Wine fridges and coolers
The right temperature for every bottle: wine fridges by bottles, zones and energy.
Under-counter or freestanding, one zone or two, how many bottles and what it costs to run. Wine fridges compared on capacity in 75 cl bottles, temperature range, noise and UK energy label from the makers' own specifications.
Our top picks
All buying guides80bottles
Best beer and drinks fridges with glass doorsSwan SR12030BN 80 L under-counter, 3 to 10 °C
3 to 10 °C · 47.4 x 44 x 84 cm · 85 kWh
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link12bottles
Best dual-zone wine fridgesYuAiStore 12-bottle dual zone, compressor, 5 to 18 °C
2 · 5 to 18 °C · Compressor
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link24bottles
Best freestanding wine fridgesSchmécké 24-bottle compressor cooler, 5 to 18 °C
5 to 18 °C · Compressor · 43 x 45 x 74 cm
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link33bottles
Best quiet wine fridges for living spacesSeverin KS 9894: 39 dB, 33 bottles
39 dB · 5 to 15 °C · Compressor
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link
Serving temperature guide
Open the guide →- Sparkling6 to 10 °C · 43 to 50 °F
- Full-bodied whites10 to 13 °C · 50 to 55 °F
- Full-bodied reds15 to 18 °C · 59 to 64 °F
Suggested settings
Colder zone
8 °C (46 °F)
For sparkling
Warmer zone
17 °C (63 °F)
For full-bodied reds
Single zone, or keeping wine for months: around 12 °C (54 °F) suits every style.
Your fridge's stated range (optional)
Convert °C and °F
= 54 °F
Common guidance, rounded to whole degrees. Tastes differ.
Topics
Every kind of wine and drinks fridge on the site, plus temperatures and setup, at a glance.
- Under-counter and integratedFront-vented wine coolers for 15, 30, 40 and 60 cm kitchen gaps, plus fully integrated models behind cabinet doors.5 guides · 2 buying guides
- Freestanding wine fridgesWine fridges that stand on their own in a dining room, utility or lounge, from compact to large-capacity cabinets.1 guide · 5 buying guides
- Dual-zone wine fridgesTwo temperature zones in one cabinet, so whites, sparkling and reds can each sit at their own serving temperature.2 guides · 1 buying guide
- Beer and drinks fridgesGlass-door drinks coolers for home bars, kitchens and garden rooms that chill cans and bottles colder than wine fridges.2 guides · 1 buying guide
- Brands and rangesCaple, CDA, Klarstein and Liebherr wine cooler line-ups explained model by model, with sizes and zones.3 guides · 0 buying guides
- Temperatures and storageServing and storage temperatures in °C, humidity, light and how to load bottles so wine keeps well.10 guides · 0 buying guides
- Setup, running costs and fixesInstalling, venting and running a wine fridge in kWh, and fixing noise, ice, leaks and fridges that will not cool.11 guides · 0 buying guides
Calculators
Serving temperatures in °C and °F, and what a wine fridge costs to run from its energy label.
Common problems
Noise, ice on the back wall, leaks and fridges that will not cool: causes and fixes.
- Not cooling or too warmWine fridge not cooling? Check blocked vents, a hot room, door seals, thermoelectric limits and settings before calling an engineer about the compressor or fan.
- Humming, clicking or rattlingWine fridge making noise? Humming, clicking, gurgling and rattling explained, with levelling, spacing and fan checks, and when a sound means a fault.
- Water inside or underneathWine fridge leaking water? Blocked drain holes, a misplaced drip tray and door condensation are the usual causes. Find the source and fix each one.
- Misted or wet glass doorWine fridge condensation on the glass door explained: room humidity, door seals, placement in kitchens and garden rooms, and when misting is normal.
- Beeping or alarm soundingWhy is my wine fridge beeping? Door-open and temperature alarms, sensor faults and power cuts explained, with how to silence or reset the alarm safely.
- Ice on the back wallWine cooler icing up or freezing? Door seals, humid rooms and very low settings explained, plus how to defrost the back wall without damaging the fridge.
Comparisons
- Wine fridge vs wine cabinet or rackWine fridge vs wine cabinet, rack or cellar compared: when a passive rack in a cool spot is enough for UK homes and when temperature control pays off.
- Wine fridge vs normal fridge for storing wineWine fridge vs normal fridge compared on temperature range, humidity, vibration and light, and why a kitchen fridge is too cold and dry for months of storage.
- Wine fridge vs drinks fridge: what is the difference?Wine fridge vs beverage fridge compared: minimum temperatures in °C, shelf design, humidity and glass, with listing specs and who should buy which.
- Klarstein vs Baridi wine fridgesKlarstein vs Baridi wine fridges compared: range, built-in and freestanding options, controls and how to read the bottle capacities each brand quotes.
- Hisense vs Haier wine fridgesHisense vs Haier wine fridges compared: freestanding and built-in options, dual zones, energy class and noise, and what to check on each model's label.
- Dual-zone vs single-zone wine fridgeDual zone vs single zone wine fridge compared: serving against storing, when one zone at about 12 °C is enough, and when two zones are worth having.
Buying guides
Focused guides to one type of wine fridge each, compared on what the listings state.
- Best beer and drinks fridges with glass doors
- Best dual-zone wine fridges
- Best freestanding wine fridges
- Best quiet wine fridges for living spaces
- Best slim wine fridges for 30 and 40 cm gaps
- Best small wine fridges under 20 bottles
- Best under-counter wine fridges
- Best wine fridges for UK homes
- Best wine fridges under £500
Guides & advice
- Wine fridge ventilation and front venting explainedWine fridge front venting explained: why built-in coolers vent through the plinth grille, the gaps freestanding units need, and what happens when they are boxed in.
- What temperature should a wine fridge be?Wine fridge temperature settings in °C: the common storage figure of about 12 °C, serving ranges by wine style, °F conversions and dual-zone tips.
- How much electricity does a wine fridge use?How much electricity a wine fridge uses: reading kWh per year on the energy label, how room temperature changes it and how to work out your own running cost.
- Can you put a wine fridge in a garage?Can you put a wine fridge in a garage? Climate classes SN, N, ST and T explained, and what UK winter and summer garage temperatures do to cooling.
- Does a wine fridge need humidity control?Wine fridge humidity explained: the range usually suggested for corks and labels, why most fridges do not need active control, and simple ways to raise it.
- Wine fridge energy labels explainedWhy many good wine fridges show energy class F or G, what the kWh, bottle and dB figures on the UK label mean and how to compare models fairly.