Works well until...
Pros:
Simple, straightforward design; easy to use; did the job adequately until it stopped cooling.
Cons:
Lasted until the warranty ran out, then quit.
The Bottom Line:
This wine cooler worked surprisingly well for its price, but its useful life was entirely inadequate.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I bought the Haier HVT12ABS Compact Wine Cooler in late summer of 2007. It hummed away on my kitchen counter for just about a year, seemingly doing its job adequately.
Then, one day, I noticed that the fan was running continuously and, yet, the temperature inside was the same as the room temperature. Something in the Peltier thermoelectric cooling system had expired, as had the one-year warranty. Searching various web sites, I learned that I'd just joined the growing throng of unhappy owners, many of whom reported getting just months or even weeks of use out of their coolers.
All in all, while it worked, this wine cooler seemed quite satisfactory for an inexpensive electric wine storage device. The 12-bottle capacity allowed me to keep a good selection of wines on hand, and the compact size fit perfectly in a corner of my kitchen.
Installation and operation couldn't have been simpler. There is only one control, an uncalibrated temperature dial on the back of the unit. I used a good digital thermometer to get an idea of the temperature range and to set the temperature at the middle rack to about 55 degrees, which was about the mid-point on the control dial. This was the setting recommended in the instructions for storing both red and white wines.
At this setting, red wines were about the right temperature for drinking soon after removing opening them, removing the cork and allowing the wines to breathe. White wines only needed a little additional chilling in the refrigerator, since I don't like them excessively cold. (I always placed the white wines in the lower racks, to take advantage of the slightly lower temperature there.)
The plastic interior and chrome shelves were easy to clean with a damp sponge, as was the pebble-grain outside surface.
If this wine cooler hadn't died an untimely death, I would be using it still. After this experience, however, I will be very hesitant to buy another Haier product. Caveat emptor. 'Nuff said?
