room in the top half, but the freezer is definitely a disappointment.

We bought this refrigerator online and have been pleasantly surprised. The freezer is a bit smaller than our previous unit but very similar to all the other models and brands we looked at in this size, capacity and design.

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This refrig was 9 months old when it quit cooling. The frige ran and never shut off. Called Whrilpool and they first said a week before a repair person could come but they found another authorized repairer who could come the next day. I was surprized to learn Whrilpool seems to have only 2 repair facilities to cover Long Island. First tech said it was out of freon but was learning and did know how to recharge. Next day a different tech came and concluded the compressor was not pumping. This was late in the week. Whrilpool shipped the compressor to my house overnight Fed Ex arriving Friday mid day, after I talked to a supervisor. Soonest the tech could come was Wed. of following week. I shall see if that part is the root cause. I like the frig a lot but wonder about how long it will actually last. My side by side GE that I had previously, went 18 years with one repair to replace the heater coils for the defrost. Stay tuned

Read Best Reviews of Whirlpool : GB9FHDXWQ 19 cu. ft. Bottom Mount Refrigerator - White Here

My compressor broke in less than 3 months of regular use. They sent A&E to check it out. The techniican didn't even file a report and lied to me about what was wrong with the fridge. They sent a different company to come look at it and they confirmed that the compressor is broken. I called Whirlpool cust service and was told that the warranty only covers repairs not replacement even though I paid over $1000 for a defective product. I am so livid and will NEVER buy another Whirlpool product.

Want Whirlpool : GB9FHDXWQ 19 cu. ft. Bottom Mount Refrigerator - White Discount?

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Green Filter for Kenmore 46-9908 NSF Certified Refrigerator Water Filter, Certified Green, Made in

Green Filter for Kenmore 46-9908 NSF Certified Refrigerator Water Filter, Certified Green, Made in North America 2 PackWe have a Kenmore side-by-side refrigerator and Sear's model is very expensive. We purchased this brand once before and were thoroughly pleased with it. This time we purchased two to keep one on hand.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Cuisinart CWC-900 Private Reserve 11-Bottle Stainless-Steel Countertop Wine Cellar

Cuisinart CWC-900 Private Reserve 11-Bottle Stainless-Steel Countertop Wine Cellar
  • 11-bottle countertop wine cellar in an attractive stainless-steel design
  • Thermoelectric compressor-less cooling technology for quiet operation
  • Controls with 8 presets ensures ideal storing and serving temperatures
  • LED display; 3 removable chrome racks; interior lighting
  • Measures 20-1/8 by 18-8/9 by 18 inches; 3-year limited warranty

I found this wine cellar at a local department store and bought it to take the place of storing/chilling wine in the refrigerator. A standard fridge might be ok for whites, which should be served colder, but not so for reds. When reds are too cold, the subtle flavors become "squashed" for lack of a better term. However, my standard fridge accomodates a standing opened bottle of wine awkwardly at best. Also the frequent knocks and vibrations of the standard fridge, as well as light exposure as said to be bad for wine preservation by those in the know. I'm mainly interested in the convenience of having wine-on-demand at the appropriate serving temperature, as I tend to drink mostly budget wines ($10 and under).

This unit is a single cooling chamber (as opposed to some dual-chamber models I've seen, which allow independent temperatures in the two chambers). It has presets corresponding to certain temperatures, which are inconveniently not listed in the manual. However these can be determined easily enough by dialing in a preset program and checking the temperature the following day. (I haven't bothered to do this) The manual does offer you which presets are best for the various varietals of wine (1 through 8, with 8 being the coldest). You can also set the temperature manually if you do not wish to follow the preset programs. There is a digital temperature readout visible through the door when it's closed clever design, but very difficult to see if the unit is on the floor (where I have mine). True to claim, there is essentially no vibration when the cooling compressor/fan are engaged. The front door has a large window (see picture above) which is dark-tinted to keep the evil humours out whilst you gaze upon your vino. There is an interior light which comes on when you open the door, and can be switched to continuous ON position if desired. As to the previous reviewers comment about the compressor running a lot, it does run more in the first 24hrs than afterwards, but not excessively so. Mine slips neatly right under my home-office desk (close at hand for those bad days!). Actually, this is the coolest room in the house and so the unit runs less in that ambient temp, and hence consumes less electricity. You should be aware that it has exhaust vents to the right of the door handle that need several inches of clearance, so plan accordingly for your physical layout.

I give this model 4-1/2 stars for price & convenience. I have to withhold a 1/2-star simply because the digital readout window is hard to see from a high angle. If I get into white wines at some point, I like this unit well enough to consider purchasing a second one and at this price, it's at least equal in total price (for two units) as some of the dual-chamber models I've seen, if not a little cheaper.

UPDATE 2/17/07

Well, as some others have reported, the unit developed a problem after about 11 months of service wherein it was running continuously without cooling at all. I called the Cuisinart company, and to my surprise they acknowledged an engineering defect and offered to exchange the unit at no charge for a new one with the defect corrected. There were some logistical trials and tribulations involved in the return, but finally the new replacement unit arrived yesterday and now I'm "chillin' like a villain" once again.

The dimensions of the unit by my own measurement are W 17-1/8" (43.5cm) H 16-3/8" (41.5cm) D 16-7/8" (43.8cm), and the door handle adds about 1-1/2" depth.

Buy Cuisinart CWC-900 Private Reserve 11-Bottle Stainless-Steel Countertop Wine Cellar Now

I think the problems that other reviewers had might be similar to what I experienced, though they didn't indicate that they kept the unit around long enough for me to be sure. I'm returning this unit to the dept. store where I bought it, but I'd like to warn other potential buyers to be watchful.

I knew that it would take a while (up to a week, possibly) for the unit to get to its holding temperature (I had it at 57 or 58, I don't remember, exactly). Once it did, it barely ran at all. I mean AT ALL; the fan might have clicked on once every couple of days, after that.

After a short period of time, though, the unit was literally running around the clock. Also, the temperature LED showed 74 degrees, though a thermometer I placed in the unit read 45 degrees.

I unplugged the unit, and with its door closed, I left it that way for a day. I re-read the internal temperature, which had increased to 50 degrees while it was unplugged --obviously well below my desired setting of 58, so I plugged it back in. The LED showed 50 degrees for about 30 seconds, and then the fan kicked in at the same time the displayed popped back up to 74.

I let the unit run for a few hours (the fan running the entire time), and re-read the temperature. It was 47 degrees, though the display still showed 70-something.

It obviously keeps things cool, but the fan will run _constantly_ if something goes wrong with the unit, probably the thermostat, but I'm not sure.

Like I said, the unit goes back today.

Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart CWC-900 Private Reserve 11-Bottle Stainless-Steel Countertop Wine Cellar Here

I've owned my Cuisinart CWC-900 for about a week and it is driving me nuts. The fan runs constantly (about 22 hours a day) and is just loud enough to be annoying (sounds like a hair dryer on its lowest setting). For an otherwise well designed and aesthetically pleasing appliance, this is a deal breaker.

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I have owned this wine cellar for about a week. Don't believe the "no noise" claim the fan runs almost constantly and is nearly as loud as a full-size refrigerator. Also, even at the coldest setting, the wine temperature is often not cold enough. Bottles on the bottom shelf are coldest, most likely by design, and top-shelf wines are only cool, certainly not as cold as the temperature reading indicates.

Overall this wine cellar is a disappointment. It looks nice on the counter, but with the constant running of the fan, it might end up somewhere out of the way just so we don't have to listen to it. Kind of defeats the purpose of buying a Cuisinart with a stylish design.

I ordered this unit in early December and it arrived in mid-March. The offer included a mail-in special offer for an additional Cuisinart product, but the offer expired before the product arrived. I contacted customer service and was told the offer would not be honored.

I do not recommend this product and am considering returning it, though the high return shipping costs will likely keep me from doing so.

We received our unit last night and we were so excited it looks beautiful, so compact and beautifully designed. Unfortunately, I can't BELIEVE how loud it is...it sounds

like a room fan on its highest setting, and that is in my air conditioned house.

It's going to be a pain to return since it is so big.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

15" Built-In Wine Cooler

15' Built-In Wine CoolerI just received this wine cooler for a small bar I'm building for my basement. I purchased it with the matching beverage center and was very impressed initially with the build quality. It looks amazing and stores a lot of wine (33 bottles) even though it's only 15" wide. The only negative thing (why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) is that of the 7 shelves only the top one holds larger wine bottles, but it does hold 5 of them. I will update this review once I install and use it for a few months.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Electrolux EI26SS30JS 25.9 cu. ft. Side by Side Refrigerator, Stainless SteelE

Electrolux EI26SS30JS 25.9 cu. ft. Side by Side Refrigerator, Stainless Steel
  • EI26SS30JS

The best refrigerator purchase we have ever made, everything about it is high quality and classy, we loved it so much we also purchased a washer and a dryer of the same make.

Friday, August 2, 2013

4.5 x 10 Whole House Water Filter - Transparent PWFHT4510BT by Kem Flow

4.5 x 10 Whole House Water Filter - Transparent PWFHT4510BT by Kem FlowWish i could give 4.5 starts, the unit is well made, seems like heavy plastic, the bracket is solid. The clear housing makes filter and sediment inspection a breeze.

Shipping was fast, and unit arrived with no issues. All the parts were in the box and the price was better than i could get at other places.

Other units I have seen have a by-pass valve, my neighbor has one and the down side if it flushes sediment into the house pipes. The upside is it makes it easy to relieve the pressure on the unit for filter removal. I have not had to replace the filter as if yet, so cant comment on how easy it will to relieve the pressure (which the only way you can remove the casing to get to the filter).

The one negative I have on the unit unit is the NTP threading. For my installation I needed these to be 90 degrees, and did not want to have to buy a nipple+elbow, so i bought the NTP-90. Well, getting a tight AND keeping the right exit angle is difficult. Seems to me the unit threads are a tad large making it difficult to seat the pipe fittings COMPLETELY and avoiding a leak; even with 3 layers of pipe tape...

Other than that its a GREAT buy.