Keeping your wine cool and in the dark is essential for taste. But when you get serious about your wine, you’ll know that just leaving it in the cellar or refrigerator door won’t cut it!
Room temperature is too warm, the fridge temperature is too cold… the solution? A wine cooler! Basically, a mini-fridge but for wine, with all the temperature adjustments and shelves needed to hold your favorite and vintage bottles.
We’ve found the best wine cooler by carefully curating products from an ever-expanding market. Our list consists of wine fridges that fit different budgets, sizes, and cooling options.
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A wine fridge will also be able to age your wine safely and correctly. Regular refrigerators will fluctuate throughout the day raising and dropping the temperature. A wine cooler is designed to control and maintain a specific temperature all day and night.
How to Choose a Wine Cooler
When choosing a new wine cooler, it is important to remember that not all wine coolers are the same. Depending on the type of wine drinker you are or the types of wine you intend to age will determine what type of wine cooler you will need.
Another major factor to consider is how large or small you want the cooler to be. Some coolers are able to hold anywhere from 10 to 30 bottles at any given time whereas the larger types that are used in commercial areas can hold over 100 bottles. There, of course, are wine rooms and cellars but that is a whole other topic in itself. Either way, size matters.
What are the different types of wine coolers?
- Single zone cooling- these types of wine refrigerators have only one temperature control cooling area. They are well suited for only one type of wine, red or white. They usually can hold up to 12 bottles of wine at once.
- Dual zone cooling- this type of wine cooler has two separate areas for cooling, each with their own temperature controls. These are going to be better for people who intend to drink both red and white wines. They can hold up to 30 bottles at once. Perfect for anyone trying to create small storage of wines. They are going to cost more money but the benefit will outweigh the cost in the long run.
- Built-in wine coolers- These wine coolers are basically how they sound. They can be single or dual cooling zones with both temperatures as well. The difference is they are installed into your home behind a bar or in the kitchen and are much easier to control temperatures. They are also the most expensive type of wine cooler. Plus, you may have to pay someone to install it in your house. These are only for the very serious wine connoisseurs.
The Best Single Zone Wine Coolers
Belwares Wine Cooler
This freestanding wine cooler is built to maintain constant temperatures for you to keep either red or white wines in the correct environment. The cooler is able to hold one of either type of wine alone and up to 12 bottles at a time.
The environmental controls allow you to keep the fridge between 54 and 66 degrees for long- or short-term storage. The energy-efficient cooling technology ensures no vibration or noise issues occur while in use. It also looks sleek and stylish on any countertop. The wine cooler is very affordable and comes with a 1-year warranty to protect it.
Black & Decker BWT08THSB4
This wine cooler is perfect for any beginner just getting into drinking or collecting wine. The cooler can hold up to 8 bottles of wine that can be cooled at one even temperature. The electronic touch controls allow you to adjust the temperature that displays on the LCD screen.
The wine cooler is very affordable and they claim perfection from every machine with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The UV glass door also blocks out harmful sun rays so it can be placed in any part of the room or patio.
Antarctic Star
Here is another freestanding tall wine cooler that will be able to hold up to 26 bottles of wine at one time. Granted it can only hold them at one maintained temperature, it can manage temperatures easily and consistently between 40 and 61 degrees.
The harmless blue LED interior light helps to showcase the wine as well. The cooler is vibration-free and whispers quiet equipped with moveable shelves and raiseable legs. The machine is a little more expensive but comes with a 1-year warranty to protect it.
Westinghouse WWT100MB
This tall wine cooler is equipped with 4 stainless steel chrome racks and a mechanical adjustable thermostat that will hold your wines at the perfect temperature year-round. The cooler can hold up to 10 bottles of wine at temperatures of 54- 66 degrees.
There are tinted doors to block out sunlight and an interior light for easy visibility. This would be a perfect gift for someone who is just starting out their wine journey.
Kalamera KRC-24SS
Because of the low vibration internal environment, this wine cooler has, it will be able to store wine without shaking or making any noise while in use. It will be able to store up 24 bottles of wine on any of the removable chrome racks within the machine.
The temperature can be maintained between a wide range from 41- 69 degrees just in case you wanted to store something else in them. The interior LED soft light provides perfect lighting for the wine.
Koldfront TWR160S
This wine cooler is equipped with slide-out chrome racks, a reversible door and vibration-free thermal cooling technology to provide a noise-free environment. It is able to hold up to 16 bottles of wine comfortably and has a sleek and stylish look on the outside.
The cooler will maintain consistent temperatures between 52 and 64 degrees easily. There is an internal fan to dissipate heat and circulate cool air as well. The LED lighted interior also makes it easy to choose different bottles of wine.
Costaway
This is the last freestanding single zone cooler on the list and it has perfect dimensions for someone without a lot of space. It is able to hold up to 12 bottles of wine using any other the six double bottle chrome racks which are also adjustable and removable.
The LED display makes it easy to change temperatures between 50 and 59 degrees. The interior automatic LED light makes it easy to choose the wine in dim-lit areas.
The Best Dual Zone Wine Coolers
1. NutriChef PKTEWCDS1802
The first dual zone wine cooler comes at a very fair price when compared to others and also comes protected by a 1-year warranty. The cooler is able to keep two separate areas cooled at different temperatures for you to store up to 18 different bottles of red or white wine.
The upper can be controlled between 46 and 64 degrees while the bottom is between 54 and 64 degrees using the one-touch controls and LED visible display. The inner chrome racks are interchangeable so that you may have standing room inside for bottles of wine that have already been opened.
2. Ivation 24 Bottle Cooler
This freestanding dual cooling zone fridge looks great with a sleek design and UV doors to protect your collection of wine from harmful sun rays. It is able to control to separate areas of temperatures between the upper of 56 to 64 and the lower section from 54 to 64 degrees.
The cooler holds up to 24 bottles of wine easily on wire chrome racks that are interchangeable and removable. It has been built with energy-efficient low vibration technology to limit noise and shaking issues that may occur while in use. The temperature is also controlled by a one-touch LED display system.
3. Cuisinart CWC-1200DZ
When compared to other dual-zone cooling wine coolers, this one comes pretty expensive, but it does also come with a 3-year warranty to protect it. It is able to hold up to 12 bottles of wine at two separate temperatures constantly. Both sides have a very wide range of the thermostat which is between temperatures of 39 to 68 degrees for each side.
The interior has a LED blue light for viewing display and tinted windows to shut out any harmful UV rays that could damage your wine over time.
4. Ivation Dual Zone
The last freestanding Dual zone wine cooler on the list is very stylish and looks great on any kitchen countertop with smoked glass doors to prevent sunlight from entering and quiet operation that limits noise and vibration. The machine is able to hold up to 18 bottles of wine on the chrome polished racks in two different cooling areas.
The temperatures easily control the climate of the two areas from 46 to 64 degrees in the upper zone and 54 to 64 degrees in the lower zone. The interior soft light can also be toggled on or off for viewing or display reasons.
Guide to Buying a Wine Cooler
Does the glass door really matter? Will an internal light really make a difference to my wine? Should I store white wine and red wine in the same cooler? These are all questions you need to ask before you buy a wine cooler.
Work Out What You Need
The first step is to check the dimensions of the wine cooler. Some awkwardly shaped champagne bottles won’t fit in the standard wine cooler, for example. So, having movable shelves and different storage options within a cooler is something you should check out.
You also need to work out how much wine you plan to store. A larger cooler is not just more expensive to buy and run, but it’s also more difficult to keep it as cool. Don’t go big unless you need to.
Budget and Space
Speaking of running costs, how much money have you set aside for your wine cooler? If you’ve got a particular vintage that you absolutely must store at the correct temperature, it might be worth spending a little extra now to choose a wine cooler with an air-tight seal or back-up power source so your wine will survive any power outages.
You also need to consider space. First, look at the dimensions of the wine cooler, then scroll through the manual (usually a PDF you can find on the Amazon page) to work out how much clearance it needs. Usually at least one side, the back, needs a few inches gap from the wall.
Temperature
With several of our wine coolers, the actual lowest and highest temperature the cooler is able to get to is dependent on the temperature of your home. A warm home in a warm climate will prevent the fridge from reaching the lowest temperature points.
You might also want to buy some cheap thermometer stickers/magnets to put inside the wine cooler. Some shelves may end up colder or warmer than the temperature you selected, especially in cheaper/poorly ventilated coolers.
Extra Features
There are a few that are common:
- Temperature dials vs buttons. Generally, buttons for a digital display to control the temperature will be more accurate than a dial. However, a dial isn’t going to reset during the day if there’s a power outage while you’re at work. We prefer digital button controls for the accuracy – if your wine is so important, you can always set up a back-up generator if the power does go out.
- Internal lights. Internal lights aren’t essential, but if you do want one then you need LED lights as they won’t emit heat that alters the temperature.
- Glass doors. We recommend having your wine cooler out of direct sunlight, but if that’s not possible, you want tempered glass that’s designed to prevent UV rays from penetrating. Smoked or grey tinted glass isn’t enough – look for confirmation of UV protection.
Finally, make sure there’s warranty and buy through Amazon for their returns policy. A wine cooler can be expensive so make sure your purchase is protected!
Ema is the “winer” behind this and most blog posts on xogwine.com. Believe it or not, writing about wine is not as easy as drinking wine. Ema has been doing it for so long (writing), it has become a passion for her. This is how xogwine.com was born.
