To find the best wine fridge, we looked at the following factors: fridge type, size, bottle capacity, and price. Depending on whether you only drink one or both types of wine, you’ll need to choose between a single or dual zone wine fridge. Also, keep dimensions in mind as you shop and think about where you want your fridge to be in your home. And depending on how much wine you own or plan on buying in the future, you’ll need to keep the wine fridge’s bottle capacity in mind. You may also consider other wine bar accessories.
After considering all of the above, we nominated the NutriChef 15-Bottle Wine Cooler Refrigerator as our Top Pick. This fridge offered the widest temperature control range for a single zone model, while still accommodating up to 15 bottles of wine. We liked that the lowest rack is angled so you can support standing bottle storage too. Keep reading to learn more about the rest of our top picks.
Top 6 Best Wine Fridges
#1 NutriChef 15-Bottle Wine Cooler Refrigerator
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: A 15-bottle capacity across five racks, combined with the largest single zone temperature control range in our guide makes this the best wine fridge option if you prefer a single zone model.
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- Best single-zone temperature control
- 15-bottle capacity
- Child safety lock
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- Expensive
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Whether you’re starting in the world of wine or have decided to upgrade your collection by getting a wine fridge, most people start their journey with a single zone wine fridge. We selected the NutriChef 15-Bottle Wine Cooler Refrigerator as our Top Pick because we think it’s the best wine fridge option for a single zone model. What impressed us is the fact that it has the largest temperature control range for a single zone wine fridge. With NutriChef and its built-in compressor cooling technology, you can use the digital panel to adjust the temperature between 41 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit as compared to the standard 54 to 66-degree range on single zone competitors.
You can also toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius (a common feature across wine fridges). We also like that this wine fridge offers five polished chrome racks, with the lowest rack positioned for standing bottle storage. The glass door creates a stylish effect, along with the adjustable LED interior lights. But you’ll also appreciate that our Top Pick comes with a child safety auto-lock that is triggered to automatically activate 20 seconds after the last time a button is pressed. This means that little hands can’t play with the controls. Plus the quiet operation of this single zone wine refrigerator makes this a low profile appliance. And works great with the best wine decanter.
#2 hOmelabs 18 Bottle Wine Fridge
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: A larger capacity single zone wine fridge with sliding racks and space for full standing bottle storage makes this the best wine fridge for champagne storage.
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- Best for champagne
- Slide-out racks for easy access
- 18-bottle capacity
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- Limited 10-degree temperature control range
- Lacks control locks
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Some people are very serious champagne lovers. And if that’s you, you might not be comfortable with storing a champagne bottle on its side. The hOmelabs 18 Bottle Wine Fridge is our Honorable Mention because it’s the only single zone option that allows for true standing bottle storage. Because of this, it’s also the best wine fridge for champagne, since you can store three standard-sized champagne bottles in the standing position. And if you prefer drinking your wine through a straw, then check out the best straw dispenser.
We also like that the chrome racks in this single zone wine fridge are designed to slide out — making it easier to store and remove bottles. The small size also makes it ideal for storage on a countertop or underneath a bar. We like that this option also features an easy to use control panel with an LCD digital temperature display and the option to turn the interior LED lights on or off. However, as is more common with single zone wine fridges, the temperature control range is limited to between 54 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit. But you’ll also appreciate the quiet operation. Much like many of the best electric wine openers.
#3 Ivation 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cellar Fridge
Award: BEST FOR BEGINNERS
WHY WE LIKE IT: An option that’s perfect for the sophisticated man cave with generous storage and a smoked glass door to minimize moisture and block UV light makes this the best wine fridge for garages.
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- Best for garagae
- Blocks UV light & moisture
- 18-bottle capacity
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- Limited 10-degree temperature range
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Whether you’re a serious wine collector or you like to keep a few bottles on hand, there’s something nice about having a wine fridge that’s designed to block two of the most dangerous elements that can impact your wine’s flavor profile. We think the Ivation 18-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cellar Fridge is a good first wine fridge, perfect for beginners or enthusiasts because this model is designed with a smoked out thermopane glass door to specifically block UV light and moisture. Because of this, we’ve nominated it as the best wine fridge for garages since you can also store it in less ideal places without being as concerned that light or moisture will ruin your wine.
This single zone fridge can hold up to 18 bottles of wine. It also features slide-out chrome racks for easy access to your favorite bottle of wine. You can also control the internal temperature using the easy touchpad on the door, adjusting the temperature between 54 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit. But you’ll also like the control lock feature so that you don’t have to worry about children messing with your settings. Also, be sure to read our best French door refrigerator guide.
#4 Wine Enthusiast Silent 18 Bottle Wine Refrigerator
Award: BEST QUALITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: A slim dual zone wine fridge with an 18-bottle capacity that’s designed to efficiently block UV light while not taking up too much space wherever you decide to house it.
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- Best for narrow spaces
- Excellent light blocking
- Dual zone design
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- May be noisy
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No one should have to choose between keeping their white or red wines at the perfect temperature. If you have a healthy collection of wines, it doesn’t make sense to get two single zone wine fridges when a dual zone fridge will work more efficiently. We’ve nominated the Wine Enthusiast Silent 18-Bottle Wine Refrigerator as our Best Quality because it checks off a lot of boxes that will work for many wine enthusiasts.
This is the slimmest wine fridge in our guide, measuring a petite 10.4 inches wide. Yet, you still can store as many as 18 bottles of wine. You’ll like the seven pull-out wine racks, and the fact that you can create separate zone controls by using the panel on the door. The top zone can be controlled between 54 to 64 degrees which is ideal for red wines. Meanwhile, the bottom zone can be controlled between 46 to 66 degrees which are best for white wines. The solid door also means that light can’t penetrate and impact the flavor profile of your wine. Which is the same principle the best refrigerators work on.
#5 Kalamera 24” 46-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Fridge
Award: BEST CAPACITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: A large capacity wine fridge for serious wine lovers, plus dual zone temperature controls and the ability to use this for a built-in design makes this the best built-in wine fridge.
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- Best for narrow spaces
- Excellent light blocking
- Freestanding or built-in installation
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- Most expensive
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Let’s just get it out of the way, the Kalamera wine cooler is the most expensive option in our best wine refrigerators guide. But if you’re a serious wine connoisseur, then you might not experience sticker shock like a budding wine enthusiast. Especially if you’re looking for a built-in design instead of something that’s standing on your countertops, this is the best built-in wine fridge. It has a sophistcated look similar to the Allavino FlexCount, with a stainless steel design and a triple layer glass door. First, let’s talk about the fact that you can store as many as 46 bottles of wine in this Dual Zone Wine Cooler!
The dual zone means you can create separate temperature controls for your red and white wines. The upper zone can be adjusted between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (best for whites) while the lower zone can be controlled between 50 to 60 degrees (best for reds). This built-in wine cooler is also the only wine fridge that features wooden racks instead of chrome. But you’ll like that they can still slide out for easy bottle positioning. You’ll like that in the event of a power outage, this fridge is programmed to restore to the last temperature settings once the power returns. And the sturdy manual hexagon bolt lock will give you peace of mind that children aren’t playing with your cooler or messing with the temperature settings. And to give you a hangover-free Sunday, have a look at 10 of the best products to prevent a hangover.
#6 Magic Chef MCWC12B Black 12-Bottle Single-Zone Wine Fridge
Award: BEST BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: A budget-friendly yet small wine fridge with a 12-bottle capacity and commendable temperature control makes this a great buy for first-timers and occasional wine drinkers.
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- Best for budding wine enthusiasts
- 12-bottle capacity
- Single zone fridge
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- Smallest capacity
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Not everyone wants to drop an arm and a leg from their hard-earned paychecks to get a wine fridge. Or maybe you like wine but don’t drink or buy it frequently enough to justify buying one of the pricier models from our guide. If this sounds about right, then we recommend you go with the MagicChef MCWC12B Black 12-Bottle Single-Zone Wine Fridge, that fits perfectly on your kitchen counter. We’ve nominated it as our Best Budget recommendation because it’s affordable yet still provides a sufficient amount of features to be useful — and quite frankly, competitive with some of the other models in our guide that are the best wine coolers. In case you want an easier way to open your bottles, check our best wine opener guide.
While the MagicChef fridge only holds 12 bottles of wine, we do like that the small size makes it ideal for keeping on countertops or even on the ground without being obtrusive. You’ll like the electronic display panel that gives you the ability to turn the interior LED light on or off, and to manage your temperature controls. This fridge lets you adjust the temperature between 54 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great alternative to the best 6 bottle wine fridge as it offers more long-term value as it could also be the best countertop fridge considering its size.
How We Decided
Wine fridges are a great invention if you want to precisely control the temperature of your wine and ensure that you’re getting the right flavor profile with every sip. To create our guide, we looked at the following core features — fridge type, size, bottle capacity, and price.
For the fridge type, you’ll find that we created a balanced list with both single zone and dual zone models. Single zone wine fridges are a smart first step for beginning wine enthusiasts or the experienced wine aficionado who prefers one specific type of wine (i.e. red over white, etc.). Our Top Pick, Honorable Mention, #3, and Best Budget nominations are all single zone models. However, note that our Top Pick offers the widest temperature control range for single zone fridges (41 to 64 degrees as compared to the usual 10-degree range in the other models). So, it’s the only one that can offer the lowest temperature options for white wine storage.
Our Best Quality and #5 are dual zone models, meaning that they’re designed to simultaneously cool at two different temperatures because they have two cooling areas. So, if you drink both red and white wine frequently, then dual zone models are a smarter choice.
All of our recommendations are meant to be small wine fridges that don’t take up an excessive amount of space. Many of them are meant to be countertop models. However, our #5 recommendation is the only model that’s designed to either serve as a freestanding fridge or to be built into your cabinetry for a more sophisticated effect. If you have limited width, we recommend our Best Quality since it’s the narrowest option at just 10.4 inches wide.
The bottle capacity can vary widely depending on the brand and your needs. All of our recommendations offer storage that ranges from 12 to 46 bottles of wine. But the most common capacity is 15 or 18 bottles. And finally, the price will, of course, be important for you. By default wine fridges are going to be a more expensive appliance. Dual zone models are usually significantly more than single zone models. But you’ll note that it’s possible to find affordable single and dual zone models.
Best Wine Fridge Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Factors to Consider
- Fridge Type (Single vs Dual Zone)
Just like with regular refrigerators, wine fridges come in a range of styles. The most common options are freestanding wine coolers that are single zone or dual zone, and built-in wine coolers. A single zone wine fridge only has one cooling area that’s managed by one temperature control. A dual zone fridge is ideal if you want to store both red and white wines since you can manage separate temperature zones. And built-in fridges are just like the name implies. These options tend to be the most expensive, but it’s designed to be low profile and fit seamlessly with the rest of your kitchen design. However, first-time wine fridge shoppers should generally opt for a single zone model. - Size
Regardless of the type of wine fridge you choose, you’ll need to make sure that it fits wherever you plan on storing it. Always measure the dimensions of your intended space first before you go shopping for a wine fridge. But also remember that the available space or size of a wine fridge will also determine how much wine you can store in it. - Bottle Capacity
Whether you’re a single bottle shopper or you buy wine by the case, you’ll want to make sure that your wine fridge will have enough space to accommodate your wine collection. Wine fridges come in a range of capacities. So, depending on how frequently you buy or drink wine, this is an important factor to keep in mind. - UV Blocking Glass
If wine comes into contact with too much direct light it can eventually affect the flavor profile. Especially if you’re not a frequent wine drinker, you’ll want to look for wine fridges that focus on blocking UV light. This will preserve the taste of the wine even if you let a bottle age for longer periods of time. - Thermoelectric vs Compressor Unit: Compressor-driven units use refrigerant to regulate chiller temperature. They’re often louder than thermoelectric units and require adequate ventilation to ensure the compressor and refrigerant pump aren’t overheating. Compressor units are also typically the workhorses…they run cooler, regulate temperature more thoroughly, and the technology utilized is older and thus manufacturing processes for components are more routine. Thermoelectric units, on the other hand, use solid-state electronics (Peltier effect), to achieve desired temperatures without any moving parts or fluids. These devices often are significantly quieter than conventional compressor chillers, require little-to-no maintenance due to the lack of moving parts, and consume less energy overall. That said, they often can’t cool as well as compressor models, and failures (while statistically extremely low) could completely ruin stored wine. TLDR: Thermoelectric – Efficient, might lack a bit of umph; Compressor – Not efficient typically, powerful.
Why You Should Buy a Wine Fridge
Regularly entertaining guests whom prefer the finer things in life calls for a wine refrigerator that keeps bottles perfectly chilled and ready to serve. No one wants to wait for their wine to hit that perfect temperature, so investing in a quality chiller goes a long way toward achieving that perfect host status you might be vying for. Not to mention, these wine coolers complement interior decor nicely – both as standalone and under-the-counter units.
If you’re storing bottles on a kitchen counter top rack, harmful UV light and poor temperature regulation could be degrading the quality of your wines – and if you’re not consuming them as intended by the wineries, you’re doing yourself and your guests a huge disservice. Wine refrigerators not only help regulate beverages to the proper serving temperature but also ensure that the risk from UV damage is mitigated so that wine is preserved.
The average cost of a quality wine fridge doesn’t justify the replacement of major cooling components, so replacement makes sense – if you’re on the fence about buying a new fridge to replace an old one just do it. Compressors can become noisier, temperature regulation can become an issue, and parts can begin to fail.
Mistakes to Avoid
Remember, a wine fridge is a short-term storage solution meant to prepare wine for consumption at ideal serving temperatures. Don’t make the mistake of storing the perfect wine bottle for longer than one year in a wine chiller, as the wine can degrade due to vibration, wide temperature fluctuations, poor humidity control (if any), and exposure to UV light. Another thing to avoid is a compressor-driven cooler that’s too loud and placed in an area that’s often occupied – the added noise can become irritating, especially if it’s unexpected.
