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Best wine coolers and wine fridges 2024
Wine fridges or wine coolers are specially designed refrigeration appliances that keep wine stored at the ideal temperature prior to serving.
Our rigorous tests have found wine fridges that do their job brilliantly – and others that just aren't worth the investment.
We've reviewed Caple wine coolers, CDA wine coolers and models from Candy, Haier, Huski, and Russell Hobbs costing from £170 upwards.
Our testing revealed a Great Value option that's over £400 cheaper than one of our Best Buy recommendations – proving you don't have to pay over the odds for a safe home for your wine collection.
Our research also revealed three Don't Buy wine coolers that we think you should avoid, however low the price.
The best wine coolers from our tests
Only logged-in Which? members can view the wine cooler test results below.
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| Wine cooler | Temperature accuracy | Cooling power | Temperature stability in hot rooms | Annual running cost | Bottle capacity | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date tested: May 2024, July 2023, September 2022, September 2021, February 2020, December 2019. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The wine coolers we tested
All the wine coolers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best wine coolers from our tests.
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AEG AWUS020B5B
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Most recently tested July 2023
Size 82 x 29.5 x 57.1cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 20 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves
AEG AWUS052B5B
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Most recently tested July 2023
Size 82 x 59.5 x 56.5cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 52 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves,
Bosch KUW20VHF0G
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Most recently tested September 2022
Size 82 x 30 x 57cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 18 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves, open door and high-temperature alarms, similar models from Neff (KU9202HF0G) and Siemens (iQ500 KU20WVHF0G)
Candy CCVB-30
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Most recently tested February 2020
Size 86 x 30 x 57cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 19 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves, water tank designed to control humidity level
Candy CWC 150 UK/N
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 83.5 x 49.5 x 55cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 41 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door
Caple Wi3125GM
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 82 x 30 x 57cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 19 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves, black or stainless steel
Caple Wi6143BG
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Most recently tested May 2024
Size 82 x 59.4 x 57.6cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated or freestanding, 52 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves, open door and high-temperature alarms, water tank designed to control humidity level
Caple Wi6235
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Most recently tested May 2024
Size 82 x 59.4 x 57.2cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, integrated or freestanding, 38 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves, high and low temperature alarms, water tank designed to control humidity level
CDA FWC304SS
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Most recently tested February 2020
Size 82 x 30 x 58cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 20 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock, wooden shelves, errant temperature alarm, water tank designed to control humidity level, available in black (FWC304BL)
CDA FWC604SS
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 82 x 59.5 x 57.5cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, freestanding, 45 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves, open door alarm, water tank designed to control humidity level, available in black (FWC604BL)
CDA FWC624SS
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Most recently tested February 2020
Size 82 x 60 x 57cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, freestanding, 38 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves, open door and temperature alarms, water tank designed to control humidity level, available in black (CDA FWC624BL)
See Best red wines: supermarket reds that impressed for our round-up of affordable supermarket reds
CDA FWV601BL/3
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Most recently tested May 2024
Size 59.5 x 58.7 x 55cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 40 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves, open door and high-temperature alarms
CDA FWV902BL/3
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Most recently tested May 2024
Size 88.3 x 59 x 55cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, integrated, 55 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves, open door and high-temperature alarms, door handle needs to be attached
CDA Nancy Dark Skies
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Most recently tested May 2024
Size 86.6 x 36 x 41cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 15 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, removable can drawer in base of cooler, metal shelves, open door alarm, wireless phone charger on top, door not reversible, also available in tea rose or white
Haier HWS42GDAU1
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 82 x 49.5 x 58cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, freestanding, 42 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, air filter, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves, open door alarm
Haier HWS49GA
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 82 x 49.5 x 58.5cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 49 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, height-adjustable wooden shelves, open door alarm
Haier HWS77GDAU1
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 126.5 x 50 x 58cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, freestanding, 77 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, height-adjustable wooden shelves, open door alarm
Hisense RW18W4NSWGF
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Most recently tested September 2022
Size 87 x 60 x 60cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 54 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, metal shelves, open door and high-temperature alarms
Hoover HWCB 15 UK/1
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 85.5 x 15 x 52.5cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 7 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves
Hoover HWCB30UK/N
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Most recently tested July 2023
Size 86.5 x 29.5 x 57.5cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 20 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, height-adjustable wooden shelves, high-temperature alarm
Hoover HWCB60UK/N
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 86.5 x 59.5 x 58cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Dual zone, integrated or freestanding, 46 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, wooden shelves, high-temperature alarm
Stoves 300SSWCMK2
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Most recently tested December 2019
Size 87 x 30 x 57cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, integrated, 18 bottles
Need to know Air filter, reversible door, child lock on controls, wooden shelves, high-temperature warning light, water tank designed to control humidity level
Russell Hobbs RHGWC3SS-C
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Most recently tested September 2021
Size 51 x 43.5 x 47.5cm (HxWxD)
Type and bottle capacity Single zone, freestanding, 12 bottles
Need to know UV-resistant glass, reversible door, no light inside
Which? Don't Buy wine coolers
Our tests uncover the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we call it a Don't Buy.
Some of the prices of Don't Buy products may be tempting when you see them in the shops, or they might be from big brands you've owned before, but once you start using them, you'll have buyer's remorse.
- The worst coolers we've tested fail to sit at the temperature you've selected, plus they over or under-cool your wine when your kitchen heats up and cools down.
- We measure how much energy wine coolers use to keep cool over 24 hours, and how much energy they use to chill room-temperature bottles. Then we calculate what this will add to your energy bill annually. A Don't Buy will use way more energy than is necessary to keep your wine nicely chilled.
- A Don't Buy might also be annoying to use, with shelves that stick when you slide them in and out, or are hard to adjust (if they can be adjusted at all). It might also be a pain to refill and replace the water pot that helps regulate humidity in some coolers.
How we test wine coolers
We put wine coolers through a full set of tough scientific tests to find the ones that excel in all these key areas.
- Accuracy of the thermostat We test to see if a wine cooler can chill room-temperature bottles down to 12°C and maintain this temperature. For dual-temperature zone models, we set one zone to 12°C and the other to 7°C.
- Cooling power We fill each wine cooler to capacity with room-temperature bottles of wine and record the time taken for these to cool to the target temperature.
- Temperature stability We raise the temperature in our test chamber to 32°C and see whether the wine remains safely chilled. We then lower the room temperature to a chilly 10°C and recheck the temperature of the wine.
- Annual running cost We measure how much energy each wine cooler uses to keep cool over 24 hours, as well as how much it uses to chill room-temperature bottles. We then calculate what this is likely to add to your energy bill.
We regularly revisit the wine coolers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing – and when we find them we run the test.
Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.
What temperature should a wine cooler be?
White wines temperature
White wines are best served at a temperature somewhere between 7-11°C, depending on the grape variety (or varieties) that the wine has been made from. The lower temperature helps accentuate the acidity, enhancing the freshness and crispness associated with a really good white.
White wines also have higher volumes of organic compounds, such as aldehydes and terpenes, which at lower temperatures can fill the head of the glass with the fruity aromas that can improve your wine-drinking experience.
Red wines temperature
Red wines have higher levels of tannins and polyphenols, and these are better tasted at slightly higher temperatures of between 12-19°C.
Contrary to popular belief and practice, room temperature is usually a little too warm for serving reds. It's actually better to serve them a little cooler, because as they warm in the glass they begin to release those excellent aromas.
Best wine cooler features to consider
From the essential to the optional, here are some of the key features to consider when choosing a wine cooler.
Temperature zones: consider a single-temperature zone cooler if you favour just one type of wine. A dual-temperature zone model gives you options for storing reds and whites.
UV-resistant glass doors: protective glass on the cooler doors will help to limit the damaging effects of UV rays on your wine.
Charcoal air filter: this filters the air entering the cooler, preventing odours from affecting the taste of your wine. Air filters can also help reduce the build up of dust inside the wine cooler.
Door lock: keeps your collection of wines safe and secure from inquisitive children, experimental teens and jealous sommeliers.
Reversible doors: just as they do with a conventional refrigerator, reversible doors give you more choice on where to position your wine cooler.
Upright storage space: this uncommon feature allows you to place opened, but unfinished, bottles back in the wine cooler without the fear of them potentially leaking while on their sides.
Temperature alarm: this will sound to let you know if the door has been left open, or if the temperature inside the cooler has dropped below the set temperature.
Height and width-adjustable shelves: the shelves in most wine coolers are designed to fit a standard 750ml bordeaux-shape bottle. If your collection includes champagne, magnums or even bigger bottles, then adjustable shelving is an absolute must.
Wooden and sliding shelves: metal racking can sometimes lead to scratched bottles and torn labels, so wooden shelves are preferred by serious collectors. Sliding shelves make it easier to see and remove bottles from your collection.