Which Wine or Beverage Fridge Should You Buy?

What these guides found

Thirteen cabinets across two guides, and the same number decided both: the lowest temperature the drinks side will actually hold. A thermoelectric cooler only pulls about 20–35 °F below the room, which in a warm room leaves food above the USDA 40 °F line; and half the units sold as “dual zone” stop at 40 °F on the beverage side, which is a wine cabinet with a second wine zone. Bottle counts and can counts turned out to be the two least reliable figures on any listing — we discount advertised can counts by about a fifth for airflow.

How we judge kitchen appliances

• Compressor or thermoelectric cooling, and how cold the coldest zone gets.
• Front or rear venting, which decides whether a fridge can go under a counter.
• Realistic can and bottle counts, and the size of the opening it needs.

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