If you’re a wine drinker, a wine fridge can be a great addition to your basement or bar. You have plenty of sizes and styles to choose from so the question is why one makes sense for you?
Here are 11 questions to ask before buying a wine fridge so you pick the right one for you.
What size wine fridge do I need?
Wine fridge manufacturers size them in terms of how many bottles they can store at one time. Considering a range from 4 bottles to 32 bottles is adequate for most home users. Unless you have a desire and need for a fridge at the higher end, one that stores 10 bottles or less should suffice for most people.
The most common wine profile for home users tends to be as follows:
You have several bottles: A 4-bottle fridge should suffice as it will give you enough room to store 3 – 4 bottles depending on the bottle dimensions.
You have a small wine collection: An 8-bottle fridge should suffice if you have a small collection to display at any given time.
You drink multiple types of wine: A larger 12 – 20 bottle fridge will allow you to store multiple types of wine with enough space. A dual zone wine fridge further offers the ability to store them at different temperatures.
You’re a business owner: If you own a small business that entertains or otherwise uses multiple bottles of wine or you’re just a consumer with a decent wine collection, a 32-bottle fridge should suffice.
How is the bottle capacity of a wine fridge determined?
The bottle capacity of wine fridges are determined using standard Bordeaux bottles that have been arranged in a specific pattern. Of course you may or may not fill your fridge with strictly Bordeaux bottles that are of standard size so this method of measurement isn’t enough for you to figure out what size fridge you need.
Once you have an idea of how many bottles and perhaps the types of wine bottles you’ll need to store, you can at least start to gauge the idea of what size wine fridge you’ll need. Since some wine fridges also include specific storage design for cans, you can accommodate beer and other canned drinks as well.
So since wine bottles come in different sizes, it’s also important to understand the dimensions of the fridge to ensure that you can fit your particular bottles inside.
What are the dimensions of a wine fridge?
A key aspect of a wine fridge is its dimensions not only to determine how many bottles you can store but to ensure you can fit the fridge in a desired location in your home.
NOTE: One thing to keep in mind is that wine fridges come in different styles so dimensions can vary: Some fridges are built wide and somewhat square in shape whereas others are built very narrow and high to offer various sizes to suit multiple situations.
Some fridges are measured in bottle capacity but additionally offer space for cans. Below we’ll just discuss bottle capacity only.
Here are typical dimensions for each type of popular wine fridge by bottle capacity along with the expected weight for good measure.
| Wine fridge bottle size | Nominal Dimensions | Weight |
| 4 | 18″ x 6″ x 19″ | 18 lbs |
| 6 | 10″ x 14″ x 20″ | 18 lbs |
| 8 | 21″ x 12″ x 19″ | 19 lbs |
| 10 | 21″ x 9″ x 9″ | 27 lbs |
| 12 | 9″ x 17″ x 31″ | 46 lbs |
| 16 | 21″ x 23″ x 25″ | 41 lbs |
| 18 | 17″ x 13″ x 30″ | 52 lbs |
| 24 | 17″ x 17″ x 30″ | 47 lbs |
| 26 | 19″ x 17″ x 31″ | 50 lbs |
| 28 | 20″ x 22″ x 38″ | 68 lbs |
| 30 | 25″ x 26″ x 35″ | 83lbs |
| 32 | 24″ x 21″ x 35″ | 100 lbs+ |
As you can see smaller units are often heavier and several options exist that result in some smaller units built higher and narrower than other products which are more square in design.
In some cases, the design also has to do with the type of cooling system that is used.
Should I get a compressor or thermoelectric technology fridge?
You have two options to choose from regarding how the cooling in your wine fridge is achieved: A compressor or thermoelectric fridge. Each ultimately offers you the ability to chill your wines but which type makes the most sense for your needs?
Let’s take a closer look.
| Feature | Compressor wine fridge | Thermoelectric wine fridge |
| Overview | Uses a compressor, condenser coils, evaporator and a refrigerant just like a regular fridge to remove heat from the inside of the fridge. It’s a well-established technology. | Utilizes the Peltier Effect to remove heat and produce cooling using a low amount of electricity. |
| Cooling | Can chill as low as 39° F. Has a powerful motor and can produce a lower temperature than thermoelectric and can also chill larger and more bottles simultaneously. | Can chill as low as 50° F which is cool enough for some wines but not for champagne or sparkling wine. |
| Storage time | Suitable for short term or long term storage of chilled wine. | More suitable for short term storage of wine. |
| Cost | Expect to pay $200 – $500 for a reasonably sized fridge. As far as ongoing costs, consumes more electricity. | Expect to pay $175 – $375 for a reasonably sized fridge. As far as ongoing costs, consumes less electricity. |
| Other | Offers more storage options and large bottle capacity. | Very energy efficient and vibration free. |
Bottom line: Compressor-based wine fridges tend to offer better suitability if you need to store wine for a period of time and need more flexibility in terms of bottle sizes and lower temperatures. A thermoelectric-based fridge is more suitable for short term wine storage.
One thing to consider that we’ll talk about next: There’s often a difference between the ideal storage temperature and ideal serving temperature of your wine and your fridge choice can help address this.
Should I get a single or dual zone wine fridge?
A single zone wine fridge is one that has one temperature control for the entire fridge. A dual zone wine fridge has two distinct temperature zones with storage space that can be set to two different settings. This helps you achieve different serving temperatures which often exist for different types of wine.
Many people believe that white and red wines should be stored at different temperatures but in actuality they should be stored in the same temperature range. It’s the serving temperature range the changes.
So the benefit of a dual zone fridge is that it offers you the ability to serve white and red wines at different temperatures, as is ideal.
This comes in handy if you have white and red wines for example and would like to serve them around the same time. They each have a different ideal serving temperature so you can account for this by placing the wines in different zones.
If you tend to only drink the same type of wine, you may not require a dual zone fridge but it does give you flexibility you might benefit from.
What are ideal serving temperatures for wine?
Here are the ideal serving temperatures for wine which can be achieved with a wine fridge and more specifically a dual zone fridge that offers the ability to store wine at two different temperatures.
| 38° F – 45° F (ice cold) | 45° F – 55° F (cold) | 55° F – 60° F (cellar) | 60° F – 68° F (room) |
| Sparkling wine | Full-bodied white | Light-bodied red | Medium-bodied red |
| Light-bodied white | Aromatic white | Medium-bodied red | Full-bodied red |
| Ice wine | Rosé | Complex whites | Fortified wines |
Are wine fridges only for white wine?
You can store white wine, red wine, sparkling wine and other types of wine that benefit from being chilled. While wines often taste better at different serving temperatures, even red wines can be chilled.
Red wines should generally be stored in the range of 55°F – 65°F but you can also used a wine fridge to store an opened bottle of wine including reds after they have been partially consumed.
Can a wine fridge sit on carpet?
Placing any fridge on a carpet is not recommended for several reasons. By placing a fridge on the carpet, there is the chance that the fridge won’t be perfectly straight and may therefore not sit completely flat.
More importantly is that fridges need to be well-ventilated and allowing a fridge to sit on a straight floor that is tile or wood for example allows proper airflow underneath the fridge at all times. Carpets retain heat so your best bet is placing your fridge on another surface that will allow it to sit perfectly straight and flat and promote airflow underneath.
Also worth noting is that some wine fridges are counter top models and others can be installed inside a bar or in other cabinetry.
Do wine fridges use a lot of electricity?
Since wine fridges tend to be small and compact, they use very little electricity certainly compared to larger regular sized fridges. The average wine fridge consumes around 90 watts of power but you can find fridges ranging from 70 watts – 140 watts. For a 90 watt model, you can expect to pay around $90 per year depending on your local energy costs to run the wine fridge 24/7.
While compressor-powered wine fridges use more electricity than their thermoelectric counterparts, they still use very little electricity compared to larger fridges and other appliances in your home.
Can you put beer in a wine fridge?
You can put beer in your wine fridge especially if you have some room to spare. Beer is best suited to be served at between 45° F and 55° F depending on the type although some light beers are better served at a lower temperature between 33° F and 40° F so check with your preferred brand.
Sodas in general should be served around 34° F – 38° F but no warmer than 40° F so your wine fridge may not get the temperature down that low. Having said that, some people prefer room temperature soda that isn’t ice cold so it may suffice as a storage option for you.
If you have the fridge plugged in and have space, adding a few bottles or cans of beer of soda won’t hurt and will make better use of it since you have it plugged in anyways.
Some wine fridges are specifically designed to accommodate bottles and cans, too.
Are wine fridges worth it?
The ideal storage temperature for wine is 53° F – 57° F. When a wine is stored higher than 70° F it will prematurely age which can negatively affect the taste. A wine fridge will thus ensure that your wine is the ideal temperature for serving after storage.
When you purchase a dual zone wine fridge, you can additionally ensure that you serve wines at their proper temperature to fully appreciate and experience the taste as intended.
If you’re a frequent wine drinker or just appreciate the taste of it perfectly served, a wine fridge is a great addition to your home.
Looking for something to store your beer keg while you’re at it? Check out a kegerator for your home.