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One of the things I miss most about living in my parent’s house is their wine fridge. I didn’t realize how good I had it until I moved into my much smaller apartment, where I now struggle to fit groceries in between the stacked bottles in my refrigerator. If you’re a serious wine collector without access to an actual cellar, it makes sense for you to have a dedicated wine fridge, but the problem with buying a proper wine fridge is that they aren’t cheap, and when you’re shopping online, they all kind of look the same. When you’re spending this much money on a new home appliance, you want to be sure it actually works — and that it works for you. Maybe you truly require space for a ton of bottles (I’m jealous), or you need one that fits into a compact kitchen. To help you find the perfect wine cooler for the way you drink, I talked to 13 sommeliers, winemakers, and restaurateurs about the best wine coolers and fridges they trust with their own bottles.
What we’re looking for
Capacity
How many bottles you need to fit in your wine fridge will come down to the size of your personal collection. You should have a sense of the number of bottles you tend to store, drink, and replace month to month when making your decision. However, the one thing to keep in mind is that bottle capacity is typically measured using standard-size Bordeaux bottles. The actual number of bottles you can store will fluctuate if your collection includes bottles that are not standard size.
Single- versus dual-zone
Dual-zone fridges allow you to set two different temperature zones within your fridge, which is ideal for those who drink both red and white wine. The trade-off is that because dual zones require the fridge to be split in half, you lose some storage room. Single-zone fridges, on the other hand, keep the entire fridge at one temperature and tend to have more flexibility in their storage because there is no divider.
Dimensions
Lastly, you’ll want to measure the space you have in your home and pay close attention to the dimensions of each fridge below to ensure it will fit once it arrives at your door.
Best wine refrigerator overall
Capacity: 32-bottle | Single- versus dual-zone: Dual-zone | Dimensions: 33.4” x 19.6” x 16.9”
Wine Enthusiast fridges are known to be incredible, reliable appliances that last a long time and hold temperature well. This specific model offers dual temperature zones so that you can properly store your whites along with your reds at optimum temperature. Dual-zone fridges are also great for people who enjoy entertaining because both white and red wines can be served at their own best temperatures, straight from the fridge. “My old one saw many moves before finally dying after six years. Worth every penny,” says Chris Leon, the owner of Leon & Son in Brooklyn.
Best (less expensive) wine refrigerator
Capacity: 12-bottle | Single- versus dual-zone: Single-zone | Dimensions: 34.4” x 23. 9” x 26.4”
While most of the fridges on this list are more of an investment, this Ivation fridge clocks in at under $250, which is a steal for a quality appliance. While it obviously won’t hold as many bottles as the Wine Enthusiast fridge above, it still features dual-temperature storage and is more compact, making it better for those with smaller collections or spaces. It’s also not a hassle to have delivered or to set up. “It was able to reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit within 20 minutes of plugging it in, which meant I was on to my third bottle of chilled white wine an hour after it arrived on my doorstep,” says Katie O’Byrne, the director of recruiting at Kitchen Culture and former sommelier at Otium in Downtown Los Angeles.
Best-looking wine refrigerator
Capacity: 46-bottle | Single- versus dual-zone: Dual-zone | Dimensions: 34.3” x 23.9” x 26.4”
Kitchenaid products are often praised as the best in their class for both their quality construction and good looks (we’ve called the brand’s stand mixer the “Kleenex of stand mixers”), which is why you might recognize its wine fridges in photos of home-décor influencers’ butler’s pantries on Instagram. This model — used at home by chef Shea Gallante for more than seven years — allows you to customize the door panel to match your cabinets, but if you’d rather skip that step, you can choose between black or stainless-steel doors. Plus it features dual-zone temperature control, UV-protective glass, and a lockout control to avoid accidental or unsupervised access to your bottles.
Best customizable wine refrigerator
Capacity: 74-bottle | Single- versus dual-zone: Single-zone | Dimensions: 38” x 27” x 27.25”
If you’re a serious collector looking for a top-of-the-line fridge, look no further than EuroCave, which is typically found in Michelin-starred restaurants and in the homes of the savviest home somms. One of the nice perks of this expensive 74-bottle wine fridge is that the door is opaque, which will protect your bottles from UV damage when you’re storing them for years rather than months. Another attractive feature is that the interior is entirely customizable, allowing you to choose the number of shelves as well as the orientation of the door, which is especially great for those with cramped kitchens. Plus it’s lockable, so it’s great if you want to keep your wine away from teenagers or rowdy guests during a party. “The EuroCave is the Cadillac of fridges,” says Leon, who adds that it’s beautiful, quiet (really key if you live in an apartment), and holds temperature. Joe Campanale, the owner and beverage director at Fausto in Brooklyn, agrees. “I know they are super-pricey, but I love anything EuroCave, and I’ve always had great experiences with them at home,” he says, adding that in his experience, these fridges are nearly indestructible and worth the investment since less-expensive models haven’t held up as well.
Best compact wine refrigerator
Capacity: 38 bottle | Single- versus dual-zone: Dual zone | Dimensions: 19.38” x 23” x 32.88”
If you’re operating with limited space but still want to be able to collect wine, this 20-inch fridge from EdgeStar is ideal. Nialls Fallon, co-owner and drinks director at the Fly, Cervo’s, and Hart’s in Brooklyn, says it’s the only one they keep under the bars at their restaurants. “It takes busy service abuse and keeps going.” In fact, he says the one they installed at Cervo’s over five years ago still holds its temperature perfectly.
Best versatile wine fridge
Capacity: Up to 27 bottles or 88 cans | Single- versus dual-zone: Dual zone | Dimensions: 34.5” x 24” x 16”
The Rocco Super Smart Fridge is a new addition to the wine-fridge space that just launched a few months ago. It boasts reversible racks and modular shelves so you can easily store different types of wine bottles alongside a variety of other beverages like cans of seltzer or six-packs of beer. Like many of the fridges above, it also has two programmable temperature zones, so you can set it for your reds or your whites, but what sets it apart is it has the same compressor found in a regular kitchen fridge, so it can reach much colder temperatures if you’re storing drinks other than wine. Our home-design expert Lauren Ro got one to test out and was extremely impressed by its contemporary design. “Instead of looking like something you’d find in an industrial kitchen or a minimalist home, it’s thoughtfully imagined for everyday life with rounded edges and friendly silhouette, which make it feel really approachable,” she says. “Getting a drink out of the Rocco also feels more ceremonious than trying to dig it out of the kitchen fridge.” It’s available in both white and graphite, though Ro chose the more cheery sunshine yellow color. Another perk? “The fridge is super-quiet. I barely notice the sound.”
Some Strategist-approved wine subscriptions to keep your fridge stocked
Our experts
• Julian Albornoz, the sommelier at Atlas Restaurant Group’s the Bygone
• Joe Campanale, Fausto owner and beverage director
• Julia Coney, Black Wine Professionals founder
• Nialls Fallon, co-owner and drinks director at the Fly, Cervo’s, and Hart’s in Brooklyn
• Shea Gallante, former Culinary Director at Balthazar
• Karl Latendorf of Greenwood Grape & Still in Brooklyn
• Chris Leon, owner of Leon & Son in Brooklyn
• Justin Marquez, general manager of Lincoln Ristorante
• Cedric Nicaise, Eleven Madison Park wine director
• Katie O’Byrne, director of recruiting at Kitchen Culture and former sommelier at Otium
• Lauren Ro, Strategist writer
• Roman Roth, winemaker and partner at Wölffer Estate Vineyard
•Annie Shi, beverage director at King and Jupiter
• Brittany Villafañe, head sommelier at DB Bistro Moderne
Additional reporting by Liza Corsillo, Nikita Richardson, Emma Wartzman
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