As one of the world’s most popular drinks, wine is treated with reverence and respect. To truly experience your favourite glass of wine, it is important that you drink it at the right temperature.
Whether it’s a cold glass of white, chilled glass of rose or deep red wine that needs to be a degree under room temperature, a wine fridge can help with all of this.
Knowing what type of wine fridge or wine cooler to buy can be a difficult task, and a number of aspects have to be addressed before you find the perfect one.
These range from what you need the wine fridge for to where in the home are you going to place this fridge.
Once questions like this are answered, you will find your fridge with ease.
Let us navigate you through the world of wine fridges and arm you with all you’ll need to know about these must-have home appliances.
See Our Best Wine Coolers
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Best For Low Budgets
1Baridi 12 Bottle Wine Cooler
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Best Overall
4Klarstein Vivo Wine 26 Wine Cellar
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Best For Higher Budgets
5Russell Hobbs Freestanding Wine Cooler
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Buy On AO1. Baridi 12 Bottle Wine Cooler
- LED touch control panel.
- Adjustable racking.
- Mirror glass door that reflects UV light.
- Thin design fits in smaller places.
The sleek and compact design of the Baridi 12 bottle wine cooler is the appliance’s shining feature.
This, combined with the LED touch panel, gives it an ultra-modern feel that would not look out of place in the most modern of kitchens.
Being able to store up to 12 bottles of wine enables users to store a modest selection of wines in their kitchens or in a place of work.
This cooler is ideal for both the beginner wine collector and someone who is well established.
Specifications
Pros
- Slick and compact design.
- Thermoelectric cooling system.
- Low-level noise with no humming.
- Energy-efficient level A.
Cons
- Only has one single temperature zone.
2. Kalamera Silent Wine Fridge
- Glassdoor with internal light.
- Thermoelectric technology keeps the fridge silent.
- Blue LED actual temperature display.
- Removable shelves.
The Kalamera KR-12A2E prides itself on being one of the quietest wine fridges on the market, with a claim they proudly put in their product name.
Alongside this low decimal level, the cooler has a fantastic stainless steel design that incorporates lots of modern features.
These features include a blue LED temperature display, touch controls and even a blue light that allows you to see the wine inside without opening the doors and increasing the wine’s temperature.
This lightweight yet sturdy fridge is great value for money and even comes with a year’s manufacturer’s guarantee.
Specifications
Pros
- Store up to 12 bottles of wine.
- Modern looking design.
- Value for money.
- Relatively lightweight but durable.
Cons
- Limited to 12 bottles
3. Husky HUS-HN5 16 Bottle Wine Cooler
- Compact, countertop size.
- Touchscreen controls.
- 16-bottle capacity.
- LED display that lights up the room.
The Husky HUS-HN5 bottle wine cooler keeps up to 16 bottles cool at any one time. This impressive capacity is a reflection of the sturdy and robust design of the appliance.
Weighing in at 16kg, this heavyweight fridge is going nowhere once it is set down.
Along with its sturdy design, the Husky wine fridge has state-of-the-art technology on its side.
With touchscreen controls and an LED display, these modern features make using the cooler all the easier.
Although producing a large amount of power, this model is also great at using power efficiently, with an energy-efficient rating of A+++.
Specifications
Pros
- Four scalloped bottle shelves.
- Thermoelectric technology.
- Energy-efficient rating high.
Cons
- Heavyweight.
4. Klarstein Vivo Wine 26 Wine Cellar
- 88-litre capacity.
- Stores up to 26 standard wine bottles.
- Double insulated stainless steel glass door.
- Six removable wooden shelves.
The sleek and modern design of the Klarstein Vivo wine fridge is married perfectly with the heavy-duty design.
Although the frame is strong and robust, the overall look of the fridge is one of elegant modern design.
Being able to hold 26 bottles of your favourite wine is more than enough to show off an impressive wine collection.
The double insulated stainless steel glass door helps keep that sensitive temperature gauge at the right level.
Six removable shelves make it easy to chop and change the layout of your wine cooler as your collection changes or increases.
Specifications
Pros
- Touch-sensitive operating panel.
- Can contain a huge amount of bottles.
- Strongly weighted design.
- Sleek and modern design.
Cons
- B energy rating
5. Russell Hobbs Freestanding Wine Cooler
- Shelves and baskets inside.
- Touch screen temperature level controls.
- 93-litre capacity.
- High energy efficacy rating
One of the best wine fridges on the market, the Russel Hobbs freestanding wine cooler combines modern class with product usefulness.
This 93-litre fridge is capable of holding 34 bottles of the finest wine or average soft drink.
Although this giant of a device has a huge capacity, room for bottles and manages to keep it all cool, it is nonetheless energy-efficient with a rating of A+++.
Splashing out for this top of the range wine fridge is worth every penny. This is one of the appliances that will change the whole look of your home, not just your kitchen.
Specifications
Pros
- State-of-the-art design.
- LED display lights.
- Adjustable feet for perfect placement.
Cons
- High price tag.
Wine Fridge Buying Guide
Type Of Wine Coolers
In such a crowded market and one that has such a huge customer base, there is a vast amount of choice when it comes to wine coolers.
This choice can be seen through the variety of designs, name brand and types of wine cooler on the market.
Knowing which type of wine cooler to buy will all depend on the type of wine you are storing and what you actually want out of a wine cooler.
Those simply looking for a cool device to store their wine may not be too interested in certain types, where other users are looking for a type of wine cooler, specifically for a reason.
Take a look below for the two most common types of wine fridges and how their two main differences compared to one and other.
Single Zone
A single zone wine fridge is designed to keep everything inside at just one temperature; this means every bottle stored in the refrigerator will remain at the same temperature to each other.
This is ideal if you are only storing one type of wine and only need to maintain one temperature.
The advantage to single-zone fridges is that there are far more examples of this type of wine fridge and then tend to be the more affordable option.
Single zone wine coolers can usually fit into places that more advanced fridges can’t, such as tabletops or small cupboards.
The only disadvantage to a single zone wine fridge is the inability to keep both a red wine at room temperature and white wine at another cooler temperature.
Dual Zone
A dual zone wine fridge has a different design: this is designed in a way where there are two different compartments, one keeps one temperature, and the other keeps a second.
This is a great way to keep different types of wine together all at different temperatures but in one single fridge.
The advantages that come with a dual fridge include the ability to store multiple wines at different temperatures and being able to keep drinking wine together with wine you wish to age.
There is also more space available in a dual-zone fridge, making space for other types of drinks such as beer and soft drinks.
Freestanding VS Integrated
In addition to the different types of zones, wine fridges also come in two other main types; these include a freestanding wine cooler and integrated wine fridges.
There is a wide variety of advantages and disadvantages to both of these designs and it is important to know which one is right for you and your kitchen.
An integrated wine fridge is an appliance that fits immovably within your kitchen fittings.
The advantage of these is the fact you can fit them in smaller places and not worry about ventilation, as it comes from the front.
Integrated wine fridges can also add value to your kitchen and of course, your home.
Freestanding wine coolers are the more popular of the two different designs and are often the more cost-effective appliance.
There is a lot more flexibility with a freestanding wine cooler, as they can be placed anywhere there is enough room.
Opting for a freestanding wine fridge also means you can move it about when the time suits you, from under the marquee at a bbq, to a luxury feature in the upstairs master bedroom.
All that is needed for a freestanding wine fridge is a power supply and enough room to safely and correctly allow enough room for ventilation.
Size
Another factor to consider when buying your own home wine fridge is the size of the appliance itself.
When it comes to size, there is a huge variety of different choices, each one to fit the needs of the user.
If you are looking for a narrow wine fridge to fit a certain look or feel of a kitchen, then there are a handful of designs that have this feature.
This sized wine chiller will have a limited capacity of bottles it can hold and is more reliant on the fact it can fit into places others can’t.
Sizes increase from the smallest and narrowest, to the huge and spectacular, comparable to an American fridge freezers.
This shift in the size, of course, affects the price, with the larger fridges and coolers costing far more than the smaller and slimmer designs.
Another element affected by the size of the energy efficiency of the appliance.
A larger wine fridge will use far more energy to keep the larger appliance cool for long periods of time.
The smaller 300mm wine cooler models will use far less energy to keep the wine cool, yet their capacity is far smaller.
If you really want to save space, there are a variety of coolers under the name of a slim wine fridge.
These slim wine fridges fit in the smallest of spaces, and their slimline design allows them to fit in at awkward kitchen angles.
The only downside to a slimy designed wine fridge is their lack of capacity and inability to store more than a couple of bottles of wine.
Capacity
One of the biggest factors true lovers of wine will look for is the capacity of the wine fridge.
The capacity really boils down to the number of bottles that can be stored in the fridge at any one time.
The number of bottles fridges can hold varies massively across the market, some wine coolers only have the capacity to hold a handful of bottles, while others can hold several hundred.
Anything with the capacity of around 50 bottles is considered a small wine fridge on the market.
A 50 to 200 bottle capacity is considered in the medium range, and anything with a 200 plus bottle capacity is categorised in the large range.
When thinking about buying your own wine fridge, capacity is a huge factor. It is important to know how many bottles you wish to store or keep cool at any one time.
Once you have a vague number of the number of bottles, add 20% on top. Factoring this extra number of wine bottles will give your collection a chance to grow or just hold more for special occasions.
If you buy a fridge that is much larger than your needs, you will, in turn, force the fridge to work harder than it needs to, using more energy.
A fridge will have to cool empty space, not a wine bottle, so think about your specific needs before you commit to a size.
Temperature Zones
The temperature zone of your wine fridge is an important factor and is the reason you’re buying the cooler in the first place.
Temperature zones vary hugely depending on the type of fridge you are buying.
Knowing which is the right one for you depends on the type of wine you are storing and if you are storing more than one different type.
When you have a single zone wine cooler, the entire fridge is kept at one single temperature.
This is ok if you are storing just one type of wine, like a glass of white wine at low temperature or a red at just under room temperature.
The only disadvantage is if you have two different types of wine, they will be unfortunately kept at the same unwanted temperature.
A dual temperature zone wine fridge is one that has two different temperature settings for two different areas in the fridge.
This means you can store one wine at one temperature and a different wine type at another, creating far more control over your wine collection.
Noise Level
The noise level of a wine fridge can vary across the market and affect the way you use it in your home.
Noise levels can be extremely low on some appliances, to the point where they are even barely noticeable.
The change in noise level starts to make a difference when you opt for a larger sized wine fridge.
The larger wine coolers can emit noise in the higher decibel levels, so correct placement of the fridge is an important thing to bear in mind.
You do not want to place the fridge directly against a neighbours wall where it will create a noise pollution hazard.
The noise level is also an important thing to remember for your own enjoyment of the appliance.
A loud wine fridge cabinet can become a nuisance in the home, especially if you are trying to cook in a relaxing environment.
Pricing Range
Like any modern device, the price range for wine coolers can vary from extremely cheap wine coolers to top of the range expensive ones; this all depends on what you are after.
At the lower end of the market, wine coolers can cost £100 and under. These can be great value for money but may lack certain features.
These lower-priced wine coolers are likely to only have one temperature zone and will have a limited capacity of around 12 bottles.
The price can rise up to the thousands at the very high end of the pricing range.
For this extravagant pricing, you will be guaranteed multiple temperature zones and space to hold a high number of different wine bottles.
At this higher end of the pricing range, you are getting into the realms of industrial and commercial wine fridges, and they may not be something you would consider having in your own kitchen at home.
Our Verdict
With such a flooded modern market, there is a huge amount of wine fridges and coolers out there to choose from.
The humongous variety puts us into an unfortunate situation where we are spoilt for choice.
This overwhelming choice means we must decide on what we want and need the wine fridge for before we settle on a make or model of the wine cooler.
As we go down the checklist of wine cooler uses and variations, potential buyers should take note of each section.
You must ask yourself certain important questions such as what type of wine do you want to store in this fridge?
Do you want to keep two different wines at two different temperatures?
Once you have answered these questions, you must also take into account your space at home and style of kitchen or space you have.
Only after all these considerations will you be able to settle on your perfect wine cooler.
