Affordable Choice for Storing Wine at Home
NewAir wine coolers are made in China and retailed in the USA by Amazon, Air & Water Inc., Wayfair, and other stores.
The company is based in California and offers affordable cooling, heating and purification appliances for residential and commercial use.
They also offer a nice selection of beverage & wine fridge combos. Today NewAir makes exclusively compressor-based wine refrigerators at affordable price
Table Of Contents
Single-Zone NewAir Wine Cooler Models:
- 7-Bottle Narrow-Width (7″) Model (Freestanding Only)
- 16-Bottle Wine Cooler (Freestanding Only)
- 23-Bottle Wine Fridge
- 27-Bottle (AWC-270e, Freestanding Only)
- 33-Bottle Model (Freestanding Only)
- 52-Bottle (Built-in/Freestanding)
About NewAir
The company was founded in 2002. NewAir’s wine cooler line offer inexpensive, stylish wine storage appliances in various sizes.
The storage capacity ranges
- from 12 bottles to 50+ bottles.
Most units use thermoelectric refrigeration technology (also known as superconductor cooling) offering the benefits of less noise and vibration compared to compressor cooling.
NewAir Wine Coolers come in various bottle storage capacities:
Dual-Zone Models By NewAir
NewAir has offers wine fridges with two temperature zones where you can independently adjust the temperature of each part. This way you can store reds and whites at their most ideal temperature.
NewAir 29-Bottle, Dual-Zone Cooler (AWR-290DB)
This a narrow model with only 15″ width so can be fitted seamlessly into existing cabinetry or under the counter.
The AWR-290DB has two distinct temperature zones:
- Upper zone temp. range: 40°F – 50°F (5° – 10°C) – chill whites and sparkling wines here
- Lower zone temp. range: 50°F – 66°F (10° – 18°C) – best for keeping reds.
TIP: The NewAir NWC029BS00 model has the same 29 bottle capacity but has an all-black stainless steel design.
More Features:
- Compressor cooling with fan ventilation in both zones
- 5 pull-out natural beech wood racks:
- The 3 middle racks can accommodate 5 bottles, the top and bottom racks 7 – 7 bottles (standard size and shape bottles).
- Digital, press button control for setting the temperature: just press the Up/Down buttons to set the desired temperature for each zone
- Digital display and control panel are located between the upper and lower section
- Interior light – soft blue illumination
- Sturdy, tempered and tinted glass door with stainless steel trim and bar handle.
- Safety lock
- Front ventilation: allows for built-in installation, but can be placed as standalone as well.
Dimensions
- Height: 33.75″
- Width: 14.80″
- Depth: 22.60″ (with handle: 24.25″)
Price: cc. 700 – 730 USD (cc. 24 – 25 USD per bottle).
Warranty
- 1 year limited (on parts and labor).
NewAir 46-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Refrigerator
This is a good-value mid-size fridge with two different temperature zones and for space for overall 46 bottles (Bordeaux style, 750 ml).
- Top zone. 40 – 50 °F (5 – 10 °C)
- Bottom section: 50 – 66 °F (8 – 18 ºC)
Due to the innovative inverter compressor technology it operates fairly silently (rated to less than 39 dBA which is really quiet).
According to owners, it also holds the set temepartures quite well.
Other Features Of the 46-Bottle Unit Include:
- Touch sensor controls to adjust the temperature in the two zones
- LED readout screen
- 5 sliding wood shelves that can be pulled out (2 in the top part, 3 in the bottom)
- Reversible door hinge
- Safety door lock with 2 keys.
- Integrated/under-the-counter or freestanding installation
- Odor eliminator (activated charcoal filter in the fridge cabinet)
Pros
- Ultra quiet with negligible vibration
- Low energy consumption
- Accurate and consistent temperatures
- Reversible door swing, the door can be locked
Cons
- Short warranty (the standard 1 year on parts and labor)
- It has less storage space for white wines than reds
NewAir 76-Bottle Wine Cooler, Freestanding Only
Model NWC076SS00 is a compact, freestanding cabinet with a temperature band of 40 – 65 ºF (5 – 18 ºC) in both zones.
Obviously, the 76 bottles capacity can be achieved only with 750 ml standard Bordeaux-type bottles.
The ventilation allows for standalone placement only but the appealing look makes it a superb fit for any hoem bar, dining/living room.
What’s more, this model too has very low level of noise due to the inverter compressor.
Dimensions
- Height: 47.64″
- Width: 23.22″
- Depth: 23.22″
- Weight:117 lbs. (53 kg)
Pros
- An excellent fridge for storing 50 or more bottles of wine at uniform or two different temperature in its tw zones.
- Silent, inverter-type compressor that also has the benefit of low electricity use.
- Budget option in the category of large wine fridges.
Cons
- Direction of door opening can’t be reversed
- No door lock
Price
This 76-bottle unit has a price tag of around 1 300 – 1500 USD. The manufacturer gives 1 year warranty on parts and labor.
TIP: Read our full review if you are interested in the NewAir 76-bottle dual-zone wine cellar!
NewAir 116-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Fridge (AWR-1160DB)
The NewAir AWR-1160 DB model is a capacious and elegant model with removable beech wood shelves and two distinctive temperature sections.
Key Features of the NewAir 116-Bottle Model
- Stores 116 Bordeaux-type bottles (750 ml) in two zones:
- upper (best for white wine): 40 – 50 ºF,
- lower (reds): 50 – 66 ºF
- 11 pull-out, gliding wood shelves (the bottom one accommodates larger6wider bottles)
- Digital touch pad controls and LED display – easy to adjust and monitor the temperature.
- Triple layer UV-filtering glass door: door swing can be reversed and it has asafety lock.
- Soft gold LED interior illumination.
- Silent and economic operation.
- Ventilates in the front so you have the option of built-in or standalone placement.
Pros
- Great size and price ratio – a good fit for budding wine collectors.
- Attractive appliance that blends well with other modern gadgets.
- Low noise and vibration – won’t disturb you during dinner, work or during a movie night.
- Doesn’t uses too much electricity depsite the reliable and effective compressor.
Cons
- We think 1 year is a bit short for warranty for such a pricey appliance.
Dimensions
- Height: 54.75″
- Width: 23.50″
- Depth: 26.90″ (with handle: 28.75″)
Price & Warranty
The NewAir 116-bottle wine cellar costs around 1 500 – 1600 USD. It comes with a 1 year parts and labor manufacturer’s warranty.
Single Temperature Zone NewAir Wine Fridges
In these models you can keep wines at one temperature.
7-Bottle Slim-Design Wine Cooler (NWC007SS00)
This slender cooler will really save space in a home considering that it can be slotted in with cabinetry for a neat look.
A compressor provides the cool air inside the cabinet to keep 7 of your favorite bottles at perfect drinking temperature.
You can program it to cool to anywhere between 41 – 65 ºF – just tap the electric icons under the cabinet top inside.
7 sliding, smoothly polished wood shelves hold a bottle each. Blue LED intrior light highlights the content inside.
Note: The door has to be opened to 92 degrees for the shlves to neatly slide out.
Further Benefits Include:
- Quiet operation (rated to 42 dBA) – not whisper quiet bit not disturbingly loud either
- Maintains temperature well
- Chic, high-end look that will be a highlight of any home
Price & Warranty
The NewAir 7-bottle cooler costs cc. 300 – 500 USD, depending on store. If we look at how much storing of one bottle costs then it’s cleraly not the most sensible choice: 42,6 – 71,4 USD per bottle.
But those who are tight on space will appreciate the barely 6″ width and built-in capability. This model comes with the usual NewAir warranty length: 1 year on parts and labor.
Dimensions & Weight
- Height: 34.2″
- Width: 5.9 “
- Depth (with handle): 20.08″
- Weight: 42.5 lbs (19.3 kg)
TIP: Visit our post about other narrow wine fridge models!
Thermoelectric Models – DISCONTINUED
NewAir currently only manufactures compressor-operated wine fridges.
The thermoelectric models listed below are older units, most of them discontinued but might be still available at some stores.
- 12-Bottle model (NewAir AW-120E and AW-121E )
- 18-bottle ( AW-180E, AW-181E, AW-182ED dual zone unit)
- 21 bottle (AW-210ED and AW-211ED),
- 28-bottle (NewAir AW-280E and NewAir AW-281E), and
- 32-bottle (AW-320ED, AW-321ED, AW322ED) models
TIP: Find out more about thermal elelctric (superconductor) refrigeration.
Installation (Built-In/Freestanding):
Several NewAir fridges are suitable for built-in installation since they ventilate in the front.
Freestanding unit vent at the back and require clearance at the sides, top and back. The coolers operate the best if they are placed in a room where the ambient temperature is 50 ‐ 80°F (10 ‐ 26°C).
All units have front leveling legs.
Temperature Control:
- digital thermostat with one-touch buttons to set the temperature by 1 °F increments.
Display: blue LED digital readout, the coolers can be set to display tempearture either in °F or in °C.
Interior Light: low-intensity LED lighting (light switch is on the control panel)
Shelving: pull-out chrome-plated wire racks
Price Range: cc. US$ 120 – 400.
Warranty:
- All NewAir wine cooler models carry 1 year warranty on parts and labor. You can extend the warranty length for extra cost.
Are NewAir Wine Coolers of Good Quality?
Common Complaints by Users
New Air wine coolers seems to be cheaply made.
All models look appealing with the
- digital display,
- one touch control buttons and
- see-through door glass.
But the bottom line is that these aren’t durable, long-lasting appliances that work without a hitch for many years.
According to owner reviews New Air Wine Cooler models have quite a few serious quality problems:
- temperature fluctuation is too high
- only cools down to 55 °F
- interior fan works all the time
- noise (caused by the moving fan)
- flimsy shelving – the shelves come out of the slot easily when pulling them out
- plastic interior lining is too thin
- unit dies within 1-2 years.
If you can’t afford to spend on a better quality wine refrigerator then you can try a NewAir model as a starter cellar.
You might be lucky and get a unit that works without problems. But if you have time and patience to save enough for a high-quality wine cooler/wine cabinet (EuroCave, Sub-Zero, Viking, Liebherr, Transtherm, Le Cache, Marvel) then do it rather than spend on low-quality units that die on you within a year or two.
See also the company’s website.
