The only problem is that finding the perfect wine cooler is never simple. There are quite a few things you’re going to need to look out for that can help to keep your favourite wines at their best for years to come.
Let’s take a look at some of these features now, so you can find the perfect cooler for your collection of vintage bottles.
What Should You Look For In A Perfect Wine Cooler?
Size
Before you head out to buy a new wine cooler, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of space for it. Luckily, wine coolers don’t necessarily have to be kept in your kitchen. If you’re running out of vital floorspace in there, you can easily make use of your garage.
Regardless of which room you place your wine cooler in, you should be sure to consider how much space is available. How much horizontal and vertical space do you have available? Is the space close to a power supply?
Considering these factors will help you to find the perfect spot for the perfect wine cooler.
Bottle Capacity
You’ll also want to take some time to consider the number of bottles you already have in your collection. How many bottles do you usually have in storage at any one time? Do you tend to cycle through bottles at a faster rate?
These considerations will all affect which bottle capacity you opt for. Larger wine coolers can usually keep up to 24 bottles of wine, while smaller models tend to have a capacity of around 9 bottles.
Wine coolers with a greater capacity tend to cost a little bit more and also require more space in your chosen room. As such, you’ll want to consider the size of the cooler and its capacity at the same time.
Cooling Abilities
A wine cooler truly worth its salt will allow you to always be in total control of the temperature. As such, you should look for wine coolers that offer intuitive controls and plenty of options.
Wine coolers are able to achieve far more specific temperatures than ordinary fridges. As such, it’s crucial to find one that is easy to control, so you can provide the right conditions for your favourite bottles.
A wine cooler should be able to maintain a stable temperature, while also maintaining some level of humidity. This creates the perfect conditions for your wine.
You can also purchase larger wine coolers with intelligent multi-zone temperature controls. These controls allow you to keep certain bottles at a specific temperature, and others at another temperature. All within the same cooler!
If you have a significantly large collection of wines, with specific needs, then we would recommend splashing a little more cash for a larger cooler with multi-zone control.
Extra Features
There are also a number of other interesting features offered by modern wine coolers that you may want to check out. For instance, many modern wine coolers include LED lighting. This allows you to easily see what’s inside. All without having to open the door and risk changing the temperature.
If you love making use of smart devices like smartphones and tablets, then you may also want to look out for an internet-enabled smart cooler. These amazing wine coolers allow you to connect a compatible smartphone to your cooler. This means you can monitor everything without having to touch the unit itself! Want to change the temperature while out of the house? The app will allow you to do just that!
Price
When looking through your options, make sure to always consider the price of the unit itself. If you have a budget you want to stick to, then you’ll want to keep a good measure of the cost of your chosen wine cooler.
The more features a wine cooler has, or the greater its total capacity, the more it will ultimately cost. If you want to save money, you may be better served by a smaller cooler!
If costs are an important consideration for you, then you’ll want to make sure that you grab an energy-efficient cooler that uses less energy. This will help to keep your energy bills lower! Be sure to check the energy efficiency rating of each unit while checking out your options.
Can I Use A Fridge As A Wine Cooler?
If you don’t want to splash out the cash for a fully separate wine cooler, and you just have a few bottles to keep ready, then you can still absolutely use a fridge. However, it will not provide the same conditions as a wine cooler.
Fridges operate very differently from wine coolers and tend to provide temperatures that are simply too low to keep wine at its best. Fridges are also not able to provide a stable temperature for all items contained within.
If you are a wine fanatic, with plenty of bottles, then we would strongly recommend opting for a wine cooler!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Consider When Buying A Wine Cooler?
When buying a brand new wine cooler, be sure to consider things such as the size and capacity of the unit, as well as some of the features that the unit offers. These factors can also go hand-in-hand with the price of a specific model. If you want to spend less, then go for a smaller wine cooler!
Is A Wine Cooler A Good Investment?
If you have a sizable collection of wine bottles, then investing in a wine cooler is very wise. Wine coolers are better suited to keeping your favourite wines in better conditions than standard fridges. This is thanks to the fact that they feature more precise temperature controls. Those with expensive wine collections will easily recoup losses on a wine cooler!
Are Wine Coolers Expensive To Run?
Wine coolers are not generally too expensive to run. Over the course of a year, an average wine cooler will consume around 100 kWh, while a larger unit may consume more than 200 kWh. If you want to avoid spending too much on energy bills, it’s always worth opting for a much smaller model.
Can You Put Regular Drinks In A Wine Cooler?
If you’re running out of space in your fridge, but you have plenty of room left in your wine cooler, then you can absolutely place regular drinks in there. Regular drinks will take very well to the conditions created by wine coolers. It allows them to last a long time, and come out at just the right temperature.
