Comparison Liebherr WTr 4211 vs Liebherr WTb 4212

The total volume of the wine cooler working chamber (chambers).

Although the main spec of such units is the number of bottles (see above), volume data can also be useful when evaluating and comparing different models. The fact is that with the same capacity, a larger volume means better air circulation and more efficient temperature distribution. On the other hand, an increase in volume also increases the price and dimensions — and there may simply not be free space for a wide or high wine cooler.

The design of the door of the wine cooler.

— Glass (tinted) door. Door with special tinted glass insert. A wine cooler with a transparent door allows you to see the contents of the working chamber easily. It means that you do not need to open the door every time to check the bottles of wine, demonstrate the wine collection and other similar tasks, violating the temperature regime. At the same time, the glass almost completely blocks ultraviolet and other radiation that could damage the wine. Thus, this option is considered the most convenient and practical. Glass doors are most common in most wine coolers of all volumes and price categories.

— Blind door. The completely opaque door provides perfect conditions for long-term storage of wines: no light enters the chamber at all and does not affect the condition of the wine. On the other hand, even to look at the contents, it is necessary to open the working chamber every time. Therefore, wine coolers with blind doors are relatively rare and most often are large, roomy models of climatic format (see "Product type").

The number of shelves provided in the design of the wine cabinet.

Such shelves are usually mounted on rails and can be removed if necessary. In some models, they can also be rearranged to another level. All this can be useful for organizing the space inside the cooler — for example, to accommodate large bottles of increased thickness, you can remove one of the shelves, providing the right amount of needed space. As for the quantity, it is selected by the manufacturer, taking into account the capacity, width and height of the working chamber, so this parameter is not that important when choosing.

The ability to change the height of the shelves inside the cooler.

Shelf height adjustment in wine coolers is usually carried out in the same way as in refrigerators: removable shelves are installed on rails. And to change the placement height, it is enough to rearrange the shelf to another pair of rails. It allows you to change not only the level of location of individual shelves but also their total number, adjusting the cooler to the specific situation.

— Interior lighting. Lighting installed in the working chamber. It allows you to see the contents of the cooler better. Lighting is useful since the working chamber is often in the shade, even in bright ambient light.



— Chamber heating. The ability of the cooler to work in heating mode. In temperature models, heating is used to prepare red wines for serving: we recall that such wines are stored at standard 11..12 °C, but the optimal serving temperature can be up to 18 °C, depending on the wine type. In climatic coolers, this function is designed mainly for cases where the ambient temperature drops below the optimum temperature of the working chamber. For example, in case of problems with room heating. In addition, increasing the temperature during storage speeds up the process of wine maturation, which can also be useful.

— Fast cooling. A special intensive cooling mode designed for situations where a large number of non-chilled bottles must be additionally placed in an already loaded wine cooler. If you do this in normal cooling mode, the temperature inside will rise noticeably, and it may adversely affect the wines already stored in the cabinet. During the fast cooling, excess heat is intensively removed from the working chamber. It helps to avoid microclimate disturbances. It is worth noting that this mode usually needs to be turned on in adv...ance, a few hours before loading a new batch of wine bottles, and turned off after a certain time to avoid overloads. These details must be given in the manufacturer's documentation.

— Chamber ventilation. The presence of a ventilation system in the working chamber of the cooler. Such a system prevents the accumulation of unpleasant odours that can adversely affect the taste of wine, penetrating through corks. Note that in models without a fan, air circulation also occurs, but it is much less intense.

— Humidity control. It is the ability to adjust the air humidity inside the wine chamber. Some wines are very demanding on storage conditions and require not only a certain temperature but also a certain humidity. The humidity control function allows you to set its optimal value. In addition, the humidity should not be lower than 70%. Otherwise, the cork dries out, and an excessive amount of air gets into the bottle, which accelerates the oxidation of the wine and worsens its taste.

— Charcoal filter. A special filter that removes foreign odours from the air in the wine cooler. Wine bottles are not completely sealed — some air constantly enters through the cork, which has a porous structure, and strong odours can thus enter the bottle and adversely affect the taste and aroma of the wine. The charcoal filter helps to avoid this. Note that it must be replaced from time to time.

— Anti-vibration system. System for smoothing various vibrations and shocks affecting the wine cooler. Such influences are extremely undesirable for storage — they disrupt the course of biochemical processes and can even spoil the product. The presence of an anti-vibration system is relevant mainly for coolers with compressors (see "Cooling type"). It is the compressor circuits that are most susceptible to vibrations. If such a unit does not have such a function, it is a low-cost model not designed for long-term and thorough storage of expensive wines. Or it is a device with a high-quality compressor, which initially has a low vibration level and can be used without special protection against them. As for thermoelectric cabinets, the fans used in them are also potential sources of vibration but not as intense as compressors. Therefore, in such units, an anti-vibration system rarely occurs.

— Reversible door. It is an ability at your discretion to choose the direction in which the door of the wine cabinet will open. This function allows you to adjust the design to the location; it can be useful in cramped conditions, where the door can normally open only in one direction.

— Door alarm. It is a system that monitors the closing of the wine cooler door. If the door is not closed for a long time or is not closed tightly enough, an audible or light (depending on the model) signal is given. It avoids a critical change in temperature and humidity in the wine chamber and preserves the quality of the wine.

— Failure indicator. It is a system that monitors the state of the wine cooler units and gives a signal in case of failure. It allows you to avoid unpleasant consequences, ranging from a critical change in storage conditions and damage to wine ending to serious breakdowns and even accidents.

— Child lock. A special lock designed mainly to prevent a curious little child from getting to the contents of the wine cooler. The child lock is turned on and off in a special way that does not create problems for an adult but is not available for a child. And in some models, such a lock is closed with a traditional key. It can also be used for general protection against unauthorized access to the contents of the wine cooler.

The type of control for wine coolers is indicated primarily by the type of control panel, and its location is also taken into account. According to these criteria, in our time, the following options are distinguished: internal rotary knobs, external rotary knobs, internal push-buttons, external push-buttons, internal touch controls and external touch controls. In details:

- Rotary knobs. The simplest type of control. It is quite rare due to poor comfort and tuning accuracy. And for wine coolers, which are not budget devices, this solution looks very doubtful.

- Push-buttons. A fairly convenient, practical and at the same time inexpensive way, suitable for both models with basic capabilities and advanced units; at the same time, buttons are simpler and more compact than rotary knobs and cheaper than touch controls. Therefore, this option is very popular in modern wine coolers.

- Touch controls. Such touch panels are somewhat more expensive than push-button controls, but this is almost imperceptible against the price of the entire cooler. Touch controls are made only electronic, so it is accurate and as functional as possible. At the same time, the touch controls give the device a technological appearance and do not accumulate dirt due to the...absence of unnecessary slots and protruding parts. Note that this type of control is very convenient for coolers with thermoelectric cooling and is used in most of these models, although it is often found in compressor units.

It is worth noting that all types of controls can be both hidden and placed behind the door (internal) and available for settings without opening the door (external). The first option is more pleasing in terms of aesthetics. The second option makes it easier to configure the device.

— No handle (push to open). Wine coolers equipped with doors without any handles. Accordingly, the opening method of such units differs from the usual one: the user needs to press the door lightly. A special closer is responsible for fixing the door; the mechanism securely fixes it and easily opens/closes. This feature does not affect the main functionality, but it can be very appropriate from a design point of view: for example, wine coolers with handleless doors are perfect for an interior in a minimalist high-tech design.

— Hidden door handle. Handle made in the form of recesses on the end of the door. This feature gives the cooler a neat, discreet appearance. In addition, an ordinary handle can be touched by careless movement, but with a hidden one, it is impossible. It is especially relevant in cramped conditions. Of any noticeable drawbacks of such a design, one can only name that it is less “grabbing” and reliable in holding than an ordinary handle. Because of this, some users find hidden handles less convenient; in addition, the aesthetic tastes of buyers are also different.

— Ordinary handle. Handles of a traditional design protrude noticeably on the door. Although the hidden design has several advantages, quite a few buyers still prefer the classic design. The main motive here is that ordinary handles can be gripped more securely, require less effort to open the door and are...generally more convenient to use. In addition, some users simply like the appearance of doors with handles.

It is the amount of energy consumed by the wine cooler in a year during normal operation. Of course, the actual consumption will inevitably differ from this indicator in one direction or another, but these differences are usually not fundamental. So this indicator makes it possible to evaluate the efficiency of different models and compare them with each other. Recall that more energy-efficient units cost more on their own, but in the end, they can turn out to be more profitable due to energy savings.

The climate class to which the wine cabinet corresponds.

As the name implies, this parameter describes the environmental conditions for which the unit was designed. The warmer it is around, the more powerful the wine cabinet should be and the better thermal insulation it should have. Specific classes are indicated by letters. Here are the most popular options:

— SN (subnormal). Models for a cool temperate climate have an operating range from +10 °C to + 32 °C. Such a unit can be useful in a poorly heated room where the temperature can drop below +16 °C — for example, on the veranda of a private house, in a garage, etc.

— N (normal). Wine cabinets for temperate climates, with an operating temperature range of +16...+32 °C. Such a unit is suitable for most residential apartments and houses in mid-latitudes.

— ST (subtropical). Models for subtropical and humid tropical climates. Normally they work at the range of external temperatures +18...+38 °C.

— T (tropical). Wine coolers for dry tropical climates. Designed for temperature range +18 °C to +43 °C.

Also, note that there are many models on the market with an extended temperature range covering several classes. For example, a unit labelled N-ST will have a temperature range of +16...+38 °C. Such models are indispensable in complex climates, the conditions of which are not covered by one standard class — for example, in cold winters and hot summers.