The 12 Best Dual Zone Wine Coolers

Wine might be remarkably easy to drink, but storing wine effectively is much more challenging.

You should avoid storing wine in the refrigerator as the temperature and humidity levels are both unsuitable. Additionally, storing wine upright causes the cork to dry and shrink. Wine bottles should be stored horizontally so the cork is in contact with the liquid.

A wine cooler allows you to store your collection at the right humidity levels and temperature. A single-zone cooler works well if you drink exclusively red or white wine.

Lovers of mixed wine, though, will appreciate that red and white wine need to be chilled at different temperatures. A dual zone wine cooler gives you independent cooling zones, allowing you to keep all types of wine ready to serve at its best.

If you feel a dual zone unit makes the smoothest fit, here’s what to consider:

• Type of cooler: There are two primary types of cooling mechanism, thermoelectric and compressor-based. With a thermoelectric wine cooler, the Peltier effect is harnessed. This involves an electric charge being sent through pieces of metal joined together. The heat flux created helps transfer the heat through the appliance. These coolers contain small fans. While these improve ventilation and they distribute the cool temperature effectively, they make lots of noise and vibration, both poor for wine storage. A compressor-based cooler works just like the refrigerator in your kitchen with liquid refrigerant being circulated through a compressor system. This serves to create cold air inside the cooler, while the hot air is expelled.
• Installation: Freestanding wine coolers are the most flexible. These coolers come with integrated venting. You can place freestanding units just about anywhere except for under the counter. You can pop a built-in wine cooler almost anywhere – under the cabinet or counter, for instance. With this type of wine cooler, you’ll need to make sure you have sufficient ventilation, or the unit will easily overheat. Integrated wine coolers typically require a complete kitchen refit to install. Unless you have a large and growing wine collection, this is probably overkill.
• Capacity: Next, give due consideration to how many bottles the wine cooler will hold. All manufacturers tend to inflate the maximum capacity, and you should not view this is a comfortable capacity for ongoing use. Think about how you see your wine collection developing so you don’t sell yourself short.
• Humidity controls: When wine is exposed to low humidity levels over an extended period, the cork will dry out. Air will then enter the bottle and spoil the wine. Wine coolers with humidity controls let you more precisely manage air quality and better preserve the integrity of your cork and wine.
• UV-resistant doors: If the UV rays from sunlight penetrate your wine bottles, it will impair the flavor and aroma over time while also damaging the tannins. Many wine coolers come with treated doors to limit these adverse effects of sunlight.
• Interior LED lighting:
• LED lighting emits only low levels of UV light. As such, all of the best dual-zone wine coolers will be equipped with interior LEDs.
• Adjustable shelving: Most wine coolers have shelving that’s designed to snugly accommodate regular 750ml bottles of Bordeaux. If your collection included larger bottles – champagne or pinot noir, for example – you should look for adjustable shelving. Wooden shelving works well as it avoids the scratching of labels you can encounter with metal shelving. Sliding shelves promote easier access.

 OK, with that framework in place, you should find you can confidently navigate our collection of the best dual zone wine coolers for mixed collections.

The 12 Best Dual Zone Wine Coolers

1. Our Pick: AAOBOSI Dual Zone Wine Cooler

• Size: 15-inch
• Capacity: 28 bottles
• Dimensions: 15 x 34.2 x 22.7 inches

First up is another highly effective dual-zone cooler ideal for anyone looking to store red and white wines. You’ll need to chill these wines to different temperatures, and the AAOBOSI lets you achieve this while controlling each zone independently.

The upper zone lets you chill your white wines from 41F to 54F. Red wine needs storing at warmer temperatures from 54F to 68F.

AAOBOSI offers two different capacities of this cooler to suit. This is the smaller 15-inch model ideal for smaller collections. You’ll be able to fit a maximum of 28 bottles of mixed wine inside this fridge.

The beech shelving contrasts nicely with the stainless steel exterior. These shelves are adjustable and removable so you can customize your storage space to suit the bottles you have in mind.

Leave this wine cooler freestanding or incorporate it into your kitchen cabinets for maximum flexibility.

The tempered glass on the door keeps potentially harmful UV rays from penetrating your cooler and impairing the wine you’re storing.

As with all wine coolers, you might run into problems if you try filling this thing to capacity. Although the manufacturer claims it has space for 28 bottles, you may find this hard to achieve.

Maybe you’ve been put off buying a wine cooler because you think they’re too noisy. This fridge should make you rethink that. Rated at just 42 decibels, this is one of the quietest coolers out there.

The temperature memory function comes in handy if you live somewhere that experiences regular power outages. Once power is restored, your cooler will restart using the same temperatures as before the outage.

For anyone who needs the versatility of storing red and white wines at different temperatures looking for a small yet efficient cooler, aobosi hits a home run here.

2. Kalamera Dual Zone Cooler

• Size: 24-inch
• Capacity: 46 bottles
• Dimensions: 22.4 x 23.4 x 33 inches

The inimitable Kalamera has a deep bench of dual-zone wine coolers. Kalamera make great coolers at a competitive price, and you also get a huge choice of sizes and installation options.

With this model, you can leave it freestanding or build it into your existing cabinetry.

You get dual independent cooling zones allowing you to store both reds and whites, both short-term and long-term. Both zones have a very broad temperature band so you can chill your wines anywhere from 40F to 66F to suit.

Capacity is quite generous. You can store a maximum of 45 bottles, but this should be considered the absolute extreme rather than a comfortable working limit.

The compressor-based cooling means there’s no menacing noise from this unit, something that mars many cheaper and less efficient wine coolers. You get little vibration either. Vibration can disturb the sediment in wine bottles and impair the wine.

Beech shelving makes a nice contrast with the expanse of stainless steel. These are designed for optimized storage of standard-sized wine bottles.

Blue interior LEDs let you see you wine collection at a glance without breaching the storage environment.

Most users feedback concerning this wine cooler is positive, but a few isolated complaints center on temperature issues. It’s hard to quantify these complaints, and temperature issues are anyway quite commonplace in wine coolers. Overall, the bulk of customers are very happy with this cooler.

3. AAOBOSI Beverage and Wine Cooler

Features

• Size: 24-inch
• Capacity: 18 bottles, 57 cans
• Dimensions: 38.5 x 27 x 27 inches

Despite this cooler from AAOBOSI being reasonably slender, the capacity is impressive. Anyone who wants a space-saving solution for wine storage should strongly consider this model.

One of the key selling points here is the ability to store both wine bottles and canned beverages inside this unit.

You can keep over 50 cans of drink in the left side of the cooler at 35.6F to 50F. The right-hand side of the cooler is perfect for storing 18 bottles of wine. This cooling zone has a wide temperature band from 41F to 64.4F, allowing you to store red and white wine at their optimum temperature.

Equipped with an efficient circulation fan, the cooler doesn’t kick out too much by the way of vibration. Despite claims to the contrary, you may find this model is fairly noisy in operation.

The stainless steel build is utilitarian and makes a better fit in modern or minimalist kitchens. There is a neat contrast with the glass doors, tempered to ensure harmful UV light doesn’t penetrate and spoil your wine.

Each side of the cooler is illuminated by energy-efficient LED lights. This lighting is also not so bright that it damages your wine.

If you’re not certain where to install your cooler, you can either leave it freestanding or you can build this model into existing kitchen units.

4. Kalamera Wine and Beverage Refrigerator

Features

• Size: 24-inch
• Capacity: 20 bottles, 78 cans
• Dimensions: 22.4 x 33.9 x 23.4 inches

What do you get for your money with this Kalamera cooler?

Well, you should first make sure you have the room to accommodate this bulky 24-inch wine fridge. If so, you’re in for a treat.

The cooler has 2 independent zones allowing you to keep your favorite beverages at different temperatures to suit. On the left-hand side of the cooler, the beech shelving is rugged enough to support your wine bottles, and it’s soft enough that it won’t rip the labels on your bottles. On the right-hand side of the cooler, there’s stainless steel wire shelving. The manufacturer recommends this for storing cans, although you could also stash some bottles in this side of the cooler.

In terms of temperature, the left-hand side lets you chill from 40F to 66F, while the other side of the fridge has a temperature range from 38F through 50F. This gives you all the flexibility you need to store a mixed collection of wine at its very best.

The only real complaints we could unearth concern the noise factor. A few disgruntled users have suggested this is quite noisy at full clip.

The design of this refrigerator allows you to install it under the counter or leave it freestanding.

Inside, you get the trademark blue LEDs from Kalamera so you can monitor your collection without opening the door.

If you have a need to store bottles and cans of wine short and long-term, you can rely on Kalamera to provide first-class storage solutions.

5. Phiestina Dual Zone Wine Cooler

• Size: 16-inch
• Capacity: 33 bottles
• Dimensions: 15.5 x 22.5 x 33.1 inches

This dual zone wine cooler from industry specialist Phiestina allows you to maintain small collections of mixed wine without needing to mess around with the temperature and without compromising your wine.

You’ll need to leave this cooler freestanding, so if you require a built-in model, explore some of the options above and below.

The set-and-forget convenience of this cooler lets you pop either red or white wine inside at the perfect temperature for serving. Keep whites super-chilled up above from 40F to 50F and reds down below at a milder 50F to 66F.

As with all the best coolers, you benefit from beech shelving. This means none of the labels on your wine bottles will get scuffed over time, even with older bottles. The removable racks enable you to accommodate cans or larger champagne bottles in addition to regular bottles of Bordeaux.

This compressor-based system runs quietly and ensures that temperature maintenance is consistent as well as highly precise. Although this fan is effective, we also found a few complaints from users in this area, so do your due diligence.

Soft-touch controls make it simple to operate the cooler, even if you’re not the greatest tech lover.

You can see your wine collection at a glance thanks to the muted LED lighting, meaning you won’t need to open the door and breach the storage environment.

As an added bonus, you’ll achieve an impressive storage capacity without needing a cooler that dominates the entire kitchen.

6. Staigis Wine Refrigerator

• Size: 24-inch
• Capacity: 46 bottles
• Dimensions: 23.4 x 22.4 x 33.1 inches

Staigis might not be the first name that springs to mind when you’re thinking of the best wine coolers, but this compact model is well worth popping on your shortlist.

You will need to make sure you have the space to accommodate this cooler as it measures fully 24 inches across. In return for a more substantial footprint, you’ll enjoy a generous capacity with space for over 40 bottles of your favorite vino.

Split-zone cooling provides independently controlled zones ideal for red or white wine. The upper zone chills more aggressively at between 40F and 50F, making the optimum home for your white wines. Reds need to be chilled more mildly, so the lower zone is equipped to maintain the temperature at between 50F and 66F.

All collectors of mixed wine should appreciate the flexibility these dual zones afford.

As with most wine coolers, you can expect a very faint background hum, but the noise shouldn’t be troublesome, even if you have your cooler in the office or the man cave. The energy-efficiency of this unit means you shouldn’t notice a spike in your power bills in pursuit of storing your wine at its best.

The standard-issue blue LED lighting provides enough light that you can see your wine bottles, but at low levels so as not to damage the wine inside.

Stainless steel build is offset by wooden shelves and tempered glass doors. Resultantly, this cooler makes a great choice for both modern and more traditional kitchens.

You can choose between freestanding or built-in installation here, offering you maximum choice with placement.

For all wine lovers intending to build up a smallish collection of red and white wines, both for regular consumption and for longer-term storage, should consider this efficient cooler from Staigis.

7. Antarctic Star Wine Cooler

• Size: 15-inch
• Capacity: 28 bottles
• Dimensions: 22.75 x 15 x 34.25 inches

Antarctic Star is a brand delivering quality and performance on a budget. This 15-inch wine cooler sits near the bottom of the range in terms of capacity, with its compact nature being the key selling point.

This cooler proves that you don’t need a vast kitchen to accommodate a decent wine cooler. The tall and slimline nature combined with flexible installation options is a boon for anyone with space constraints and a growing wine collection.

You can fit a total of 28 bottles inside this unit. As a general rule, the quoted maximum is just that – an absolute maximum rather than a comfortable working capacity. if you routinely keep a dozen or more bottles of mixed wine on hand, this cooler would be suitable. If you often keep more bottles, you should explore some more substantial coolers.

No UV light should penetrate the tempered glass doors on this unit, and the LED lighting won’t spoil your wine either. Additionally, you can keep your eye on your wine bottles without needing to yank open the door or compromise the cooling environment.

Sliding beech shelving protects the labels on your wine bottles while delivering the most adaptable set-up inside.

Unlike some cheaper and less effective wine coolers, you won’t be menaced by too much noise or vibration either. Air circulation doesn’t suffer as a result.

The only minor complaint we found among a wealth of positive user reviews concerns the flimsiness of the lock. If you have kiddies at home with prying hands, you should not rely completely on this inbuilt safety feature. Be sure to teach your children not to tamper with the cooler and not to open it.

8. NewAir Dual Zone Wine Cooler

• Size: 15-inch
• Capacity: 29 bottles
• Dimensions: 22.5 x 14.9 x 33.75 inches

NewAir has a heavy presence in this vertical with just cause. Not only do they produce coolers in many shapes and sizes for all wine lovers, but they manage to do so at competitive prices.

From a design standpoint, the cooler will enhance your kitchen rather than detracting from it, something that certainly can’t be said for many hulking appliances in this market segment.

Of the multiple configurations at your fingertips, this model is one of the most popular in the line. Finished in silver, you get space inside for up to 29 bottles of your favorite wines. If this doesn’t make the right fit, choose from many larger or smaller models instead, with and without kickplates.

Designated for use indoors or outdoors, you can leave the cooler freestanding or build it into your kitchen cabinets for a seamless look.

Controlling the cooler couldn’t be easier. Punch in the temperature for each zone using soft touch controls. The digital thermostat ensures that temperature maintenance is consistent, and you won’t need to keep tinkering with the controls. Both zones offer the same broad temperature range of 40F to 66F, catering for red wine, white wine, and champagne in a single beverage cooler.

Insulation is class-leading with three layers ensuring the cooling environment within remains intact.

While we couldn’t find any meaningful gripes about the cooler itself, we can’t say the same about experiences of customer care. The main complaint centers on warranty and returns issues.

Overall, you’re getting a long-lasting and versatile wine cooler from a brand you can rely on.

9. NewAir Wine Cooler

• Size: 15-inch
• Capacity: 29 bottles
• Dimensions: 22.5 x 14.9 x 33.4 inches

Another model from the inimitable NewAir stable up next with this stainless unit finished in an understated black. This model makes sense if you’re looking for a change from the usual white and silver appliances glutting most kitchens.

If you want to build this cooler into existing kitchen cabinets, you can do so without worrying about overheating. Alternatively, the cooler also works well if you leave it freestanding.

The tall and slim design optimizes space without interfering with the storage capacity. You can put almost 30 bottles inside this thing at the upper end, ideal for fledgling wine collections. When choosing a wine cooler, always consider your future requirements. If you feel you might grow your collection over time, err on the side of a larger cooler.

White wines respond favorably to more aggressive chilling, so pop them in the upper cooling zone where they will stay at between 40F and 55F to suit. For red wines, the milder temperatures of the lower cooling zone (50F to 66F) ensure that this wine stays slightly warmer and ready to drink after aerating.

Installation is quite flexible, but you will find you cannot reverse the door, something you may or may not find limiting.

10. NutriChef Dual Zone Cooler

• Size: 20-inch
• Capacity: 24 bottles
• Dimensions: 33 x 23 x 20 inches

NutriChef is a company best known for its line of kitchen blenders, so how does this wine cooler shape up?

Well, the dual zone cooler is pitched at collectors of red and white wine who require integrated storage without compromising the temperature of either wine. Both cooling zones are independently controlled at temperatures between 41F and 64F. This broad spread allows you to tailor the storage environment to your wine with ease.

The seamless controls and digital thermostat mean there is no learning curve to tackle when you start using this cooler. You’ll be up and running right out the box.

Unlike most of the competition, this model is equipped with metal shelving. If you store lots of older bottles of wine with fragile labels, handle them with care to avoid any scraping on the shelves.

Several disgruntled users report receiving less than helpful or responsive customer service when they ran into problems. While this is unlikely to be a deal-breaker, it is something worth bearing in mind if you’re choosing between several models on your shortlist.

11. NutriChef Dual Zone Cooler

• Size: 13.5-inch
• Capacity: 18 bottles
• Dimensions: 15 x 22.7 x 34.2 inches

As we near the end of our quest for the best dual zone wine cooler, we have another highly effective model from NutriChef.

The capacity of this 18-bottle unit is slightly smaller than the cooler above, meaning it makes a smooth fit for anyone with a small kitchen or an overabundance of appliances.

Made from stainless steel and glass, the black finish helps this cooler to stand out without looking flashy or over the top.

Although you may initially feel the capacity of this unit is lacking, you’ll still enjoy the freedom of controlling twin cooling zones. Not everyone who stores mixed wine collections is looking to accrue large collections, so for those with more limited needs, this space-saving cooler is a must.

If you activate the compressor, you may find this cooler is a bit noisier than you would like. Think closely if you plan to locate the cooler in your man cave or anywhere else where the noise could become problematic.

Consider where you will place this freestanding cooler before committing to purchase and you could be enjoying much more convenience while getting the most out of your precious wine.

If you occasionally buy larger bottles of wine or champagne, the lower shelf is designed to accommodate these bottles standing up.

For super-simple operation and energy-efficient cooling of both red and white wine, NutriChef proves they can produce more than just great kitchen blenders. The only question remaining is which of the finishes would look best with your kitchen décor.

12. Ivation Dual Zone Wine Cooler

• Size: 15-inch
• Capacity: 33 bottles
• Dimensions: 15 x 22.7 x 34.2 inches

Ivation has a hard-won reputation for producing intelligently-designed and highly efficient wine coolers that don’t break the bank. This 33-bottle dual-zone cooler continues that winning tradition.

Despite the substantial capacity, this is a space-saving refrigerator ideal for smaller kitchens. Small and squat – it measures just 20 inches across – you’ll nevertheless benefit from a Tardis-like space inside this cooler. The upper zone is intended for storing bottles between 54F and 64F, while down below you get a broader temperature band from 41F to 57F. Whether you want to keep reds, whites, or sparkling wines, you can keep them all chilled appropriately and simultaneously.

The racks of the shelves are all adjustable so you can easily create your ideal storage environment, whatever bottles or cans you want to keep on hand.

You can take care of manipulating the temperature using simple and responsive touch controls. These couldn’t be easier to use, even if you’re not the greatest tech lover.

The double-paned glass doors keep the interior cooling zone insulated. The doors also stop UV rays penetrating your wine bottles, something that can play havoc with the tannins and overall flavor of your favorite bottles of vintage wine.

While we found nothing but praise for the wine cooler itself, we can’t say the same about customer service. Several consumers have complained about less than helpful or responsive customer care.

If you have a modest collection of wine, you’d like to keep chilled and ready to drink, and you also store canned beer and soda, this dual-zone wine cooler from Ivation is a modern classic to grace any kitchen.

FAQs

1) What’s the best temperature for serving red wine?

Red wine should be stored between 50F and 68F. The breadth of this range is due to the enormous variety of red wines with many variables. A light-bodied wine like a pinot noir should be kept at the cooler end of this temperature band. With fuller-bodied wines – Bordeaux, for example – you should keep them slightly warmer.

2) What’s the best temperature for serving white wine?

White wine should be stored cooler than red, somewhere between 49F and 55F. If you find this is slightly warm for your liking, there’s no harm in popping the wine in the fridge just before you drink it. According to the experts, though, whites should be served at just below room temperature if you want to get the most out of the flavors. Luckily, if you’ve decided the time is right to invest in a dual-zone wine cooler, you can simply adjust the temperature of each side of the cooler and enjoy all your wines at their finest without any need to compromise.

3) How do dual zone wine coolers work?

Twin-zone coolers have two spaces, each equipped with independent temperature controls. With a cooler like this, you can store your red wines up above at a relatively mild 60F and your whites below at a cooler 50F.

4)  Do I need a dual zone wine cooler?

If you drink only red wine or only white wine, you could easily use a single-zone cooler. Anyone with a mixed collection would benefit from the added flexibility afforded by an integrated unit.

5) What is the best type of installation for a dual zone cooler?

All that counts is finding the solution that works best for your kitchen, whether that’s freestanding or built into your existing cabinetry.

6) What are the main types of wine cooler?

If you exclusively drink reds or whites and you just need to keep those bottles chilled and ready to drink, a standard single-zone wine cooler will suffice. Even though the focus of today is on dual-zone coolers, we’ve included a handful of units with just one zone so there’s something for everyone. For anyone looking to store bottles over the long haul, a single-zone unit would work, too. If you have a wine collection including both red and white wines, you’ll need a dual-zone wine cooler. Opting for a twin-zone fridge lets you reserve one section for white wines that are ready to serve, while the other side can be used as storage or for keeping red wine at drinkable temperature and ready to serve. The most expensive wine coolers feature three separate cooling zones. Triple-zone wine coolers allows you to keep reds, whites, and champagne chilled optimally.

7) What is the purpose of a charcoal filter in a wine cooler?

A charcoal filter will efficiently filter air entering your cooler. This will limit the effect on the taste that odors can trigger. The other advantage of an air filter is that it will reduce the accumulation of dust inside your cooler. If you have a cooler with a charcoal filter, you should replace this every six months for best results.

Conclusion

We hope today’s guide to choosing the best dual zone wine coolers has helped you to narrow down your options.

For anyone collecting both red and white wines, the convenience of a twin-zone cooler is unbeatable. Whether you’re storing your wine long-term or drinking bottles regularly, you can keep reds and whites ready to serve at a moment’s notice.

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