What Is The Best Wine Fridge To Buy

Best For Gifting: Cuisinart Cwc

Bottle Capacity: 8 | Zones: 1 | Width: 10.04 inches | Depth: 20 inches | Installation Type: Freestanding | Defrost Type: Not listed

• Can be installed on a countertop

• Wide temperature range

• Display reads the set temperature

• No reversible door

A wine fridge can be the perfect item to add to your wedding registry or gift a friend around the holidays. The Cuisinart CWC-800CEN is the best pick in a gifting situation, as it’s not too expensive and can fit into a variety of spaces. The freestanding wine fridge is small enough to slip onto a countertop or be set up in an apartment, condo, or RV. However, it’s also large enough to store eight, Bordeaux-style bottles at their ideal temperature. While you can only make use of one cooling zone, the entire fridge is quiet and it’s very easy to adjust the temperature.

Compared to other picks, this wine fridge also has one of the widest temperature ranges. The interior can be set anywhere from 39 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s no reversible door, but electronic controls will be stylish and modern in any space. It’s important to keep one thing in mind: the digital display shows the temperature you set and not the actual temperature of the interior. You’ll want to test the temperature of your unit with a thermometer and make any necessary adjustments afterwards.

Bottle Capacity: 20 | Can Capacity: 64 | Zones: 2 | Width: 23.82 inches | Depth: 23.35 inches | Installation Type: Built-in and freestanding | Defrost Type: Frost free

How To Choose The Best Wine Cooler

When choosing a wine cooler fridge there’s a lot of things to consider let alone the type of wine you want to drink before parting with your cash.

They’re not for laying down wineIts worth noting that wine fridges arent intended for long-term storage a specialist wine cabinet or cellar is far more suitable if youre particularly serious about collecting but rather for keeping a select few bottles chilled and to hand.

How much space do you have?After budget, the next big thing to consider is your kitchens layout. If you have a large kitchen with space to spare, a freestanding full-height wine fridge looks very striking and has a larger capacity than an under-the-counter model, ideal for serious wine-drinkers who like to keep a variety of bottles to hand. Under-counter fridges, meanwhile, often come in slimline designs specifically made to meet space concerns, making them suited to small modern flats and crowded kitchens.

Think temperature zonesFinally, for maximum versatility, you may want to look for a wine fridge with more than one temperature zone, which means you can meet the needs of two or more different types of wine at once using targeted climate control. As with many things, the more zones a fridge features, the higher price it can command, so weve included a mix of one- and two-zoned fridges in our buying guide to suit a range of budgets.

Where To Put Your Wine Fridge

While, of course, you can put your wine fridge in any room you please, there are some environmental conditions to consider. You should put the wine fridge in a cool, well ventilated area, says Thompson. You should also make sure the cooling unit in the back has room to breathe. Cronk adds that, while having it in the kitchen makes serving easy, a sunny kitchen might not be the best. I would say always out of direct sunlight if it has a glass door, she says.

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The 5 Best Wine Coolers

Storing wine bottles in a regular fridge can take up precious space. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best wine coolers to help you find the product thats right for you. The products included in this article are available at various retail stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.

• Flipboard

A wine cooler keeps your bottles of wine stored at the proper temperature to maintain their flavor. They also free up regular refrigerator space so that you can stock it with fruits, vegetables, leftovers, eggs, and other foods. To help you select the fridge thats right for you, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best wine coolers on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.

Our Pick: Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar

May be out of stock

*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,000.

Among the hundreds of wine fridges we considered, the Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar has the best capacity and features for the price. Yes, the Classic 80 is $1,000, but with wine fridges, cost generally correlates to size and quality. The Classic 80 should hold about five to six cases of wine, and it is about the size of a large end table. After reading thousands of reviews about hundreds of models, we dont think a perfect budget-friendly wine fridge exists. The Classic 80 is basic, but its made by a trusted brand within the wine industry. We think this model is the best choice if youre just getting into wine collecting but you want a fridge that lasts, or you want to maximize storage space. Unlike big-box appliance stores, Wine Enthusiast sells only wine fridges, furniture, and accessories. We recommend buying from Wine Enthusiast because it offers dedicated customer service and free delivery, both of which make it easier to buy a niche, bulky, and expensive appliance.

The Classic 80 is a single-zone fridge, which means all the wine you store in it will be kept at one temperature. You can choose to set the temperature between 41 °F to 68 °F . Most of the experts we spoke with didnt consider dual temperature zones to be a must-have feature. If you arent concerned about dedicated aging, sommelier Michele Thomas told us that most wines should be fine stored at about 50 °F.

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What To Look For When Buying A Wine Fridge

Whether you are an old wine lover or a fresher, getting a good chilled and fresh wine bottle is a dream for you, isnt it so? So the question that arises upon this is how to make this dream come true at any time of the day or night. Is it possible to store those glass bottles in a standard refrigerator? Of course no. For getting a perfect glass of wine, you will need a proper wine fridge.

Although choosing a suitable and unique wine fridge may be challenging when you have dozens of options revolving around it. No doubt, every brand contains distinct features, but you have to be specific and conscious while choosing the wine fridge. Here we will help you get one of the most suitable wine fridges and tell you the points to keep in mind while buying a wine fridge.

Lets get started and have a look at what we have got in the successive lines.

Can You Just Use A Bar Fridge

When looking for a wine fridge, there’s more to consider than if you were looking for the best regular fridge. Wine fridges differ from standard fridges in several ways. They’re designed to maintain stable temperatures between 12°C and 18°C, which is warmer than a typical bar fridge can go. Importantly, they’re also designed to control humidity , which your bar fridge can’t do. And while a bar fridge can be a bit of a rough and ready appliance, wine fridges are designed to minimise vibration, and come with purpose-built shelves for storing wine.

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What Is The Best Wine Cooler

To recap, the best wine cooler is the Haier HWS42GDAU1, which has two temperature zones and ample capacity for a medium to large household so great if you like to entertain, too. It has everything we are looking for which looks great and isn’t too pricey, either.

It comes with handy smart features to help you look after your wine remotely, and offers plenty of tips and advice on wine pairing, via the app.

Best Slimline Cookology Dual Zone Twc18bk

Brand: Cookology

If youre looking for a wine cooler that can help plenty of vino whilst only having a small footprint then this is a great option. Despite measuring only 25cm in width it can hold an impressive 18 standard wine bottles.

Its fitted with thermoelectric technology which means this fridge has no compressor. This makes it anti-vibration so very quiet to run but the lowest temperature these fridges can manage is still quite high. For very cold serving temperatures you do need to move the bottles into a standard fridge before serving.

With touch controls and a blue digital display, its user-friendly and dual zones means this is suitable to hold a different type of wine in the top and bottom sections.

Its a minimalist, black design so looks really cool in the kitchen or dining room and will impress your guests at your next dinner party.

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Will You Use Your Wine Fridge For Cellaring Or Serving

Most people buy wine fridges for long-term cellaring, but if you also want to serve straight from your wine fridge then look for one that offers different temperature zones. These typically come with a divider between sections, allowing you to keep bottles at different temperatures in different parts of the fridge.

How Much Does A Wine Fridge Cost

Wine fridges vary in type and price, from models costing less than a good case of wine to premium products costing several thousand dollars. As with any appliance, price will typically depend on size and quality. Leaving aside the capacity, the amount you should pay will really depend on the quality of the wines you want to store and how long you’re storing them for.

If your wine collection turns over every few months then you probably don’t need to fork out a fortune for a fridge, but if you’re putting expensive wines away for many years, then the extra cost of a premium model may end up cheaper than wasting those premium wines because they’ve turned to vinegar.

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What Temperature Should You Store Wine At

We all know red wine should be served warmer than white wine, but did you know there are recommended temperature ranges for each variety? For optimum enjoyment, here are the storage temperatures you should be aiming for:

• Red wine: 15.518.5ºC / 6065ºF
• White wine: 1015ºC / 5059ºF
• Sparkling wine and Champagne: 7.28.5ºC / 4547ºF
• Rose wine: 9.510.5ºC / 4951ºF

Best Mini Cooler: Koolatron Thermoelectric Wine Cooler

Though this wine cooler is about the size of an average mini fridge, its thoughtful design uses all of the available cavity space to hold up to 20 bottles. On the outside, is a digital temperature display as well as touchscreen temperature control buttons. On the inside, is an LED light for better visibility.

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Q: Are Wine Coolers Noisy

A: Not as noisy as you might think! Compressor-based coolers will provide some noise with both the moving parts and the vibration, but modern coolers are much less noisy than ones from the past. Thermoelectric coolers are so silent you might forget you have one. From our detailed studies of wine fridge reviews, this is something thats always appreciated.

Also Great: Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone Wine Cellar

*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,000.

The Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone has a design, dimensions, features, and price that are comparable to those of the Classic 80. But the Classic 70 also has a dividing shelf to create two distinct temperature zones. Although this means sacrificing space for wine storage, it also allows you to set each zone to your preferred serving temperatures .

There isnt a consensus on the best temperature at which to serve different styles of wine. But its generally accepted that white wines are best served at around 45 °F to 55 °F, and red wines at around 54 °F to 65 °F. Optimal serving temperatures may vary according to the type of wine youre drinking, however, so ask your wine shop or the winemaker if you have any questions.

As with the Classic 80, each of the Classic 70s dual zones can be set to temperatures in the 41 °F to 68 °F temperature range, and the Classic 70 has the same ambient temperature operating range of 61 °F to 90 °F. The Classic 70 looks almost identical to the Classic 80, and it has the same sliding, coated-wire-and-wood-finished shelves, touch-screen temperature-control panel, on/off blue LED lighting , bottom wooden display shelf, and lock. It comes with the same warranty and customer service as the Classic 80, tooa one-year warranty, with a three-year warranty on the sealed system parts phone consultations while youre shopping for a fridge and free white-glove delivery service .

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Power Consumption Of Wine Coolers

Look at you being all energy conscious. Weve already outlined the almost-contradictory consumption regarding thermoelectric coolers, and different products and brands will provide different results.

The average wine cooler will require 90 watts of power on average. In thermoelectric models, this will vary depending on the environment, which affects how hard the unit works to stay cool, while compressors are stable with all kinds of temperatures.

Really, its the size of the cooler that makes a difference. Small coolers can use a little as 70 watts, but a large cooler, especially thermoelectric will consume as much as 140 watts.

What To Look For In A Wine Fridge

Your wine collection is the main factor that will dictate the type of wine fridge youll want to shop for, followed closely by your spaces parameters and personal design preferences. For example, if you have a small kitchen and keep just a few special bottles youd like to cellar, youll want to look at some compact options while also deciding whether your wine fridge should live on its own or be built into your cabinetry. For those with large, expensive collections, factors to consider include bottle capacity, locks and alarm systems, multiple temperature zones, and more. More and more models with energy efficient systems are becoming available, which is also something to think about, as well as noise outputgenerally speaking, going for a quieter option is always a safe bet, no matter where your wine fridge will live.

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Why You Should Trust Us

We spent months researching wine fridges to find out what makes a great fridge, who should get one, and why. To learn about proper wine storage, we spoke with 10 experts across the field: Pascaline Lepeltier, a master sommelier and a managing partner of Racines in New York City Alexander Pandell, a physical chemist Levi Dalton, host and producer of the wine-talk podcast Ill Drink to That! Michele Thomas, sommelier and wine educator Eric Asimov, wine critic at The New York Times Alice Feiring, author of the natural wine newsletter The Feiring Line and several books about wine Lydia Richards, sommelier and founder of Vino Concierge wine chemist Gavin Sacks, professor and associate chair in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University Talia Baiocchi, editor in chief of Punch magazine and Ashley Santoro, the co-owner of Leisir Wine Club.

Unfortunately, we couldnt physically test wine fridges for this guide because our offices have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because of that, we took extra care in poring over editorial reviews and customer feedback to make our recommendations.

Winnie Yang is the appliance editor at Wirecutter, and she spoke with nine experts to update this guide. Shes covered food and wine for years. In a previous life, she served as the managing editor of Culinary Backstreets and The Art of Eating, and she has written for Condé Nast Traveler, Feast, Jamie, Saveur, and Tasting Table, among other publications.

Do I Need A Wine Cooler

If you’re seriously pondering this question, then the chances are you have enough interest in wine to make buying a wine cooler a sound investment.

If you’re taking the time to buy and try a variety of wines, it’s worth experiencing them at their best. Serving wine at the correct temperature will allow you to fully experience its flavours, aromas and body.

If you tend to just wash your steak down with a couple of glasses of any old plonk now and then, a wine cooler probably isn’t for you.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about buying a wine cooler. Or if you simply want to know what our top scoring models are, head straight to our wine cooler reviews.

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Best Budget: Black + Decker Bd60026 8

Bottle Capacity: 8 | Zones: 1 | Width: 10.24 inches | Depth: 20.1 inches | Installation Type: Freestanding | Defrost Type: Manual

• Can be installed on a countertop

• Sliding racks

• Manually defrosts

• Warmer temperature range

Looking to save money on a new wine fridge? The Black + Decker BD60026 may be the perfect fit for you. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other models on the market, there are three sliding racks for easily loading and unloading a maximum of eight bottles of wine. In addition, you can install the fridge on your kitchen countertop or even within an RV, thanks to its tiny dimensions. The wine fridge measures 18.5 inches tall, and has a freestanding design that makes it very versatile and flexible.

When it comes to the single cooling zone, you can expect chrome racks and an interior light. The internal temperature can be set anywhere between 46 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which is slightly more suitable for red wine than white. The fridge also manually defrosts, meaning you’ll need to unload your wine when frost builds up on the interior. Then, you’ll need to chip away at the frost and let the model drain, before it can be plugged back in.

Bottle Capacity: 46 | Zones: 2 | Width: 23.75 inches | Depth: 26 inches | Installation Type: Built-in and freestanding | Defrost Type: Automatic

• Has an LED light wall

• Smart home compatible

• Comes with a learning curve

• Takes up a lot of space