Review of the NewAir Shadow Series Wine Cooler (NWC033BKD0)

We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.

My husband and I are like many wine enthusiasts. We have wines to drink now, those to save for a special occasion, and bottles that simply need to age a little longer. We open a bottle to enjoy with dinner, and when friends drop by, we share wine. Where we differ is that I open at least five bottles weekly to write a review or give tasting notes to the winemaker. And we host tastings with wine industry friends in our home every week. This means opening six to ten bottles of wine for discussion and critique in a single sitting. And I purchase the bottles in advance to be prepared for the coming month. I need more organization and more cold storage. I want a solution with easy access to our wines that also fits nicely into the decor of our home.

In comes the NewAir Shadow Series Wine Cooler. This wine fridge comes in seven different sizes to fit your personal needs. The smaller unit holds 12 bottles and the largest houses 51. I chose the 33-bottle model with two separate temperature zones. And I like the sleek black exterior.

The Shadow Series refrigerators feature a tinted mirrored glass front with a sleek look that also resists UV rays to protect my cherished bottles. The glass is even resistant to fingerprints, which helped as I unpacked it, and is a big bonus when I’m cleaning the house.

The box arrived with dings and tears in the cardboard. I was concerned and unpacked the appliance carefully. I was pleased to see the fridge was fully assembled and easy to remove from the box. It seemed very well packed in Styrofoam, but I discovered a crack in the top of the door where the hinge attached to the top of the appliance.

Once out of the box, the cooler measured 19.5 x 16.9 x 33.4 inches, and while the website lists the weight as 59.5 pounds, it seemed fairly light and was easy for me to move on my own. In fact, I moved it to three different spots in the house to try it out. Finally situated, there was nothing for me to do but plug it in.

Despite the small damage, the door closed and sealed, so I connected the power cord and set the thermostat. It was a cinch as I just touched a few icons on the LED display. The upper zone range is from 54F to 64F, and the lower is 41°F to 57°F. I set the top to 62°F for my reds and the bottom to 52°F for my white wines.

Just to be on the safe side, I reviewed the Owner’s Manual, which was simple, brief, and easy to follow. The LED screen has only four icons or buttons plus the two temperature indicators. The Light icon takes just one press for ON and another for OFF and glows a cool blue when engaged. Hold the Settings icon for just two seconds and a beep alerts that the settings are unlocked and ready to be adjusted. Then pressing once more selects the upper or lower section of the cooler. From there, it is just a press of the UP arrow to raise the temperature or the DOWN arrow to lower it.

I was pleased the appliance is quiet and makes almost no noise at all. It cooled to the selected temperatures in just one hour. And I promptly started filling the racks with bottles for the tasting I will be hosting this month. I noticed the bottom wire basket holds one or two Magnum-sized wine bottles, beer bottles, or cans of soda. This added feature makes this particular model a great asset for many home bars and wine cellars.

Once set up and full of wine, I contacted NewAir to let them know about the damage to the door. With prompt response, they arranged to send a new door and hinge with instructions for assembly which they assured me would be simple.

I appreciate the modern style that makes a utility item look good in different areas of our home. I settled on situating the cooler in front of two shuttered windows with confidence the dark UV protective glass would protect our wine. After our Christmas tree is packed away, I will likely move the fridge to our dining room alongside the buffet to make it easy to access the wines for our weekly wine gatherings.

Product Model: NWC033BKD0
10% Discount Code: WINELOVER10
Product Link: https://glnk.io/lr287/texaswinelover

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