Where To Place A Wine Fridge In The Kitchen

If you’re considering purchasing a wine fridge, then you should think about exactly where you’re going to place it.

Wine fridges are an ideal place to store your wine collection, but they can take up valuable space - so knowing where to place a wine fridge is important. Wine fridges also have certain installation requirements such as ventilation space that you should consider.

Keep reading to learn more about wine fridges, and where you can place the different types of wine fridges in your kitchen.

What Is A Wine Fridge?

A wine fridge is a unit that’s designed to store your wine in optimal conditions, taking into account temperature, humidity, and sunlight, and sometimes even vibrations.

Your wine collection should be stored in a cool space, and a wine fridge provides just that. To be more specific, wine is best stored in the temperature range of 11°C and 14°C in the long term. Wine coolers are the ultimate solution to long term wine storage, but can also store your wine effectively in the short term for storing.

Some wine coolers have dual temperature zones, which means that you can store some bottles of wine for serving, and the rest in the long term at a different temperature within the same unit. You can also store your red, white, and sparkling wines separately.

You can find wine fridges with different features to suit your requirements - some wine coolers have locks to protect your wine collection and some have alarms that sound when you leave the door open or the temperature gets too high or low.

There are three designs of wine fridges - freestanding, built-in, and fully integrated. Read on to learn more about these three main designs, and where you should place them in your kitchen.

Where Should I Place My Wine Fridge In The Kitchen?

When placing a wine fridge in your kitchen, be sure to choose the right type of wine fridge for your requirements.

If you want to install your wine fridge into your kitchen cabinets or under your counter, then opt for a built-in or fully integrated unit. However, if you’d prefer your wine fridge to stand alone, then opt for a freestanding wine fridge.

You should also avoid installing your wine fridge next to other kitchen appliances that generate heat - for example, your oven, microwave, dishwasher or tumble dryer.

This can put too much pressure on your wine fridge to keep the wine cool and can raise the internal temperature of the wine fridge.

Overheating your wine fridge could also raise your electricity bill - so always be sure to place your wine fridge away from appliances that generate heat, no matter whether you choose a freestanding, built-in, or integrated unit.

Freestanding

With freestanding wine coolers, the key is in the name - they stand freely and aren’t restricted to cabinet or counter space in the kitchen.

Freestanding wine fridges can vary in size, with some storing under 10 bottles and others storing over 100. You can find freestanding wine fridges that can fit on your countertop and others that can stand freely next to your regular fridge or freezer.

However, some freestanding wine coolers are also suitable for built-in use, so can be installed under kitchen cabinets or into kitchen units. However, always be sure to check the manufacturer requirements and specifications to ensure that it is the right fit.

Unlike built-in and fully integrated wine fridges, freestanding wine fridges aren’t restricted to just kitchen space.

If there’s not much room in your kitchen for a wine fridge, you’re best off choosing a freestanding fridge. These can be placed in your living room, dining room, garage, utility room - pretty much anywhere in your home.

Freestanding wine fridges have certain installation requirements to ensure that the unit doesn’t overheat.

Be sure to leave around 3 inches around the sides and rear of the fridge to allow the air to flow freely, so not too much pressure is put on the compressor. You should also leave around 12 inches above the unit for optimal airflow.

Built-In

Built-in wine coolers are perfect for under-counter installation. Built-in wine fridges often have more depth and protrude outwards, which is typical with most built-in appliances.

The doors of built-in wine fridges are visible and not contained within cabinet space, which is ideal if you choose a wine fridge with a glass door, so you can view your collection whenever you like.

You can install a built-in wine fridge into your kitchen cabinet space or under your breakfast bar - most people choose to place their built-in wine fridge next to their regular fridge for optimal convenience.

Like all wine fridges, there are certain installation instructions that you should follow when placing your built-in wine fridge. First of all, ensure that you leave around half a centimetre of space around the unit to allow airflow and prevent overheating.

However, you won’t need to worry about leaving much space above the unit as you do with freestanding fridges, as built-in wine fridges are designed to fit snugly into kitchen space.

Some built-in wine fridges come with rear wheels and adjustable feet for easy placement. Adjustable feet can ensure that the cooler is level - as if you place your wine cooler unevenly, then it may produce more noise.

Fully Integrated

Fully integrated fridges are designed to fit seamlessly into your kitchen, no matter your choice of interior design.

However, more time and effort is required to install integrated wine coolers into your kitchen. They’re similar to built-in wine coolers, except they are designed to fit better into your kitchen space, and to be enclosed into your kitchen cabinets.

This means that the door of your wine fridge is also enclosed into your kitchen cabinet space. Integrated wine coolers are perfect for modern kitchens, as they offer a sleek and seamless look.

No matter the design you choose, it’s sure to look great in your kitchen. You can integrate this type of wine fridge into your breakfast bar, cabinet space, or your kitchen cupboards.

When installing your wine fridge, be sure to check the manufacturer installation requirements and instructions - one small mistake could void the warranty, so it’s always worth following the relevant instructions.

Under-counter wine coolers offer a simple installation and are typically integrated into your kitchen space. We provide customers with a wide range of under-counter wine coolers to choose from. Elite Wine Refrigeration work closely with an array of leading brands, including Dunavox.

Dunavox has a varied selection of under-counter wine coolers to choose from. Whether you’re someone who enjoys a glass of wine after a long day or collects wine as a hobby, you can rest assured that Dunavox offers the best cooling solutions. 

To find out more about our high-quality Dunavox products, contact us today by calling a member of our team on 0800 484 0074.