Avanti 54 Bottle Wine Cooler (WCR5103SS)

by coolerman on November 26, 2008

Our Rating:
Based on: 7 reviews/ratings
Approximate price: $750
Capacity: 54 bottles

Features:

  • Built-In or Free-Standing
  • Stores Up to 54 Wine Bottles
  • Reversible Tempered Double-Glass Door with Stainless Steel Frame
  • Wooden Shelves on a Sturdy Pull-Out Roller Assembly
  • One Touch Dual Function Electronic Display for Monitoring Temperature (F/Cº)
  • One Touch Digital Control for Red, White, or Sparkling Wine
    One Touch
  • ON/OFF Interior Cavity Light Control
  • Built-In Interior Fan for Temperature Control
  • Large Stainless Steel Handle

Pros:

  • Compact
  • Easy To Assemble
  • Powerful
  • Simple Controls
  • Adjustable Shelving
  • Attractive Design
  • Energy Efficient
  • Precise Temperature Control
  • Quiet

Cons:

  • One complaint about a defective unit

Sampling of owner comments about the Avanti 54 bottle wine chiller:

  • “sturdy pull-out, roller assembly shelves”
  • “GREAT product!!”
  • “Whether you buy it for looks or functionality, you will not be disapointed.”
  • “Stainless steel door frame and wooden pull out shelves make this a beauty in any home.
  • “One is still working fine and one is not ” … “MUST BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY”

Our review:

The Avanti 54-Bottle Wine Cooler seems to be very well received by people who have purchased it. Although we only found 4 reviews for this particular wine cooler, almost all of them were positive. The single detractor actually has two – one that is still running after 18 months, and the other that failed after the 12 month warranty had expired. Avanti generally has a solid reputation for reliability, so we would not worry too much about the potential quality issue. However, even though we don't generally buy extended warranties ourselves, there seem to be frequent enough problems with wine coolers, in general, to justify the additional expense, for the sake of peace of mind.

One very nice feature of this model, that we'd like to draw attention to, is the sturdy, roller-assembly shelves. As a number of reviewers have pointed out, this feature may sound like a “nice to have”, until after you've been without it for a while. When the cooler is filled with wine bottles, the only way to find the one you want is to pull out the shelves, one by one. So, it's important that, first of all, the shelves do slide out (many coolers have stationary shelves), and that they are solid, so they can withstand the wear and tear of pulling out, especially under load. So, we think this feature is particularly important to conside.

This wine cooler is very attractive as well, with the stainless stell finish. Assembly is minimal – basically, just attaching the handle with two screws. And, it has a security lock, which, again, may seem unnecessary. But, if you have children, perhaps maybe especially teenage children, this is a very useful feature..

Bottom line recommendation:

The Avanti 54 Bottle Wine Cooler (Avanti WCR5103SS) is NOT RECOMMENDED. Please note that since our original review, 2 years ago, other, less-positive reviews have come to light, causing us to update our recommendation.

Check out our other recommendations for 50-bottle wine cooler/chillers, and our wine cooler buyer's guide.

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