4 Best Wine Refrigerators For Small Spaces

If you live in a compact space, such as an RV or a boat, you’ll know all too well the struggles with storage. You have to learn to minimize everything to find a home for clothes, utensils, food, drinks, and more.

While wine might not be at the top of your priority list, if you’re an avid wine lover, you might want to store wine in your compact space. 

One of the best ways to store wine in a compact space is with a small wine refrigerator. Wine refrigerators come in a variety of sizes, meaning you don’t have to leave bottles of wine on the already small kitchen counter. 

So, if you’re looking for a wine refrigerator that is suitable for a small area, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the 4 best wine refrigerators for small spaces. 

1. Miladred 12 Bottle Wine Cooler Refrigerator

If you know that you’re likely to store up to 12 bottles of wine at a time, check out this mini wine refrigerator.

This refrigerator is surprisingly compact, considering it can hold up to 12 bottles, with a height of 18.58 inches and width of 13.6 inches. The size fits perfectly underneath a countertop or in a nook on an RV or boat. 

Aside from storing wine at a controlled temperature (between 54 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit), this refrigerator offers an easy-to-operate touch screen display to change the temperature at will.

It also offers double tempered glass, soft lighting, and a security lock to keep the wine free from children. 

A huge bonus is that the stainless steel frames that hold the wine can be removed.

This means that you can use half the space for storing wine, while the rest can be for storing other beverages – though keep in mind that it doesn’t get cold enough for beer. 

Pros

• Compact design – Surprisingly small despite holding up to 12 bottles
• Useful features – Touch screen and security lock for ease of use
• Removable frames – Store other drinks as well as wine 

Cons

• Not for beer – Doesn’t get cold enough for beer 

2. NewAir Built-In 7 Bottle Wine Fridge

If you don’t have enough space for a cube-shaped refrigerator, why not try a freestanding one? This NewAir wine refrigerator is only 6 inches wide, allowing the slim fit design to squeeze into any small space.

This is especially handy for compact spaces like RVs and boats. 

The NewAir wine fridge is a surprisingly quiet product that comes with a front-venting compressor system. This means that it doesn’t hum or vibrate, so it won’t stir up the sediments in your wine.

Another way this fridge protects your wine is with the double paned windows, which prevents UV rays from penetrating the wine. 

While this wine fridge only holds up to 7 bottles, the shelves can be removed to make it easier to load bottles. This is particularly handy for storing large bottles, such as Prosecco. 

Pros

• Slim fit – Slim design can fit into any kitchen space
• Protects wine – No vibration and double pane windows protect the wine flavor profile
• Removable shelves – Easy to load big and small wine bottles

Cons

• Capacity – Only holds 7 bottles, which is less than most compact wine refrigerators 

3. STAIGIS Wine Fridge

If you’re a real lover of wine, and perhaps even subscribe to a local wine club that sends wine throughout the year, you need a compact refrigerator that can hold quite a lot of wine.

This wine fridge holds up to 46 bottles, and it’s still surprisingly compact – with a height of 33.1 inches and width of 23.4 inches. 

Due to the capacity of this wine refrigerator, it would be ideal for a home kitchen or professional kitchen.

It is split into two sections – two shelves at 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit for white wines and 3 shelves at 50-66 degrees Fahrenheit for red wines. This means it is suitable for most wine types. 

This is an easy-to-use wine refrigerator that comes with a digital control panel to alter the temperatures for both wine zones and light control.

The door can also be reversed to suit your home. Just keep in mind that this refrigerator is at the higher end of a budget. 

Pros

• Big capacity – Holds up to 46 bottles, which is great for a professional kitchen
• Two temperature zones – Perfect for keeping designated wines in their preferred temperatures
• Reversible door – Door can be reversed to suit your needs 

Cons

• Price – At the higher end of a budget 

4. Koolatron 8 Bottle Wine Cooler

If you’re looking for a small wine cooler for an RV, boat, yacht, or small apartment, you need to see this wine refrigerator.

This product is only 18 inches tall and 20 inches wide, making it ideal for squeezing into compact spaces. Despite its size, it can comfortably hold up to 8 wine bottles (with a standard size of 750 ml). 

This affordable wine cooler is a freestanding product that only needs a power source to work, making it ideal for moving to various places.

It comes with a UV protective glass door to keep the wine profiles safe, removable wine racks to make space for bigger bottles, and an airtight seal door to keep the temperature inside at all times. 

One of the best features of this refrigerator is that the temperature controls are external, meaning you can adjust the temperature without disrupting the cool air inside.

It also comes in a sleek black design, which looks stylish in any interior. 

Pros

• Compact – Very compact design is ideal for small spaces
• Easy to relocate – Only needs a power source, so it’s easy to move to different areas
• Affordable – Ideal for those on a budget 

Cons

• Capacity – Only holds 8 bottles of a standard wine size

Buyer’s Guide 

Compact wine refrigerators are the ideal investment for wine lovers who live in small spaces.

Whether you live on a boat or if you’re road tripping around the country in an RV, a small wine refrigerator allows you to maintain your love of wine while in a small area. 

Here are the key factors to consider when choosing a small wine refrigerator. 

Size 

Of course, you have to make sure that the size of the wine refrigerator is ideal for your space! Always look at the dimensions of the refrigerator before making a purchase, so then you can decide where it is best to put it. 

For example, you might not have the room for a cube-shaped refrigerator, but there’s a gap between a wall and countertop that would be perfect for a slim fit product. 

Dual Or Single Temperature 

Most small wine refrigerators come equipped with only a single temperature for the entire interior.

While this means that the product is simple to use, this also means that the temperature will remain the same for both red and white wines. 

Red wine requires a different temperature to white wine, because it doesn’t need to be stored in a cold place. White wines, on the other hand, prefer to be refrigerated at a cooler temperature than red wines. 

So, if you love both red and white wines and want to make the most of the flavor profiles, you might want to consider getting a refrigerator with a dual temperature system.

This separates the refrigerator into two temperature zones, which is ideal for keeping your reds and whites in their ideal temperatures. 

Just keep in mind that dual temperature wine refrigerators are typically more expensive than single temperature ones. 

Noise 

There’s nothing quite as irritating as the incessant sound of a vibrating hum in an enclosed space. Some wine refrigerators, particularly those at the lower end of the price range, can be fairly noisy.

So, if you live in a small space and find yourself getting irritated by noise, it’s best to stay clear from these refrigerators. 

Instead, we recommend looking for a wine refrigerator that comes with a compressor. Not only do compressors last longer than thermoelectric units, but they’re also generally much quieter. 

Another benefit to a quiet compressor refrigerator is that the product won’t vibrate. This means that the wine won’t be disrupted inside the refrigerator, allowing it to maintain its flavor profile. 

Capacity And Interior Design 

Make sure to consider how many bottles of wine you intend to store at any given time. This will help to determine what size refrigerator you need.

So, if you’re an avid wine collector that subscribes to a wine club and collects vintage wines, keep this in mind. 

Fortunately, compact wine refrigerators have the capacity to hold anywhere from 7 to over 40 wine bottles at one time. 

You’ve also got to think about the interior design that holds the wine bottles.

This is especially true if you live on a moving vehicle like an RV or boat, because the last thing you want is for the wine to be rattling around on a flimsy wire rack. 

Instead, opt for racks that are made of stainless steel or wood. These will help to keep the wine secure without the bottles moving, which can disrupt the sediments in the wine. 

Also, try to opt for refrigerators that have removable shelving racks. This will allow for more space for bigger bottles, such as Prosecco or Champagne, and will make it easier to install the bottles inside the refrigerator. 

Built-In VS Freestanding 

Lastly, make sure you know whether you need to install a wine refrigerator or not (see also “Guide To Decanting And Storing Your Wine“). The general rule is that moving vehicles, like a boat or RV, should ideally be built-in to protect the refrigerator and wine from moving. 

However, most freestanding wine refrigerators are fairly weighted and won’t move around. This is especially true if you wedge the refrigerator between other weighted features, such as cabinets or cupboards. 

Also, remember that most freestanding refrigerators will need an electrical source to work, so it will have to be placed by an outlet. 

Summary 

So, there you have it! Wine refrigerators are a great way to store wines of all ages, maintaining them at a designated temperature and keeping them safe.

Even the smallest wine refrigerators can hold multiple bottles of wine, and are perfect for small living spaces. Hopefully, this guide has introduced you to your new favorite wine refrigerator!

Frequently Asked Questions