If you are looking for a small tool with which you can display your wines beautifully and keep them cool at the same time, the small wine coolers are made for you.
Wine has a strong history, with its roots as old as the beginning of the drinking culture. Wine, whose taste and color are written with poems and stories since the day it was discovered, sometimes telling about romance, and sometimes accompanied by celebratory dinners of any community. Wine, which has an important place in most people’s lives, has started to take place regularly in these people’s homes. As such, people began to look for a space in their home where they could store their wines ready for service, with a temperature that would not spoil the taste of the wine, and that took up little space. To meet this need, a device has been incorporated into technology: mini wine coolers.
In our article, let’s learn about the types of wines according to their colors, how the wines should be kept, and what should be considered when buying a small wine cooler.
LIST OF BEST SMALL WINE COOLERS
#1 Best Compact: Antarctic Star Wine Cooler (12 Bottle)
You can save space and get a beautiful look by presenting the 12-bottle wine cooler in a compact design.
#2 Best Usefulness: Nutrichef Wine Cooler (12 Bottle)
You can put your wine back in the cooler after opening and take it back whenever you want, thanks to the upright wine rack.
#3 Best Lock & Safety: Schmecke Wine Cooler (18 Bottle)
Thanks to the built-in lock system, lock the wine cooler, and no one but you can touch your wine.
#4 Best Dual Zone: Koolatron Wine Fridge (12 Bottle)
Thanks to its dual-zone feature, you can store your red wine in one compartment while storing your white wine in the other zone, which is recommended to be kept at a cooler temperature.
#5 Best Small & Price: Koolatron Wine Cooler (8 Bottle)
Place or carry it wherever you want with its tiny size and lightweight, also worth a try for its below-average price.
SOME FACTS ABOUT WINES
WHAT IS WINE AND WHY IT IS MADE WITH GRAPES?
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice. Although technically it can be made with any fruit, grapes are the most preferred. One reason why grapes are used more than other fruits is tartaric acid, a natural acid found in grapes more than other fruits, and helps preserve the wine for a long time. The other reason is that the grapes’ higher sugar content allows a higher alcoholic drink to be obtained.
HOW ARE WINES STORED AND AGED?
It is recommended to store the wine lying flat in a cool place away from sunlight. This storage method keeps the cork in the mouth of the wine moist and prevents air penetration. If the cork dries and passes air, more oxygen enters the wine and oxidizes.
In aging the wine, many factors such as the variety of the grape, the vine’s age, the region where it is grown, the ripening style, storage conditions, production year, method, and duration are significant. Wines that can be aged should be stored at a constant temperature of 10-20 °C in an environment with 75% humidity. The place where the wine is aged should be vibration-free and free from light.
WINE TYPES ACCORDING TO THE COLORS
Red Wine
It takes its color due to contact between the grape’s juice and skin for a certain period. Its taste is bitter than white wine. The reason for this is the tannin substance that passes from the core to the wine. The degree of alcohol varies between 11% and 13%. Service temperature should be at 15-20 degrees.
White Wine
It is made from a white grape must. The degree of alcohol is between 11% and 12.5%. Service temperature should be 5-10 degrees. Except for some exceptions, they are not generally aged and must be consumed within three years.
Rose Wine
It is made from pink grape must or by the combined processing and fermentation of pink, white, and black grapes. The degree of alcohol is between 11% and 12.5%. It goes through the maceration process in which red wines are subjected; however, the duration is much shorter.
WHICH SMALL WINE COOLER SHOULD I CHOOSE?
Temperature Range
Since wine is a living creature that develops over time, the wine will mature quickly if it is exposed to high temperatures, whereas if exposed to low temperatures, the ripening speed falls short of the desired level; that is, in both cases, the optimum is lost. On the other hand, high-temperature changes are undesirable, as they will suddenly speed up the chemical reactions and then slow them down. All wines should be stored at an average value of 10 to 20 degrees. Make sure the wine cooler you buy supports these temperatures. Since white wine is served between 5 and 10 degrees, a cooler that meets these values will please you when you want to serve white wine at your desired temperature.
Temperature Zones
If you want to store multiple types of wine, this means you need different temperature values. So will you get two different wine fridges for each? No. With wine coolers with two temperature zones, you can store your white wine in one temperature zone and your red wine in the other. But if you’re a single wine lover, a single-zone wine cooler will satisfy you too.
Place of Use
When you want to position a wine cooler, different types of wine coolers are available according to your request. These are free-standing, built-in, and integrable wine coolers.
Free-standing Wine Coolers
Wine coolers that can be called small are of these types. Its dimensions are generally small; it can be placed on a table or a countertop, standard among wine coolers.
Built-in Wine Coolers
The dimensions are almost the same as for a built-in oven. It can be conveniently placed in the kitchen unit. When placed in the kitchen unit, it is necessary to provide the required ventilation.
Integrable Wine Coolers
Integrable wine coolers, which can be integrated into the cabinets, add a great ambiance to the environment, as they are located high (depending on your wishes) and inside the cabinets. In this type, ventilation should be adjusted for the cooler again. Wine coolers are devices that heat on the outside when cold, like regular refrigerators, and the heat must be dissipated through the air stream.
Dimension
One of the points to consider when buying a wine cooler is the size of the cooler. If you are looking for a small wine cooler, this means a cooler with a maximum capacity of 18-20 bottles. It also matters where you put the cooler when choosing the size. Before you buy the wine cooler, please find out the device’s dimensions and where you plan to put it. Make sure there is a little space left on the two sides and behind the cooler.
Thermoelectric or Compressor?
Wine coolers work with two types of cooling systems, thermoelectric ones and compressor ones. Instead of confusing you by explaining their technical differences, let’s compare them in terms you can understand.
Advantages of compressor wine coolers
Compared to thermoelectric ones;
- They use less energy
- They can reach lower temperatures
- They offer more space and temperature zones.
Advantages of thermoelectric wine coolers
Compared to compressor ones:
- Prices are more affordable
- They work quieter.
- It does not shiver, which is the recommended storage method for wines.
- Usually, small wine coolers are of this type.
- It is environmentally friendly, thanks to its cooling system.
Silence
Like the refrigerator’s sound, it makes noise in wine coolers, and this sound, of course, differs from model to model. If you plan to use your wine cooler in your living room, try to get a quieter one. Remember that thermoelectric wine coolers run quieter. The sound level of 40 decibels can be considered quiet for a wine cooler. Below we share the sound levels of some events for you to understand the difference in decibels:
Leaves Sound: 10 dB
Whisper sound: 30 dB
Typical Speaking sound: 60 dB
Controlling and Lighting
The lighting of the wine cooler you will purchase is also essential for the appearance. Displaying your wines in a beautiful light will satisfy you. If you plan to age your wines, make sure that the light can be switched on and off. A controllable wine cooler with a digital display will provide a more modern look. Besides, the setting lock prevents your kids from playing with the cooler or spoiling your wine taste by a curious person.
BEST SMALL WINE COOLERS
#1 Best Compact: Antarctic Star Wine Cooler (12 Bottle)
This model of Antarctic Star will add a different ambiance to your home with its stylish appearance. While your wines will not be damaged with the purple led lights inside, a beautiful atmosphere will be created. Thanks to the dual-pane glass, your wines will be protected from impacts and UV rays. With its solid foam insulation, it keeps the cold better, thus saving energy. Being a compressor wine cooler allows it to reach high temperatures. The fan inside enables the cold air to circulate throughout the cooling area. Thanks to the removable shelves, you can store your desired product as you wish. Speaking of the downsides, there is no door handle. It means it can get you a bit of a chore opening the door.
Besides, the lack of a lock system can cause your children to take your wine inside and break it. Or if you have a particular order of your own, seeing curious people disrupt this order can make you a little dissatisfied.
What We Like:
What We Don’t Like:
#2 Best Usefulness: Nutrichef Wine Cooler (12 Bottle)
Nutrichef’s 12-bottle narrow wine cooler removes the biggest problem with its upright wine rack. You opened a wine and still want the cold plank before you finish it all. It is not possible with wine coolers that can only store wine horizontally. But the shelf of this product where you can put four bottles of wine upright provides you this convenience. Many users also reported that this wine cooler was running very quietly, and they did not even realize that it was working that way. With its stainless steel material, it makes you feel premium and quality when you touch and look. It’s easy to adjust the temperature with the digital soft-touch button. With the circulation fan inside, the cold air makes itself felt in the whole wine cooler.
However, many users claimed that the wine cooler did not work after using it for a while. It would be best if you also were very careful when setting up the device because the edges of the front of the door are sharp, and you risk cutting you. Also, if you want to store champagne in your wine cooler, you may not be able to fit your champagne in this cooler.
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#3 Best Lock & Safety: Schmecke Wine Cooler (18 Bottle)
Compared to other small wine coolers, its 18-bottle capacity provides wine lovers with more wine storage. Also, while giving this, it does not take up much space. This cooler, which has the same height and depth dimensions, is only slightly more than its width. But it’s still in the small wine cooler category. Thanks to the removable shelves, you can design the interior as you wish. It allows you to get the design and image you want. Increase the security thanks to the lock on the lower front. In this way, nobody will be able to touch your wines without knowing you. If you have a child at home, these lock systems are a must for parents. It protects the wines from UV rays thanks to its double-pane thermopane glass. In this way, the wines’ taste does not deteriorate due to external factors, and they always remain in the same perfection. Blue LED light adds beautiful color to the environment. The inclined shelf at the bottom allows you to continue to store wines that you cannot open or finish.
Still, some customers have reported that the tool is a bit louder than usual. If you are thinking of using this wine cooler in your living room, it is good to learn what it sounds like exactly.
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What We Don’t Like:
#4 Best Dual-Zone: Koolatron Wine Fridge (12 Bottle)
Do you want to store both your red and white wine at the same time? Coolatro’s dual zone wine cooler responds to this request. It has two different temperature zones that you can set at different temperatures, allowing you to store different types of drinks simultaneously. You can remove the shelves as you wish and adjust them according to your taste. Having a thermoelectric cooling system enables it to operate silently and without vibration.
Yet, some users reported that the slim wine cooler did not work like the first day after a particular time. In addition, customers who have problems with the cooling claim that the wine chiller’s cooling system cannot provide the necessary cooling for their wine.
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What We Don’t Like:
#5 Best Small & Price: Koolatron Wine Cooler (8 Bottle)
This tiny wine cooler from Coolatron Corp allows those who want to carry their wine cooler everywhere. With its 9-pound weight, you can either take it to your camp and connect it to your generator or throw it in your car on your way to dinner with your neighbor and enjoy wine at dinner. Thanks to its thermoelectric cooling system, it works much quieter than the compressor ones, and its vibration-free operation ensures that the taste of your wines is always the same. Its silent operation allows you to use it either in the living room or in the kitchen. With its double-paned insulated glass door, it keeps the cold inside and also protects your wine from UV rays. Thanks to the removable shelves, you can create space for large bottles.
To talk about the negative aspects, there is no shelf or area where you can put the wines upright. It means that when you open a wine and want to put it back in, you cannot do this because the wines can only be placed horizontally in this cooler. If you’re thinking of storing champagne or large bottles, let’s say that it may not fit in this cooler. Finally, some customers claim that the cooler cannot fully perform its cooling function after a particular use period.
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What We Don’t Like:
WANT TO CHECK MORE PRODUCTS?
We chose these five products among most of them, brought them together with you, and shared the sides we liked and disliked with you. But the remaining products may be worth looking at and examining for you:
Compact Wine Cooler
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
You have learned what you need to pay attention to while buying a small wine cooler and useful information about the wine. Now you know the difference between white wine and red wine. Now you can consider the products you find yourself with the information you learned in this article. If you found this article helpful, you can find reviews of many other works by regularly following our site.
Do you prefer white wine or red wine?
How many years do you think a bottle of wine should be aged at most?
Have you ever thought of building a wine cellar in the basement of your home?
We would be glad to share your ideas, corrections, or additions by leaving a comment below.
The Nutrichef Wine Cooler would be perfect for my place.