How-to
How long does it take to chill wine and beer?
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In short
As a rough guide, a bottle of white wine from room temperature takes a couple of hours or more in a kitchen fridge to reach serving temperature, and cans of beer about the same. In a freezer it can be well under an hour, but set a timer. An ice bucket with ice and water is fastest, often 15 to 30 minutes. Times vary with bottle size, starting temperature and how full the fridge is.
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Guests are on their way and the white wine is warm. Or you want a cold beer after work and the fridge is empty of chilled cans. How long chilling takes depends on the method, the container and where you start from. This guide gives rough timings for each common method, explains what speeds things up and covers how wine fridges fit in.
Why chilling takes time
Air is a poor conductor of heat, so a bottle in a fridge cools slowly as cold air moves past it. Glass bottles cool more slowly than aluminium cans, and a full 75 cl bottle holds a lot of heat. Starting temperature matters: a bottle from a warm kitchen in summer takes longer than one from a cool hall.
Water conducts heat far better than air, which is why an ice bucket with water beats a freezer. Salt in the water lowers its freezing point and speeds things up a little more.
Rough timings by method
These are approximate times from typical room temperature to a cool serving temperature. Use a thermometer if you want to be precise, and taste as you go.
| Method | Can of beer | Bottle of white wine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen fridge | About 2 hours or more | About 2 to 3 hours | Depends on how full and cold |
| Freezer | About 20 to 40 minutes | About 30 to 60 minutes | Set a timer |
| Ice bucket with ice and water | About 10 to 20 minutes | About 15 to 30 minutes | Turn the bottle now and then |
| Ice and salt water | Slightly faster | Slightly faster | Stir occasionally |
| Wine fridge | Hours | Several hours | Built for storage, not fast chilling |
Note:Never leave bottles or cans in the freezer for long. Liquids expand as they freeze and can burst glass or split cans, and sparkling wine is under pressure. Set a timer.
Chilling in a wine fridge
A wine fridge is designed to hold bottles at a steady temperature, not to chill them quickly. Its cooling is gentle and its fans move air slowly, so a warm bottle may take several hours to reach the setting. Loading many warm bottles at once slows recovery further; see how to store wine in a wine fridge.
The upside is that wine kept in a wine fridge is ready to serve at any time. For common serving temperatures, see our temperature guide and the serving temperature tool.
Tips to chill faster
A few easy tricks cut the wait, whichever method you use. Most work by getting more cold water or air in contact with the bottle, so the heat leaves faster.
- Use ice and cold water rather than ice alone
- Add a handful of salt to the ice water
- Submerge the bottle up to the neck
- Turn the bottle every few minutes
- Use cans rather than bottles where you can
- Keep a gel sleeve in the freezer for quick top-ups
Chilling red wine
Many reds taste better slightly cool, especially lighter styles, rather than at warm room temperature. Twenty minutes or so in a kitchen fridge often takes the edge off. Fuller reds need less. See can red wine go in a wine fridge for storage and serving.
Sparkling wine is best well chilled, both for taste and because colder bubbly is calmer when opened. An ice bucket is ideal.
When a wine or drinks fridge helps
If you often find yourself waiting for drinks to chill, a dedicated fridge keeps a supply ready at the right temperature. A dual-zone wine fridge holds whites and reds at different settings; a beer fridge keeps cans colder than a wine fridge. Our dual-zone guide and drinks fridge guide compare models.
For a single bottle at the table, a sleeve or electric chiller keeps it cool; see wine fridge vs wine chiller.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to chill wine in the fridge? Roughly two to three hours from room temperature for a 75 cl bottle in a kitchen fridge.
How long should I put beer in the freezer? Around 20 to 40 minutes for cans, depending on the freezer. Set a timer.
Is it bad to chill wine in the freezer? Not if you take it out in time. Forgetting it can burst the bottle or push out the cork.
Why does an ice bucket work faster than a freezer? Water touches the whole bottle and carries heat away much faster than air.
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