It’s important to consider some factors before buying a Wine Cooler. In this guide of ours, we’ll talk about the ones which we consider before adding a product to our best list. In case you’re not a research freak and you can check our list of best wine coolers. We’ve considered all the below factors and have taken serious feedback from the users before adding a product in our list.
Why do you need a guide like this? We believe in transparency and want our readers to be knowledgeable. The guide is also useful to people who prefer shopping from the offline market; as they’ll know about factors or features which they should consider while buying a wine cooler. Thereby, with this complete guide, we intend to help people make an informed buying decision.
Contents
Wine preference & temperature range
A full range of 45 to 60 degrees is optimal for any good wine cooler. You do not always need a full temperature range wine cooler if you consume only a certain type of wine.
- Light and sparkling white wines require a temperature range of 40 to 50 degrees.
- Full-bodied white wines and fruity red wines need a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees.
- Port wines and full-bodied reds need to be stored at a temperature of 60 to 65 degrees.
- All wines require cooling at 55 degrees before serving.
If you drink just one type of wine then investing in a smaller single zone cooler would be the best choice for you. Single zone coolers are a good pick for the ones that store their wines for short periods of time.
If you collect a range of wines, then you need to make sure you pick a wine fridge that will have a good temperature range and a well-designed rack for you to separate your collection.
Single vs Double-zone cooling
There are only two types of cooling zones in a wine fridge. A single zone and a dual zone. A single zone wine cooler has one temperature zone throughout the unit and only one temperature control too.
It is a good fit for the ones that consume only one type of wine. It is less expensive than a dual zone cooler making it a more affordable choice for a wine enthusiast who has just begun building their collection. A single zone is very efficient for short term wine storage.
Dual zone wine coolers are an expensive but necessary investment for ones that have a collection of both reds and whites. If you have a growing wine collection, then a dual zone wine cooler will preserve your different wines at the specific temperatures required for them. If you will be investing in expensive red wines then you may as well invest a 100 dollars more to preserve the richness and body of the wine.
The accuracy of the thermostat
This requires testing the temperature and making sure that the temperature displayed on the thermostat is the same as that of the unit. Since you are making an investment to preserve your expensive wine, the accuracy is crucial. A drop or change of even 5 degrees can affect the taste, color, and structure of your wine.
For wine coolers, a mini fridge type manual thermostat will not work well. You will need a good digital thermostat that has a clear display making your wine storing process easier. In the dual zone wine coolers, you will find two separate digital thermostats to set separate temperatures for your varied wines.
Energy efficiency of the wine cooler
Manufacturers are not required to mention the amount of energy used by a wine cooler since the product is considered a luxury item. A lot of brands still let its consumers know the power consumption, which on an average is 400-kilowatt hours per year.
Modern day wine coolers are more energy efficient and it depends on other minor factors. The temperature outside making the unit consume more or less energy to cool down. For how many hours you run the unit in a day and how many times you open or close the door of the wine cooler.
Construction of the wine cooler
A sturdy well-functioning wine cooler is the most basic design need for a wine enthusiast looking for the best wine cooler. But the tiniest details matter just as much. A set of sturdy shells support heavy bottles of glass well, the shelves need to be removable to be able to stack more bottles or larger bottles. Most of them tend to have tinted glass doors with a sleek metallic frame. The gasket and seals between the dual zones need to be airtight to maintain the set temperatures.
The wine cooler needs to have a half inch height off the floor with extremely sturdy legs. The base needs to be strong enough to handle the swinging and closing of the door with the weight of the bottles inside it. The contemporary wine coolers are available in various finishes such as stainless steel, wood, and other metallic finishes.
The capacity of the wine cooler
There are wine coolers that can accommodate over 100 wine bottles and there are also mini wine fridges that accommodate as less as 10 bottles. If you are a wine collector with a large collection and entertain a large number of guests, then the grander it is the better. If you enjoy wine on a regular basis and are starting to learn and collect good wines, then a smaller unit with lower capacity will be a better fit.
Wine bottles can come in differing sizes, sometimes the bottle might not fit in because the corkscrew stuck out by a few millimeters. So you need to make sure the best wine cooler you pick for yourself is able to fit a magnum bottle of wine without having to shift shelves. The best wine cooler model would not have any parts occupying its internal storage space.
Built-in coolers
This is a very popular option for wine enthusiasts with an interest in decor. Built-in wine coolers can fit right into your kitchen alongside your cabinets and other gadgets. You can create a dedicated space for the wine fridge that you pick.
The design and build of the wine cooler can add to the classiness of your kitchen space. These wine fridges usually come with a compact design be it a tall sleek unit or a smaller one that fits underneath your countertop. All built-in wine coolers come with a great ventilation circuit.
User Reviews
In today’s age of online stores, we get the advantage of customers leaving reviews of every product in the market. The purchase of any electronic gadget comes with its fair share of research, and we recommend that you make user reviews an important part of that process. There is not much you can know about a brands quality control unless you read the reviews from customers who have used the product and have a hands-on experience of its flaws and advantages.
Compressor vs thermoelectric coolers
A wine refrigerator either uses a compressor or a thermoelectric cooling system. The wine fridges that come with a compressor have similar functions to the regular fridge in your home. Though they are quite powerful machines, they are also much louder and relatively heavier. You can consider checking our list of best mini fridges to preserve your wine if you’re low on space.
The thermoelectric coolers on the other hand function on the Peltier effect, where the current flows between two conductors causing cooling within the cooler. They are an energy efficient option with a quieter function and low vibrations. Although they can have mild fluctuations based on the outside temperature, they should be a choice if you hate noise.
Essential additional features
The aesthetics of your wine cooler can be very important based on where you place it. Be it your kitchen or your basement, make sure the wine fridge matches your sensibilities. Neutral designs and shades tend to blend better with the rest of the decor. Make sure the cooler does not fall under direct sunlight. The darker the tint on the glass, the more protected your wine will remain.
Wine is usually stored horizontally but in case you decide to store craft beers, there should be a way to place bottles upright in the bottom-most space. Some shelves even have cutouts so the heads of the bottles underneath can fit in. If you have kids around your house, it is best to get a wine cooler with locks on it. It also protects your expensive collection from being stolen.
Based on your preferences, you can see how easy to use the controls are. LED lights can be dimmed in some wine coolers and stay the same in most others, you can take your pick accordingly. Hope this guide has given you ample knowledge on how to buy a wine cooler. Get your wine cooler from this hand-picked list.
