Jeff Flowers on September 16, 2014 44 Comments Choosing the right wine refrigerator for your home can be overwhelming due to the many types, options and features available to you. Despite this, we have all the information you need to help pick out the best wine fridge for you and your family. Below we answer some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to wine coolers. Freestanding vs. Built-In Wine Coolers Thermoelectric vs. Compressor-Based Wine Coolers Single Zone vs. Dual Zone Wine Coolers Wine Coolers vs. Beverage Coolers vs. Refrigerators Wine Aging and Humidity Cleaning Your Wine Cooler Have a question we didn’t answer? Let us know in the comments below or give us a call at 1.800.297.6076. Freestanding vs. Built-In Wine Coolers What is the difference between a freestanding wine cooler and a built-in wine cooler? A freestanding wine cooler is designed to stand alone while a built-in wine cooler (also called a zero clearance or under-counter wine cooler) is designed to be built into existing counters and cabinetry as they include a front vent located under the door that channels heat forward away from the unit. Read More: Freestanding vs Built-In Wine Coolers What would happen if I installed a freestanding wine cooler under my counter? A freestanding wine cooler is designed to dissipate heat from the back, so this heat cannot escape from an enclosure and eventually will overheat the unit. This overheating will in turn noticeably decrease the cooler’s ability to maintain its internal temperature and cool your wine. The unit’s compressor will attempt to overcompensate for the overheating unit and may eventually burn itself out. At the very least you run the risk of shortening the cooler’s overall lifespan as the compressor is continually overworked. You also run the risk of invalidating the manufacturer’s warranty by operating a freestanding unit in a built-in space. Read More: Can a Freestanding Wine Fridge be Installed Under the Counter? Are there any options that will allow me to install a freestanding unit under my counter? Yes, if you allow sufficient space around the unit for the heat produced during operation to properly dissipate you will be able to install a freestanding unit into a built-in space. We strongly suggest leaving a gap of 2 to 3 inches on each side of the cooler as well as on top and in the back to create the needed airflow around the unit. You will not be able to achieve a true built-in appearance with these gaps but this should allow you to utilize a freestanding unit within a built-in space. Thermoelectric vs. Compressor-Based Wine Coolers What exactly is thermoelectric cooling? Many smaller wine coolers employ thermoelectric cooling instead of using a traditional compressor and refrigerant. A thermoelectric wine cooler contains a cooling node consisting of a ceramic tile that has electrical current passed through it. As the electrical current is passed through the cooling node the outside of the tile will heat up and the other side (the side facing into the cooler) will cool down. Typically, a thermoelectric wine cooler will contain small fans inside the unit which help to evenly distribute the cool temperatures being created by the node throughout the interior of the unit. What are the advantages of thermoelectric wine coolers vs. compressor-based coolers? Due to the lack of a compressor, thermoelectric coolers will produce fewer vibrations which in turn will equal fewer disturbances of the sediments within the wine bottles. Please keep in mind that thermoelectric wine coolers are not completely silent as the internal fans needed to distribute the cold air within the cooler do produce some noise. However, they are usually quieter than compressor driven models. Thermoelectric coolers also consume less energy than compressor units, so they cost less to operate. On the other hand, thermoelectric coolers are limited in that they can generally only produce temperatures about 20°F lower than the temperature outside the unit. Compressor-based cooling does not have the same limitation. Read More: Thermoelectric vs. Compressor: The Pros & Cons of Each Which is type of wine cooler is right for me, thermoelectric or compressor? If you keep two cases or less on hand, the room where the cooler will be kept doesn’t get too warm, and you want a freestanding wine cooler, then a thermoelectric wine cooler is probably a good choice for you. For warmer rooms and larger collections, you’ll be better served by a compressor-based cooler. Also, most built-in models feature a compressor. Single Zone vs. Dual Zone Wine Coolers What’s the difference between single and dual zone wine coolers? Single zone wine coolers have one temperature control and the storage space is undivided, so the whole cooler is set to the same temperature. This style is best if you tend to keep only white or only red wines, since they don’t have the same optimal temperatures. Dual zone wine coolers have two temperature controls and the storage space is divided into sections which may be set to their own temperatures. This style is ideal for keeping both reds and whites without resorting to two wine coolers. What is the best way to store white and red wines in the same cooler? Typically, white wines should be stored in the temperature range of 46°F to 56°F and red wines will be stored between 58°F to 68°F. The best way to accommodate both wines within the same unit is to purchase a dual zone wine cooler. A dual zone cooler will allow you to maintain two distinct and separate temperature zones within the same cooler. Many times a dual zone unit will offer a larger storage capacity for one style of wine over the other so be sure to purchase the unit that best suits your individual drinking preference. You may of course store both red and white wines together in a single zone unit. By placing your red wines in the top shelves of the unit you will be storing them in the warmest section of the cooler. There is usually only a 5 to 8 degree temperature difference between the top of a single zone wine cooler and the bottom so ultimately either your red wines will be too cold or your whites too warm depending on how you choose to set the master thermostat of the unit. May I use a wine cooler to store my other beverages? The average wine cooler will not offer temperatures below 46°F degrees. Due to this limitation we suggest purchasing a dedicated beverage cooler or traditional refrigerator if you wish to store beverages other than wine. Wine Coolers vs. Beverage Coolers vs. Refrigerators What is the difference between a wine cooler, beverage cooler and refrigerator? A wine cooler is set to a higher temperature range than a refrigerator or beverage cooler because wine should not be stored as cold as other beverages. On average a wine cooler will not offer temperatures below 46°F degrees. A beverage cooler and refrigerator are similar to each other, but beverage coolers frequently do not offer the adjustable shelves or door storage that a refrigerator often does, and they often have glass doors in order to display the contents. A wine and beverage cooler has a wide temperature range so it may be used for either, but keep in mind if you want to store both at the same time you will either have too-cold wine or too-warm drinks depending on how you choose to set the internal thermostat. Wine Aging and Humidity What are the optimal conditions for aging wine? Wine ages through a complex process of subtle chemical reactions that require specific conditions for optimal results. These conditions are a stable temperature around 55°F, a relative humidity around 70%, and protection from direct light. Even short exposures to temperature extremes can cause wine to age poorly as unwanted chemical reactions are created. For these reasons, a cellar is the ideal environment for aging wine. Read More: 6 Tips For Starting a Wine Cellar How can I achieve the best aging results from my wine cooler? The most important thing you can do is to keep the temperature at a stable 55°F – it’s crucial to eliminate variations in temperature. Look for a cooler with UV-tinted glass to minimize light disturbance to your wine, and store the cooler in a dark place. To maintain a humidity around 70%, look for a wine cooler that features humidity control or heavy insulation to help maintain a constant humidity. At the minimum, humidity must be kept at 50% to prevent corks from drying out. Cleaning Your Wine Cooler What’s the best way to clean my wine cooler? Unplug your cooler. Remove all items from it (wine bottles, shelves, etc.) Clean the inside surfaces with a mild cleaner. We suggest you use either warm water alone, or a baking soda solution (try mixing 2 tablespoons of baking soda into a quart of water.) Clean the wire shelves/trays (if you have them) with a mild detergent solution. Clean the wooden shelves/trays (if you have them) with a soft cloth and wood cleaner. Wash the outside of the cooler with a mild detergent solution. Dry any wet parts with a soft cloth. Caution: Make sure to minimize the exposure of water to any electronic or control parts.
Decaoduc says March 13, 2015 at 11:51 am Very useful post. Lots of my questions were answered here. Especially the one about undercounter vs freestanding, and the diffferences between the two different types of wine coolers. Thank you. Reply
Kings Fin Nguyen says March 14, 2015 at 10:13 am Liked you posts. Very insightful on wine coolers and the common questions that I, personallly, had before buying one. Reply
Kimberly says August 3, 2020 at 5:49 pm I did. In my garage in Florida. I had mold all over the windows and one of the parts just had to work too hard. Had the unit fixed and brought both inside. Also I had a power outage and 50 bottles of red wine sat overnight at 85 degrees.i opened s few they were still good but it’s very upsetting. Keep your wine cooler INSIDE YOUR HOME. Reply
Helen Nguyen says May 2, 2015 at 8:27 pm Thanks alot for these FAQs. I have been thinking about getting a wine cooler for awhile now, and this answered many of my questions that I had. If it wasn’t for this list of questions / answers, I likely would’ve bought the freestanding version (cheaper) and put it underneath my counters. But, clearly that would’ve been a mistake. Tank you. Reply
Alan hunt says June 2, 2015 at 10:23 am any one has got condensation problem with the dual zone wine cooler. How can I get rid of the water droplets at the outside of the glass door for the cool zone? Reply
Kimberly says August 3, 2020 at 5:52 pm It’s too much of a temperature variation. Set your home at 65-75 and you’ll be fine. Also running ceiling fans helps keep the Sid circulated. You might want to check your humidity controls on your air conditioning panel in your home. Needs to be just tight ask a builder locally they can be. Good source of info. Reply
Suzanne OBrien says May 17, 2020 at 3:38 pm Mine only lasted 5 years which is appalling. I bought a LeCache Loft. Reply
Bobby says July 11, 2015 at 1:19 pm Finally answered question I’ve been looking for answer to – “Can I age wine in a wine cooler?” Its worth a few more bucks for a small cooler for the handful of bottles I keep! Reply
Marcus says July 11, 2015 at 9:47 pm In your article you are confusing the purpose of dual zone temperature: the two zones are useful if you want to use a single cooling unit to keep wines both for aging (at 55 F, both red and white) and for serving (low-mid 60’s F, both red and white). They are not for storing white and red wines at different temperatures – which would cause your wines to develop unfavorably. If you don’t believe me – just talk to your local master sommelier. Cheers, Marcus Reply
elizabeth says November 12, 2015 at 9:55 am Hi I have a question? I have a wine fridge I really don’t know Wat that but the problem is that does it suppose to be cold the temperature is 46 it don’t goes up or down but I tried it outside. I don’t know about this can someone help please thanks Reply
monty says November 14, 2015 at 2:43 am I have Avanti 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Counter Wine Cooler . After doing ALOT of research on wine coolers in all price ranges, I finally chose this one because of the ability to store opened wines upright. This was one of the few in all price ranges that had this feature and its a GREAT feature, and its eye appealing. I have had the cooler for a week now. I drink mostly white, some red wines, and I buy a variety of wines, mostly from grocery stores and some wine places, so the bottles are always different and different sizes. I have 12 different bottles of wine in there right now and they all fit just fine. Obviously you can’t get a supersized bottle of wine in there. As for the sound everyone complains about, it is not bad, I have it in my kitchen and when it runs (it doesn’t run all the time) I can hear it, but its not any different than the fridge running. I guess keep that in mind if you want it in your living room. The only downfall is the display light, it looks GREAT when its on, but it has a default shut off after 10 minutes. It would be nice if it could stay on longer than that, and its not something you can adjust. The convexity of the front glass and the digital read is very classy and I absolutely love this unit! I keep mine at 50* for my white wines, and it works great. I put this unit underneath a counter, but you have to make sure you have ample room on each side and above for it to vent. It does put out some heat when it runs. I have 4-5 inches on each side, including in the back. I would not recommend for a tightly enclosed space. Reply
Timothy C. Bliss says November 18, 2015 at 1:58 am Very useful post. Lots of my questions were answered here. Especially the one about undercounter vs freestanding, and the diffferences between the two different types of wine coolers. Thank you. Reply
paul says January 3, 2016 at 11:33 am Hi i have a Haier wine cooler 49 bottle i wish to use as a cigar humidor i have heartfelt beads to control humidity i have no need to plug it in apart from wanting to use the LED lights therefore i have disconnected the compressor and disconnected the two fans the lights look superb however the back of the winecooler gets warm ! ive now unplugged it , could you suggest what causes the heat then i can disconnect many thanks Paul. Reply
Marc says April 1, 2016 at 9:33 am Thermoelectric is definitely the way to go in my opinion, especially for medium sized coolers. Small coolers are pretty much always thermoelectric anyway. But if you have the option to choose either one for the same capacity, thermoelectic coolers are great since they’re quiet and vibration-free. Reply
Amy says May 17, 2016 at 11:59 am My small wine cooler got placed on its side when relocating it, now it’s stopped working and actually heats the wine. Is there a way to fix this? Reply
Janet M Roberts says May 27, 2016 at 6:05 am Thanks for your informative post. My question is how to fix the overheating problem of a Frigidaire thermoelectric fee standing unit? Is there something I can just replace? Reply
Mike W says June 18, 2016 at 1:43 pm Do these wine coolers achieve temperatures between 65- 70 degrees. I want to use one to store cigars. Thermo-electric will be my choice, as I need to maintain humidity between 62 and 65 RH. I have the humidity aspect covered. Reply
Kim Keckta says January 23, 2017 at 7:39 pm which built-in wine fridge would you recommend that holds around 40-50 and can also hold a few magnum bottles Reply
Pat Fielding says March 28, 2017 at 1:29 pm I am trying to find a freestanding wine cooler that will hold 1.5ml bottles Reply
Joe Tavares says June 15, 2017 at 8:59 pm I am in the market for a wine cooler. My problem is that I do not have space inside; the only space would be in the garage, which gets extremely hot in the summer (Dallas, Texas ). Anyone who has a wine cooler in the garage? Would appreciate your input. Thanks, Reply
ronald yoder says July 3, 2017 at 10:59 am i purchased a heavy plastic cubby shelf 7ft tall, 48″ wide, 17″ deep, size of cubby holes 6″ wide , 9″ tall & 15″ deep .it has cuts up the inside back from top to bottom, about 1/2 ” space between the outside back & looks like vent on top! i’m wondering if it’s for storing wine in cellar ? i explained it the best i could hopefully you’ll have an answer ! if not thanks for your time Reply
Marilyn says July 5, 2017 at 5:21 pm Your very helpful post suggests putting red wine at the top of a dual zone wine cooler; this makes sense to me, as even with the dual zones, the cold will probably fall to the bottom of the unit. However, the description of most wine coolers indicates that the white wine should go in the top. Why is this? and does it matter? Thanks Reply
Mel says July 14, 2017 at 7:47 pm I have a under counter cooler, it’s cools to all temp but lately the outside edges get and stay very hot and has not cooled off in about 5 days. Is this normal? Reply
Phil says August 26, 2017 at 5:45 pm I purchased a second hand frigdaire wine cooler. So far it only seems to overheat. Did I get taken or is there something about the temperature setting I need to know? Reply
Bret says November 5, 2017 at 9:57 am I cannot regulate the temperature in on side of my dual zone cooler. No matter what I set the temp at it goes down to the coldest temp of 44 degrees. What regulates the temp? Is ther a part I can replace? I already switched the control panels and that didn’t matter. Reply
lps says November 19, 2017 at 12:23 pm I want to keep my wine cooler in the garage. It occasionally hits the 90’s and rarely the 50’s. What wine coolers will work? Reply
Sue says January 13, 2018 at 3:54 pm May purchase a single wine cooler used, kitchen aid made in 2008. Is it wise? How long do these fridges last? Reply
Sharon Fly says February 9, 2018 at 8:52 am Thank you. This article has given me the knowledge to purchase with confidence.k Reply
Kim Pewor says June 22, 2018 at 9:04 am I just had the Avanti 12 bottle single zone delivered to me 2 days ago. I love it! It work just fine and cooled real quick. Not the panel is not working. I can’t change the temp or put the light on. I really don’t want to return it for another. I would like to know if there is something I can do to fix it myself. Reply
Jim says July 14, 2018 at 4:56 pm If I’m installing a built-in ( front venting) cooler but also plan on cutting a vent in the compartment to help dissipate the heat to one side into the adjacent cabinet space I’ve also bought a dual 6” cabinet fan to place in the vent. Question is, which would be better a) use the fans to pull heat out of the compartment into the dead space or b) use fans to pull fresher air into compartment to be vented thru the front of the cooler. Reply
Gerard says August 8, 2018 at 1:26 am Hi i have a question. I just purchased a Chigo wine cellar and would like to know if I set the temperature, would it keep that same temperature after there has been a cutoff in the electricity supply or do I need to reset the temperature? Reply
Barbara says November 3, 2018 at 8:25 pm Very helpful site. However, what I couldn’t see written anywhere is the following : If you have a single zone wine cooler, is it better to store white wines in the bottom and red at the top – remembering hot air rises, therefore, theoretically, the white wine should be marginally cooler if stored at the bottom! Would appreciate a comment. I have just bought a Russell Hobbs cooler that holds 34 bottles but it only has a single zone! Thank you Reply
Christine Allison says December 14, 2018 at 10:28 am We were just given a large wine cooler with dual control. My question is: Can it be put out on our breezeway that gets as cold and as hot as it is outside…and that can be below freezing and even up to 100 degrees judging from last summer. We live in Ohio. To get it down the basement will require help. Reply
Hope says December 23, 2018 at 1:36 am Hi there, I just bought a Salton swc16 wine cooler and my problem is I can’t keep the light on as this is a display unit.When i switch the light on it stays on for about six minutes and goes off, is this maybe its normal operation. Reply
WineCoolerDirect.com says January 16, 2020 at 3:05 pm I would first suggest checking with the manufacturer on the specific unit. Opinions differ on this, but smaller wine coolers typically don’t pull enough amps on their own to trip the breaker. In that case you would be ok using a small unit on a GFI, but be sure to pay attention to what else is plugged into the circuit. Reply
Louis says January 16, 2020 at 10:49 pm I just bought a 45 capacity wine fridge, I from vinotemp I was told to keep it at 55 degrees.. and when I decide to Open a bottle of my red wine, to let it sit out at room temperature before opening. Are these good instructions to follow. Reply
Anti Aging Diet And Lifestyle says March 25, 2020 at 7:45 am Hey! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I genuinely enjoy reading your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same subjects? Thanks for your time! Reply
malaa says December 9, 2020 at 8:19 am this is the most honest forum i have seen in my whole life as these question are really the most common questions about wine refrigerators Reply
