For some people, a freestanding wine cooler is extravagant; however, to others who take their bottles seriously, it is a sensible item of equipment. In this feature, we test the CDA Nancy freestanding wine cooler, which sports a unique look that will undoubtedly bring a massive smile to fans of retro design.
CDA is a company very familiar to my wife and me, mainly due to the fact that our dishwasher, cooker and under-counter refrigerator are all made by the company. The three years we’ve been using their products have been plain sailing, and during that time, we’ve become fans of the company.
So when we were contacted by a representative of the company asking if I would like to test its CDA Nancy freestanding wine cooler, we were happy to oblige*.
The main reason why I wanted to check over the CDA Nancy wine cooler is its styling. Although I enjoy modern design, I am much more of a fan of what is commonly known as ‘retro design’.
Current-day design tends to favour angles and edges, which I don’t dispute can look fantastic. However, I’m more of a fan of curves, particularly the design of electrical products from the 1940s to the 1960s.
I should mention that Nancy is not the only lady in CDA’s new retro range. Nancy is one of three, the others being Florence, a 330L 60/40 fridge freezer and Betty, a smaller fridge/freezer with a 206L capacity.
About Nancy
Nancy is a modern-day wine cooler like no other thanks to her beautiful 1960s styling, which, for me, conjures up visions of 2001 a Space Oddessy. As far as wine coolers go, I can’t recall seeing a prettier one, which means you can pretty much fit in anywhere, including man caves, home offices, businesses such as beauty salons, and even by the side of your bed!
Underneath her retro looks is the very latest technology. Her electronic control panel on her front allows you to change the single temperature storage zone from 5 to 22, which makes her suitable for storing more than wine, for example, fine confectionery and even beauty products. It also has more space than you’d imagine, able to fit up to thirteen bottles of wine and up to eight cans as standard.
On top of this wine cooler is a wireless phone charger, and inside are four metal shelves, two glass shelves and one plastic drawer, which is ideal for cans or small bottles. One of the features I particularly liked is the ability to display a single (special) bottle upright in front of the glass window under the LED light.
Once in place, Nancy seems very sturdy thanks to her four metal-finished legs, and she is relatively simple to transport from room to room (unladen) as she is not enormous in size (86cm H x 36cm W x 41cm D) and only weighs in at around 25kgs.
Energy Rating
The review of the CDA Nancy freestanding wine cooler almost didn’t happen. As I mentioned at the start of the feature, I am a fan of the brand, and my interactions with the company’s customer support department have always been exemplary.
Before agreeing to any review, I’ll do a considerable amount of research on a product to ascertain its goals and capability. It was during this that I discovered Nancy had a less-than-stellar energy rating.
I emailed the representative and explained that energy efficiency is an area that would need to be covered given the times we currently live in, and based on its rating, I felt I would be part-focusing on a negative, which is something I never set out to do. I, therefore, politely declined to do the review.
A few days later, the company’s representative came back to me after forwarding my concerns over Nancy’s energy efficiency to senior people at the company.
CDA provided me with the following response: “Since the last revision of the energy label in March 2021, nearly every wine fridge on the market now ranks as “G” on the scale.
As appliances go, wine coolers are not the most energy-efficient of electrical appliances. There is no ‘stand-by’, and as a result, wine coolers are on at all times and must maintain a constant temperature.
Our advice to consumers, when monitoring energy efficiency for either environmental or financial reasons, or both, is to make a shortlist of their favourite wine fridges by not only comparing the buying price and the bottle capacity but also the kWh/annum calculation number, which is on the energy label.
This number is more indicative of the actual cost to you to run your wine fridge per year than the colour scale because the scale takes the size of the appliance (volume) into account. This means that two wine fridges, one bigger in volume but more efficient relationally to their size, can rank higher on the colour scale but actually use more energy and cost more to run per year.
Nancy uses 132 kWH per year and costs on average approximately £32.62p a year to run, which is less than 9p per day.”
After receiving that information, my concerns were gone, as over recent years, I have written about the astonishing prices that some wines and spirits have achieved at auction.
One in particular that stands out is a 1945 bottle of Romanee Conti, sold at a Sotheby’s auction. It had an initial estimate of $32,000, but managed to achieve an almost unbelievable $558,000 at the fall of the hammer!
I liken fine wines to high-quality timepieces, as both require specialist equipment to keep them in tip-top shape. On the watch front, collectors frequently purchase expensive winders, so it makes sense for wine collectors to adopt the same strategy.
If you’re purchasing a good quality wine cooler like CDA’s Nancy to protect and showcase your bottles, an energy bill of £30-odd a year isn’t going to factor into the equation if you’re planning to protect an even half-decent collection of bottles.
Final thoughts
I am sure it is obvious by now that I love Nancy’s looks, and her striking design means she can steal the spotlight in almost any room. Regarding her main feature, which is cooling and protecting bottles, this is done without any fuss or bother. I must admit that the ability to charge a phone on her top is neither here nor there with me, and I view this as a novelty.
The general build quality of Nancy is good, and I wouldn’t have expected anything less from CDA. Although I chose Nancy in Cotton (white) colour, I personally would’ve preferred a few more options, for example, the iconic Philips yellows and oranges from the 60s and 70s and perhaps some shades of red.
CDA’s bold move into retro design is something I applaud. However, retro styling is not for everyone (yet). The good news from my perspective is I am seeing more and more companies taking their inspiration from past designs, which is charming a whole new generation.
In conclusion, Nancy is a lovely-looking appliance that does what it has been designed to do. If Nancy is anything to go by, I’d be more than happy to meet Florence and Betty somewhere down the line.
CDA Nancy Freestanding Wine Cooler – Where and How?
Nancy is available in three colour schemes: Cotton (the version tested), Tea Rose and Dark Skies, and has an RRP of £399.00. Nancy, along with other CDA products (Florence and Betty, etc.), can be purchased from many national retailers, including Currys and Wickes. For a list of all the company’s partners and resellers, please visit www.cda.co.uk.
About CDA
CDA was established in 1991 in Nottingham, England, and is known for its award-winning products, which are designed and tested by some of the country’s leading appliance experts. In 2015, the company became part of the Amica Group, which is Poland’s premier kitchen appliance manufacturer. CDA’s products are created exclusively for UK and Irish homes.
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