For those of us who really enjoy wine, there is always the question of how best to store it properly. If your home has a lot of space, the options for wine storage are almost limitless. However, in some homes, finding room for a wine cooler to store your best vintages is a challenge. Many people reside in apartments, condominiums, and other small homes that require a real sensitivity to space-saving opportunities. There are solutions to this same dilemma by purchasing a countertop wine cooler.
Kitchen countertops typically range from 24 to 26 inches deep. Upper cabinets in kitchens are typically 16 to 24 inches above the countertop of the base cabinet. Another critical dimension of concern is the width of the product you purchase relative to the area you have available on your counter. Of course, if you have extra floor space but no counter space, your small space-saving wine cooler can be placed on a small table. Again, the dimensions of the wine cooler you buy are still critical to consider.
Countertop wine coolers are typically 10 to 19 inches wide, 19 to 25 inches deep, and 11 to 21 inches tall. Some “tower” type wine coolers will be 6 to 11 inches wide, 20 to 22 inches deep, and 20 to 26 inches high.
A new product now available is a wall-mounted wine cellar that measures 18 inches wide, 19 inches deep, and 30 inches high. This wall mounted wine cooler can be easily mounted on any wall where you can spare the space.
The countertop wine cooler class has a wide variety of wine bottle capacities. Wine coolers are available to store 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 or 17 bottles of your favorite vintages. Almost all bottle coolers in this class feature thermoelectric cooling systems that do not use compressor chemicals. Wine cooling results from the use of thermal coupling technology. Generally, the only moving part of one of these wine coolers is the fan that circulates the air inside the interior of the product.
Most countertop wine coolers come in classic black. Several models sport a black cabinet but will have silver, platinum or stainless steel door trim. There is a wide range of temperature controls, door handles and shelf styles to fit any body’s needs.
Don’t let limited space in your home keep you from investing in a wine cellar that provides preferred storage for all your best vintages. For more information, see: http://idealwinecoolers.com/page/countertop_wine_coolers.html.
Author: Ronald Senn, Vice President, Ideal Wine Coolers 1/2010