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High-quality wine fridges use space efficiently, keep your bottles at a consistent and accurate temperature, and run quietly.
The Kalamera 24-inch Wine Refrigerator is our top pick because it features dual temperature zones, accent lights to easily see the wines inside, and it fits 46 standard Bordeaux style bottles.
In my home, we like to have a bottle or two of champagne and a few red wine options on hand at all times in case there’s something to celebrate or if friends stop by. While it’s nice to think that storing these bottles in a rack for long periods of time will help them age, the truth of the matter is that improper storage can negatively impact the flavor, aroma, color, structure, and healthiness of the wine.
According to the World Food Logistics Organization, the ideal temperature for storing both white and red wines is between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer a bottle spends outside of this temperature range, the more the flavor quality is affected. And, in as little as a week, wine can be damaged when kept outside of the 50-to-75-degree range. With this in mind, if you like to have wine on hand at all times, buying a wine fridge may be the best solution for maintaining optimal aroma and flavor quality.
There are two main types of wine fridges: thermoelectric and compressor. Your typical kitchen refrigerator is a compressor fridge. These units are often louder, heavier, and produce more vibrations, which are bad for wine. On the other hand, thermoelectric coolers are generally seen as better for wine because they are quieter and vibration-free. However, thermoelectric coolers are affected by ambient room temperatures so they should only be used in rooms that have temps between 50 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
A feature commonly found in larger refrigerators is dual temperature zones. This allows you to have two storage areas with different temps. If storage is your only concern, this may not be that useful. 55 degrees Fahrenheit is an excellent temp for just about every type of wine. Yet, with dual zones, you can use one zone for storing wine, and the other zone could be used to bring the wine up or down to serving temperature, depending on the wine.
Speaking of serving temperatures, red wines are best between 62 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas white wine is best served between 49 and 55 degrees.
While researching the best wine fridges, we examined hundreds of expert and buyer reviews and ratings of dozens of units. While all the coolers we looked at had their flaws, our guide features units that have the best track record of user-friendly operation, durability, and performance.
Here are our picks for the best wine fridges you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best wine fridge overall
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Why you'll love it: The Kalamera 24-inch Wine Refrigerator runs quietly, is large enough to fit 46 bottles, and fits under your counter.
The Kalamera 24-inch Wine Refrigeratoris unique because it holds up to 46 bottles: 8 on each of the 5 sliding beechwood shelves and 6 on the bottom.
There are also two temperature zones: the upper zone keeps wine between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the lower zone is between 50 and 66 degrees. Both zone temperatures are easy to read on digital displays, and to adjust the temps, you just push the up and down arrows.
The Kalamera fridge also comes with a built-in security lock and blue accent lighting. And, it can be built-in or freestanding with dimensions of 23.4 by 33 by 22.4 inches. Kalamera offers a one-year warranty on parts.
The Spruce recommends the Kalamera 24-inch Wine Refrigerator as a good high-end pick. The reviewer was impressed with how the zones were able to maintain precise temperatures while making very little noise and avoiding vibrations. Several other sites recommend the Kalamera fridge, including Cooling Wine, Wine Cooler Reviews, and Under Counter Wine Fridge.
About 66% of the Amazon buyers who commented on the Kalamera 24-inch Wine Refrigerator left a positive review. The most helpful reviewer liked the fridge overall and gave it five stars. However, he noted a couple quality control issues that led to unpleasant sounds coming from the unit. He was able to fix these issues on his own but would have preferred to not have to.
Other buyers mention that it’s easy to adjust the door’s swing direction, the operation is quiet, and that the accent lighting makes reading labels effortless while not casting annoyingly bright light.
Pros: Runs quietly, dual temperature zones, accent lighting, fits 46 bottles
Cons: Complaints of quality control issues
The best countertop wine fridge
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At 20 by 10 by 25 inches, the Avanti 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooleris the most compact wine fridge in our guide. This makes it ideal for countertops, though it won’t fit under cabinets positioned at the standard 18 inches above the counter.
The front of the fridge has a stylish curved glass door and an auto defrost system so you can easily see what bottles are chilling without opening the door. There is room for four bottles placed vertically. This is helpful because once you open a bottle, you may want to keep it chilled until your next glass and avoid redistributing any sediments.
Wine Cooler Lab recommends the Avanti Wine Cooler because of its attractive concave glass door, reasonable size, and convenience. However, the reviewer noted that the room’s ambient temperature affected the fridge’s ability to cool, which makes it less helpful for patio areas in hot climates.
Wine Cooler Reviews recommends this unit because of its intuitive user interface, attractive design, and vibration-free refrigeration. They were also put off by the limited cooling abilities and the loudness of the fan.
Approximately 72% of the buyers who reviewed the Avanti 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler on Amazon gave it four or five stars. One user had the fridge for two years before the fan failed on him. He describes how he used about $30 worth of materials to fix the fridge so that it worked better than new.
Other buyers have been impressed with the consistent performance, even after a year or more of ownership. Another popular feature is the ability to position bottles both vertically and horizontally.
Pros: Attractive appearance, small footprint, horizontal and vertical bottle storage
Cons: Only cools to 25 degrees below the ambient temperature
The best 18-bottle wine fridge
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The smoked-glass door of the Ivation 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Red and White Wine Cooleroffers a unique, attractive look while blocking UV rays, which can affect the flavor of complex wines. This single-zone fridge keeps temperatures between 54 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit. And, for proper aging and settling, it is outfitted with anti-vibration components.
The cellar has a bright blue LCD digital temperature display and interior LED lighting. We were unable to track down warranty information, but Ivation states that they have a “100% customer satisfaction guarantee.”
The Ivation IV-FWCT181B is the top wine fridge on The Wirecutter. Of the coolers he tested, the reviewer noted that this unit had the most accurate temperature performance and strongest build quality. However, he didn’t like that shelves had to be removed to fit magnum bottles, but this is a common problem with most wine cellars.
Best Reviews did a round-up of the best Ivation fridges and included this model because of the silent running fan and accurate temperatures. And, the reviewer for New York Magazine found the smoked-glass door especially attractive.
Around 56% of the Amazon buyers who reviewed the Ivation 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Red and White Wine Cooler gave it five stars. The most helpful reviewer, Daryl R. Wolf, set the cellar at 54 degrees Fahrenheit. After a few days, it never dipped below 57. Ivation worked with him and determined that the reviewer’s desert home was too hot (81 degrees) for the unit to work properly. So, they sent him a full refund.
This model works best when the ambient temp is 72 or lower. Other buyers are impressed with how user-friendly it is and how quietly it runs.
Pros: Runs quietly, holds accurate temperatures, attractive smoked-glass door
Cons: Doesn’t function well when ambient temp is above 72 degrees
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