Wine Cooler or Beverage Center: Which to Choose? [Product vs. Product]

Did you know a wine cooler can have multiple zones to accommodate reds and whites at different temperatures? Well, it’s true! There are also diverse options for installation, as you’ll learn below.

Single-Zone Wine Cooler

With a single-zone wine cooler, you can expect one temperature to be disbursed and maintained throughout the entire box. In other words, all wine bottles will be chilled to the same level. The interior racks are designed to hold each bottle separately, which allows for optimal cooling conditions (i.e., the bottles do not overlap to inadvertently heat the contents).

The cooling mechanism that runs a single-zone wine cooler can either be compressor- or thermoelectric-based without a hitch, because it only needs to cool to one temperature.

Dual-Zone Wine Cooler

If you are more of a sommelier than a novice, you’ll find happiness in a dual-zone wine cooler. Equipped to hold a variety of wines, this wine cooler can chill its contents in separate temperature-defined zones. Unlike a single-zone cooler, this appliance has two separate storage compartments within, usually separated by a horizontal partition.

Just like its single-zone counterpart, a dual-zone wine cooler can use compressor-based or thermoelectric-based cooling, but there may be some variance. With compressor cooling, there is a good chance that two different mechanisms will be used to cool the separate compartments. With thermoelectric cooling, on the other hand, you’ll need to replace the thermoelectric rod in the different compartments.

And lastly, the dual-zone cooler can also display specially made racks to hold each bottle individually—and there will be no need to fiddle with the temperatures, as these are preset to ideal conditions.

Freestanding vs. Built-in

Depending on your proclivities, you can choose between a freestanding or built-in wine cooler! As is the case with many home appliances,freestanding options are designed with the vent on the back of the unit whereas built-in versions have vents on the front of the unit so that they can be installed amongst your cabinetry or under the counter.

Built-in wine fridges can also be custom-ordered to be panel-ready to match your cabinets—whether you’re hoping to install one in the kitchen, back patio, garage, or den. It all depends on the appliance’s prospective location and the look you are trying to achieve.

Column vs. Undercounter

If you have a sizable collection of wines, you might be interested in a wine-preservation column, a built-in wine cooler that can span the full height of a wall. Due to its larger size, it can host a third temperature zone, but most impressively, some models can hold as many as 150 bottles of wine.

Available as a freestanding or built-in appliance, undercounter wine coolers are nothing to scoff at, however. Just what you need for entertaining guests in the kitchen or sports den, this option can still host a staggering number of wines compared to your refrigerator and pantry. For reference, a 24-inch undercounter wine cooler can hold up to 46 bottles.