If you enjoy having a wide variety of beverages on hand, including wine, beer, sparkling water, sodas, and spirits, an under-counter refrigerator is a great, space-saving way to keep your beverages cool so that they’re ready when you want them.
The U-Line Built-In Beverage Center is a great option. This undercounter refrigerator is made right here in the United States. We’ve had one in our basement for seven years and have had great success with it! In today’s blog, we’d love to share what’s so great about the U-Line refrigerator as well as a few tips for installation and maintenance.
Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!
Do I Need an Undercounter Refrigerator?
Undercounter refrigerators were invented at a time when many people entertained from home. These beverage centers were designed to accommodate a wide variety of beverages as a true entertainment beverage center.
If you entertain often and need several cold beverages on hand at one time, or if you just like the idea of keeping your beverages separate from food in your regular refrigerator, you might consider getting an undercounter refrigerator.
A few benefits of undercounter refrigerators:
Many have attractive, “tucked away” designs that fit beautifully into your kitchen aesthetic.
They save space in your regular refrigerator (especially ideal if your regular refrigerator is a smaller, counter-depth style).
Undercounter beverages are great for keeping beverages cool and visible.
They can be locked, an ideal feature for households where parents want to have a cool alcoholic beverage available without offering open access to teens or younger adults.
This type of undercounter refrigerator should not be confused with a wine maturation cabinet. A wine cabinet is designed to keep wine stored at about 55 degrees F and with about 60% humidity.
Introducing the Uline Undercounter Beverage Center
At KnowWines, we’ve had a U-Line refrigerator for over seven years. Ours, like the one featured here, has two pull-out shelves for wine or spirits and two glass shelves for storing other beverages or snacks (see photo above). There’s also a small space on the bottom of the unit for storing additional beverages or small plastic containers.
The U-Line Undercounter Beverage Center is designed to sit under a counter as a built-in unit, although the unit will have some space to the left, right, and behind to allow for air circulation.
The U-Line undercounter refrigerator is 23 5/8 wide and 34.5 tall. It is made for a 24" cutout.
The refrigerator has a compressor for the cooling system. We’ve written previously on our preference for compressors versus thermoelectric units in wine refrigerators.
U-Line Refrigerators: Made in the USA!
If you’ve been following KnowWines for a while, you know that we love to feature made-in-the-USA products (like the Ponderosa Wine Racks by Wine Racks America!) Similarly, we love that the U-Line Beverage Center is designed, engineered, and made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
The U-line company was started in 1962. U-Line was the first American company to make undercounter freezers, wine coolers, and beverage centers. In the beginning, U-Line founder Henry Uihlein, Sr. sold undercounter freezer units door to door! Their production has been based in the United States since day one, and remains there today.
U-Line Beverage Center Refrigerator: Warranty
The U-Line Beverage Center is a great product for undercounter storage, but it isn’t a small purchase. That’s why the warranty they offer is a nice bonus. Components of their undercounter refrigerator are covered by a one year, two years, and five-year warranty.
If you purchase a premium undercounter refrigerator like the U-Line, you could also consider contacting your credit card provider to see if they offer an additional warranty for free. For example, a Delta Reserve credit card adds another year to the one-year limited warranty for no additional cost.
If you have questions and want to talk to a sales or service team member, U-Line does have a dedicated service and parts phone line open during normal business hours.
U-Line Beverage Center: Installation
When your U-Line refrigerator unit arrives, have the delivery person set the refrigerator as close to the final location as possible (the unit weighs 136 lbs!). It is possible to install two units side by side, but keep at least ¼ “ between the units so that the doors can swing freely and not bump into each other. The refrigerator comes with an anti-tip bracket in case you are installing the item in an area prone to tipping (such as a boat, RV, or tour bus). You will need a level for installation, to make sure that the unit is sitting squarely on the floor. You’ll adjust the feet as necessary for a good door swing. The door can be installed for left or right opening.
The U-Line Beverage Center Refrigerator: Our Personal Review
Overall, we love U-Line Beverage Center. We’ve enjoyed the unit for over seven years for the following reasons:
The U-Line unit is quiet when running.
Durability is great. We’ve had only one issue in seven years and it was easy to fix.
The undercounter refrigerator cools down to 34 degrees F to keep beverages nice and cold (versus 40 degrees F in a typical refrigerator).
Construction is robust, consisting of stainless steel and heavy glass.
Replacement parts are very easy to order if you need them as the unit ages.
What are some downsides?
The second sliding drawer does not have enough clearance to store “fatter” bottles like Champagne or Burgundy bottles, so you will need to store them in the top drawer (not really an issue unless you have several bottles of Champagne). The sliding drawers are perfect for standard Bordeaux bottles or slim Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc bottles.
In our experience, a refrigerator you don’t use every single day may have a greater likelihood of developing odors (in the case of a leaky growler, for example). A container of baking soda tucked into the back of the refrigerator is an easy fix!
The U-Line: Our Favorite Made-in-the-USA Beverage Refrigerator
If you are looking for an all-purpose undercounter refrigerator as a means of storing drinks separately from your kitchen refrigerator, then this unit might be for you.
When purchasing one of these undercounter refrigerators, keep in mind that the main purpose of the unit to keep beverages cold. It is not intended for aging wine. If you want to age wine, check out our article on a great wine cabinet.
The U-Line unit is heavy but easy to install. If you spill something inside, it is easy to clean up with a washcloth.
The made-in-the-USA U-Line Beverage Center undercounter refrigerator holds up well for many years (unlike many appliances these days!). If you decide the make the purchase, we hope you enjoy yours as much as we’ve enjoyed ours!
Cheers!