We know from experience that choosing the best wine coolers or best wine fridge or refrigerator for your home or office can be overwhelming mainly because there are so many different types out there. Despite the hundreds of various types of wine fridges and coolers we’ve managed to whittle them down to the very best of the best!
Before I get started though, if you're looking for a specific type, check out my posts here as well:
Otherwise, keep on reading for our favorites overall!
Wine Coolers and Refrigerators - What's the Difference?
Before we dive into our best wine coolers & refrigerator selections, let’s start by answering a very common question, i.e., what’s the difference between a cooler and a wine refrigerator?
Most people have no idea which is better or what to buy. To make matters worse, both terms are often used interchangeably since they both refer to a temperature-controlled appliance for storing wine.
Wine Refrigerators (+)
Wine Coolers (+)
Best Wine Coolers & Refrigerators (Single Zone)
Single zones can be set to a single temperature, and that temperature is maintained across the entire appliance. They're best for people who only drink and store a certain type of wine (for example, all reds, or all whites).
For instance:
- If you only buy and stock white wine, then your entire stock can be stored at a precise 52 degrees.
- If it’s red, then 60 degrees is ideal. .
The temperature with all the best models below is adjustable and well maintained.
Best Single Zone: LANBO Wine Cooler, 149 Bottle Capacity
One of the best Single Zones; The LANBO wine Cooler keeps 149 bottles chilled evenly across all sides. The chiller or cooler is best suited for an office, home or even a business/commercial establishment.
We Like:
- Gentle LED Lighting: Energy efficient white LEDs light up the cooler, offering a clear view of the wine stored inside.
- Front Breathing: the fully furnished cabinet along with front breathing is perfectly suited for both built-in and freestanding installations.
- Digital Touch: The digital thermostat comes equipped with indicator lights as well as a temperature display. Speaking of temperature, it maintains anywhere from 41 degrees to 64 degrees F.
- Large Cooler: We'll admit it, it's NOT for everybody. It's much larger than what most of us have space for in our kitchens or offices (smaller options below).
- Design isn’t Great: Not big fans of the bland design.
2nd Best Single Zone: Allavino VSWR56-1SSRN - 56 Bottle Capacity
Another of the best SIngle Zones, The Allavino VSWR56-1SSRN is a well-built freestanding Wine Cooler capable of storing up to 56 bottles. The cutting edge shelves are well constructed using durable metal so you’ll be sipping on cool, great tasting wine for years to come.
We especially like the under counter design, which means that it can easily be installed in any space; such as cabinetry or it can be used as a freestanding unit.
We Like:
- Wine Cellar Feature: It is by design very elegant, the black cabinet, and stainless-steel framed glass door, along with an all-black interior with elegant blue lighting is a thing of beauty. Not to mention, it will beautify any wine cellar.
- Advanced Cooling System: This particular Wine Cooler uses an innovative and intuitive design panel with push-button controls. You can easily set the temperature between the ranges of 41-64 degrees F.
- Storage in the Bottom: Also onboard is a storage area at the bottom which can easily be locked.
- Versatile Design: The Wine Cooler can easily be used as a freestanding unit or be built into a concealed cabinet or cupboard.
We Don’t Like:
- Does not Seem Steady: Somehow, it does not feel steady on our table or even on the floor. So, you’ll need to mount it in a cabinet or cupboard space or something.
- Glass isn’t Shatter Proof: We don’t think the front door glass can withstand a minor hit or the unit falling over.
3rd Best Single Zone: Antarctic Star, 36 Bottle Capacity
The Antarctic Star Wine Cooler Refrigerator Fridge 36 Bottles Single Zone takes a no-frills approach to keeping your wine cool with reasonable pricing. The Antarctic Star Wine Cooler Refrigerator works like all other coolers, but the emphasis here is on aging wine properly so that you enjoy its full potential.
It is geared towards people who love sipping wine but don't have a home large enough to accommodate a full blown wine cellar. Whether you are a wine enthusiast or expert, this should more than serve the purpose, and is definitely one of the best in this range.
What We Like:
- Low Price: Compared to literally dozens of other wine coolers we’ve tested this one is sanely priced.
- Removable Shelves: You can easily remove the refrigerator shelves and make room for beer and Champaign if you so desire.
- Change the Direction of the Door: You can change the way the door opens from the traditional right to left, to left to right.
- Compact Design: Being compact means that this Wine Refrigerator can be installed anywhere, even under your table!
- Double Pane Glass: The glass helps to keep harmful UV rays out and maintain ideal humidity levels. Plus the blue LED lighting looks great but ensures that it does not damage the wine.
We Don’t Like:
- Not Many Features: As we said earlier, this is a no-frills model, so it isn’t big on features.
- The metal housing feels cheap: Again, that’s something we assume has to do with keeping the price affordable for most people.
4th Best Single Zone: AKDY with 20 Bottle Touch Panel
The AKDY Touch Panel Single Zone Wine Cooler is made for people who want to keep their wine at a fixed temperature. Though it is easily adjustable similar to how the lights can be adjusted via the touch panel. The Wine Cooler is comparatively vibration free, so you don’t have to worry about it disturbing the fine sediments in the bottle. Whether you are a brewer, wine connoisseur or just want to keep a few bottles around the office, this is the best choice.
What We Like:
- Removable Shelves: We always love wine coolers that can be modified to suit what we want. The five shelves can easily be removed to make room for a couple of odd sized or shaped bottles.
- A Place to Keep Bottles Standing: Right at the bottom, there is a shelf which permits four bottles to stand. It is meant to store mainly open bottles, but we’ve had success storing beer bottles too.
- Easy to Lock: Being able to lock the bottom of the cooler help to keep the wine safe from intruders and teens alike!
- Temperature Display and Touc
h Screen: We always appreciate a Wine Cooler that’s easy to operate, and with a touch screen, it does not get any easier.
- Competitively Priced: In our experience, a Wine Cooler can’t get any cheaper than this.
What We Don’t Like:
- Compressor-Based Technology: A compressor does a good job of keeping our refrigerators cool, but the technology isn’t as efficient for dedicated wine coolers.
- Vibrations: Compared to a Wine Cooler that uses Peltier modules, a compressor like the one used here does generate vibrations. Despite being dampened, it's still there.
5th Best Single Zone: Freestanding Tavata
The Tavata Wine Cooler prides itself on keeping your wine at a constant and consistent temperature throughout the unit. Not only that the specially coated front glass keeps your wine safe from UV light and other elements. Plus, it is designed and built from the ground up to ensure zero vibrations something that’s very important for those who enjoy getting the most out of their wine.
What We Like:
- Zero Noise: The Tavata Wine Cooler uses what’s called a Peltier array to keep the unit cool. The array, unlike a compressor, does not have any moving parts and hence zero noise.
- Zero Vibrations: One of the perks of zero noise is zero vibrations! If anything that means better tasting wine.
- Well Designed: We especially like the way this unit is designed. Unlike others, we’ve tested it is stable and compact enough to be stored anywhere.
What We Don’t Like:
- Consumes a Lot of Power: Compared to the other Wine Coolers of a similar size we’ve tested the Tavata Wine Cooler tends to draw more power for some reason.
- No Locking Mechanism: We’d have appreciated if there was a way to lock the door, but unfortunately for those with underaged teens this isn’t going to be the Wine Cooler for them.
Best Wine Coolers & Refrigerators (Dual Zone)
Dual Zone wine coolers, as the term suggests has two different spaces, each of which has its own dedicated temperature control. So, it's like have two coolers built into one unit.
What this means is that you can store red wines in one part and set it to 60 degrees, and at the bottom perhaps store white wines at 50 degrees. Most dual zones we briefly discuss below are compact and offer a great deal of versatility.
Best Dual Zone: LANBO Wine Fridge, 160 Bottle Capacity
The LANBO Wine Cellar Refrigerator has room for up to 160 bottles of wine and pulls that off with a sleek and modern design. Furthermore, the company assures buyers of energy efficiency and a laundry list of advanced features like precise temperature settings, improved energy efficiency, and near silent operation.
What We Like:
- Energy Efficient: We measured and found that the unit does consume an average of 50% less electricity compared to a conventional fridge.
- White and Red Zones: White wines can be stored on the top and the red in the red zones below. Plus the temperature is adjustable.
- Wooden Shelves: At first we weren’t too sure about how practical wooden shelves were in a Wine Cooler, but it has grown on us. Plus they are removable.
- Charcoal Filter: The use of charcoal filters makes it possible for fresh air to circulate through the unit, which helps in maintaining the right percentage of humidity.
- Revisable Door Hinges: That’s something we appreciate because it makes life easier for left-handed people.
What We Don’t Like:
- Compressor Technology: We aren’t big fans of this technology, especially with wine coolers.
- A Bit of A Vibration: The vibration is subtle, yet if you mount it on your table you’ll start hearing it when the compressor turns on.
2nd Best Dual Zone: Kalamera Cooler, 40 Bottle Capacity
The Kalamera Wine Cooler Dual Zone is designed with two separate zones, i.e., for white and red wines. One of the biggest selling points for some people is arguably the French doors which open from the center.
Speaking of doors, the Kalamera sports double-layered transparent glass, with a stainless steel frame. That said, unlike what it looks like in the picture, it's immensely compact.
What We Like:
- The Interior Blue LED Lighting: Now, this feature may not mean a lot, but to us, it makes the unit glow. If anything this can be made the centerpiece of your living room or even the office.
- User-Friendly Control Panel: The control panel display, unlike many similar coolers, is easy to use. You can use it to turn the lights off and on, plus it shows the temperature of each zone.
- Door Alarm: Every time we heard this alarm, we made sure the door was closed properly. We also realized how frequently we didn’t close the cooler’s door properly.
- Looks Great: It is amongst the best looking wine coolers we’ve reviewed so far.
What We Don’t Like:
- The Price: It's slightly more expensive than competing brands offering the same features.
3rd Best Dual Zone: (Upgraded) Aobosi 24'' Dual Zone Fridge, 46 Bottle Capacity
The Aobosi 24'' Dual Zone Wine Cooler 46 Bottle offers an elegant and convenient design to showcase your wine collection. It is designed to more than just an appliance, which is why we think it serves perfectly as part of your bar or home décor. Best suited to the avid wine collector who loves storing various types of wine, the 46 bottle capacity should be more than enough.
What We Like:
- Low Operating Noise: The company claims to be using some sort of advanced cooling system which ensures that the unit is quiet and saves energy. During our testing, we only ever heard the cooler hum during the afternoon for some reason and didn’t feel that it vibrated much either.
- A Seamless Design: The use of LED blue right coupled with a stainless steel glass door makes it the best freestanding Wine Refrigerator for any sort of room. Plus the front venting system ensures that the cooler can be easily built into cabinetry or any other location for that matter.
- Remembered Our Temperature Settings: The Wine Cooler was turned off briefly, and when it was turned back on, it remembered our temperature setting in both zones.
- Child Lock: We think this is a must-have feature because our kids tend to open the door and never close it properly.
What We Don’t Like:
- It Vibrates: Now this isn’t a zero vibration Wine Cooler which is ideally something we’d lean more in favor of if you have the budget.
- Uses a Compressor: Anyone who reads our Wine Cooler reviews knows we aren’t big fans of compressor-based coolers because of the noise and vibrations.
4th Best Dual Zone: EdgeStar TWR215ESS, 21 Bottle Capacity (FreeStanding)
The EdgeStar TWR215ESS 21 Bottle Freestanding Dual Zone Wine Cooler is able to provide optimal temperature and humidity, unlike many competing appliances.
It is also amongst the best-looking European finishes we’ve seen to date and comes equipped with digital temperature controls, an LED display, and stainless-steel trim. Most of all what matters most is it being easy to use and here’s where this cooler scores another point.
What We Like:
- Auto Defrost: If you see ice forming the auto defrost will turn on! But wait, no ice ever forms because of it!
- Scalloped Chrome Shelves: To us, these are the best looking most durable shelves we’ve seen in a Wine Cooler for a long time. Plus they can fit wider and longer bottles which other coolers refuse to accommodate. Oh and we almost forgot the shelves are removable too.
- Blue Lighting: Blue, as it turns out, is the best color for keeping the wine fresh and tasting great.
- Zero Vibrations and Noise: It is hard to tell if it is on because it produces no noise or vibrations for that matter.
What We Don’t Like:
- Just a Single Color: We would have liked to see it in different colors.
- The Door Isn’t Reversible: Unlike other wine coolers, you can’t reverse the orientation of the door.
5th Best Dual Zone: NutriChef PKTEWCDS1802, 18 Bottle Capacity
The NutriChef PKTEWCDS1802 18 Bottle Dual Zone is the latest model from the company sporting a sleek design and an impressive list of features.
It is an elegant and yet very compact Wine Cooler that uses dual zone technology for better functionality. So, whether you are a connoisseur of exotic wine or enjoy a shot before going to bed, the PKTEWCDS1802 18 Bottle Dual Zone is worth considering.
What We Like:
- Good Bottle Capacity for the Size: Can store up to 18 bottles which are good despite its compact design.
- Odd Shaped Bottle Storage: It can easily store large and oddly shaped bottles for the most part, which is down to its flexible shelf design.
- Light Weight: Very easy to move to and from different rooms.
- A Vertical Shelf: It means you can store opened bottles.
- Zero Vibrations or Noise: Yes! It's so silent you won’t even know its working.
What We Don’t Like:
- No Color Options: We would have loved if it was available in different colors.
- Accompanying Instructions are Confusing: It took a while for us to figure out how to convert Celsius into Fahrenheit.
Best Wine Coolers & Refrigerators (Built-In)
Built-In Wine Coolers are designed to be built into cabinetry hence the name. These types of wine coolers have good ventilation, generally on the front to avoid overheating. Plus these are built to the same depth as most kitchen counters and fixtures so that it sits flush in with where it is installed. The biggest drawback with built-in wine coolers is that they are comparatively more expensive.
Best Built-In Wine Refrigerator: LANBO Red Wine Cellar, 321 Bottle Capacity with Double-Paned Tempered Glass Door
The LANBO Wine Cooler Refrigerator, 321 Bottle Dual Zone Red Wine Cellar boasts of a sexy design, touch screen control panel and an easily readable digital display.
So, you can adjust the settings depending on the wine stored. We love the fact that it comes with adjustable feet, which makes leveling it easy, something that not many of the competitors in this segment offer.
Additionally, most people will find that the interior light and a safety lock which disables access helps to keep their wine safe.
What We Like:
- Generous Capacity: Sure this is a big unit, but with a capacity 138 bottles, you can run a commercial establishment with it.
- Can Be used as a Built-in or Freestanding Unit: That’s one of the things we like about this model. The front vents make it possible to use any way you want.
- Smart Temperature Control: The LANBO Red Wine Cellar uses smart temperature control to ensure that the temperature remains at a constant throughout the unit.
- Many Options: If you thought 138 bottles were large, you could also buy one with a whopping 171 bottles capacity.
What We Don’t Like:
- Noisy: It can get a bit noisy, especially when the compressor turns on.
2nd Best Built-In: Titan 15 inch 25 Bottles Built-in Single Zone Cooler
The Titan 15 inch 25 Bottles is a single zone built-in Wine Cooler that combines style and luxury with a compact design language.
The seamless stainless steel trimmed door and the handle looks great and fits snuggly into most 15-inch counters. Thanks to the advanced cooling system regardless of where it is placed, you can be sure that your wine is chilled at the right temperature.
What We Like:
- Gliding Shelves: We wish more wine coolers would have this feature as it allows for shelves to easily glide in and then out. So, you can just pull out the shelve and not think twice about scratching the labels.
- Larger Bottles are Easy to Store: Many of the bottles we store are oddly shaped or large, so it’s a feature we personally appreciate.
- Smart Temperature Control: We heard beeping when the door was left slightly open, its an important feature because it ensures optimal cooling. Speaking of cooling the unit self regulates and adjusts to the temperature set as soon as power is restored after a power failure.
- Well, Lit LED Lighting: The LED display is easy to read, and the touch control allows you to control aspects of the unit. Plus the interior lighting is bright enough to read the labels on the bottle without opening the door.
What We Don’t Like:
- Single Zones are somewhat Limited: We don’t have anything against it, but single zone wine coolers allow you to store only one type of wine.
- Some Initial Vibration: It won’t spoil your wine, but the unit does vibrate when the compressor turns on.
3rd Best Built-In: (Upgraded) Aobosi 24'' Dual Zone Cooler with 46 Bottle Capacity
The dual zone Aobosi 24” Wine Cooler is like having a wine cellar built under your kitchen counter. The excellent finishing around the sides and the top make it eye-catching, so it is best suited as a freestanding unit. The generous 46 bottles capacity means that this is a large unit, but to our surprise, it isn’t all that heavy. Speaking of space, you can store opened and large bottles of Champagne and Pinot too.
What We Like:
- Flexibility: Removable shelves and places to store odd-shaped bottles is something we love about the Aobosi 24.”
- Auto Locking: If you don’t use the digital panel for three minutes, it will lock itself. Speaking of locks, there is also a physical lock which prevents kids from opening the cooler.
- Looks Great: The stainless-steel frame, coupled with blue lighting ensures that it stands out as a freestanding unit.
What We Don’t Like:
- The door isn’t Reversible: We don’t like the fact that you can’t reverse the door.
4th Best Built-In: AMZCHEF 15" Wine Refrigerator, 31 Bottle Capacity
AMZCHEF 15” Wine Refrigerator boasts of advanced cooling and air circulation system which results in unnoticeable decibel levels. Plus, it keeps every corner of the cooler cool. The powerful slide out shelf is made from top-quality eucalyptus, which makes accessing the bottles easy. Plus, the door is magnetic and comprises of dual-layered glass, which makes maintaining humidity and temperature easy.
What We Like:
- Very Quiet: Despite using a compressor, this is one of the quietest units we’ve used. Not to mention no vibrations either.
- Programmable Temperature: You can set the temperature via the LCD screen, and the unit remembers your settings even if is turned back on after a power outage.
- Compact Design: At 15 inches this is the most compact built-in wine coolers we’ve reviewed.
What We Don’t Like:
- Isn’t the Best Looking Design: We are not too big on the design, to say the least.
5th Best Built-In: N'FINITY PRO HDX, Holds 90 Cans & 35 Wine Bottles (Freestanding OR Built-In)
The biggest selling point of the N’FINITY PRO HDX in our opinion is its stylish design without compromising build quality. The design ensures that the Wine Cooler can be used as a stand-alone unit as well as a built-in one. Not to mention the fact that you’re not limited to just storing wine bottles as it can accommodate soda and beer too.
What We Like:
- Touchscreen Controls: It allows you to change the settings directly from the door without opening it.
- Energy Efficient: The claim is that this unit consumes 25% percent less energy.
- Independent Cooling Zones: You can store both wine and beer or soda in the same unit.
What We Don’t Like:
- Somewhat Noisy Compressor: We could hear the compressor turn on and there are vibrations too.
Conclusion
To us, these are the best that money can buy. The one you choose will depend on how much and what type of wine you want to store and where.
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