If you’re looking for a good-size yet space saving wine storage then the Nutrichef 18-bottle wine cooler might be the right choice for you.
This compressor operated cooler works efficiently with minimal noise while keeping your wines at the correct temperature. What’s more, it’s available at an affordable price, depending on store and model you can get it at for around 300 USD.
Let’s reveal the most important features as well as pros and possible cons!
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Quick Overview
Nutrichef 18-Bottle Wine Cooler (PKCWC18, PKCWC180)
Capacity: 18 bottles (750 ml, Bordeaux style)
Model: PKCWC18, PKCWC180
Cooling Type: Efficient compressor with fan-circulated air-cooling
Zones: Single Temperature Zone: 41 – 64 ºF (5 – 18 ºC)
Dimensions: H: 30.3″, W: 13.6″, D: 17.7.”
Place Of Manufacture: China (in accordance with U. S. ETL/UL standards).
Price: cc. 245 – 330 USD
Pros
Great size and price for 18 bottle storage
Attractive, contemporary look with slim design.
Powerful yet quiet compressor cooling for stable temperatures
Low noise level (less than 43 dBA) & vibration
Simple to use and set up
Cons
Door is not lockable.
The scews provided for attaching the handle are too short according to some owners.
Table Of Content
A Stylish Storage For Your Wines
The Nutrichef 18 bottle wine fridge comes in two decors, one with stainless door frame and handle.
- Model PKCWC180 has black cabinet with dual layer tinted glass door and grey trim around the edges. It has recessed handle.
- Model PKCWC18 also has black cabinet, dual pane, tinted glass door with stainless steel edge and sturdy stainless steel grip handle.
Compact Size, Standalone Placement
Both models boast narrow, compact design and are a perfect fit for table or countertop placement. You can also place them on the floor, just make sure you leave enough space at the back and sides to ensure proper ventilation.
Airtight, Grey-Tinted, Dual Pane Glass Door With Hidden Grip Handle
The see-through glass door offers perfect view of the stored wines inside, especially the bottles on the bottom display rack.
The door glass is reinforced. The seal is airtight for maximum thermal stability – warm air will not get in sid ethe cabinet.
The protecting tint safeguards your wines against damaging UV rays to preserve all the flavours and aromas.
For a more streamlined look the grip handle is recessed in the PKCWC180model.
Door Opens From left To Right
The hinging is on the right so the door swings from left to right. There is no option to switch it to the other side.
Clear Blue Readout Screen With Touch Controls
The blue digital display and touch buttons on the top of the cabinet front enhance the elegant look.
Excellent Cooling With Low Noise & Vibration
How Much is The Energy consumption?
The Nutrichef 18-bottle wine cooler is equipped with state-of-the-art compressor, ensuring optimal cooling for consistent temperature inside the cabinet and low electricty use.
According to the manufacturer, the fridge uses 118 kWh/year.
How Do You Set The Temperature?
You will be surprised how easy it is to operate the wine fridge.
The control board on the top has four icons:
- Power button – the gear symbol on the very left
- Light -ºF/ºC button – turns on and off the white LED interior light. The lighting turns off automatically after 10 minutes. Use this button also to switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius display (or vice versa).
- Up arrow – increases the temperature by 1 degree increments
- Down arrow – decreases the temperature by 1 degree increments.
Autolock Feature Of The Control Panel – How To Unlock It?
The control panel locks automatically 20 seconds after the last button was pressed. To unlock it and reactivate the control buttons, press and hold the power icon for 4 seconds.
You will hear a “beep” sound when the controls are active again and you can set the temperature. This feature might annoy some but it’s quite useful if you have small kids and want to keep them from messing with the buttons.
To adjust the desired cooling temperature just press the Up/Down arrow. It will increase or decrease the temperature by 1 degree increments.
You can set the cooler anywhere between 41ºF and 64ºF depending on what type of wine you keep in it.
You can monitor the fridge’s interior temperature on the display screen where it is shown in clear, bright blue numbers.
You can choose to display the temperature either in Fahrenheit or Celsius. Switching between the two is really simple, just press the ºF/ºC button.
In case of power outage the cooler will reset to 55ºF which you can of course adjust to your preference.
Shelves: 5 Removable, Sliding Wire Racks + 1 For Display
The Nutrichef PKCWC18/PKCWC180 wine fridges include 5 pull out, scalloped metal racks plus 1 display shelf at the bottom.
This one is slightly angled so it can hold bottles that were already opened and recorked.
It’s also an excellent place to keep your prized bottles since the labels display nicely.
Each shelf accommodates 3 standard size bottles measuring 3.0″ x 11.9″ (750 ml, Bordeaux style).
Will Longer/Riesling Bottles Fit In?
Some owners mentioned that they were able to place longer, 13″ Riesling bottles as well.
Can You Store Taller Bottles Standing Up?
Yes, if you remove the display rack and the another one after it you can put in slim, tall bottles standing upright.
Where To Place The Nutrichef 18-Bottle Wine Fridge?
Since it ventilates at sides and back the cooler is strictly for freestanding placement with a couple of inches of clearance at the sides and back.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Clearance Recommended by The Manufacturer:
To ensure proper ventilation please allow
- 6 inches space (15 cm) at the back, and
- 10 inches (25 cm) on both sides
- Leave also cc. 2 inches ( 5 cm) from the ground (don’t remove the legs)
If you want to get the best of the fridge’s cooling efficiency place it in a cool, sunlight-free spot in your home, away from appliances that emit heat.
The floor or the table/kitchen counter should be level and sturdy enough to bear the fully loaded weight of wine cellar.
The manufacturer recommends 41 – 90°F (5-32°C) ambient temperature range for optimal and quiet operation.
Nevertheless, the cooler the room where the fridge is placed the better it will function: more stable temperatures, less compressor running.
It’s also good to know that the unit comes with a 6.6 feet power cable with a 3-pin plug at its end.
TIP: Leave it standing upright for at least 2 hours before powering on and starting to operate the wine fridge.
The cabinet is quiet slim, less than 14″ wide so it won’t crowd your living area.
Dimensions & Weight
- Height: 30.3″
- Width: 13.6″
- Depth: 17.7″
- Weight: 55.84 lbs (25.3 kg)
Price & Warranty
Price of this wine cooler depends on the model:
- PKCWC18 (stainless steel model) costs cc. 275 -330 USD
- PKCWC180 (with plastic door trim and recessed handle) has a price tag of around 320 USD (17.8 USD per bottle).
All 18 bottle models are covered by 1 year limited manufacturer warranty (parts and labor).
Who Should Buy The Nutrichef 18-Bottle Wine Cellar?
It is a well-sized and sharp looking appliance, a perfect little cellar for the budget wine lover’s home. Highlights from reviews include the
- Almost noiseless operation,
- Very little fluctuation in the set temperature, and the
- Appealing, compact design that blends nicely with any interior.
- The display shelf is a huge plus for those who want to show off some prized bottles
- It also comes handy when you have a couple of unfinished bottles around.
On top of all, the Nutrichef 18-bottle wine cooler has very good overall rating on Amazon: 4.5/5 from more than 2,000 reviewers. This is pretty convincing.
So if you’re looking for a small, attractive wine storage unit at great price then this is a good choice.
How Does It Compare To Similar Wine Fridges?
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We have found quite a few models with the same 18 bottle storage capacity. Let’s see the best alteranatives.
Ivation 18-Bottle Wine Cooler With Smart WiFi App Control
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What’s Similar?
- Quiet, compressor-operated cooler with 41°F to 64°F temperature range
- One zone
- UV protected, double pane, glass viewing door with recessed handle
- Touchpad controls to set the temperature and turn on/off the light.
- Control setting auto-locks, similarly to the Nutrichef model.
- Same removable shelving configuration: 5 fully slide-out and 1 slanted display rack
- Touch controls
- Display in bright blue
- Dimensions: H: 30.31″ x W: 13.58″ x D: 17.72″
- 1 year warranty
What’s Different?
- You can lock the door, 2 keys are included.
- Free My Ivation application to monitor the temperature and adjust if needed (available for both Apple & Android devices)
Schmecke 18-Bottle Wine Fridge
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What’s Similar?
- Powerful compressor cooling that is not noisy at all
- Dual layer, tempered glass door tinted to block sunlight
- Single-zone cooler with settings between 41°F – 64°F
- Touch button controls
- Display in easy to see blue LED
- Same shelving configuration: 5 removable + 1 canted display wire rack
- Dimensions: H: 30.31″ W: 13.58″ D: 17.72″
- 1 year warranty
What’s Different?
- Comes with safety door lock with 2 keys
Kalamera 18-Bottle Wine Refrigerator Built/in/Freestanding
This is the slimmest choice – 12 inches wide – if width is an important feature for you. What’s more, you can build it in cabinetry, under akitchen counter.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What’s Similar?
- Compressor operated with less than 42 dBA noise level
- Single zone, with temperature range of 40°F – 66°F
- Dual pane, UV tinted glass door with lock
- Easy to use touch buttons to adjust temperature
What’s Different?
- Can be built in under the counter or used as standalone
- Door hinging can be reversed
- Temperature memory feature – restores set temp. after power failure
- Blue LED light inside instead of white
- 6 removable wooden shelves
- Stainless steel frame on door and bar handle
- Dimensions: H: 33.9″ x W: 11.6″ x 22.4″ (24.2″ w handle)
- Price: costs more: cc. 499 USD
TIP: Should you want to find out more details then read our review on the Kalamera 18-bottle wine fridge!
Want more options that hold 18 bottles of wine? Check our round-up post on recommended 18-bottle wine coolers with pros and cons listed for all each model.
