Best Wine Cooler Reviews
Top Rated Wine Refrigerators for 2022

A wine cellar (or wine cooler refrigerator) is a must-have for wine lovers and wine enthusiasts. If you like Finger Lakes wines and have a small to medium size collection of wines but no wine cellar, an electric wine cooler or small wine refrigerator is definitely a worthwhile investment. A dedicated wine chilling refrigerator helps to make sure that your wine is stored under the perfect lighting, temperature and humidity conditions and served at just the right temperature. A compact wine cooler or countertop electric wine cellar will free up space in your kitchen refrigerator for food and allow for more wine bottles to be chilled and stored properly, and ready to serve at all times.

All wine should be stored at a consistent temperature between 53-57° F, whether it’s red or white. It is only serving temperature that varies. Wine serving temperature has a big effect on how a wine tastes, smells, and feels on the palette. Served at the wrong temperature, even a good wine can be ruined. Wine is fragile, and is sensitive to temperature, light and humidity. The kitchen fridge is too cold and humid for wine, and comfortable room temperature is to warm, dry and inconsistent.

How to find the best wine refrigerator for you out of the various brands, models and sizes of wine refrigerators depends on your specific needs. The best wine fridge chiller for you may be a compact 6-bottle counter top wine cooler if you are short on space and wine. Or maybe a 28-bottle small wine refrigerator is more what you need. A dedicated wine refrigerator shouldn’t have to break the bank. There are budget, relatively inexpensive wine coolers under $100, as well as high-end wine refrigerators with all of the bells and whistles.

What is a Wine Cooler / Wine Chiller?

A wine cooler, or wine fridge, or electric wine cellar as they are also refered to, is a refrigerator dedicated specifically for cooling and storing wine that regulates the temperature, lighting and humidity needed for proper wine storge better than your standard kitchen refrigerator.

So how do I choose the Best Wine Refrigerator for me? …

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Wine Cooler?

Number of wine bottles
Available Space and Placement
Single Zone or Dual Zone
Compressor or Thermo-electric

Number of Bottles:
Do you frequently entertain guests or have dinner parties? Do you drink wine with dinner every night? Did you recently go on a Finger Lakes wine tour and have new favorite bottles of wine? Or do you just want to get the clutter out of your kitchen refrigerator and still want a properly chilled bottle of wine ready when the moment is right? The answers to these questions will help you determine how many bottles of wine you need to be able to store in your wine cooler. Smaller compact wine coolers typically hold 6-24 bottles of wine and are great for the newbie wine enthusiast and casual wine collector.

Available Space and Placement:
The available space you have for a wine fridge will help determine whether you choose a compact countertop wine cooler, a wine chiller that fits under the counter, a small corner wine fridge, a not-so-compact, free standing wine refrigerator.
Location placement of your wine cooler is a factor in deciding which wine fridge to buy. If you are planning to put your wine refrigerator in a garage or a basement, you may want to look for a better insulated model to prevent wine storage temperature fluctuations due to extremely hot or cold external temperatures and humidity variations.

Single Zone or Dual Zone:
Are you storing just red wine, just white wine, or do you have both red wine and white wine bottles to store? Single zone refrigerators have only one temperature setting throughout the whole fridge. Dual zone wine coolers have controls for 2 different temperature settings within different areas of the fridge so you can store your red wines at one temperature and your whites at a colder, more ready-to-drink temperature. If your collection is varied and growing, you may want to invest in a dual-zone wine refrigerator.

Compressor or Thermoelectric:
Some people complain that an additional refrigerator will be too noisy. Thermoelectric wine coolers cool through a cooling node instead of a compressor, so they run much quieter and minimize vibrations, which can disturb the naturally occurring sediment in wine and interfere with the wine’s natural ageing process. If you are putting your wine cooler in a basement, garage or other out of the way place, a compressor regerator may be just fine, but for a wine cooler that hums quietly, a thermoelectric wine cooler is the way to go.

So why can’t I just store my wine in my regular kitchen refrigerator?…

Advantages of a Wine Cooler vs. a regular kitchen refrigerator?

Temperature Stability – The kitchen fridge has way more traffic than a dedicated wine refrigerator, and everytime the refrigerator door is opened the temperature fluctuates in the fridge, which is not good for proper storage of wine. Also, the kitchen refrigerator might be a little too cold for storing wine, which ideally should be stored at approximately 55°F. The average refirgerator is set at below 45°F to safely store perishable foods, which is a little chillier than the recommended temperature for wine storage.
Frees up space in your kitchen refrigerator – Wine bottles take up a lot of space in the fridge that could otherwise be used for food.
Reduced Vibration – The kitchen refrigerator has a compressor running to keep it cold, which causes vibration. Vibration stirs up the natural sediments in the wine, which is not good for proper aging of the wine. Thermoelectric wine coolers cool through a cooling node instead of a compressor, so they run quieter and minimize vibrations.
Lighting Control – Light is an enemy of stored wine. UV rays can degrade and prematurely age wine. Lots of these wine coolers have tinted glass doors to protect the wine from harmful UV rays while still being able to see your wine collection.
Humidity Control – Ideally, wines should be stored at a humidity level of 70 percent, which keeps the cork from drying out and letting air come into contact with the wine.

6-8 Bottle Wine Cooler Reviews

A small countertop wine chiller refrigerator that holds 6-8 bottles of wine is a perfect starter compact wine fridge for storing a small wine collection at the proper temperature. They are small enough that they can be nestled on the corner of the bar or countertop or tucked away underneath. You can find an inexpensive, 6-8 bottle compact wine cooler under $100 that meets your needs and budget to perfectly store your new wine collection.

6-8 bottle Compact Wine Chillers – Pros & Cons

Pros: inexpensive, compact size.
Cons: single zone, limited features, no vertical storage.

Best 6-8 Bottle Wine Refrigerators

Magic Chef 6 Bottle Countertop Wine Cooler (best seller & best value)
Westinghouse WWT060MB Thermo Electric 6 Bottle Wine Cellar (good value)
Ivation 8 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler (top rated)

Best 6-8 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Reviews

6-8 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (best seller & best value)

Magic Chef MCWC6B 6 Bottle Countertop Wine Cooler

The Magic Chef 6-Bottle Wine Cooler is perfect for a budding wine enthusiast to store up to 6 bottles of wine chilled and ready to be served at a moments notice. This Amazon Bestseller wine refrigerator features full-range temperature control to help keep your red wines or white wines chilled at the ideal temperature.

This budget-priced, compact thermoelectric wine cooler has a sleek looking black cabinet with a black see-through door and can accommodate standard size bottles on two sculpted chrome shelves, and it has an interior light and and a recessed handle. This single zone Magic Chef wine cooler can be set at a temperature ranging from 46ºF – 64ºF to perfectly store your wine collection. The dimensions of this compact countertop Magic Chef wine fridge are 22.3 x 17.8 x 12.4 inches, so it will fit nicely in smaller spaces.

PROS:
Thermo-electric: The unit is quiet, but does have a slight hum
Inexpensive wine cooler
Compact space-saving size
CONS:
Single zone, as are most 6 bottle wine coolers
No digital temperature control
Can’t fit larger, champagne-sized 750 mL bottles

Buy Magic Chef MCWC6B 6 Bottle Countertop Wine Cooler at Amazon.

6-8 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (good value)

Westinghouse Thermo Electric 6 Bottle Wine Cellar

The Westinghouse WWT060MB Thermo Electric Wine Cellar is perfect for storing red wines or white wines. This compact wine cellar will keep up to six bottles of your favorite wines chilled at just the right temperature range between 46 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit. The thermal electric cooling system is extra quiet and features a mechanical adjustable thermostat control.

This Westinghouse Wine Cellar looks sharp with its grey tinted see-thru glass door, an interior light, a space-saving, recessed door handle, hidden door hinge and 2 durable, silver chrome wire storage shelves which look great. The dimensions of this wine chiller are 10″ x 20 1/4″ x 14 7/8″ making it nice and compact, and it wieghs only 20.3 lbs.

PROS:
Thermo-electric: quiet and vibration-free
Great value for the price.
Compact counter top size.
CONS:
No built-in thermometer or temperature display
Can’t fit large, champagne-sized 750 mL bottles

Buy Westinghouse WWT060MB 6 Bottle Wine Cellar at Amazon.

6-8 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (top rated)

Ivation 8 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler with Digital Temperature Display

The Ivation 8 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler with Digital Temperature Display is a top rated compact wine cooler ideal for storing a small collection of wine. The Ivation wine refrigerator keeps your wine consistently at the proper temperature and humidity, protects the wine from exterior lights and elements, and has zero vibration so the wine could be aged and stored properly.

This free standing 8 bottle wine chiller will protect your red or white wine and preserve its quality and flavor by keeping the wine chilled at a range between 46° – 64°F (8° – 18°C) for the perfect stable temperature and humidity environment for the wine’s aging process. The Ivation 8 Bottle Countertop Wine Cooler is insulated with solid polyurethane heavy foam (CFC-free). The wine cooler has tempered smoked Thermopane glass doors for an odor-free interior environment that maintains constant humidity to keep corks from drying out. The tinted glass on the doors keeps out sunlight and harmful UV rays that can break down wines. The wine fridge has soft interior lighting with on/off control so you can see your wine collection. The Ivation 8 Bottle Wine Cooler is ultra quiet with its energy-efficient thermoelectric cooling system, which minimizes noise and vibration, which can disturb the sediments in the wine. The dimensions of the Ivation 8-bottle wine chiller are 9.9″ x 19.7″ x 17.7″, compact enough to be tucked away on the countertop or bar.

The stand-out feature of the Ivation 8 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler is the Digital Temperature Display with exterior digital Touch controls and LCD temperature display (°F/°C), as opposed to the manual adjustment dial many other compact wine coolers have.

PROS:
Digital Temperature Display
Thermo-electric: quiet and vibration-free
Compact counter top size.
CONS:
Can’t fit large, champagne-sized 750 mL bottles

Buy Ivation 8 Bottle Thermoelectric Countertop Wine Cooler at Amazon.

12 Bottle Wine Coolers – Top Picks and Reviews

A compact countertop wine refrigerator that stores 12 bottles of wine is perfect for storing a small wine collection at the proper temperature. They are compact enough, but just the next step up from the small 6-8 bottle wine cooler. These small wine refrigerators can still be had on a budget, the ones reviewed here coming in at under $200, with the one Magic Chef MCWC12B 12-Bottle Wine Cooler rated “best value” priced at under $100.

12 Bottle Compact Wine Chillers – Pros & Cons

Pros: budget friendly. compact size.
Cons: small, single zone, limited features.

Best 12 Bottle Wine Refrigerators

iGloo 12-Bottle Wine Cooler with Curved Glass Door (best seller)
Avanti 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler (nice product)
Magic Chef MCWC12B 12-Bottle Wine Cooler (best value)

Best 12-Bottle Wine Refrigerator Reviews

12 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (bestseller)

iGloo 12-Bottle Wine Cooler with Curved Glass Door

Igloo has a reputaion of quality built, affordable refrigeration, and the Igloo FRW1225 12 Bottle Wine Cooler will not disappoint you. The unique design of the removable interior shelving allows you to store up to 12 standard size bottles of wine with 8 lying flat and 4 standing up to maximize space. The vertical storage means you can keep up to 4 opened bottles of wine chilling, so you can take your time finishing that glass of wine.

The Igloo 12-bottle compact wine cooler is small enough to be unobtrusive and looks stylish with a curved glass door and soft blue interior light. The adjustable electronic temperature control thermostat keeps your favorite wine at just the right temperature. The thermo-electric cooling makes the refrigerator super quiet and vibration-free, so the wine sediments are not disturbed. This Igloo 12-bottle wine cooler is about 17 1/2″ tall, 13 1/2″ wide and 17″ deep (excluding the width of the door).

PROS:
compact size
holds open bottles vertically
can hold bigger bottles
CONS:
Single zone

Buy iGloo 12-Bottle Wine Cooler with Curved Glass Door at Amazon.

12 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (nice product)

Avanti 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler

The Avanti EWC1201 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Countetop Wine Cooler can store and chill up to 12 bottles of wine, perfect for a budding wine enthusiast. The Thermoelectric Cooling System of the wine refrigerator means it runs quietly with minimal vibration, so as not to disturb the sediment in the wine. This compact and lightweight wine fridge is nice looking with its curved glass door. The shelf configuration allows for a section where you can store some bottles upright, good for storing open bottles of wine.

PROS:
Has upright section good for open bottles
Electronic Control Panel With Led Display
CONS:
Too room-temperature dependent, won’t work as well in hot garage.

Buy Avanti 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler at Amazon.

12 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (best value)

Magic Chef MCWC12B 12-Bottle Wine Cooler

The Magic Chef MCWC12B 12-Bottle Wine Cooler is a great value for the price, one of the few good 12-Bottle Wine Coolers under $100. The Thermoelectric Cooling System of the wine refrigerator means it runs quietly with minimal vibration to disturb the sediment in the wine.

This Magic Chef 12-Bottle wine fridge has an electronic control panel with LED display to make it easy to keep your wine stored and chilled to a stable temperature of 54°F. The dimensions of this small 12-bottle wine fridge are 18.5″H x 14″W x 19.74″D so it is nice and compact and fits in small spaces, where the recessed handle helps. It has an interior light so you can admire your wine collection.

PROS:
Thermoelectric: Quiet with minimal vibration
Electronic Control Panel With Led Display
CONS:
short power cord

Buy Magic Chef MCWC12B 12-Bottle Wine Cooler at Amazon.

18 Bottle Wine Coolers – Top Picks and Reviews

An thermo electric wine cooling refrigerator that stores 18 bottles of wine is a must-have for storing your small wine collection at the proper temperature. They are compact enough, but a significant step up from the small 12 bottle wine cooler. These top rated wine refrigerators are affordable, the ones reviewed here coming in at between $150-250.

18-bottle Wine Chillers – Pros & Cons

Pros: affordable, compact size but not too small, some dual-zone
Cons: not as small,

Best 18 Bottle Wine Refrigerators

Ivation 18 Bottle Wine Cellar with Digital Temperature Display (Best Seller)
NutriChef 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Refrigerator (Highly Recommended)
Wine Enthusiast Silent 18 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler (Premium)

Best 18-Bottle Wine Refrigerator Reviews

18 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (best seller)

Ivation 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cellar with Digital Temperature Display

The Ivation 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler with Digital Temperature Display is a best selling compact wine refrigerator that is ideal for storing a small collection of wine. The Ivation wine cooler stores your wine consistently at the proper temperature and humidity, protects the wine from exterior lights and elements, has zero vibration so the wine could age properly.

This free standing Ivation 18 bottle wine chiller will protect your red or white wine and preserve its quality and flavor by keeping the wine chilled in the 46° – 64°F (8° – 18°C) range for the perfect stable temperature and humidity environment for the wine’s aging process. The Ivation 18 Bottle Countertop Wine Cooler is insulated with solid polyurethane heavy foam (CFC-free). The smoked tempered Thermopane glass doors make for an odor-free interior environment that maintains constant humidity that keeps corks from drying out. The tinted glass on the doors keeps out sunlight and harmful UV rays that can break down wines. The wine fridge has soft interior lighting with on/off control so you can see your wine collection. The Ivation 18 Bottle Wine Cooler is super quiet with its energy-efficient thermoelectric cooling system, which minimizes noise and vibration. The dimensions of this wine refrigerator are 13.5″ x 20″ x 25.4″ (34.5 x 50.8 x 64.5cm).

A great feature of the Ivation 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Top Wine Cooler is the Digital Temperature Display with exterior digital Touch controls and LCD temperature display (°F/°C).

PROS:
Stores vertical, open bottles,
Digital Temperature Display with exterior digital Touch controls
Thermoelectric: Quiet with minimal vibration
CONS:
Single zone

Buy Ivation 18 Bottle Countertop Wine Cellar at Amazon.

18 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (highly recommended)

NutriChef 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Refrigerator

NutriChef 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler is a highly recommended Stainless Steel countertop electric wine cooler to store your wine at the perfect stable temperature. This free-standing refrigerator unit has high precision, energy-efficient thermo-electric cooling technology, which minimizes noise and vibration for super quiet operation.

The NutriChef 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler is stylish with its integrated LED lights and chrome racks. This unit has cool LED lights, a built-in circulation fan and ventilation grill. The adjustable touch screen temperature and LED light control is on the outside so you don’t have to open the door to change settings. The wine racks in the NutriChef 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler are made of contoured, polished chrome and and are built to allow for standing bottles, great for when you want to keep open bottles of wine chilled. This NutriChef wine cooling unit is backed by a 1 year quality warranty of complete satisfaction.

PROS:
Stores vertical, open bottles,
Exterior adjustable touch screen temperature and LED light control
Contoured, polished chrome racks
Thermoelectric: Quiet with minimal vibration
CONS:
Single zone

Buy NutriChef 18 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Refrigerator at Amazon.

18 Bottle Wine Refrigerator Review: (premium)

Wine Enthusiast 18 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler

Wine Enthusiast 18 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler is a high-end 18 bottle wine fridge that fits in a narrow space and perfectly chills both your red and white wine with its dual zones. This premium Wine Enthusia wine cooler runs by energy-efficient thermo-electric, CFC-free cooling system, which minimizes noise and vibration for very quiet operation.

The narrow slimline shape of Wine Enthusiast 18 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler, along with the reflective smoked-glass Thermopane door with stainless steel trim, and the cool interior LED lighting give it a sleek style that will look great in any setting.

An exterior digital touchscreen with temperature display allows you to easily control the dual zone temperature settings form the outside. A dual zone wine refrigerator means that you can have 2 different temperature settings for different areas within the fridge. The top zone of this dual zone wine fridge can hold 10 bottles and can be adjusted to temperature range of 54-66°F, while the bottom zone can hold 8 bottles of wine at a temperature of 46-66°F. This means that you can store your red wines and your white wines separately, each at their own desired temperature.

The Wine Enthusiast Silent 18 Bottle Dual Zone Slimline Wine Cooler has 7 pull-out chrome shelves allowing for upright bottle storage, convenient vertical storage where you can stand a bottle up to 14″ tall on the upright bottle shelf. This is great so that you can save that open bottle of wine for later.

The product dimensions are of this narrow Wine Enthusiast wine refrigerator are 20.2 x 9.9 x 37.5 inches. The Maximum Ambient Temperature for operating this wine cooler is 77°F, so it is not recommended to be used in a hot garage.

PROS:
Dual Zone
Upright bottle shelf
Exterior digital touchscreen controls
Thermoelectric: Quiet with minimal vibration
Cool interior LED lighting
CONS:
No lock, hums a little

Buy Wine Enthusiast 18 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler at Amazon.