Which is the best wine refrigerator?

How Much Does the Wine Refrigerator Cost?

It is important to establish the capacity and features that fit your budget. Consider Wine Refrigerator: Cost vs Bottle Capacity, for example.

	Value	Alternatives
Cost	$1000 and higher	Avanti 46, Marvel 24, Marvel 45, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, and Summit 80
	$400 to $999	Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, Danby 75, Summit 33, Vinotemp 34 dz, Vinotemp 48, and Whynter 32
	$200 to $399	Danby 35, Edgestar 32, Haier 15, , Sunpentown 21, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 34, Whynter 21, and Wine Enthusiast 35
	$200 and lower	Cuisinart 8, Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, Sunpentown 20 m, Vinotemp 6, Whynter 16, Whynter 28, and Wine Enthusiast 12

What is the Bottle Capacity of the Wine Refrigerator?

Larger bottle capacity wine refrigerators allow more variety to be stored at the cost of requiring more space and consuming more electricity.

If you buy a case or two of wine and consume it within a few months, a 24 bottle wine refrigerator may be the right capacity for you. Often the collection does exceed the original estimates. For the true collector that ages wine for years, a larger wine refrigerator may be needed. Estimate your needs and you may want to double it.

	Value	Alternatives
Bottle Capacity	50 and more bottles	Summit 80, Danby 75, Marvel 68, and Marvel 54
	25 to 49 bottles	Vinotemp 48, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 46, Marvel 45, Avanti 42, Wine Enthusiast 35, Danby 35, Vinotemp 34, Vinotemp 34 dz, Summit 33, Whynter 32, Edgestar 32, Whynter 28, Vinotemp 28, and Edgestar 28
	13 to 24 bottles	Marvel 24, Whynter 21, Sunpentown 21, Sunpentown 20 m, Vinotemp 18, , Whynter 16, Vinotemp 15, Haier 15, and Wine Enthusiast 12
	12 and fewer bottles	Edgestar 12, Sunpentown 8, Cuisinart 8, Vinotemp 6, and Sunpentown 6

What Kind of Cooling is Used in the Wine Refrigerator?

There are basically two types of cooling mechanisms in today’s refrigerators – compressors and thermoelectric. Vibration is very important for storing wine for long periods of time and can cause sediment to interact with maturing wine. Thermoelectric cooling is vibration free and environmentally friendly in that it contains no cooling fluid. However, it can not cool temperatures to less than 20 degrees below room temperature. Rubbers mounts and coated shelves with the compressors can minimize the effects of vibration.

	Value	Pros	Cons	Notes	Alternatives
Cooling	Thermoelectric, Heating	Can maintain set temperature when ambiant temperature drops.			Sunpentown 8, , and Sunpentown 21
	Thermoelectric	No vibration because there are no moving parts. No CFC's. Quieter. More compact. More constant temperature.	Capacity limitations. More expensive (for given bottle capacity) than compressor system. Room may need to be below 77F.		Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Haier 15, Whynter 16, Whynter 21, Whynter 28, Whynter 32, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 20 m, Avanti 46, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, Cuisinart 8, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35
	Compressor	More efficient than thermoelectric system.	More noise than thermoelectric system. More vibration than thermoelectric system. Takes more space (for given bottle capacity) than thermoelectric system.	Vibration can be minimized with rubber mounts and wood shelves.	Summit 33, Summit 80, Danby 35, Danby 75, Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, and Vinotemp 34 dz

How Many Temperature Zones Does the Wine Refrigerator Have?

More zones allow different temperatures for reds, whites, and even aging.

If you are storing both whites and reds, a two zone refrigerator would be the best. If you are storing or aging wine for years, a three zone would be helpful to achieve the proper storage temperature which is different than the temperature of the two zones.

	Value	Alternatives
Temperature Zones	Dual	Edgestar 32, Whynter 21, Whynter 32, Summit 80, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 34 dz, , Sunpentown 21, Avanti 46, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, and Wine Enthusiast 12
Temperature Zones	Single	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Haier 15, Whynter 16, Whynter 28, Summit 33, Danby 35, Danby 75, Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, Sunpentown 20 m, Cuisinart 8, and Wine Enthusiast 35

What Kind of Door Glass Does the Wine Refrigerator Have?

Light is one of the two enemies of wine. The other is heat. Most wine refrigerators today have, for appearance sake and for displaying the wine, incorporated glass in the door. The glass should be tinted to reduce any damage due to light. The glass should also be tempered and insulated.

	Value	Alternatives
Door Glass	Concave	Wine Enthusiast 35
	Mirrored	Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 20 m, and Avanti 46 m
	Thermopane	Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35
	Insulated	Haier 15, Whynter 16, Whynter 21, Whynter 28, and Whynter 32
	Tinted	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, and Avanti 46
	Tempered	Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Summit 33, Danby 35, and Danby 75
	Plain	Summit 80, Vinotemp 34 dz, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 21, Avanti 42, and Cuisinart 8

What Kind of Door Trim Does the Wine Refrigerator Have?

Door trim is simply an appearance item.

	Value	Alternatives
Door Trim	Stainless Steel	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 32, Whynter 21, Whynter 32, Summit 33, Summit 80, Danby 35, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, Cuisinart 8, and Wine Enthusiast 12
	Graphite	Wine Enthusiast 35
	Platinum	Danby 75 and Sunpentown 6
	Options	Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, and Marvel 45
	Brushed Metal	Vinotemp 34 dz

What Kind of Exterior Finish Does the Wine Refigerator Have?

The cabinet of wine refrigerators can be steel with a black paint, stainless steel or various wood finishes. This choice is entirely a matter of taste. If the refrigerator is going to be enclosed in cabinetry, a steel finish may be all that is needed.

	Value	Alternatives
Finish	Wood	Avanti 46
	Platinum	Whynter 16 and Whynter 28
	Stainless Steel	Cuisinart 8
	Steel	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Haier 15, Whynter 21, Whynter 32, Summit 33, Summit 80, Danby 35, Danby 75, Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, Vinotemp 34 dz, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 20 m, Sunpentown 21, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35

What Material Is Used in the Wine Refrigerator's Shelves?

Most refrigerators have chrome shelves. A few have wood shelves or chrome shelves with a wood front. There is a twofold benefit to wood, it is attractive and can reduce vibration. Coated chrome can also be helpful in reducing vibration.

	Value	Alternatives
Shelves	Wood	Summit 33, Summit 80, Danby 75, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 34 dz, Avanti 46, and Avanti 46 m
	Chrome, Wood Fronts	Marvel 24, Marvel 54, and Marvel 68
	Chrome, Wood Options	Marvel 45
	Chrome, SS Trim	Whynter 21 and Whynter 32
	Chrome	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Haier 15, Whynter 16, Whynter 28, Danby 35, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 20 m, Sunpentown 21, Avanti 42, Cuisinart 8, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35

What Type of Lighting is Used Inside the Wine Refrigerator?

Light is not desirable when storing wine for the long term. In addition to having tinted glass in the doors, some vendors add internal lighting for the visual appeal. This light should be a soft or LED light in order to minimize the concerns with light.

	Value	Alternatives
Lighting	LED	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Whynter 16, Whynter 21, Whynter 28, Whynter 32, Summit 33, Marvel 24, Avanti 46, Avanti 42, and Wine Enthusiast 12
Lighting	Soft	Haier 15, Summit 80, Danby 35, Danby 75, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, Vinotemp 34 dz, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 20 m, Sunpentown 21, Avanti 46 m, Cuisinart 8, and Wine Enthusiast 35

Does the Wine Refrigerator Have Auto Defrost?

This keeps frost from forming and is desirable for maintaining constant and consistent temperature distribution. It also reduces maintenance concerns.

	Value	Alternatives
Auto Defrost	No	Haier 15, Whynter 21, Whynter 32, Summit 33, Danby 35, Danby 75, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, Vinotemp 34 dz, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 20 m, Sunpentown 21, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, Cuisinart 8, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35
Auto Defrost	Yes	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Whynter 16, Whynter 28, Summit 80, Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, and Avanti 46

Does the Wine Refrigerator Have a Lock?

If you are concerned about security, a lock will be beneficial for keeping children and others out of your wine collection.

	Value	Alternatives
Lock	No	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, Haier 15, Whynter 21, Whynter 32, Danby 75, Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 34 dz, Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 20 m, Sunpentown 21, Avanti 46, Avanti 46 m, Cuisinart 8, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35
Lock	Yes	Edgestar 32, Whynter 16, Whynter 28, Summit 33, Summit 80, Danby 35, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, and Avanti 42

Does the Wine Refrigerator Support Different Bottle Sizes?

	Value	Alternatives
Different Bottle Sizes	No	Edgestar 12, Haier 15, Whynter 16, Whynter 21, Whynter 28, Whynter 32, Summit 33, Summit 80, Danby 35, Danby 75, Vinotemp 6, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 48, Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 34, Vinotemp 34 dz, Sunpentown 6, , Sunpentown 20 m, Sunpentown 21, Avanti 46, Avanti 46 m, Avanti 42, Cuisinart 8, Wine Enthusiast 12, and Wine Enthusiast 35
Different Bottle Sizes	Yes	Edgestar 28, Edgestar 32, Marvel 24, Marvel 54, Marvel 68, Marvel 45, and Sunpentown 8

What is the Exact Bottle Capacity of the Wine Refrigerator?

Manufacturer

	Value	Alternatives
Manufacturer	Avanti	Avanti 46, Avanti 46 m, and Avanti 42
	Cuisinart	Cuisinart 8
	Danby	Danby 35 and Danby 75
	Edgestar	Edgestar 12, Edgestar 28, and Edgestar 32
	Haier	Haier 15
	Marvel	Marvel 24, Marvel 45, Marvel 54, and Marvel 68
	Summit	Summit 33 and Summit 80
	Sunpentown	Sunpentown 6, Sunpentown 8, , Sunpentown 20 m, and Sunpentown 21
	Vinotemp	Vinotemp 15, Vinotemp 18, Vinotemp 28, Vinotemp 34 dz, Vinotemp 34, Vinotemp 48, and Vinotemp 6
	Whynter	Whynter 16, Whynter 21, Whynter 28, and Whynter 32
	Wine Enthusiast	Wine Enthusiast 35 and Wine Enthusiast 12