I bought this to be used in my small catering company to store wine for prospective clients. I mainly got it to use with whites, so I needed a nice, quick, consistent chill. Where I live it gets extremely hot and even with the air conditioning going, it gets warm in the office. I was very concerned about having a unit that could effectively and consistently keep bottles cool and keep the wine from being spoiled.

I wasn't afraid to buy a cheap model of wine cellar, like this one is, because my needs were very simple. Unfortunately, this wine cellar fails on even very simple criteria. First of all, right out of the box, the little metal part that attaches the handle to the fridge was broken. Thinking it might have been a shipping problem, I returned it to Haier and was promptly shipped a new one. This one worked, but is so thinly constructed that I can see it would very easily get dented again.

After the unit was assembled, there was a gap between the door and the rest of the unit. The gap wasn't huge, but on a unit this small, where cool temperatures and consistent humidity are a necessity, every little gap is a problem. A handyman was able to fill the gap. If the fridge was lighter and easier to return, that's what I would have done instead.

When everything was fixed and working properly, the temperature still sat around 65 degrees. Event though it was set much cooler and the display said it was much cooler, a simple kitchen thermostat set on a middle shelf proved otherwise. Sixty-five degrees is too warm for any wine, much less the pinot grigio many potential clients request. Proper temperature for wine is extremely important, and you don't have to run a catering company to know that.

The unit, with the handle that sticks far out, looks strangely old-fashioned compared to more modern, streamlined units available. Add that to the fact that it doesn't work, this wine cellar is a complete dud.