Good deal with the thermometers. Went in for 3. One for the urbina, and the others will get passed around to friends who always ask about the temperatures out here. Thanks for the heads up!

If you look online, Target stores sell the 28 bottle Vinotemp unit for 199.99. I went in store and it's *still* marked down to 149.99. I had 2 $100 gift cards from credit card rewards, so I purchased 2. But that seems like a pretty reasonable deal, esp. for someone like me who is still "entry-level".

Corrado wrote:...if only there was a Target within 100 miles of here...

Some are in better shape than others. I went to about 8 Targets in the Chicago area. They ALL had the vinotemp coolers(2+), but the boxes were in bad shape. I conned my father into checking around St. Louis. He found 2 boxes in great shape. That's not to say that the others weren't fine, but I wanted to hedge my bet. The box only weighs 50 lbs...

Where are you at Corrado?

my new addition, courtesy of craigslist for $375 ... slightly used Everstar 100 bottle restaurant wine fridge... dual zone and a nice digital display... complete with woot.wine free advertising sticker...

notice the boxes of woots past waiting to be stored...



fully stocked and loaded


ok woot send me more freebies, I showed my sticker on something!

tkastorff wrote:my new addition, courtesy of craigslist for $375 ... slightly used Everstar 100 bottle restaurant wine fridge... dual zone and a nice digital display... complete with woot.wine free advertising sticker...

notice the boxes of woots past waiting to be stored...

With all those boxes, I think you might have a slight problem - not enough people coming over to share in the bounty. And is that, scoff, cans of BEER I see at the bottom of the fridge?

nematic wrote:With all those boxes, I think you might have a slight problem - not enough people coming over to share in the bounty. And is that, scoff, cans of BEER I see at the bottom of the fridge?

Nah most of the reds can sit for a few years ... I have <15 whites

Plus the GF is moving in this month, so we will be having wine with dinner more often

As for the beer, gotta have something to drink with the burgers and pizza... wine isn't for everything (but almost)

tkastorff wrote:As for the beer, gotta have something to drink with the burgers and pizza... wine isn't for everything (but almost)

beer may be an excellent accompaniment to both, but don't knock the vino: sangioveses & barberas from this side of the pond as well as chiantis (& if you have the dough & are so inclined) barolo & barbarescos from the other side are EXCELLENT pizza wines.

i'll let others chime in on their favorite burger wines cause i tend to eat mine w/ a chocolate shake.

crzycajn70 wrote:Good deal with the thermometers. Went in for 3. One for the urbina, and the others will get passed around to friends who always ask about the temperatures out here. Thanks for the heads up!

just got my thermometers today - Glad i got four...

Anyone else notice none of them are accurate to EACH OTHER? I was thinking of putting two in each cave - one on top and one on the bottom. if they aren't calibrated to each other, I'm screwed...

If anyone is still in the market for a cooler,Linen's N Things has the Wine Enthusiast 12 bottle thermoelectric cooler for $97.94 and coupon code 265900000004 for an additional 20% off for a total of $79.99. Free instore pickup or $11.99 for shipping.

Corrado wrote:Well, my cooler search ended today.

Picked up 3 of these 18 bottle thermoelectric dual zone coolers for $129/ea. 54 bottles for under $400, vibration free. Best thing is they'll be a cinch to sell down the road when I get the cellar built.

If you have a BJ's near you, check 'em out (and, no, it's not deconstructionist propaganda films).

Bj has a 40 bottle dual zone for $229 Haier

crzycajn70 wrote:If anyone is still in the market for a cooler,Linen's N Things has the Wine Enthusiast 12 bottle thermoelectric cooler for $97.94 and coupon code 265900000004 for an additional 20% off for a total of $79.99. Free instore pickup or $11.99 for shipping.

Thanks for the tip. Picked up two. LNT was easy to deal with. My sis picked them up for me 2 days later.
My local Target was at $199. and wouldn't budge on the VT. I would have puchased it at 149.

crzycajn70 wrote:If anyone is still in the market for a cooler,Linen's N Things has the Wine Enthusiast 12 bottle thermoelectric cooler for $97.94 and coupon code 265900000004 for an additional 20% off for a total of $79.99. Free instore pickup or $11.99 for shipping.

just picked that up, thanks!

LurkerDan wrote:just picked that up, thanks!

quoting myself, always cool. ;)

So, I have this thing, it looks good, what temp should I set it at to store my reds?

LurkerDan wrote:quoting myself, always cool. ;)

So, I have this thing, it looks good, what temp should I set it at to store my reds?

anywhere from 55-60... or so say all the literature.

tkastorff wrote:my new addition, courtesy of craigslist for $375 ... slightly used Everstar 100 bottle restaurant wine fridge... dual zone and a nice digital display... complete with woot.wine free advertising sticker...

notice the boxes of woots past waiting to be stored...



fully stocked and loaded


ok woot send me more freebies, I showed my sticker on something!

nice deal!

EDit: Just found it for $150 in Orange County!! i'm thinking of buying this puppy..

clayfu wrote:nice deal!

EDit: Just found it for $150 in Orange County!! i'm thinking of buying this puppy..

Do they have more than one? I'm full on mine.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Do they have more than one? I'm full on mine.

i'll link you, you can buy it if you'd like =) I wouldn't need it till fall anyways so might as well let you have it!

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/hsh/607480918.html

clayfu wrote:i'll link you, you can buy it if you'd like =) I wouldn't need it till fall anyways so might as well let you have it!

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/hsh/607480918.html

that is a fantastic deal, one of you better buy it or I'm getting a plane ticket and a one-way uhaul rental.

oppsie wrote:that is a fantastic deal, one of you better buy it or I'm getting a plane ticket and a one-way uhaul rental.

i would have instantly snapped it up if i knew exactly where i was living next fall.

I need to read through this thread, so perhaps this has been answered. My dilemma is that I don't know what size wine cooler(s) to buy. I probably have 40-50 bottles as a rough estimate. (I went a bit crazy and have toned back my buying recently) So, if I went with the cheaper, smaller coolers, I'd have to buy a few of them, so buying a larger one would be more convenient from that perspective. Money is not a huge factor, but I don't want to be paying more than I need to.

mrflippy wrote:I need to read through this thread, so perhaps this has been answered. My dilemma is that I don't know what size wine cooler(s) to buy. I probably have 40-50 bottles as a rough estimate. (I went a bit crazy and have toned back my buying recently) So, if I went with the cheaper, smaller coolers, I'd have to buy a few of them, so buying a larger one would be more convenient from that perspective. Money is not a huge factor, but I don't want to be paying more than I need to.

Well if you're hoping to want to be able to put the bulk (or all) of your wine in the cooler, then I'd say buy one that holds 100 bottles or so. I still only have a 28 bottle cooler which I'm housing some of my prized bottles in. The rest of my wine is sitting in shipping boxes as their storage. I wish I could afford additional cooler storage.

mrflippy wrote:I need to read through this thread, so perhaps this has been answered. My dilemma is that I don't know what size wine cooler(s) to buy. I probably have 40-50 bottles as a rough estimate. (I went a bit crazy and have toned back my buying recently) So, if I went with the cheaper, smaller coolers, I'd have to buy a few of them, so buying a larger one would be more convenient from that perspective. Money is not a huge factor, but I don't want to be paying more than I need to.

A 100 bottle cooler sounds about right for you - always better to have a little too much space than too little all the time. Plus - what if you stumble across a great bythecase kinda deal? It'd be nice to have that sort of room.

I have ~50 bottles of storage now. I'm a daily 1/2 bottle drinker, so I go through some wine (and entertain regularly). I'd say my cave is dedicated mostly to wine I want to keep. Bottles that hold emotional significance and the last of a big purchase kind of stuff. The daily drink nows don't even go in there, though they prolly should if I had more room.

if money is really not the issue - find a cave that is a good deal (I think overstock.com has the best prices, especially when shipping is taken into consideration) and is attractive for where you'll put it. If it goes in the basement, looks aren't such a factor. Look for a cave that holds wide shouldered "rhone" style bottles, and maybe even larger sizes like magnums. Thermoelectric coolers are quieter and don't vibrate, but are more dependant on the temperature around them than standard compressor models. Do you want pull out shelving?

That cooler that is going on craigslist up there looks awesome. I'm very jealous!

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Well if you're hoping to want to be able to put the bulk (or all) of your wine in the cooler, then I'd say buy one that holds 100 bottles or so. I still only have a 28 bottle cooler which I'm housing some of my prized bottles in. The rest of my wine is sitting in shipping boxes as their storage. I wish I could afford additional cooler storage.

HAK has a great mind. ;)

MaskedMarvel wrote:HAK has a great mind. ;)

Now if only I had a great wallet to go with it.

mrflippy wrote:I need to read through this thread, so perhaps this has been answered. My dilemma is that I don't know what size wine cooler(s) to buy. I probably have 40-50 bottles as a rough estimate. (I went a bit crazy and have toned back my buying recently) So, if I went with the cheaper, smaller coolers, I'd have to buy a few of them, so buying a larger one would be more convenient from that perspective. Money is not a huge factor, but I don't want to be paying more than I need to.

probably need about 70+. I find i can't drink as fast as i can buy =) Since i drink probably 2 bottles a month nowadays *giggles*.

Amazon has a couple of thermoelectric coolers as well as glasses and racks on sale today for their Friday Sale. Looks like some good values.

crzycajn70 wrote:Amazon has a couple of thermoelectric coolers as well as glasses and racks on sale today for their Friday Sale. Looks like some good values.

I never even knew Amazon had that "Friday Sale" thing. Are items listed there typically highly discounted from their normal "Our Price" amounts? I'm just curious as to a comparison in general to what items they list in those sales typically go for reguarly.

HitAnyKey42 wrote:I never even knew Amazon had that "Friday Sale" thing. Are items listed there typically highly discounted from their normal "Our Price" amounts? I'm just curious as to a comparison in general to what items they list in those sales typically go for reguarly.

They're not usually 40% off their price or anything, but usually a pretty good deal. The Lightning deals are usually really good deals but haven't seen one for a cooler.

HitAnyKey42 wrote:I never even knew Amazon had that "Friday Sale" thing. Are items listed there typically highly discounted from their normal "Our Price" amounts? I'm just curious as to a comparison in general to what items they list in those sales typically go for reguarly.

You would really have to search through the entire sale. Some items get great markdowns and others get a few bucks off. bhodilee mentioned the lightning deals and those do tend to be the best deals along with each day's gold box special. If I find something that I like, I'll check a few other places for pricing and if Amazon has the best price naturally I'll go with them, especially if the item qualifies for free shipping.

Anyone know anyone who's tried this?

MaskedMarvel wrote:Anyone know anyone who's tried this?

no, but i remember reading up on this when trying to decide what to buy, and i recall that there were lots & lots & lots of negative customer reviews. the primary objection at the time seemed to be that the cooling unit breaks down early & often. much more often than not, if it seems too good to be true, then it really is.

themostrighteous wrote:no, but i remember reading up on this when trying to decide what to buy, and i recall that there were lots & lots & lots of negative customer reviews. the primary objection at the time seemed to be that the cooling unit breaks down early & often. much more often than not, if it seems too good to be true, then it really is.

that's anything from wine enthusiasts =P

clayfu wrote:that's anything from wine enthusiasts =P

What do you mean?

Does anyone have experience with the Avanti WC681BG 166-Bottle Freestanding Wine Refrigerator?? I can grab if for $600 shipped and I am trying to decide if it worth. Found only one review so far which seemed to be ok. I would appreciate any feedback.

600 is a good deal for that, usually the brand goes for significantly more. Just beware alot of times the large bottles don't fit into the flat racks.

I'm having a problem, though I'm not sure there's really a solution. But I know this is the place to ask. I appreciate any advice you can offer.

A few months ago, along with many of you, I bought a Urbina Design UD28i thermoelectric wine cellar. The problem is that it's really tough to fit bottles in there. With so little room between the racks, I have scratched a few bottle labels taking them in and out.

Of course, since I am not a collector who intends to resell wine, it's not a huge deal that some of the labels get damaged, but when I have guests over and I want to pull out a special (and expensive) bottle, if the label is scratched.... I'm sure you understand, but what you you suggest?

Do all portable wine cellars have this problem or just the ones on closeout for $84?

dsapp wrote:I'm having a problem, though I'm not sure there's really a solution. But I know this is the place to ask. I appreciate any advice you can offer.

A few months ago, along with many of you, I bought a Urbina Design UD28i thermoelectric wine cellar. The problem is that it's really tough to fit bottles in there. With so little room between the racks, I have scratched a few bottle labels taking them in and out.

Of course, since I am not a collector who intends to resell wine, it's not a huge deal that some of the labels get damaged, but when I have guests over and I want to pull out a special (and expensive) bottle, if the label is scratched.... I'm sure you understand, but what you you suggest?

Do all portable wine cellars have this problem or just the ones on closeout for $84?

pretty much everyone does because they are sized to fit standard bordeaux bottles. A large chunk of bottles from Southern France, California are shaped in large obtuse bottles for absolutely no reason at all.

I wish all wineries would put in the same shape bottle.. sigh.