Enjoy a good bottle of wine takes more than just selecting the wine. It’s about storing it well, decanting, alienating it and finally enjoying it in the company of your close friends and family. But all that is easier said than done as you need both the knowledge and gadgets. Enter wine fridges, the one thing that will help you store your wine for short to mid-term. You see, wine needs to be stored at constant temperature and humidity. Too much or too small of either and the wine will lose its taste. With wine fridge, you need to store the wine for a maximum of 2 years but if you want more than that, a wine cellar might work better for you.
What to look for in a wine fridge
There are several factors that would make your wine stand out. Here are some of them;
Bottle capacity
Well, how many bottles you intend to store matters, a lot. When getting a wine fridge, think of the number of bottles you average and then double the number. The reasoning here is, your collection is likely to increase with time. Keep in mind that some bottles are larger than others and hence might reduce the bottle count.
Vibration
Wine bottles need zero vibrations. Hence a fridge that vibrates, even slightly, will harm your wine. Hence look for a fridge that clips the bottles, holding them into place.
The door
A glass fridge door looks fancy but can do more harm than good. Wine tends to do badly in well light areas and thus you need a door that is well insulated. If you still want a glass door, it makes wine selection easier, go for one with UV protection.
Security features
We don’t want to leave the wine unguarded, do we? We might expose minors to alcohol which is against the law. To this end, you need a wine fridge with strong security features and if you get one with an alarm the better.
Now that you know what it takes to have a good wine fridge, join us as we look at the best wine fridges in 2021;
Magic Chef 12-Bootle Wine Cooler
With a capacity of 12 bottles, this wine cooler is modest, yet high performing. It will store your wine in steady temperatures with minimal fluctuations and humidity that is easily controlled. You won’t have to worry about your cork drying out or being wet enough to mold. The door glass is tinted darker than most wine coolers and hence no exposure to sunlight.
We love that it can fit odd shaped bottles and taller-than-normal sizes. The racks are strong enough and there are minimal disturbances. Thou the design is not as sleek as the other wine fridges; the performance is top notch and the price is fair.
What we liked about it
- Fairly priced
- High performance
- Holds odd-shaped bottles
- Minimal fluctuations
If you are looking for a highly compact highly performing wine fridge, then this is a great pick. The freestanding fridge is perfect for small spaces and will fit right into your kitchen plan. The 15-bottle capacity will make it worthwhile for you and all your wine buddies. There are very little vibrations thanks to the quiet running of the fridge. You wine will stay intact and hence gives you the chance to drink it in its natural state.
Thanks to its compressor cooling tech, you can easily adjust the temperature which ranges from 64-41degrees. Monitoring the temperature and humidity is easy and fast with the control panel and the interior LED lights makes it possible for you to see inside. The stainless-steel door slams shut thanks to the auto-lock.
But perhaps what really stood out was the one standing rack found at the bottom of the fridge which allows you to store the wines in a standing position. Above them are four chrome wine racks and together, you are able to comfortably store 15 bottles.
What we liked;
- Freestanding and compact fridge
- Digital control panel
- Stainless steel door
- One standing and 4 racks for easier storage
For those looking for a tight space fridge, you are in luck as the EdgeStars Wine Cooler is perfect for tight spaces. Its streamlined yet sleek design is pleasing to the eyes ab its vent system, which is front-facing, adds to the thrill. It also makes it under the counter fridge or built in to save on space. The LED lighting makes it possible to see all the wine bottles and the digital display makes it easy to see the temperature readings. Talking of temperature, the fridge has a range of 40 degrees to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which is fair enough.
To maximize on space, the fridge has 6-slide-out racks which makes it possible to store 7 standard size bottles. The door is reversible, hence can be opened on either sides and there is an integrated lock system.
What we liked about it;
- Slim fit
- Stores up to 7 bottles
- LED lighting
- Digital display
- Reversible door for both right and left-handed people
We have saved the best for last as the Ivation Wine Cooler is one of the best wine fridges ever. Ivation has made a name for themselves in the industry and the have clearly outdone themselves with this fridge. With a capacity to hold up to 31 bottles, the wine fridge is big enough to hold a big enough wine collection. The double panel door, made with glass and is heavyweight, protects intruders from accessing your wine. There is the UV light that protects the bottles from light which damages the wine.
There is an interior LED light that makes it super easy for you to control the inside jobs. There is also the LCD panel that helps you control each section of the fridge. The vents, which usually face the front, makes it perfect for placing it anywhere.
There is the vibration suppressing tech that enables the fridge to run super quietly. It is also one of the most energy efficient wine coolers.
What we liked about it:
- Double panel door with UV protection
- Digital control panel
- Large capacity hold
- Energy efficient