Wine fridges review

01.Introduction

Test results for 6 wine 'fridges', costing from $188 to $4699

Wine 'fridges' (technically wine cabinets) are different from a standard fridge, as their job is to control humidity and maintain stable temperatures between 12°C and 18°C (different temperatures for different wines) — or colder if used for serving wine.

There are different types of wine fridge, ranging in price from quite low to extremely high. So how can you tell which ones will do the job right?

To help answer the question, we chose four compressor and two thermoelectric models that claim to be suitable for cellaring, short-term storage (and some for readying wine for serving, depending on the temperature you set them to). All models are less than 85cm high (so can fit under a kitchen bench) and they can accommodate between 28 and 47 standard bottles.

Our lab testers checked their ability to operate in external conditions ranging from 10°C to 40°C. We checked whether they can maintain stable internal temperatures as the cooling system cycles, and assessed how well they keep the set internal temperature when the seasons change. We also measured their energy efficiency, vibration and ability to maintain appropriate humidity levels.

Our objective: to give you clear, unbiased information so you can buy the best wine 'fridge' for your needs.

CHOICE tests are different. We buy the products we test — no freebies from manufacturers. Companies can't buy ads on our site and our work is funded by people like you.

Brands tested

• # Dome 24 Bottles Wine Cooler 900192
• # Homemaker 40 Bottle Wine Cooler HMTW-16EQ
• Liebherr Vinidor WTUes 1653
• # Rank Arena 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cellar RAWC28
• Transtherm Studio Integrable 1T
• Vintec V40SG "e"

# Discontinued model. Price and availability checked 12/08.