Is there a difference between a wine chiller and refrigerator?
I'm looking for a wine refrigerator, and a friend said he had one he could sell me… but described it as a wine chiller.
I'm just asking for the difference between the two pieces of equipment, if there is one.
I know I need a cooling system. I appreciate the extra tips about wine, etc, but that's not what will help me right now… thanks
Tagged with: cooling system • two pieces • wine chiller • wine refrigerator
Filed under: All Things Wine
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Wine refrigerators or coolers are enclosed, temperature controlled, and usually have racks to hold the wine bottles. Wine chillers are open contraptions with a sleeve to encase the wine bottle for quick chilling before serving. Here is a picture of both to show the difference. Your friend may just be using different vernacular to describe the same thing you are but I would check to be sure so you get what you think you are getting.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100597781&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100597781&ci_src=14110944&cm_mmc=1hd.com2froogle-_-product_feed-_-D29X-_-100597781&locStoreNum=6817&marketID=16
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100032996
As long as it was designed to cool wine - you should be OK. But make sure it was designed for wine storage and not just a cheap small fridge.
To be good for wine - the appliance must be able to control temperature- between 45-55 degrees depending on the type of wine, humidity about 70% - to keep the cork from drying out and most important to be able to maintain these conditions without much variance and the least vibration possible.
Ask what specifically he's talking about. But, it's probably the same thing. A refrigerator differs from a wine chiller in that a refrigerator for food and stuff has shelves for storing things upright, and is usually kept below 40 degrees. A wine chiller has racks for storing wine bottles on their sides (this keeps the corks wet, so they won't dry out, shrink, and leak) and it keeps them around 50 degrees.