Avanti 30-Bottle Wine Chiller With Electronic Display Review (WC1500DSS)

by coolerman on November 20, 2008

Our Rating:
Based on: 9 reviews/ratings
Approximate price: $500-$600
Capacity: 30 bottles

Features:

  • Single zone
  • Compressor-type ( NOT thermoelectric)
  • Built-In or Free Standing Installation, can fit into trash compactor opening
  • One Touch Digital Control for Red, White, or Sparkling Wine
  • One Touch Dual Function Electronic Display for Monitoring Temperature (C/Fº)
  • Holds up to 30 Bottles
  • Auto Defrost
  • Soft Interior LED Lighting with ON/OFF Switch
  • Slide-Out Shelves, with wood trim
  • Reversible Tempered Double Pane Glass Door with Stainless Steel Trim
  • Removable Stainless Steel Handle
  • Interior Fan
  • Security Lock
  • 33.75″ H x 15″ W x 25″ D

Pros:

  • Adjustable shelves
  • Attractive design
  • Quiet operation

Cons:

  • One complaint about a defective unit, and about customer service, but it was satisfactorily resolved

Sampling of owner comments about the Avantic 30 bottle wine cellar:

  • “perfect fit under cabinet to replace an unused trash compactor”
  • “a very good value for a small, reasonably priced, wine cooler”
  • “back light adds nice look”
  • “Great value and looks”
  • “I'm already starting to think about getting a bigger one because I filled it up faster than I thought I would.”
  • “lock at the bottom is great for keeping our young children out!”

Our review:

The Avanti 30-Bottle Wine Chiller with Electronic Display seems to be very well received by people who have purchased it. Although we only found 9 reviews for this particular wine cellar, all of them were positive. We found one report of a unit arriving damaged, and the reviewer reported difficulty in getting it replaced. But, surprisingly, they still gave it a 4 (out of 5) rating. No other reviewers have reported any problems with this cooler.

While many of the lower-priced wine coolers on the market have high failure rates (as high as 25% of reviewers complained about early failure of certain coolers), Avanti coolers, in general, are consistently reliable, and this model appears to be, as well.

Avanti, the manufacturer of this cooler, is a well-respected name in the refrigeration industry. They offer a wide range of wine chiller models, along with other appliances, and they are noted for their reliability, which showed in our research. This reputation is confirmed in their frequent mentions on wine aficionado forums, where fans recommend them, and say that they've had their Avanti coolers for years.

Owners especially like the appearance – stainless steel outside, with wood trim on the shelves. This unit can be used as a free-standing wine cooler, or as a built-in chiller, sliding into the slot designed for a trash compactor, which a couple of our reviewers have noted. The door, featuring double-paned thermal glass, can be installed to open on either the left or the right. The shelves are adjustable, and removable, to accept larger bottles (than Bordeaux , the “standard” by which coolers seem to measure bottle capacity). This will, however, reduce the bottle capacity. An added bonus is the built in security lock. Although this may not have been on the list of features you thought you needed, it comes in handy to keep children, babysitters, or even guests from helping themselves to your private wine collection.

Unlike many of the smaller, less expensive wine chillers, which are typically thermoelectric, this cooler has a compressor. Because of this, it is not nearly as limited as to where it can be kept, since it can reach cooler temperatures than the 20-25 degrees (F) below room temperature that thermoelectrics can reach. This cooler can be stored anywhere a regular refrigerator or freezer can be stored.

Although a 30-bottle wine cooler may be plenty for the casual wine drinker, it will fill up surprisingly fast if you drink wine regularly. A recommendation we hear over and over, even from owners of this 30-bottle cooler, is that they wish they had more room. So, if you purchase wine more often than once a month, you may want to look into an even larger capacity wine cooler – if your budget can handle it. For a 30-bottle wine cellar, though, the Avanti 30-bottle Wine Chiller (Avanti WC1500DSS) would be a very good choice.

Bottom line recommendation:

The Avanti 30 Bottle Wine Chiller with Electronic Display (Avanti WC1500DSS) is RECOMMENDED.

More Details

Check out our other recommendations for 30-bottle wine cooler/chillers, and our wine cooler buyer's guide.

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