Home refrigerator for wine - description, features, functions and types

The appearance of a home-made wine refrigerator is distinguished by its impeccable style and nobleness. Doors are made of glass, which prevents the penetration of ultraviolet rays into the storage chamber. This is important because ultraviolet light can discolor and ruin the wine. For illumination, special lamps are used that do not spoil the noble drink, do not increase the temperature in the chamber and allow you to see the bottles without opening the door.

Exterior finish can be different: wooden, steel or leather - it all depends on individual preferences. Shelves can be wooden, which is even better to damp the vibrations coming from the compressor. Sometimes you can see the inclined shelves, thanks to which you can see the labels on the bottles.

Specifications of Wine Fridge

If you want to buy a home-made version of the wine storage, you should in advance know about the temperature conditions that wine requires to preserve the benefits and taste. In addition, you need to pay attention to the following technical characteristics of refrigeration equipment:

• power of the ventilation system;
• noise during work processes;
• Ease of controls;
• type of cooling.

Instrument functions, what conditions provides

The main task of refrigeration equipment is to maintain a certain temperature. Its range is quite wide - from 5 ° C to 20 ° C, although the recommended temperature is 10-14 ° C. A certain type of wine requires certain conditions, which is important to consider when choosing a particular model.

Equally important is the ability of the device to protect the alcoholic beverage from oxidation processes. Bottles are arranged horizontally; in advanced models, a system for adjusting the level of air humidity is built-in. Such a function is important, because thanks to it, the cork is protected from drying out.

An odor removal function is also required. During long-term storage, any extraneous odor can disrupt the original aroma of the drink, so special filters are used.

Types of home wine coolers by temperature

Four types of devices are distinguished depending on the temperature regime, each of which has its own functional purpose. The first type includes models that give a certain temperature and maintain it constantly. Another type implies the presence of two isolated chambers, where one is used to store wines, the other to cool the drink before serving. The third type involves the presence of three chambers, each of which has its own temperature regime.

The fourth is represented by devices in which there are many refrigerators with the ability to maintain a given temperature in each. Practically any drink can be stored inside such a cabinet and the temperature is maintained with a wide interval: 7-21 ° С.

How a small home refrigerator differs from similar equipment

Differences from industrial units

Industrial refrigerators have impressive dimensions and, unlike home appliances, are designed to store large volumes of wine of different varieties. Therefore, such equipment should provide a variety of conditions for specific brands, and, therefore, is distinguished by a more complex technical organization.

Homemade wine fridge and wine rack - what's the difference?

A wine cooler, as a rule, maintains only a certain temperature, but is unable to provide the rest necessary conditions for storing the drink. Such devices are very reminiscent of a conventional household appliance, somewhat modified stylistically. In general, there is confusion between the concepts of a wine cooler and a wine cabinet, which leads to a lack of understanding of their technical features. Therefore, in order to avoid errors when buying a particular model, it is worthwhile to carefully find out all the technical capabilities of the device.

Requirements for a Quality Wine Fridge

What size devices are ideal for storing wine at home

In an apartment or a private house (provided there is no significant free area) it makes sense to put small cabinets. Many models can be easily integrated into the kitchen or put separately in the living room. For the first option, cabinets with a volume of less than 32 bottles are suitable, the volume for the second option is 130-160 bottles.

By what criteria is it worth choosing a model of a home wine refrigerator

The wine storage should meet the following criteria:

• ensure the stillness and horizontal position of the bottles;
• protect from ultraviolet radiation;
• maintain a constant temperature depending on the variety;
• maintain air humidity level (50–80%);
• ensure good air circulation in the chamber.