Kitchens can be so much more than the place where you make meals.
A kitchen can be a classy, elegant space that’s enjoyable to spend time in. The right appliances and décor can take your kitchen’s ambiance from fine to impeccable, and adding an undercounter wine cooler is a great way to add that “WOW” factor to your home.
With an appliance like an under counter wine cooler, you want to make sure you’re buying the right one for your kitchen. That’s why I’ve put together this article. It covers everything you need to know about wine coolers, along with the five best under counter models on the market today.
Ready to learn more? Then let’s dive in.
Best UnderCounter Wine Coolers
When you’re looking for an under counter wine cooler, space is at a premium. If you want something small that still has a dual-zone cooling system, the Aobosi 28 bottle model is a great choice. The cooler allows you to keep up to 28 bottles chilled at a time while remaining only 15 inches wide.
This cooler is also a great choice for people with more delicate collections. The beechwood shelves help maintain the internal humidity without any work on your part. The simple touch controls can be locked to you don’t accidentally change temperatures of either section. Best of all, this cooler also comes with a lock to prevent curious kids from opening the door and causing temperatures fluctuations.
This cooler can easily maintain temperatures between 41 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it’s still a compressor cooler, so it will vibrate a little more than a thermoelectric cooler.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Wood shelves help control humidity | More expensive than other options |
| Lock keeps children from getting into the cooler | Compressor may vibrate |
| Flush-backed design | Thermostat controls inside the door, not outside |
| Wide temperature range | |
| Temperature memory |
Our Verdict
The Aobosi 28 bottle wine cooler is an great choice for anyone who’s short on space.
The Kalamera 30 bottle wine cooler has a feature known as temperature memory function. Power outages happen sometimes, but they don’t need to cause problems. As soon as your power returns, the cooler will turn on and remember the temperature at which it was set. That makes this narrow cooler a convenient choice for anyone who loses power frequently.
This model also comes with a lock, but there’s no worry here about losing the key. It’s locked with a universal hex wrench, so you can replace the key with ease. The cooler also has a large bottom shelf to hold multiple five bottles or three Bordeaux bottles without a problem.
This cooler is a single-zone model, so it’s best for storing a single type of wine. If you store multiple types, you will need to take reds out to warm up before you drink them.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beechwood shelves for humidity control | Single-zone only |
| Temperature memory | Thermostat controls inside the door, not outside |
| Wide temperature range | |
| Built-in lock |
Our Verdict
The Kalamera 30 bottle wine cooler is an excellent choice for anyone worried about losing power.
Getting an entire appliance just to store wine may not be your preference. If you like a little more variety than just vino, the Ivation 40 bottle model can help you out. This double-door wine cooler is a dual-zone model that can easily hold both bottles and cans. You can rearrange the shelves with ease to store whatever you have on hand.
This model has two downsides. First, the shelves are stainless steel, not wood, so it won’t be quite as effective at maintaining constant humidity as other models. Second, the cooler doesn’t come with a lock, so kids can get into it at will. This is a great option for people who only plan on storing any given beverage for a short period of time.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Double-door model has both sides cooled independently to avoid mingling smells | Two doors may be awkward fit in some kitchens or bars |
| Can be used to cool bottles and cans | No lock |
| Professional-quality stainless steel | Stainless steel shelves, not wood |
Our Verdict
This is a great option if you want to store multiple kinds of drinks in the same cooler.
Most under counter wine coolers are stainless steel. While that makes them sleek and easy to clean, it stands out enough that it may not be the right choice for some types of décor. If you’re looking for a subtler, simpler cooler, the NewAir 46 bottle wine cooler is a flat black dual-zone cooler that meets your needs.
This cooler is still stainless steel, so it has all the benefits of easy cleaning. However, it’s flat black, so it’s easy to blend into kitchens where stainless steel sticks out. This cooler also has beechwood shelves and two cooling zones, so it’s just as effective and versatile as anything else on the list. It even has a built-in carbon filter to keep smells outside the fridge from leaking into your wine. It even has a lock to keep kids out.
The one downside to this cooler is that the thermostat controls are inside, not outside. If you want to change a temperature, you’ll need to open the door.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beechwood shelves for humidity control | Thermostat controls inside the door, not outside |
| Wide temperature range | Wider than other options |
| Built-in lock | |
| Dual-zone cooling | |
| Carbon filter. |
Our Verdict
This cooler is a great option for anyone who needs a wine cooler that’s understated but effective.
If you’re looking for an undercounter wine cooler with high capacity, then the EdgeStar 53 bottle is the best on the market. This single-zone cooler allows you to fit more than four dozen wine bottles into a single appliance. That’s an impressive capacity for a cooler that’s only 23.5 inches wide.
This cooler also has several other helpful features. It includes an alarm for high or low temperatures, as well as an alarm for if the door is left open. It also includes a carbon filter to keep your wines fresh.
This cooler doesn’t come with a child lock, and it’s only a single-zone model. However, if you’re willing to let your red wine warm up for a little while before you drink it, this is an excellent option for people who need lots of storage capacity.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High capacity | Thermostat controls inside the door, not outside |
| Beechwood shelves for humidity control | No lock |
| Wide temperature range | Single-zone only |
| Carbon filter |
Our Verdict
The EdgeStar 53 bottle wine cooler is perfect for anyone who needs to store a lot of wine at once.
Other Considerations When Buying a Wine Cooler
There are three important things to consider when buying a wine cooler: cooling method, cooling zones, and size. These three factors will help you determine whether a cooler is the right choice for you and your kitchen. Here’s why these things matter:
Cooling Style
Different coolers use different methods to keep your wine at the right temperature. They can be chilled in two ways: either through a standard compressor system, or with an interesting electrical effect known as thermoelectric cooling. Both of these methods have their own benefits and drawbacks.
Compressors are more energy efficient and generally cheaper, but they make noise and vibrate. Compressor fridges are most common at the top and bottom of the wine cooling world. They’re a cost effective option for large restaurants and they lower electricity costs for occasional wine drinkers.
Thermoelectric coolers, on the other hand, cost a little more but they are completely vibration-free. These coolers are great for long-term storage since they don’t stir up any sediment in your wine. Many individual wine aficionados use thermoelectric coolers as a part of their wine collection strategy.
Number of Cooling Zones
When it comes to wine coolers, you have two options: single-zone and dual-zone. A single-zone cooler keeps everything inside it at a single consistent temperature. On the other hand, a dual-zone cooler keeps two “zones” of the cooler at different temperatures. This is an important distinction.
Why? Because different wines are best drunk at different temperatures. That means that storing your red and white wines together isn’t always the right course of action. Reds are best drunk a few degrees below room temperature, while whites shine brightest a few degrees warmer than the standard refrigerator temp.
In general, larger appliances are more likely to be dual-zone than smaller appliances. There’s just more room available to maintain the difference. Dual-zone coolers tend to be more expensive than single-zone coolers, but if you’re installing an under counter model, it may be worth the investment.
Size and Capacity
Every kitchen is different. The right under counter wine cooler for you will depend on the space you have available and the number of bottles you want to store. If you have a larger space to fill, it may be worth getting a larger wine cooler than you would otherwise need and using the extra space to store other types of beverages. That way you avoid unsightly gaps around your wine cooler and ensure a snug fit.
Conclusion
When you want to add a touch of class to your kitchen, an under counter wine cooler is an excellent option. The right model will help you embrace your inner connoisseur and give you an extra tool to keep your wine at the perfect temperature every time.
I hope this guide has helped you find the perfect under counter wine cooler for your kitchen.
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Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
-Craig
