5 Best Wine Coolers and Fridges
As a wine lover, you may want to invest in one of those fancy new-fangled coolers now that your fridge is full, and you might need more space. You know it isn’t nice when the groceries end up stacked between all these bottles! Maybe this will be good if they’re getting into collecting wines and don’t have access to storage, or maybe people think their house has some nice-looking vintages?
The problem with buying a wine fridge is that they aren’t cheap, and when shopping online, they all look the same. When you spend this much money on an appliance for your home, though, it’s essential to be sure that not only does it work – but also if it’s efficient enough for what type of space or lifestyle you live in! Do you need one with tons of storage? Are there more specific features desired, like temperature control settings or digital screens displaying information about each bottle stored inside? Or maybe want something small to chill a single bottle at dinner time by placing it atop any countertop surface.
We drink wine in all sorts of ways and with a variety of temperatures. To find the perfect cooler for your preferences, we consulted some experts on our team! Here’s what they had to say:
Jennifer from Sommelier Wine Consultant said that “the best option is typically an upright or chest style refrigerator.” These refrigerators have more storage space than other styles, so it will be easier to fit both reds and whites when you’re hosting guests. She also noted that these types are usually less expensive too! Want them even cheaper? Shop at Home Depot, where their selection includes brands like Haier, GE Monogram Appliances, Bosch kitchen appliances, among others, starting at just USD 449 – which comes out as great.
Best overall wine refrigerator
Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler
Roman Roth’s winemaker says that he has many bottles in his collection but only needs one small wine cooler because the bulk can be stored in his dark, temperature-controlled basement. He notes that it is important to have a glass door on smaller coolers since they are mostly used for short-term storage, and there’s no need to see all your bottle labels when you’re just storing them temporarily.
Some people like the look of a glass door on their wine fridge, but for long-term storage, it might not be best. The head sommelier at DB Bistro Moderne says that she prefers this cooler from Wine Enthusiast because they offer dual temperature zones so that you can store whites along with reds comfortably without worry. For those who enjoy having all sorts of different wines in one place, these fridges are perfect!
Ivation 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Red and White Wine Cooler
When her collection of wine bottles began to spill out from the kitchen pantry, O’Byrne purchased an Ivation 12-bottle fridge on Amazon. “I have been extremely happy with it,” she says. “It’s quiet, compact, and super easy to set up; It reached 50 degrees Fahrenheit within 20 minutes of plugging in, so by hour three after opening its box, my third chilled bottle was ready for me.”
Koolatron 20 Bottle Single Zone Freestanding Wine Refrigerator
The general manager of Lincoln Ristorante has been working with wine refrigerators for more than a decade. Professionally, he’s used EuroCave refrigerators, which were “totally sufficient for our needs at the time.” But personally, Marquez prefers ElectroBoss fridges because they’re smaller and less expensive. His advice: If you plan on storing wine for a long period of time, the most important thing to consider is its temperature. Find a refrigerator that will keep your wine between 48-55 degrees Fahrenheit and with proper humidity levels so that corks don’t deteriorate. If possible, try to find one without any fans or other vibrations, which can affect how long the wines last in storage–this was what doomed my first cooler.
I always fought dust. That dust clogged the air intake of my refrigerator, and it started blowing hot air instead of cold, so I had to go out in search of a new one!
Like me, when you live on an island with strong trade winds, your house is constantly battling against all that dusty wind whipping around outside. One day, when I was cleaning up inside after doing some gardening work but before heading back out into more dirt-related tasks (I don’t know why it never rains here), something caught as soon as I stepped away from vacuuming behind the fridge my eye. There were streaks across the exposed wires where they disappeared under insulation near what looked like mold spewing over them at their connection point with .that pesky plastic.
NewAir Freestanding 33 Bottle Compressor Wine Fridge
If you want to save money on your electricity bill and buy a great wine fridge, Julia Coney recommends NewAir’s line of fridges because they come in an array of prices and sizes. “I like NewAir because they offer single-and dual-temperature zone refrigerators with very low noise,” she says. They are also energy efficient.”
KitchenAid 46-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cellar
Marquez pointed us to this wine fridge used at home by Lincoln Ristorante’s executive chef, Shea Gallant. It has a sleek look and after 7 years of use with no problems the price is not too bad considering it does fit seamlessly into his kitchen design.
Kitchenaid products are often praised and called the best in their class for both quality construction and good looks. They’ve even been famously dubbed “Kleenex of stand mixers” by customers, which is why you might recognize Kitchenaid wine fridges on Instagram from home-decor influencers’ butlers pantries or see them as a favorite model that allows customization to match your cabinets.
The Secura 18-Bottle Wine Cooler with Dual Zone Temperature Control just might be the perfect addition to your kitchen. Not only is it beautifully designed, but this wine cooler features an easy access door for grabbing a bottle on demand and dual zone temperature control so you can keep whites chilled or reds at their optimal temperatures! The UV protective glass will help prevent any damage from exposure to sunlight while also adding style that’ll make your guests jealous of all your great taste in wines! Plus, there’s even a lockout function if you’re aiming to avoid unsupervised use by kids or pets who might not understand how dangerous tampering with things like electricity could be.