Whynter BR-125SD Beverage Refrigerator, Stainless Steel
We run a small cafe and were looking for a a couple of display fridges that we could use to retail sodas to go. This looked great in the pictures and turned out even nicer than expected. The description says 117 cans but we actually managed to squeeze in 118 cans into the fridge through a little clever positioning.
It took awhile to get cool, but got down to a very nice frosty level after running it overnight. The more you put in the longer it takes obviously. I noticed one of the units not getting as cold as our other units and realized that we placed it too close to the wall blocking the back ventilation. Moved it out a few inches and it worked as hoped. Another thing we realized about glass doors is that any direct sunlight will keep trap heat in the unit. That's the one drawback, but they sure look good. Just keep it out of sunlight. It's also surprisingly quiet, not silent, but very quiet for a compressor fridge.
The shelves are designed to work with cans which is a big plus as most of these glass refrigerators are designed for wine. This is a big difference. You cannot store cans with frames designed for wine bottles. I believe optional wine racks can be purchased for this unit.
The unit comes with a nice stainless steel doorframe and handle and looks like it costs a lot more than it does. In fact, it is less than a third of what we paid for our older beverage display counter of the same size. Decent price, excellent product that works as hoped. Whynter BR-125SD Beverage Refrigerator, Stainless Steel
I'm so happy to write this review being the first one as I had to purchase blindly and on chance. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and want to prevent others from doing the same. As with every other beverage fridge on Amazon, this one doesn't get cold enough.
PROS
- Attractive Design
CONS
- Poor components quality
- No auto defrost
- Advertised temperature is not 100% true
- Did I mention the temperature? This is a fridge after all
Okay, the main problem is the temperature and circulation in the fridge. The temp actually did reach 35 degrees F near where the cold air is pumped in, but all the way at the top of the fridge, I got readings of 60 F. As you go up shelves, it looses temp quickly.
Why is it losing temperature? The problem is two fold. First, the fridge never shuts off, yet it is still not cold. That means that cold air is being leaked somewhere. The door seal is tight and the inside has no holes, so I'm clueless on where it's all going. Secondly, there is no circulation in the unit. There needs to be a fan blowing the cold air around since it leaks out faster than it can stay cold.
How did I resolve this issue? I bought a fan and pointed it from the bottom shelf up. It works...kinda. I'm getting 45-50 F on the top shelf now, but it's hard to find a small battery powered fan that will run 24/7 and last for more than a week.
Another problem is that I had frost building up on the back after only 1 day of use and there is no auto defrost. Don't confuse that frost for the fridge being cold though. The frost is only on the back-side and doesn't make the thing any colder.
All-in-all, I will most likely be returning this since it's pointless to only have 30 cold cans at a time in the back of the unit. I want a glass door fridge for my soda so bad and will continue a search. CAN SOME COMPANY PLEASE MAKE A DECENT BEVERAGE FRIDGE? I beg you!
Before writing this review, I contacted the makers to ask for advice which they offered little. Do the makers of these things test their product first? You've got to be kidding me.
*UPDATE* I did return this item and purchased a 4.6 cubic ft plain old fridge instead. It actually makes things cold and works perfectly. It seems that anything with a glass door on Amazon (or anywhere for that matter) does not get cold enough. I don't know why that is. The glass door looks nice, but coldness > looks so I have to recommend everyone to buy a regular mini fridge instead. - Wine Cellar - Wine Cooler - Wine Refrigerator - Wine Storage'
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