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What’s the Best 15-Inch Wide Wine Fridge? – Wine Cooler Reviews

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Looking for the best wine fridge to fit into a 15-inch wide space under your counter top? Let’s review all the top 15-inch width wine cooler models.

Often it’s easy to narrow down your home appliance choices simply based on the amount of room you have available. A wine fridge is a great addition to any kitchen, especially when you install a built-in model under your counter top to fit seamlessly with your cabinets. When remodeling your kitchen, you might decide to remove an old trash compactor unit, for example, and find yourself left with exactly 15 inches of horizontal space to fill. Naturally you’re only going to focus on the wine refrigerators that fit to your specific size requirements.

Luckily for you, fifteen inches is a popular size for wine fridge manufacturers to use, and there are a number of quality models available. These range in capacity from 23-30 bottles and include both single-zone and dual-zone configurations.

(If you’ve got slightly more space, check out these 18-inch wine fridges.)

The 6 models that we’ll review here all belong to the compressor cooling technology group of wine coolers. As opposed to thermoelectric coolers, these compressor models can reliably chill down to temperatures as low as 40 degrees F without any risk of fluctuations due to increases in ambient room temperature.

Powerful cooling doesn’t exactly come cheap. It’s worth a small investment for something you can trust your precious wine collection to. The least expensive of these models comes in at just under $600, and the priciest is a bit over $900. Is the most expensive one worth the extra $300? Or would you be better off going with the cheapest of these 15-inch wide options? Let’s look at these 6 cooling units in detail so that you’re informed and better equipped to make a purchasing decision.

Allavino VSWR30-2SSRN 30 Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Refrigerator w/ Towel Bar Handle

Allavino VSWR30-2SSRN 30 Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Refrigerator w_ Towel Bar Handle

Product Details

Allavino gives us the most expensive of the 15-inch wide wine fridges, but it’s also possibly the most attractive of the lot. It features a 30 bottle capacity with special shelving that is designed to achieve this amount of storage while accommodating a wide range of wine bottle shapes. Only larger Pinot Noir and Champagne bottles are going to cause you to lose out on storage capacity.

Dual-zone cooling compartments allow temperature ranges of 41-60 degrees Fahrenheit for the upper zone and 45-64 degrees Fahrenheit for the lower zone. Unlike some other dual-zone coolers, the two zones can’t be set to the same temperature in this model. Rather the lower zone must be at least 4 degrees warmer.

Aesthetically, the Allavino looks good in stainless steel with a towel bar style handle. To be perfectly honest, all of the wine fridge models that we’re looking at here have a similar appearance with stainless steel and black exteriors to be par for the course. It’s mostly the style of the handle and details of the shelving that set them apart from each other.

The main advantage of this model is the flexibility of bottle shapes and sizes that the shelving can accommodate without sacrificing storage capacity. On the other hand, the fact that the lower temperature zone must be set warmer than the top zone can prove limiting. This is especially true when you consider that the shelf intended to hold champagne sized bottles is in the bottom zone. One would think that you’d want to chill these to a cooler temperature, so I would call this a major design flaw that could probably have been avoided with a little bit more thought.

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Pros and Cons

Accommodates many bottle shapes/sizes
Stylish handle
Dual-zone cooling
Lower zone must be warmer than upper zone
Most expensive model

Avallon 23 Bottle 15″ Dual Zone Built-In Wine Cooler

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Product Details

The Avallon 15-inch wide dual-zone cooler is also a bit more on the expensive side. You can see from the construction of the shelving where some of the extra cost is factored in. The wooden shelves have stainless steel trim and smoothly roll out supported by telescoping braces.

The manufacturer only claims that it has a 23 bottle capacity. This is the smallest amount of all of the models here, but in fairness some of the other wine fridges can only get their advertised 30 bottle capacity when using all regular Bordeaux shaped wine bottles.

The upper cooling zone has a temperature range of 54 – 65°F, while the lower zone can be set to 40 – 54°F. This configuration makes a little bit more sense than the Allavino unit because the lowest shelf, which can accommodate wider bottles, is in the cooler zone, where you’d naturally store champagne. And if you are the type to drink only reds, you can still set both zones at the same temperature of 54 degrees.

If you want the two zones set to different temperatures, then keep in mind that the upper (red wine) zone can only hold a maximum 8 bottles.

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Pros and Cons

Available in Left or Right hinge model variations
Smallest capacity at 23 bottles max
Dual-zone cooling
Roll-out stainless steel trimmed wooden shelves
Upper zone 54 – 65°F, lower zone 40 – 54°F

EdgeStar 30 Bottle Stainless Steel Built-In Wine Cooler

Product Details

This is the first single-zone cooler that we’ll look at. These are generally nice to have if you’re the type of person who predominantly drinks only red or white wine, but usually not both.

The temperature can be set within a range of 40-65 degrees F. With this model, though, you will usually need to set the temperature to 2 degrees lower than the actual temperature you want to achieve or it will never get down that low. This seems to me to be an engineering flaw. If the device consistently fails to reach the desired temperature then the manufacturer should have calibrated the difference into the temperature controls to eliminate confusion.

This is the lest expensive of the six models that we’re looking at. The wooden shelves simply slide out, rather than rolling out like on the Avallon model. If you have any wider than normal bottles, you’ll need to remove shelves to accommodate them, and this will reduce the fridges total capacity. If you’re not using all standard Bordeaux bottles then 26 would probably be a more realistic capacity, assuming none of the bottles are wide enough to warrant removing a shelf.

The bigger issue is with the quality of the product. Some users have reported that the compressor begins to fail after 8-12 months of use. Repairing it typically entails a bill nearly equal to the price of the fridge. So remember that when you buy the cheapest model, you’re not always getting the best value. If it needs replacing after a year, then it suddenly becomes the most expensive model in relative terms.

EdgeStar 30 Bottle Stainless Steel Built-In Wine Cooler-door-open

Pros and Cons

Can run noisy
Single-zone cooling
30 Bottle capacity
Least expensive model
Compressor durability issues

EdgeStar Dual-Zone Stainless Steel Built-In Wine Cooler

Product Details

EdgeStar has a second wine cooler model that fits the same 15-inch wide size category. The main difference between this one and the previous model is the dual-zone cooling configuration. Two separate refrigeration compartments allow you to chill various wines to different temperatures. The obvious use for this type of model is in order to cool red wines to a modest 54-65 degrees F while chilling white wines down to the 40-54 degrees F range.

The ability to control temperatures in two different cooling zones comes with a small price to pay. The overall cost of the unit comes out to approximately $100 more expensive than EdgeStar’s single-zone model. In addition to this, the divider between the two cooling zones takes up the same height as one row of shelving. This leaves you with space for six fewer bottles, so that the total maximum capacity is 26 standard sized wine bottles compared to 30 bottles in the single-zone model.

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One limitation of this model when compared to other dual-zone wine fridges is the relatively small capacity of the upper storage zone. The configuration of this EdgeStar dual-zone fridge is such that the upper zone can hold a maximum 8 bottles, and that may be generous. Five bottles in the upper zone is more likely based on the design.

If you tend to drink white wine more frequently, then this might work out well for you. But many wine collectors will feel that this model doesn’t provide ample space for their red wine.

Pros and Cons

Runs on the louder side
Reversible door
Dual-zone cooling
8 bottle upper zone, 18 bottle lower zone
More expensive than the single-zone model

Kalamera 15″ Wide 30 Bottle Built-In Wine Cooler

Kalamera 15" Wide 30 Bottle Built-In Wine Cooler

Product Details

Kalamera makes a number of great wine refrigerators, and this 15-inch wide model with a 30 bottle capacity is no exception. Like the others here, this unit features a stainless steel and black exterior look. Inside, we have 6 slide-out beech wood shelves. There’s a bit of extra space on the bottom row for wider bottles if you choose.

The shelves seem a little lightweight, but the overall operation of this wine fridge is quite reliable.

Like many wine refrigerators, you are only going to reach the maximum bottle capacity under ideal conditions—using all standard sized Bordeaux shaped bottles. Using bottles with a mix of shapes and sizes will cause you to fall short of the 30 bottle maximum, but you should still have enough space in this unit for a modest collection. The fact that this is a single-zone cooler means you get a little extra space too.

One really helpful feature of this model is a temperature memory function. This means that, in the case of a power outage, the wine fridge can return to the temperature you had it set to rather than a default temperature. With many other wine fridges, people have run into trouble because the fridge defaults to a factory-set temperature after a brief power outage rather than the cooler temperature that the owner had it set to. In some cases it has caused people’s wine collections to get ruined. But you won’t have that problem with this Kalamera model.

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Pros and Cons

Temperature memory protects wine after a power outage
Single-zone cooling
30 bottle max capacity
Reliable cooling
Slide-out wooden shelves slightly flimsy

NewAir AWR-290DB 29 Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler

Product Details

The last model that we’ll look at is another dual-zone cooler. In this case, NewAir has put the section intended for white wine on the top. The upper section can be set to 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. It can hold a maximum of 10 bottles with 5 on each of two shelves. The nice thing about the design of this model is that there is extra space above the top shelf, so that it would be able to accommodate wide bottles for Champagne or Chardonnay, etc.

Meanwhile, the lower section can be set to 50-66 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a little larger with regular sized selves and a third shelf on the bottom with enough vertical space to stack up two rows of bottles on top of each other. You could also use this lowest shelf for wide Pinot Noir bottles, etc. At most, you could fit about 19 bottles in the lower zone.

I think this configuration is one of the best in a dual-zone wine fridge as it gives more space for your red wines, which you’d typically want to collect more of.

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Pros and Cons

Dual-zone cooling
Most logical dual-zone arrangement
Least expensive dual-zone model
Reliable compressor
Runs very quietly

Summary

My overall recommendation depends on whether you want a single-zone or dual-zone cooler. If you’re in the market for a single-zone wine fridge, then I recommend buying the Kalamera 15″ Wine Cooler. It’s attractive, reliable, and rather affordable at under $600 currently.

If you’re looking for a dual-zone cooler, I think the best value is with the NewAir AWR-290DB Wine Cooler. Not only is it the least expensive of the dual-zone coolers, but it also runs quietly and reliably, and the two cooling zones are arranged in the most logical manner.

On the other hand, if you want something a little more fancy looking, the Avallon Dual-Zone Wine Cooler has slick roll-out shelves with stainless steel trimming. If the relatively small red wine zone is not an issue for you, then you just have to determine if the extra cost for the fancier shelves is worth it to you.

Best Wine Refrigerator Under $500 – Kalamera 12-Inch 18-Bottle Built-in Wine Cooler Review

Are you looking for the best wine refrigerator under $500? Many people can see the value in purchasing a wine fridge to keep their vino cooled to the right temperature, but at the same time find their budget limited to around $500. If this sounds like you, then you should take a good look at the Kalamera 12-Inch 18-Bottle Wine Cooler which can be used either built-in under a counter or freestanding. in my opinion, this is the best wine fridge you’ll find for less than five Ben Franklin’s.

Just have a look at this compact, gorgeous, and highly-functional thing of beauty…

As you can see, this is a very slick, modern-looking model that will complement just about any kitchen decor. Now let’s get a rundown of the Kalamera’s features and functionality.

Fits in 12-inch wide space. Exact dimension are 11.6″ wide x 33.9″ high x 22.4″ deep (without handle). The handle is designed to protrude another 2 inches from the front surface of your cabinets.
Built-in or Freestanding. It was designed with a built-in under-the-counter use in mind. But you could just as easily set it up somewhere in your home as a freestanding unit.
Compressor cooling. This model makes use of a compressor cooling system that can reliably cool down to 40°F regardless of ambient room temperature.
Easy to use single-zone touch controls. This single-zone cooler model chills the interior to an even temperature, which can be precisely controlled using the digital touch controls. A temperature range of 40-66°F is possible.
Attractive styling. The Kalamera has a stainless steel door, a double-layered tempered glass window, and beech wood sliding racks.
Temperature memory function. When you have a brief power outage, the cooler remembers the temperature it was set to, saving your wine from going to a default temp that may not be ideal.
18-bottles capacity. This model holds up to 18 standard-sized Bordeaux 750ml wine bottles. There are six beech wood shelves, each holding three bottles.
Accommodates some larger bottles. Without removing any of the shelves to accommodate wider shaped wine bottles, there is some extra space above the lowest shelf to fit a few of these larger sized bottles in.
Security lock. So the kiddos won’t raid your wine collection.

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Who is the Kalamera 18-Bottle Wine Cooler for?

The Kalamera 18-Bottle Wine Cooler is a great choice for a regular wine drinker or casual wine collector. If you frequently drink wine you’ll want to be able to store a modest amount at home. This way you can have your choice of wines to go with whatever meal you happen to be in the mood for.

If you don’t have a lot a space in your kitchen to dedicate to a wine fridge, this model should do nicely. At just 12 inches in width, it can fit into all sorts of places, including a small slot under the counter.

If you live somewhere with a warm climate, then a compressor type of cooler might make more sense than a thermoelectric one. You can probably find a cheaper thermoelectric cooler with a similar capacity as this one, but the cooling power of such a model may be limited by the ambient temperature of your home. Compressor coolers aren’t at the mercy of external temps in the same way, and they can easily maintain cooling down to 40°F.

Who is the Kalamera 18-Bottle Wine Cooler NOT for?

If you’re a very serious wine collector, then a capacity of 18 bottles might be a serious limitation. Maybe Kalamera’s 30-Bottle Wine Cooler would be of more interest to you.

Likewise, if you’re shopping for a wine fridge to furnish a busy restaurant, then you’ll want something much bigger.

Those who really strongly desire a dual-zone wine cooler would be another group that will not be totally satisfied with owning this single-zone model. It is great for keeping all your bottles at one standard temperature for storage or ideal drinking temperature for your favorite type. But it won’t be the model to get if you want to keep reds and whites at two different temps, for example.

Should you buy it?

If you’ve made up your mind to get a smaller sized wine fridge, you should definitely consider this one. It quickly and quietly cools down to the set temperature. It looks beautiful in your kitchen. It won’t take up much space, especially with only 12 inches of horizontal space. The temperature memory function can save your precious wine collection if the power goes out temporarily during a thunderstorm or some similar event while you are away.

18 bottles will last you two whole months of drinking a couple of botles of wine per week. If you keep wine for the purpose of actually drinking it—and not just collecting it for some rainy day that never comes—then you’ll find this capacity to be more than sufficient. The bit of extra space on the lowest shelf to hold wider bottles such as Pinot Noir is a nice bonus feature of this model. All-in-all, I’d say it’s a great value and a sound investment for anyone who really enjoys wine drinking.

And this Wine Cooler sells for less than $500

Kalamera 80-Bottle Freestanding Compressor Wine Cooler Review

The Kalamera 80 Bottle Freestanding Compressor Wine Cooler uses advanced compressor technology to cool your wine. I like how it can cool my wines to temperatures as low as 40°F. Unlike regular refrigerators, its compressor runs quietly without causing vibrations. It can store up to 80 bottles of wine. That makes this the natural choice if you’re looking for a wine cellar cooler to grow a large collection with.

Product Features

Cools All Bottles Evenly

The Kalamera 80 Bottle Freestanding Compressor Wine Cooler has slat-styled shelves that allow air to flow freely throughout this wine cooler. That allows all the wines to chill to the desired temperature irrespective of their location in the cooler. I love wine that is chilled properly. That is why I like the fact that with this wine cooler, I can enjoy wines that are as cold as 40°F.

Digital Temperature Control

Setting the temperature of this wine cooler is a breeze. It has a digital control panel for you to raise or lower temperature using up/down arrows. The desired temperature is then displayed, and the cooler’s advanced compressor will work quietly to achieve that temperature. The digital display and blue interior light give the nice digital look to this 80 bottle wine cooler.

Quiet Compressor

This wine cooler uses an advanced quiet compressor that allows it to run quietly. It does not make that sharp noise that most refrigerators are prone to making. That allows it to stay in your kitchen or living room without drawing any unnecessary attention due to its noise. I prefer storing my pricey wines in the bedroom where I can quickly take inventory whenever I want at the end of the day. A quiet compressor is therefore very convenient for me.

Freestanding Design

The freestanding design of this wine cooler makes it easy to store in any room at home. You do not need to place it on top of the kitchen counter or shelf. Its tall, slim design makes use of vertical space. It is perfect for any situation where you want to take advantage of vertical space to avoid clutter. Whenever I have had to manage my living space, I have come to learn that if you stack some items upwards, you end up with some much needed space left. This wine cooler takes care of that.

80 Bottles Capacity

Most wine coolers designed for use at home hold less than 20 bottles. That means you sometimes cannot store enough wine bottles as a collector. This model allows you to grow a large collection over time. The reliable cooling mechanism allows you to store your wine precious vintages at optimal temperature without worrying about them spoiling. And with the even cooling throughout, any one of those bottles will be ready to drink when you’re in the mood.

No Vibrations

This wine cooler uses a compressor that runs not just quietly but also without noticeable vibrations. That is important because vibrations disturb the sediments in wine, ruining its taste. The ability to chill wine to 40°F without causing vibrations is not something that is easy to find in a wine cooler.

Pros

Energy efficient, it is designed to use less energy when cooling your wines.
Stores 80 bottles, which is enough for home wine storage.
Runs quietly and it is totally silent at a distant of 10 feet.
Does not vibrate when operating.
Free standing and makes use of vertical space.
Very affordable for its capacity.

Cons

Cools your wines slowly.
It needs some effort to take out the shelves when surrounding shelves are full.
Small feet, the door, might rub the floor if placed on a carpet.

Summary

If you intend to start a wine collection, this is the best wine cooler to have. It will cool your wine and easily hold its temperature within a range of 40°F-66°F. It will not cause any vibrations, meaning it conserves the quality of your wine. Finally, it runs quietly to make sure that it does not cause any disturbance. I would not hesitate to recommend this wine fridge to my best friends if they were interested in seeking a large capacity cooler.

Kalamera 30-Bottle Built-in or Freestanding Wine Refrigerator Review

The aroma and flavor of wine is way more enhanced when it’s served chilled properly. The trick, however, is in achieving the right temperature. Before I knew any better, I used to put all my wines in an ordinary refrigerator—and the results were always disastrous. Either the wine was too cold or too warm.

I realized I needed more precise control—to find that threshold where the temperature is just perfect, so I decided to buy a wine refrigerator. A wine refrigerator is not like an ordinary refrigerator—it’s specifically designed to store wine. Not only does it keep your wine cool but it also ages it to bring out its true characteristic and full flavor potential.

After reading a few reviews online, I decided to purchase the Kalamera 30-Bottle Built-in Wine Refrigerator as my first wine fridge.

Kalamera 30-Bottle Wine Fridge

This is a versatile unit that you can set up in any activity area in your home such as the living room as a freestanding wine cooler. It is also designed so that it can be used under the counter as a built-in refrigerator. It keeps your wine perfectly chilled to your desired temperature thanks to a proficient single-zone system. The product has an elegant look what with the interior being illuminated by a soft blue light and a gleaming stainless steel frame. This wine cooler basically has everything you need to benefit from the best, perfectly chilled wine.

Features

The refrigerator can hold up to 30 bottles of wine on slotted beech wood shelves. It’s made of a stainless steel frame and it has two layers of tempered glass. This ensures that the temperature inside doesn’t fluctuate and it also prevents fogging.

It’s not as noisy as an ordinary refrigerator and the vibration levels are very low thanks to the pre-installed advanced compressor technology.

The LED control display lets you set the temperature very easily so you can always rest easy knowing that your wine is cooling at the perfect temperature at all times.

You can install it anywhere. It does not take up a lot of space so you can store it in the bar or kitchen area.

Pros

First, it’s very easy to install and easy to use. Installing the door handle was a breeze. All I had to do was peel back the seal on the interior side of the door to reveal two screw holes.
Also, I like how the compressor is very quiet and cools very fast. I thought the reviews online had exaggerated this feature but it appears that this wine refrigerator is actually very reliable. I still bought the four year extended warranty even though it appears to be a far much more reliable unit than most of the other wine coolers. Many other inferior models seem to fail after one or two years.
Another wonderful feature is that this unit will cool all the way down to 40 degrees F. I personally don’t set it that low since I mainly drink red wines. However, if you’re a big fan of whites you should be happy to know that this model will chill your vino down much cooler than thermoelectric models typically can.

Cons

It’s a little more expensive than some other models with a similar capacity. However, as with all things, you usually get what you pay for. The quality in this unit is really top notch.
One thing I noticed when the unit arrived was that the glass door was cracked. it must have gotten damaged during shipping. That said, the company sent me a replacement door immediately, and the Kalamera representative was very helpful and friendly.

Summary

Overall, this wine cooler is really well made. It’s not noisy, it cools wine very fast and the temperature inside remains constant at all times. It’s solid and a little hefty at 72 lbs, but doesn’t take up much floor space and can practically fit anywhere. I’d say it’s rather attractive and provides good value. I would definitely recommend this unit to anyone looking for a mid-sized wine cooler who plans on storing more than 20 bottles.

Kalamera 12-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler Review

The Kalamera 12-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler is designed to keep your wines at the perfect temperature. It perfectly fits on the kitchen counter, and I love the fact that does not make any noise like a regular fridge does. I like the fact that it is lightweight and compact, which makes it ideal when you want to conserve space in the kitchen.

Features of the Kalamera 12-Bottle Wine Cooler

Silent Operation

Unlike regular refrigerators, this thermoelectric wine cooler does not have a compressor. It, therefore, runs almost silent. There are just a few small fans to help circulate the cold air inside to cool it evenly.

Low Vibration

Unlike the refrigerators that experience vibrations when the compressor runs, this thermoelectric wine cooler has zero vibrations. The wine stored inside therefore stays undisturbed. The wine’s sediments are therefore able to settle down, allowing you to enjoy a crisp fruity taste of your wine.

Upgraded Appearance

The stainless steel door frame, glass door, and the steel side give this wine cooler an elegant look. The sleek beach wood shelves can be seen through the glass, giving it a combination of classy and modern look. It gives the kitchen an additional decoration with its cool blue LED lights.

Compact Size

The compact size comes from its thermoelectric cooling design. Without the compressor to take much space, its design is compact enough not to be wasteful of space. I love that I can put it on the counter top if I want and not feel that it is taking too much space.

Temperature Controls

The temperature controls of this thermoelectric wine cooler make it one of the best wine coolers. The controls use microcontroller chips that continuously check the interior temperature of the wine cooler. They make sure it does not fall or rise above what I have set on the temperature control panel. It is that easy to manage its temperature.

Efficient

A fridge’s compressor motor takes a lot of power compared to this Wine Cooler’s thermoelectric cooling system. That is why it can run with as little wattage as 70W. Keeping in mind that I rarely open it, it ends up using much less power after the initial temperature stabilization.

Environment Friendly

A refrigerator uses Freon in their compressors as a coolant, which is a known pollutant. The Kalamera Thermoelectric Wine Cooler does not have a compressor neither does it use Freon as a coolant. It is, therefore, environment-friendly.

Pros

I find its compact size to be perfect for kitchen storage of wines.
The temperature can drop to 53 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it perfect for wine storage.
I love that I cannot hear any sound while it is running. It is just the kind of cooler you want around the house if you enjoy silence at night.
Beautiful Design. Not many other small models come with beech wood shelving.

Cons

It might have trouble cooling to below 52 degrees Fahrenheit. So it is fine for red and white wine storage, but you may need extra chilling to bring white wine bottles to ideal serving temperature.
I always find it impossible to pull out the shelves without opening the door at least 90 degrees.

Red wines are what I mostly enjoy, and I do not need to chill them down below about 55 degrees to store and serve. That is why I find this model to be just perfect. Its ability to run silently is a blessing, especially at night.

Perfect for the casual red wine drinker looking for a compact, yet efficient cooler for under $150. I would recommend it to a friend. It would also make an excellent gift.