Space-Saving Wine Storage
If you have only a small collection of bottled wines then a countertop wine cooler refrigerator is a fine solution to keep your wines within proper storage conditions (cool, dark, free of food odors).
Because of their compact size countertop wine fridges are ideal for wine lovers living in a small apartment.
Placed on a kitchen counter or tabletop they take up small place;
a 6-bottle unit has about the same size as a microwave oven.
These space-efficient home cellars usually hold 6-20 bottles of wine.
Dimesions of countertop-size wine coolers are around:
- Length : 20 inches,
- Width: 15 inches,
- Height: cc. 12 inches
Due to their lightweight, they are portable so if you plan to carry your chilled wine collection with you it’s an ideal choice.
Depending on capacity, they weigh around 28-40 pounds.
Best Countertop Wine Cooler Refrigerators
Most countertop wine coolers use thermoelectric cooling technology which ensures virtually noiseless and vibration-free operation due to lack of moving parts (the only moving element is the fan that circulates the air).
Most of these cheap, small size thermal electric wine bottle coolers won’t last for more than 5 years (probably less) so don’t expect that you’ll have a durable appliance.
I would only suggest getting one if you manage to find a discount unit at a much lower price than the average retailer price.
See more on thermoelectric wine coolers’ strengths and weaknesses.
4-Bottle Wine Coolers
The smallest units hold max. 4 bottles of wine (standard size, 750 ml Bordeaux style bottles).
These are ideal for occasional wine drinkers or for those who can’t afford a larger unit due to lack of space and budget.
Lots of durability problems are reported by users, so again, don’t expect to have a long-lasting appliance if yo choose to buy one of these units.
TIP: See a Comparison Chart on 4-Bottle Wine Cooler Models.
6-Bottle Countertop Wine Coolers
Black & Decker 6-Bottle Wine Fridge
The Black & Decker BD60016 home cellar is a great choice for starting out wine enthusiasts for several reasons.
The unit has:
- Compact, space saving design, its footprint is only 9.7″ x 19.8″ (25 x 50 cm).
- Low-noise and vibration-free cooling based on thermoelectric technology.
- Wide enough temperature range: 46 – 65 ºF (8 – 18 ºC) that you can keep in it either reds or whites at ideal temperature.
- Easy to install and use – it is for freestanding placement only.
- Moderate price – no need to break the bank to get this attractive wine chiller.
Price & Warranty
The Black & Decker 6-Bottle cellar is available from around 150 USD. It comes with a 1 year warranty period on parts and labor.
TIP: Learn more about the features, and the pros & cons of the Black Decker 6-Bottle Wine Refigerator.
Dimensions & Weight
- Height: 14.9″
- Width: 9.7″
- Depth: 19.8″
- Weight: 17.6 lbs (8 kg).
Vinotemp VT-6TEDS
The Vinotemp VT-6TEDS is a freestanding-only, thermoelectric wine cooler with 6-bottle storage capacity. The unit is a fairly sturdy-built one with black cabinet and stainless steel-trimmed double pane glass door.
The blue digital display indicating the temperature inside the cooler looks great and goes well with the black-silver decor. Two, sturdy wire racks accommodate the wine bottles.
Being a thermoelectric wine cooler, with this product you’ll experience almost no noise and no vibration at all ensuring undisturbed and safe storage for your wines.
Note, however that to achieve effective cooling you musnt’t place the cooler in a room where the temperature exceeds 77 °F, otherwise the unit won’t be able to reach and/or maintain the set cooling temp.
If environmental friendliness is a factor when you buy products, then you’ll like the Vinotemp VT-6TEDS (and all other thermoelectric wine coolers) because it doesn’t contain CFC-s or HCFC-s (chemicals used in traditional compressor-operated refrigerators and known partly responsible for the thinning of protective ozone layer in the air).
A wine cooler using thermoelectric cooling also consumes very little electricity, compared to compressor-run models.
Dimensions:
- Width: 10.13″
- Height: 14.88″
- Depth: 19.75″
The Vinotemp VT-6TEDS Countertop wine cellar is a nice, compact unit that can be conveniently placed on a wider kitchen counter top, with some clearance around the sides and at the back for adequate air circulation.
Price: $130 – $280 ($21.66 – $46.66 per bottle). Look for special deals and discounts offered by online stores to get this cooler for a friendlier price.
For a cheaper 6-bottle, countertop wine cooler take a look at the Avanti EWC60SS model.
The Haier 6-bottle thermoelectric wine cooler is also a great buy in the $ 90 – 100 price range.
8-Bottle Countertop Models
Emerson 8-bottle Countertop Wine Cooler
This is also a thermoelectric wine cooler that can easily hold 8 regular size wine bottles on its 2 removable wire racks.
The cabinet comes with silver trimmed, see-through, tempered glass door that has a silver bar handle across the middle with the temperature control buttons (temp. up and temp. down), the interior LED light switch, and digital display integrated in it.
You can set temperature within the range of 44°F – 66°F.
The blue background digital display turns on whenever you press a control button and turns off automatically after 1 minute of pressing the last button so it doesn’t show the temperature all the time.
According to the manufacturer, the refrigerator can cool to 25 degrees cooler than the ambient temperature.
The air intake at the back is equipped with a washable air filter.
Due to the venting is at the back you cannot place it flush back to a wall, you have to place the unit freestanding on the countertop or on a table with enough clearance (min. 5″) around the sides, and at the back. Use the adjustable legs to level the the cooler.
As a countertop model the Emerson 8 bottle wine cooler has odd dimensions (L: 20.7″, W: 16.2″, H: 10.9″) that might not make it fit on some kitchen counters.
Some users say that the digital temperature doesn’t show the real temperature but 6-7 degrees lower than the actual interior temperature. To cool your wine to a desired temperature set the cooler a few degrees lower.
The 8-bottle Emerson wine cooler models are available in the following decors:
- black cabinet-red/stainless steel framed glass door and
- stainless steel cabinet-red/stainless steel framed door combinations.
Price: the Emerson 8-bottle thermoelectric cooler sells for $70 – $100 ($8.75 – $12.5 per bottle) online which is reasonable in this capacity range, regarding both total and per bottle price.
Similar Units With 8 Bottles Capacity
TIP: Selection of the Best 8-Bottle Wine Cooler Models in 2021
- The Wine Enthusiast Touch Screen 6-Bottle Wine Cooler looks to be a reliable unit
- The Sunpentown Thermoelectric 8 bottle countertop wine cooler $150 – $200) is a similar unit.
- The Magic Chef 8-bottle countertop wine coolers are available in 3 decors.
12+-Bottle Countertop Wine Refrigerators
KingsBottle 12-Bottle Wine Cellar
This thermoelectric wine refrigerator has a reflective glass door allowing a nice view of the bottles inside while protecting them from UV light.
- The touch control is integrated in the top part of the door glass.
- 3 pull-out wire racks hold 4- 4 bottles (standard size and shape).
- You can set temperature between 54°F – 66°F (12°C – 19°C) by a touch: use the Up and Down arrow controls to increase or decrease the temp. by 1 degree increments.
- The white, low-heat LED lights provide a fine illumination of the stored wines and cabinet interior. It can be turned on and off by pressing the light button next to the temp. setting arrows.
Note that you must place a thermoelectric wine cooler in a room where temperature is no more than 72°F – 77°F (22 – 25°C) to be able to generate real cool air inside the unit.
Although thermoelectric fridges have their advantages of silent (this KingsBottle model makes less than 38 dBa noise according to the manufacturer) and vibration-free operation, their cooling efficiency is lower than that of compressor-run units.
Low electricity consumption: only 0.6 kWh/24 hrs (when set to 59°F)
Dimensions:
- Height: 18.9″
- Width: 14″
- Depth: 19.8″
- Weight: 26.9 lbs (12 kg)
Price: $80 – $110 ($6.66 – $9.16 per bottle) which is a great price in the category of small capacity wine coolers.
Similar Units
- More 12-Bottle Wine Refrigerator
- Read review of the Koldfront 12-bottle thermoelectric wine cooler
- Read more about Haier 12 Bottle wine coolers. Compare 12-bottle wine cooler models. Whynter WC 16S 16 bottle countertop wine refrigerator for cc. $150 – $200.
All in all countertop wine coolers aren’t professional appliances for long-term wine storage, however they’re great for beginner wine collectors with lower budget to store their wines in a dark, refrigerated cabinet that doesn’t take up much space.
Related Articles
- 4-bottle wine cooler refrigerators are nice compact units for countertop or tabletop placement.
- Cuisinart Wine Coolers – cheap thermal electric cellars from 6 to 32 bottles capacity.
- Best mini wine coolers – selected small footprint, compact, electric chillers.
- EdgeStar 16-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Refrigerator is perfect for tabletop placement, also the Wine Enthusiast Silent 16 Bottle Wine Cooler is a nice countertop size unit.
- Koolatron also offers some countertop wine refrigerators
- NewAir Wine Coolers range from 12-bottle up to 32-bottle models, including some countertop size units.
- See more reviews on various types of wine refrigerators.
