This is an attractive and very well-priced wine fridge designed for under the counter installation. It is only 15″ wide so fits nicely in the space of a trash compactor.
The Smith & Hanks RW88DR model has space for 32 Bordeaux-type bottles in two temperature zones.
Note: If you plan to keep mostly Champagne and other wide bottles in it then calculate to be able to fit in 19- 23 of them.
You might worry that the unit will be loud, but rest assured this is a silent wine cooler with a rated noise level of 39 dBA. Place it according to the manufacturer’s instructions and you will barely notice it’s there.
You can make conversatioan, watch TV, read a book or work beside it. Read on to find out why the Smith & Hanks 32-bottle model is an excellent, mid-size home cellar!
Note: When you buy through links to Amazon placed on our site we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Quick Overview
Smith & Hanks 32-Bottle Wine Refrigerator
Capacity: 32 bottles
Cooling Type: Compressor with internal fan circulation
Zones: Dual Temperatures: 41 – 54 °F in the top, 46 – 66 °F in the bottom zone.
Placement: Built-In Under-the-Counter or Freestanding
Dimensions: H: 34″, W: 15″, D: 23″
Place Of Manufacture: China
Price: cc. 600 – 650 USD.
Pros
Elegant, space-efficient, narrow design.
Stable temperature in both zones.
Well-built cabinet and door.
Quiet, low vibration.
Good warranty length.
High Customer Rating On Amazon: 4.8/5.
Cons
Non-standard size bottles reduce overall capacity.
Some owners struggle to place in more than 3 bottles on a shelf, shelving is not accommodating enough.
White wine zone is smaller than the red wine zone.
Table Of Contents
Low-Noise Compressor Cooling, 50 – 70% Humidity Level
The Smith & Hanks 32-Bottle wine cooler will keep your wines at suitable temperature using efficient compressor technology.
It contains ecofriendly refrigerant that will not damage the environment even at the end of the appliance’s life cycle.
An internal fan will be circulating the air inside the cabinet ensuriadjuastableng stable temperature in both zones and a humidity level of cc. 50 – 70%.
What’s To Like?
- Smart-looking home cellar with two distinct zones for red and white/sparkling wines.
- Hold temperature well and maintains approx. 50 – 70% humidity level.
- Slim design with only 15″ width and small footprint – ideal for under the counter, built-in installation.
- Quality compressor cooling with 3 year warranty on the compressor itself.
- Silent – rated only 39 dBA, which equals to a whisper.
- Lockable door (the lock system can be easily dismantled if you don’t like it or you can ask it to delivered without the lock).
- Reversible door swing – adds flexibility when finding a place for it in your home.
What’s Not To Like?
- If you place in it Magnums, Champagnes other non-standard size bottles the maximum capacity decreases to cc. 23 bottles – this is not kept a secret by the manufacturer though, they are clear about it in their advetising materials.
- The two different temperature zones are not equally sized: the top section for whites is smaller, than than the bottom (red wines).
Features At a Glance – S & H 32-Bottle Wine Cellar
- Capacity: 32 bottles of wine (750 ml, Bordeaux-style). 23 is the minimum count using Magnums.
- Cooling Type: Compressor cooling with air ventilation fan.
- Number of Zones: Two distinct temperature zones both with their own controls and display.
- Temperature Range: Upper Zone (whites/sparkling): 41 – 54 °F (5 – 12 ºC), Lower Zone (red wines): 46 – 66 °F (8 – 18 ºC).
- Door: Dual-pane, UV protecting, glass with stainless steel trim.
- Lock: Yes, with 2 keys.
- Direction of Door Swing: Reversible (opens to the right as default).
- Temperature Control & Display: Digital touch buttons and LED readout.
- Temperature Memory: Yes.
- Shelving: 6 sliding metal racks with wood fronts.
- Placement: Built-In or Standalone. Ventilates in the front.
- Clearance: Leave around 1/2″ space at the sides and 2″ at the back when building it in.
- Ambient Temperature: 60 – 90 ºF (16 – 32 ºC).
- Adjustable Legs: The feet are removable and their height is adjustable.
- Auto Defrost: Yes.
- Noise Level: 39 dBA.
- Energy Consumption: cc. 294 kWh/year.
Look & Style
The wood-fronted metal shelves go well with the black cabinet. Stainless steel frame adorn the double layer glass door which is tinted to protect against UV light.
You can still see however the wine bottles inside, especially if you switch on the LED interior light. It is a no-brainer to do, just tap the light bulb symbol on the control panel.
The warm air dissipates through the stainless steel exhaust grille mounted in the front.
Lockable Door with Reversible Opening
The hinging is reversible allowing you to choose left of right door swing. Whichever is more suitable for you in your home!
What’s more, you can lock the door should you feel the need to keep your wine collection protected against unwanted access.
The safety lock is at the bottom, fittbecuseed in the ventilation grille’s center. Two keys are included.
The lock box can be removed if you do not need/want it. But you can order it without the lock through Amazon. It is a better solution becafluctutaeuse if you remove it at home a hole will remain in the place of the lock system.
How To Adjust The Temperature?
The wine fridge has two temperature sections for which you can set the and monitor the temperature individually. The black control panel separates the two zones.
Temperature Range In The Two Zones:
- Upper Section: 41 – 54 °F (5 – 12 ºC) – this is the place to chill your whites, roses, sparkling wines
- Lower Section: 46 – 66 °F (8 – 18 ºC) – designed for storing and cooling reds.
Touch Buttons On The Control Panel:
- Power – press this to turn on/off the wine cooler.
- Interior Light – tap it to switch on/off the interior lighting.
- °F/°C Selector – change from Fahrenheit to Celsius degree display and vice versa.
- Top Zone Display Screen
- Bottom Zone Display Screen
- + Button – increases the temp. by 1 degree
- – Button decreases the temp. by 1 degree increment
– Zone selector – press it to select which zone’s temperature you wan to adjust.
After plugging in the wine refrigerator into a dedicated three-prong plug (110 Volt/60 Hz) tap the Power button to turn on the appliance.
Choose which zone’s temperature you want to set, by pressing the zone selector button (the two bottles above each other).
Adjust the temperature by pressing the +/- buttons.
The control panel is self-locking. The buttons became inactive after a couple of minutes of touching the last button. Press the Power and Interior Light (Bulb) icon together for a couple of seconds to re-activate the controls..
TIP: See other good-quality wine coolers with two temperature zones.
Temperature Memory Feature
As most wine cellars in this price range, the Smith & Hanks RW88DR 32-Bottle model comes with temperature memory function.
Should there be a power outage, once it’s restored the cooler will return to the settings you programmed it. This is a cool feature since at most places a couple of power failures occur every year.
Why Is The Upper Zone The Colder One?
Will The Temperature Fluctuate Inside the Cooler?
Yes, it is normal for the air temperature to fluctuate up to 5 °F but the temperature of wine inside the bottles will change only cc. 0.5 °F. So no need to worry, your wine will be kept at perfect temperature.
Disperse the bottles evenly across the cabinet. This helps to maintain a more even temperature distribution inside the unit.
Shelving – 6 Removable Racks With Wood Facing
The Smith & Hanks 32- Bottle wine refrigerator comes with 6 sliding metal wire racks that have a wood front.
The wood is nicely finished, smooth surface with colorless varnishing.
- The Upper Part (the colder section for whites) has 2 shelves while
- The Lower Part (red wines) contains 4 shelves.
The wire part of the shelves are painted black with rubberized paint to prevent the bottles from scratching.
The shelves are sturdy enough and hold the bottles securely.
How To Load the Wine Cooler To Reach the 32 Bottles Capacity?
The bottom shelf has space for 4 standard, Bordeaux-style bottles, the next 4 shelves will hold 5 bottles while the top shelf accommodates 8 bottles in 2 layers.
The depth of each shelf is 17″. So you can place in it longer bottles.
The top shelf has quite a lot of space for larger bottles. This is where you can keep Magnums (1.5L) or even 1.75L bottles.
You can remove any of the shelves should you want to make room for non-standard size bottles, like Pinot and Chardonnay.
Shelves can be pulled out around 1/3 of the way (approx. 6 inches). They slide out smoothly so you can effortlessly remove and place bottles inside. To completely remove a shelf pull it out all the way you can then lift slightly up.
Obviously you remove all bottles from a shelf before starting to remove it. Pull out only one shelf at a time.
Dimensions & Weight
- Height: 34″
- Width: 15″
- Depth (without handle): 23″, with handle: 25″
- Weight: 84 lbs. (38 kg).
Price & Warranty Info
- Price: cc. 600 – 650 USD (cc. 18.75 – 20.3 USD per bottle if fully loaded with 32 bottles).
- Warranty: 3 years on compressor, 1 year on parts and labor. Extended warranty is available.
Placement Tips – How Much Clearance?
You can install the 32-Bottle Smith & Hanks wine cellar under the counter, between cabinetry or use it standalone.
It is an elegant unit that looks great both as freestanding and slotted in matching nicely with either modern or classical home decor.
Many people have found it a perfect fit for replacing an old trash compactor. Note that the width of the unit is exactly 15 inches.
The ambient temperature of the room where you place the cooler should be 60 – 90ºF (16 – 32 ºC) according to the manufacturer.
This is the ideal temperature range the wine fridge works the most efficiently and will be able to maintain the set temperatures.
Does It Need Clearance?
Although the fridge ventilates in the front – through the slotted grille at the front bottom – you still have to leave 1/2″ space at the sides, and 2″ at the back for proper air circulation when you build it in.
Find a sturdy, level spot that will support the weight of the cooler even fully loaded with wine bottles! It helps if this spot is in a shade, away from sunlight and other heat-generating appliances (oven, heater)
Level the fridge by turning the rotating front leg. This prevents moving of the shelves as well unnecessary vibration and rattling noise.
Use a dedicated three-prong plug (110 V/60 Hz).
What Owners Say About The Smith & Hanks 32-Bottle Wine Cellar?
The wine refrigerator received quite high customer rating on Amazon – 4.8/5. Most owners are very pleased with their purchase.
According to reviews, the fridge is very quiet and keeps the set temperatures well. It has a refined look and both the cabinet and the shelving reflect quality craftsmanship.
Many have mentioned that they replaced their old trash compactor with the Smith & Hanks wine cellar. Installation was a breeze and it is quite nice to have a variety of wines chilled to serving temperature available.
What’s more, you can fit in all sorts of bottles regarding size and style. Note: Placing large/wide bottles will decrease the overall capacity – so you will be able to fit in around 19 – 23 of these non-standard size bottles instead of 32.
Conclusion – Should You Buy/Not Buy?
The answer is definitely YES. This is a good-quality wine refrigerator designed for budding wine collectors and aficionados who want to enjoy wine at its best.
The highlights that makes the Smith & Hanks 32-bottle model an exceptionally good choice are:
- Silent – almost whisper quiet so will not be disturbing placed in a living room, kitchen, entertainment area, home office.
- Efficient compressor cooling with 3 years warranty.
- Accommodates a variety of bottles.
- Stable temperatures and an ideal humidity level to preserve your wines’ quality.
Go ahead and…
Note: When you buy through links to Amazon placed on our site we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Similar Units
A wide choice of home cellars are available with 28 – 32 bottles storage capacity. Here are a couple of alternatives to the Smith & Hanks 32-bottle model.
- Best Wine Refrigerators That Store 30 Bottles – A hand-picked selection of good-value models including ones with dual temperature zone.
- TYLZA 30-Bottle Wine Cellar – This is an extremely good-looking appliance with two temperature zones, locking door and wood shelving. It sells for around 600 USD or slightly less.
- WIE 28-Bottle Wine Cooler – A single-zone model for standalone only installation at a great price (cc. 350 USD).
- MOOSOO – a manufacturer known for its lightweight upright vacuum cleaners also offers a 15″ wide 30-bottle wine fridge with two temperature sections for just under/around 600 USD.
- EdgeStar 30-Bottle Built-In Wine Cooler – It has nearly the same features as the Smith & Hanks model and costs approx. the same too.
Resources: manufacturer’s official website (Smith & Hanks).