When comparing NewAir AWR-290DB vs NewAir AW-321ED, the Slant community recommends NewAir AW-321ED for most people. In the question“What are the best wine coolers?” NewAir AW-321ED is ranked 4th while NewAir AWR-290DB is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose NewAir AW-321ED is:
This unit's shelves are wooden, so the bottle will not get scratched, as it would happen with metal shelves.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Reversible doors
The doors can be opened both ways to best fit your available space.
Pro Bottles can be locked away
The doors are lockable with an included key to prevent children (or other unwanted hands) from opening the cooler.
Pro UV protection
Despite being transparent, the front door glass actually has UV protection, so direct sunlight can’t harm your wines.
Pro Doesn’t emit annoying operation noise
The unit only emits a light humming noise when operating.
Pro Flexible temperature range
It can go as low as 40 °F all the way up to 66 °F.
Pro Modern appearance
The unit looks modern thanks to the stainless steel frame, clear glass and the blue LED interior lights.
Pro Can be built in countertops
The unit does not require having any extra space around it, since the ventilation is located in the front of the unit. This means it can be built in countertops.
Pro Racks won’t scrape bottles
This unit has wooden racks, that not only look good, but are also gentle to the bottles since they won’t scrape them while pulling them out.
Pro Good for simultaneously storing red and white wine
This wine cooler has two independently-controlled cooling zones. One is best suited for white and sparkling wines while the other is for red wines. The temperature can be set in a wide range between 40 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit giving you great flexibility and allowing you to safely store every type of wine.
Pro Compact yet spacious
Despite the compact dimensions of this cooler (15 inches wide and 34 inches high), you can use it to store approximately 15-29 bottles depending on the size and type of bottle.
Pro Bottles won't get scratched by shelves
This unit's shelves are wooden, so the bottle will not get scratched, as it would happen with metal shelves.
Pro Quieter and more eco than compressor cooling
The unit uses a thermoelectric cooling system which is quieter and more eco friendly compared to compressor-based systems.
Pro Stores equal amount of red and white wines
The majority of dual zone wine coolers can store less white wines instead of red wines. This isn’t the case with this wine cooler as it can equally store 16 bottles in each cooling zone.
Cons
Con Poor user manual
The included instruction manual has no information about how to install the unit.
Con One year limited warranty
The unit doesn’t have any extensive warranty for the compressor or other parts. It’s only covered with a standard one year warranty.
Con Controls are behind the doors
The controls are located behind the doors so if you want to change something or simply turn off the lights, you have to open the doors and let warm air in.
Con Temperatures can be off
The shown temperature can be slightly off the actual temperature, so it’s better to check with an external thermometer if you need very precise temperatures.
Con Actual capacity is less than advertised
Although it’s stated by the manufacturer that you can store 29 bottles in this cooler, it’s only possible with slim bottles that have been packed tightly.
Con Fans need cleaning every once in a while
There are air filters installed on the fans that you have to clean once every couple of months so the fans don’t get blocked. Generally, it’s easy to do if you can access the back of the cooler.
Con Not great for large parkling wine bottles
It has trouble storing large sparkling wine bottles, but it's worth noting it wasn’t designed for sparkling wines in the first place.
Con Thermoelectric cooling has some limitations
This cooler uses thermoelectric cooling, which is ambient temperature sensitive and will work best between 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s lower or higher, the unit will struggle in maintaining the desired temperatures. The unit can maintain temperatures between 46 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit which is enough for red and white wines, but not ideal for sparkling wines that need temperatures as low as 40 degrees.