How to Choose a Wine Fridge – What to Consider?
- How much space does your kitchen have?
- What size wine fridge do you want? (Most wine refrigerators come in a variety of sizes.)
- What kind of wine do you like to keep in your wine fridge?
- Do you want to serve your white wine at a different temperature than your red wine?
- Do you want your wine fridge to be portable so that you can move it around the house?
Only after you’ve answered each of these questions will you be able to determine which wine fridge is best for you.
We’ll be talking about the potential answers to each of the questions listed above:
How much space do you have in your kitchen?
Before looking for a specific unit, you must first determine how much physical space you have in your kitchen. This will necessitate measuring the ideal height, width, and depth of the desired location for the cooler.
That being said, you’ll need to consider whether you want a large or small wine cooler. Some people will want a fridge for a more commercial setting, such as a bar or restaurant.
As previously stated, wine fridges vary not only in height, but also in width and depth, allowing you to choose between slim and tall units.
Not only that, but you should think about the visual impact of getting a wine cooler, whether for your kitchen or home bar. In any case, we recommend browsing wine fridge cabinet ideas on sites like Pinterest to get ideas on the types of wine coolers that you prefer, as shown in a cabinet setting.
How large do you want the wine refrigerator to be?
Not only are the physical dimensions of the refrigerator important to consider, but you’ll also want to know how many bottles it can hold.
The bottle capacity of wine refrigerators varies dramatically, with the smallest wine fridges having a capacity of about 5 bottles and the largest wine fridges having a capacity of 300 bottles.
While bars and restaurants may require a 100-bottle wine fridge, a wine enthusiast may only require a 35-bottle wine cooler.
What kind of wine do you like to store inside the wine fridge?
Wine refrigerators have different temperature capabilities, with compressor-powered units having a wider temperature range than thermoelectric units. It should be noted that thermoelectric units are slightly quieter and use less energy.
Having said that, thermoelectric wine fridges frequently struggle to reach the lower temperatures at which some wine enthusiasts prefer their white wine to be chilled.
As a general rule, if you like your wine very chilled and don’t mind the extra sound or a slightly higher energy bill… A compressor wine cooler might be your best bet.
Do you want to have a separate temperature for your white wine and for your red wine?
When it comes to zone capabilities, there are two main types of wine coolers: single zone and dual zone.
Single zone wine fridges are units with only one compartment that can store red, white, and rose wine. The problem is that it’s all kept at the same temperature.
Dual zone wine coolers are units with two compartments, each with its own thermostat, and thus both zones can be programmed to chill wine at different temperatures. For example, one size can be suited for chilling your white wine and rose, while the other side can provide a mild chilled temperature for your red wine bottles.
Do you want your wine fridge to be portable so you can move it to other rooms in the house?
Portable wine coolers are those that are small enough to be transported from one location to another. Countertop wine fridges are among the most portable units, as they must be small enough (and light enough) to fit on your kitchen counter.
Otherwise, if you only want to place the unit in one location, you should go with a built-in wine cooler (for built-in/integrated placement) or a freestanding wine cooler (for open placement).
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below and we will respond as soon as possible.
I’ve been a wine enthusiast for over 20 years, and have sold wine refrigerators for the last 15 years. So I would consider myself to be a wine fridge expert. Hence why I created this blog, read between wines, where I post about wine fridges, wines and wine equipment.