For many white and sparkling wines, they are at their best when they are chilled for a few days before they are opened and consumed. If you have a full fridge, it can be difficult to find the time to constantly rotate your wine collection into the fridge and to find space in your fridge. Depending on which dishes you`re serving for a multiple course meal you may need sparkling, white and red wines to be well tempered. Take a look at the best wine fridges under 500 USD!
This is why many wine lovers opt for a wine fridge. This is a wine cooling space dedicated entirely to alcohol. The best wine fridges have racks that allow you to safely store bottles without you worrying about them rolling out.
If you are wondering what makes a good wine fridge then you have come to the right place. Not only will we talk you through how to spot a good wine refrigerator, but we have also collected the best wine fridges under $500.
Great Wine fridges are one of the few items where paying more doesn’t mean you are going to get a better product. Why spend more on your fridge, when you can use that money on nice bottles of wine?! Find the best large wine cooler for your wine cellar here for every wine enthusiast! It will be an addition to your residential wine cellar. They`re essential for wine preservation.
Looking at the energy consumption of wine fridges most wine coolers run efficiently.
Best Of The Best: Ivation 12 Bottle Compressor Wine Refrigerator
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Our favorite wine fridge currently on the market is the Ivation 12 Bottle Wine Fridge as it offers everything you could possibly need or want from a wine fridge at an amazing price.
Let’s start with the specifications of this fridge. The Ivation holds 12 bottles, across six racks – all of which are removable. Its dimensions are 9.92″D x 17.72″W x 31.18″H and it runs on 120 volts.
The fridge comes with a tinted, clear, but UVA-proof door that allows you to see into the fridge. It has a magnetic lock and a touchscreen control panel that allows you to adjust the temperature inside. The control panel also gives accurate temperature readings.
It is lit from within by long-lasting and replaceable LED strips.
As you will see, this is a very slim fridge, but it is slightly taller than the average kitchen countertop, so it can be a little tricky to find somewhere to install it. However, that is the only real flaw of this fridge. You can use it as a freestanding wine refrigerator or integrate it into your kitchen or living room furniture.
We really love the fact that this fridge locks. Anyone who has little ones or curious pets at home will know the true value of locks. This lock uses a key, so you will be able to get into your fridge if there is a power outage.
This fridge employs a state of the art cooling system that keeps a uniform temperature across the whole of the fridge. This system is incredibly effective at keeping the inside temperature stable, even when the temperature outside the fridge is fluctuating wildly. It`s one of the best large wine coolers in this category. It will allow you to keep your favorite wine like Pinot Noir at the ideal storage or drinking temperature.
Pros
- Can store 12 bottles of wine
- Can be locked
- Well under the $500 budget
- Energy Efficient
- Full Customization
Cons
- Slightly taller than the average kitchen counter
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Best Of The Bargains: Koolatron Urban Series 6 Bottle Wine Cooler
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These days, it’s hard to get anything good for less than $100, let alone get a good wine fridge. That is why we were so pleasantly surprised when we discovered the Koolatron Unbran Series range – particularly their 6 bottle option. Therefore you don`t need to wait for the wine refrigerator to be on sale!
For the price, you might be a little wary of this great wine fridge, but there is no need to be. It does everything you would want from a wine fridge – its only real downside is that it is a bit of an odd shape.
This wine fridge’s dimensions are 10″D x 20″W x 14.25″H. It is the perfect size to fit under a counter, or even sit on top of one if you have some spare surface area in your kitchen. It is, however, slightly longer than most fridges on this list.
This wine fridge comes with a small LED screen that will allow you to adjust the fridge temperature when you wish. It has a double-walled door and an internal cooling system that holds up well even on the hottest days.
The major issue that we have with this fridge is that to make it smaller, they have sacrificed the quality of the wine racks.
In a wine fridge, we would expect to see racks with deep wells to securely store the wine in. Therefore if there was an earthquake or someone (or some dog) ran into the fridge the bottles won’t move.
In this fridge, the divots in the wine rack are very shallow. This allows them to fit more racks in without the fridge taking up a lot of room. However, we would worry about the bottles falling off the rack.
Pros
- Amazing price
- Can store 6 bottles of wine
- Lightweight
Cons
- Racks could be more secure
- Very long
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Best Of The Bold: BLACK+DECKER 12 Bottle Wine Cellar
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If you want a great wine fridge that is a little different but still does everything you would want a wine fridge to do – then, look no further than the BLACK+DECKER 12 Bottle Wine Cellar. It is a first step to your residential wine cellar. The Black + Decker large wine fridge is one of the best large wine refrigerators.
This wine fridge offers thermoelectric wine cooling technology and a mirrored glass door. It stores up to 12 bottles of wine at once and has an LED touchscreen control panel.
Its dimensions are 10″D x 20.38″W x 24.88″H – its main issue is that it is an awkward shape. It will need to be placed somewhere outside the kitchen as it is too long and tall to line up with the average kitchen counter.
Like our #2 choice, this fridge could have more secure racks, especially as there is enough space in this fridge to have deeper divots. This fridge stores 12 bottles of wine across 5 racks – you would only be able to fi 10 bottles of sparkling wine in this fridge comfortably.
The main unique selling point of this fridge is that it has mirrored glass on the door. So, if you want your wine fridge to fit in with the rest of your decor better – this is the one to get.
It does not, however, come with a lock.
Pros
- Mirrored glass
- Can hold 12 bottles
- Energy efficient
Cons
- Racks could be more secure
- Odd size
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Koolatron Urban Series 20 Bottle Wine Cooler
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Want to keep a lot of wine bottles in your fridge at once then you are going to want to pick up the 20 bottle version of the Koolatron Urban Series.
It is hard to believe that a 15.75″D x 20.25″W x 21.25″H wine fridge could hold this many bottles of wine, but it does it comfortably. This is quite a long fridge but doesn’t take up that much space considering its capacity. On this list, you get the most storage capacity per meter squared. On the outside it seems to be small but on the inside it`s a large wine refrigerator.
Like, the 6 bottle version of this fridge, (#2 on this list), the wine racks leave a little more to be desired when it comes to the security of the bottles. We wish the divots were a little deeper, especially with so many bottles so close together.
Just like the 6 bottle version of the Koolatron Urban Series, this fridge has a much better cooling system than you would expect it to, considering how much it will cost you. It has a double-walled door but does not come with a lock.
Pros
- Amazing price
- Can hold up to 20 bottles
Cons
- Racks could be more secure
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High Life DC 12 Bottle Wine Refrigerator
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Our final suggestion is this mini offering from High Life DC. This is a small wine fridge that will hold up to 12 wine bottles for you.
One of the really unique features of this wine fridge is that all of its shelves are removable and adjustable. This is great if you like to buy from sellers whose wine does not come in a traditionally shaped bottle. You can adjust the shelves around what you have in the house at any moment.
We also really like how deep the divots on these shelves are. They are the right shape to hold a wine bottle securely.
The dimensions of this fridge are 9.9″D x 19.7″W x 25.1″H – so it is able to fit under a countertop if you need it to. It is also thinner than most wine fridges.
The only real flaw we have with this fridge is that it has a very short warranty – only 1 year. We would have liked a longer warranty for the price of this fridge.
Pros
- Can hold 12 bottles
- Perfect size
Cons
- Only 1 year warranty
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Homedepot Wine Cooler
Temperature Control: Our Home Depot Wine Cooler is designed to keep your wine at the perfect temperature. With adjustable digital temperature controls and variable speed fan, you can easily adjust the climate of your cooler to maintain the ideal temperature for all of your wines.
Compact and Sleek Design: This wine cooler has a sleek and modern design that fits into any home décor. Its compact size makes it ideal for small spaces like apartments or condos, while still providing ample storage space for up to 21 bottles of wine.
Intelligent Cooling Technology: Our Home Depot Wine Cooler utilizes advanced cooling technology to ensure optimal performance. The thermal electric cooling system is both quiet and efficient, with no compressor or Freon needed.
Security Lock: Keep your wine collection safe with our built-in security lock feature. The keyless locking mechanism prevents unauthorized access, allowing you to store your favorite bottles securely.
Easy Access Shelves: Easily access all of your wines with our convenient slide out shelves. Each shelf is adjustable so you can store bottles of different sizes in one compact unit. It is one of the best wine coolers on the market.
Wine Fridges – Buyer’s Guide
When you are picking out the perfect wine fridge for your home, there are a lot of different elements you need to consider.
Below, you will find 6 questions that you should ask yourself before purchasing a wine fridge. These questions will help you to work out exactly what you are looking for and what you are prepared to spend to get it. In case you need two different temperature zones to store white and red wine or even sparkling wine we recommend to buy a dual zone wine cooler.
Depending on the design of the wine refrigerator you can set it up in a wine refrigerator cabinet or separately in your kitchen or living room.
Here you will have dual temperature zones to be able to keep drinks which require different storage temperatures. Wine coolers are essential for wine preservation. Most of the wine coolers run efficiently.
Below, we have also answered the most common questions we get about wine.
How Many Bottles Do You Want To Store At Once?
The first question you need to ask yourself is how many bottles of wine will you want to store at one.
If you throw a lot of parties, then you might want to fridge that can hold 20 or more bottles. However, if you will never get through that many bottles in one night – then you might not need something that big.
You do not need to store a bottle of wine in the fridge from the day you buy it, you only need to move it over a day or two before you want to drink it.
How Much Space Do You Have To Store Your Wine Fridge?
The next thing you need to work out is where you want to put your wine fridge and how much space you have for it.
If you live in a really small apartment and barely have enough space as it is, you aren’t going to want to invest in a 20 bottle wine fridge. As you will have nowhere to put it.
Once you have picked out a fridge, double check the measurements to make sure that it is not too tall or long.
Some wine fridges are odd shapes and won’t fit into most kitchens. Or they may be taller than your cabinets and not look good because of that.
How Long A Warranty Do You Want The Fridge To Have?
Getting a great wine fridge is an investment – as well as making sure that it is well reviewed and it works well. You want to make sure that your fridge comes with a good warranty – especially if you have spent a lot of money on it.
You want to make sure that the warranty will cover repairing or replacing the fridge if it arrives damaged in the post, if it breaks down, or if is damaged by accident.
If you have spent more than $200 on a fridge, you want to make sure it has more than a 2 year warranty. The warranty is a good indication of how long the manufacturer expects the product to last.
Do You Want Your Fridge To Have A Lock?
If you only live with other adults then you may have no need for a fridge with a lock. However, if you have children or particularly dexterous pets then you may want to consider one.
A lock on your fridge will mean that if the fridge is bumped into the door won’t come open and there is no chance of the wine bottles falling on an unsuspecting small child or dog.
It will also prevent anyone from opening your wine fridge and helping themselves.
Do You Want The Fridge To Have An Adjustable Temperature?
If you live in a really hot part of the world then you may want to consider getting a fridge with an adjustable temperature. This is an important feature for wine refrigerators if you want to change between sparkling, white, rose or red wine.
As the temperature on the outside of the fridge rises, you will need to lower the temperature inside of the fridge to keep the overall temperature stable.
If you live in a part of the world where the temperature stays pretty constant all year round, as well as day to day – this feature may be useful but not as necessary as it is for others.
How Much Do You Want To Spend On Your Fridge?
If you are looking at this article, then you are probably wondering if you can get a good wine fridge for less than $500.
The answer to that question is yes, you absolutely can. In fact, there are some excellent wine fridges that you can get for less than $300.
You don’t have to spend your life savings just to get a good quality wine fridge. This is why it is important to shop around before making a purchase.
There is no need to spend more than you have to. Wait till your favorite wine fridge is on sale to get the best bargain if you don`t need it immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we leave you, here are the answers to questions we get asked all the time about wine and how to store it.
Do All Wines Need To Go Into A Wine Fridge?
Red wines and fortified wines do not need to be stored in the fridge.
White wines and sparkling wines should be stored in the fridge a few days before you want to drink them. Otherwise, you can save space in your fridge by storing them somewhere cool.
Do I Need To Turn Sparkling Wine Bottles?
Before the industrialization of wine bottling, bottled sparkling wine could be very unstable. To stop the bottles from exploding, owners would have to turn them once or twice a week.
This is not something you need to worry about unless you have a bottle of sparkling wine that is over 300 years old.
Wines are now bottled in a way that means that they are safe to be left unsupervised.
Does Wine Last Longer In The Fridge?
Being stored in a fridge does not affect how long a wine will last. The high alcohol content in the wine means that it does not go off.
In fact, many wines are believed to taste better and be more valuable the older they are.
However, some wines taste better when they have been chilled for multiple days before drinking.
How Long Does An Open Bottle Of Wine Last?
Once a wine has been opened, it can last for 2-3 days, if it is stored correctly.
The best way to store an open bottle of wine is to re-seal it and store it in a fridge. Sparkling wine does not last as long as other types of wine.
