8 Best 21-Bottle Wine Coolers & Fridges (2024 Review)

• About
• Latest Posts

Follow me

David J Sharp

Wine Expert at Love Craft Wines

David J Sharp is a wine equipment expert, having previously worked with some of the best wine cooler manufacturers within the USA. Today he works as a full-time wine cooler and wine cellar consultant for small and large clients alike. You can find out more about LoveCraftWines here.

Follow me

Latest posts by David J Sharp (see all)

• Best 200 Bottle Wine Fridges & Coolers – Top 5 (Nov 2024)
• Top 7 Best Through Wall Wine Cellar Cooling Units (2024 Review)
• Top 10 Best Wine Fridges Under $1000 (Nov 2024)

Last Updated: 18 November 2024

In this article, we’ll be discussing the best 21-bottle wine coolers that exist on the market.

Similarly to all of our buyers guides, we’ve done hours upon hours of research, to find only the highest quality, most well-regarded wine coolers. In order to do this, we’ve used a number of key criteria that we’ve outlined further below. This includes taking customer reviews, ratings, and feedback into account.

We should mention that we’ve included a wide range of 21-bottle wine coolers to accommodate for every budget. Each of the discussed wine coolers has the price displayed alongside it, through the use of  $ symbols, located next to each wine cooler.

With all that being said, we often get a wide variety of questions in regards to choosing a wine cooler.

Therefore, we wanted to quickly address some of these FAQ’s before jumping into exactly what wine coolers we’ve included within this buyers’ guide. Please take some time to read it as we think this will help you refine exactly what you’re looking for.

✅What is a 21-bottle wine cooler?

Although this may seem like a question with a simple answer, let’s discuss what it really means.

Simply put, it means that the wine cooler has an approximate bottle capacity of 21 Bordeaux bottles.

Bordeaux wine bottles are considered to be the standard-size of wine bottle, and they hold 750ml of wine.

Although these wine coolers have a decent bottle capacity, they are considered to be small sized wine coolers, and therefore, they’re often used for residential usage in a home bar or kitchen environment. They can quite easily be used in addition to a large size wine refrigerator in a commercial environment too.

🍾What are the advantages of purchasing a 21 bottle wine cooler?

The main advantage of owning a wine cooler of this capacity is that it can hold quite a decent capacity of wine, without the disadvantages that come along with large units, which weigh more and are larger in physical size.

Because of this, a 21-bottle capacity unit is extremely portable, and therefore can quite easily be transported up and down stairs.

Additionally, the size of these wine coolers makes them ideal and able to be installed as a Built-in wine cooler, unlike units which are physically much larger.

🥂What are the disadvantages of purchasing a 21 bottle wine cooler?

Although there are no distinct disadvantages of purchasing such a unit, that is if you have a wine collection that isn’t too extensive.

However, some may need a larger sized unit, and may prefer to purchase a 50 bottle wine cooler, or even 75 bottle wine cooler, as we often hear from our readers that their wine collections only seem to increase, and that’s understandable as time goes on.

None-the-less, a 21-bottle wine fridge offers a good-size bottle capacity, and are available in single-zone and dual-zone models (all of which we’ve included below).

🍾Are 21-bottle capacity wine refrigerators available in different sizes?

Yes, although the majority of these units will be of a similar size due to their capacity, they will vary slightly from model to model and from brand to brand.

However, rest assured that we’ve provided all of the size information alongside each model.

🥂Where can I purchase my wine cooler from?

Now we realize that there an overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to purchasing your next wine cooler. However, we cannot express enough how extremely important it is to choose a reputable supplier, and ones that treat their customers with the utmost level of respect and offer great customer service.

After years of being in the industry, we often refer our customers to Amazon and the specific manufacturers that we trust and have built relationships with, as we know that these brands value their reputation and take into account customer feedback, in order to better their customer buying experience.

So rest assured that we’ve done all of the work here.

🍾Top Considerations when purchasing a wine cooler

Not all wine refrigerators are the same!

Therefore, if you intend to buy a wine cooler, there are several factors that you must consider:

Bottle Capacity

As we briefly touched on above, a 21-bottle wine cooler is ideal to store up to 21 Bordeaux-style bottles.

It’s not only useful to consider your current required bottle capacity, but also consider the amount that you’ll potentially need for the upcoming months and years. This will save you purchasing multiple physical units, or indeed buying and then selling to upgrade.

Type

There are multiple types of wine coolers, and each one is distinctly suitable for certain environments and requirements. Let me explain further:

Single-Zone vs Dual Zone

Single zone wine coolers have 1 (single) compartment that can be used for cooling.

Dual zone wine coolers have 2 (dual) compartments that can be used for cooling, with separate thermostats and temperature regulation settings.

This means that dual-zone units are more ideal for those who wish to store multiple types of wines (both whites and reds) within one physical unit, without having to store them at the same temperatures.

However, if you only wish to store one type of wine, a single-zone unit may be more suited for your needs.

We’ve included both types within the product section below.

Undercounter vs Freestanding

Built-in wine fridges, also known as ‘undercounter wine fridges’ are designed to be integrated within an enclosed space, often in a kitchen or bar setting.

However, freestanding wine refrigerators are designed to be positioned as a standalone unit.

The key difference here is that a built-in wine unit is more versatile. This is due to it having a front-facing vent, which is usually located at the bottom of the unit. This allows for the cooler to be positioned in an enclosed setting, without negatively affecting airflow, which is important to help maintain fresh air inside the unit.

However, freestanding units have vents that are located at the back, and therefore cannot be kept in an enclosed space, as it would restrict airflow.

It should be noted that a built-in wine cooler can be used in a freestanding position, but not the other way around.

Cost

We realize that each reader will have their own unique budget. And it’s important to keep this in mind when deciding on the most ideal wine cooler for you.

This is why we’ve done our very best to find a wide price-range of 21-bottle wine coolers to accommodate for this. We’ve gone about displaying dollar signs to represent their costs, with $ being the least expensive, leading up to $$$$$, representing the most expensive unit.

Size and Weight

Although the physical size and weight of this capacity-size wine cooler will not vary dramatically, it’s certainly important to take this into consideration, especially if you’re looking to purchase a built-in/undercounter system which will ultimately fit into a particular sized enclosure, which could be under your kitchen worktop or under a bar.

Temperature range

Each of the wine coolers that we’ve featured below has slightly different temperature ranges. This may, in some cases, dictate the types of wine that you choose to store in it.

You may want to store wine at a particularly cold temperature, and it’s in the colder temperature ranges that wine coolers often tend to vary in capability.

Therefore, you can rest assured that we’ve included all of the temperature ranges for each wine cooler that we’ve featured in the article.

Customer Reviews

Customer reviews provide transparent insight into both the good and bad aspects of a product, which is why they’re particularly good at considering.

However, we’ve done our best to only include the best quality 21 bottle wine coolers, so you’ll generally find excellent reviews.

🥂Show me the best 21-bottle wine fridges

As we touched on at the beginning of this article, we’ve meticulously researched and chosen the best quality wine coolers that have a 21-bottle capacity.

Not only have we included technical information for each wine cooler, including physical measurements, weight, warranty, etc, but we’ve also included general specifications.

Ok, so with all that being said, we’ve included a list of 21-bottle wine fridges within our list (or within that region), as we assumed that you may be open to looking at slightly larger and smaller units which are of course, similar in price.

🍾Best 21 Bottle Wine Coolers – Top 8

• Ivation – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 24-Bottle – $$ – Skip to section [#3 Great Single Zone Option]
• Whynter – Freestanding, Single Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$ – Skip to section
• Ivation – Freestanding, Dual Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$ – Skip to section [#2 Affordable Dual Zone Option]
• Koldfront – Freestanding, Dual Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$ – Skip to section
• Antarctic Star – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 26 Bottle – $$ – Skip to section
• Edgestar CWR263DZ – Built-in, Dual Zone (Comp) – 26 Bottle – $$$$$ – Skip to section
• WIE Wine Refrigerator – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 28 Bottle – $$$ – Skip to section
• Aobosi – Built-in, Dual Zone (Comp) – 28 Bottle – $$$$ – Skip to section [#1 Best Value & Premium Features]

Ivation – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 24-Bottle – $$

 [#3 Great Single Zone Option]

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 17.72L  x 17W x 29.13H inches
• Weight: 47.6 lbs.
• Range: 41°F- 64°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 24 container capacity
• Compressor-powered
• Single Temp
• Suitable for freestanding usage only
• Ultra-quiet operation
• Electronic control panel
• UV-Resistant, Thermopane, Double-paned glass
• Black outer chassis
• 6 removable wire shelves
• Internal LED lighting
• Safety lock

Description

This Ivation unit is a single-zone wine refrigerator.

It’s designed for freestanding usage, which means that it can only be positioned in an open environment, as the air vent is located on the back of the unit.

It comes with double-paned glass, which is UV-resistant, to help protect your wine collection from light exposure.

Additionally, it has a safety lock, so that you can keep your wines safe from any unwanted visitors.

Overall, this cooler has a wide temperature range, and is a great option for those wanting a budget, near 21-bottle single-zone wine cooler.

Pros

• Very affordable
• Decent customer reviews
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Single zone
• Freestanding

Whynter – Freestanding, Single Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 20.5L  x 14W x 33.5H inches
• Weight: 47.6 lbs.
• Range:
  • Upper zone: 54°F- 66°F
  • Lower zone: 46°F- 66°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 24 container capacity
• Thermoelectric-powered
• Dual Temp
• Suitable for freestanding usage only
• Vibration-free operation
• Electronic control panel
• Dual-paned glass door
• Black outer chassis
• 6 stainless steel shelves
• Internal LED lighting

Description

The Whynter WC-241DS is a dual zone wine cooler designed for freestanding usage.

It comes with dual-paned outer glass, to help maintain a cool internal temperature and has a fan-forced cooling system.

It’s upper zone is ideal for storing reds, and the bottom zone is better for strong white wine, given it’s more extensive temperature range.

Overall, this is a decent option for those wanting a close 21-bottle capacity dual zone wine cooler with good reviews.

Pros

• Affordable
• Good customer review ratings
• Dual zone
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Freestanding
• No mention of door lock

Ivation – Freestanding, Dual Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$

 [#2 Affordable Dual Zone Option]

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 20.5L  x 16.9W x 29.1H inches
• Weight: 53 lbs.
• Range:
  • Upper zone: 46°F- 64°F
  • Lower zone: 54°F- 64°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 24 container capacity
• Thermoelectric-powered
• Dual Temp
• Suitable for freestanding usage only
• Super quiet operation
• Electronic control panel
• Tempered smoked glass door
• Black outer chassis
• Premium oak wooden shelves
• Internal LED lighting

Description

The Ivation IV-FWCT241DWSS wine refrigerator has a thermoelectric cooling system.

It’s designed for freestanding use, which means that it should be positioned in an open environment.

It has a premium visual aesthetic, with its smoked glass door and premium oak wooden shelves.

Overall, this wine cooler has got a large amount of fantastic customer reviews, and is extremely affordable, making it an excellent choice for those wanting a high-quality dual zone wine cooler.

Pros

• Affordable
• Fantastic customer review ratings
• Dual zone
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Freestanding
• Does not have a door lock

Koldfront – Freestanding, Dual Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 19.6L  x 14W x 33.5H inches
• Weight: 48 lbs.
• Range:
  • Upper zone: 54°F- 66°F
  • Lower zone: 46°F- 66°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 24 container capacity
• Thermoelectric-powered
• Dual Temp
• Suitable for freestanding usage only
• Super quiet operation
• Electronic control panel
• Tempered glass door
• Black outer chassis
• Wooden shelves
• Internal LED lighting

Description

The Koldfr0nt TWR247ESS is a thermoelectric wine refrigerator.

It’s built for freestanding usage only, and therefore it has to be position in an open environment.

The unit has dual zone capacity, with its upper zone being ideal for storing red wine, and it’s lower zone being more suitable for storing whites due to a wider temperature range.

Additionally, this unit comes with tempered glass, to help maintain a cool internal temperature.

Pros

• Great customer reviews
• Dual zone
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Freestanding (not for built-in use)
• Does not have a door lock

Antarctic Star – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 26 Bottle – $$

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 19.7L  x 17.5W x 31.5H inches
• Weight: 48.5 lbs.
• Range: 40°F- 61°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 26 container capacity
• Compressor-powered
• Single Temp
• Suitable for freestanding usage only
• Low vibration & quiet
• Electronic control panel
• Dual paned glass door
• Black outer cabinet chassis
• Stainless steel shelving – removable
• Soft internal LED lighting

Description

The Antarctic Star wine refrigerator is a compressor-powered unit.

It’s designed for freestanding use and one of it’s selling points is that it offers vibration and noise-free cooling.

It is a single-zone unit, and has quite a wide temperature range, making it suitable for either storing red or white wine.

It also has dual-paned glass, to help it maintain it’s internal temperature, and keep your wine fresh.

Overall, it’s a nice option for those wanting a compressor unit, with an approximate 21 bottle capacity.

Pros

• Great customer reviews
• Quiet operation
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Not for built-in use (undercounter)
• Single zone
• Some reviews indicate the thermostat can be temperamental
• Does not have a door lock

Edgestar CWR263DZ – Built-in, Dual Zone (Comp) – 26 Bottle – $$$$$

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 23.5L  x 15W x 32H inches
• Weight: lbs.
• Range:
  • Upper zone: 54°F- 65°F
  • Lower zone: 40°F- 54°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 26 container capacity
• Compressor-powered
• Dual Temp
• Suitable for built-in or freestanding use
• Auto defrost
• Built-in carbon filter
• Electronic control panel
• Dual paned glass door
• Black dotted glass door tint
• Removable wooden shelving
• Soft internal LED lighting
• Door ajar alarm & lockable

Description

The CWR263DZ by EdgeStar is a 26 bottle, compressor-based cooling unit.

It’s designed for either built-in or freestanding usage, given that it has a front-facing vent.

This unit is a dual-zone wine cooler, and when considering the temperature ranges, it’s upper zone is best suited for storing reds, and the lower zone is more ideal for storing whites.

The upper zone can store approximately 8 bottles, whilst the lower zone can store approximately 18 bottles.

It’s black dotted, tinted glass door is useful for helping to protect your wine collection from UV exposure.

Additionally, it is lockable, to ensure any unwanted visitors don’t have access, and it also had a ‘door ajar alarm’, to help ensure that you don’t accidentally forget to close the unit.

Overall, this is a premium-priced, luxury unit, for those wanting a top of the range wine cooler with an approximate 21 bottle capacity.

Pros

• FANTASTIC customer reviews
• Dual zone
• Versatile placement (Built-in or freestanding use)
• Lockable
• Door ajar alarm
• UV protected
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Quite pricey

WIE Wine Refrigerator – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 28 Bottle – $$$

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 21.2L  x 20W x 34.9H inches
• Weight: 70 lbs.
• Range: 41°F- 64°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 28 container capacity
• Compressor-powered
• Single Temp
• Suitable for freestanding usage only
• Adjustable temperature control
• Auto defrost
• Dual paned smoked glass door
• Black dotted glass door tint
• Wave wine racks
• Soft blue LED lighting

Description

The Wine Refrigerator by WIE is a 28 bottle capacity wine cooler, which has a compressor-based cooling system.

It is designed for freestanding use and has a sleek looking outer aesthetic, with its matt-black finish.

This unit is a single-zone wine refrigerator, and it has quite a wide temperature range, spanning from 41°F- 64°F, making it suitable for cooling both reds and whites.

It also has a smoked, dual-paned glass door, which provides UV protection.

Additionally, it has removable wine racks, for cleaning purposes.

Overall, it’s a good wine cooler with great customer reviews.

Pros

• Great customer reviews
• UV protected
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Single zone
• Not for built-in usage (undercounter)

Aobosi – Built-in, Dual Zone (Comp) – 28 Bottle – $$$$

[#1 Best Value & Premium Features]

Technical Specs

• Dimensions: 22.7L  x 15W x 34.2H inches
• Weight: 60.6 lbs.
• Range:
  • Upper zone: 41°F- 54°F
  • Lower zone: 54°F- 68°F
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

General Specs

• 28 container capacity
• Compressor-powered
• Dual Temp
• Suitable for both Built-in and Freestanding placement
• Quiet operation
• Adjustable temperature control with memory function
• Double tempered glass door
• Stainless steel frame and door
• Beechwood shelving (detachable)
• Soft LED lighting
• Door ajar alarm & security lock

Description

This Aobosi 15-inch wine refrigerator is a 28 bottle capacity unit, suitable for those who are looking for a premium, dual-zone wine cooler.

It is designed for built-in usage, given its front-facing vent, and therefore it would make a great undercounter unit.

Its upper zone is best suited for holding white wines, whilst the lower zone is more ideal for storing red wine.

Additionally, it has a double tempered glass door, including a door ajar alarm, alongside a door lock, to help keep your wine collection safe.

A nice finishing touch for this cooler, which gives it a premium look, is its beechwood shelving.

Overall, this unit has accumulated some INCREDIBLE customer review ratings, and we think that it’s such a great product for those wanting a reliable wine refrigerator.

Pros

• Impeccable customer review ratings
• Dual zone
• Versatile placement options (built-in or freestanding)
• Double tempered glass
• Door ajar alarm & door lock
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Premium price tag

Conclusion

Overall, it’s extremely important for us to reiterate that every reader will have different needs & requirements, and that’s why we outlined all of the top considerations before purchasing a wine cooler at the beginning of this article.

However, taking all aspects into account, including price, features, customer feedback, and reviews, we’ve concluded that the below wine coolers are the best “21-bottle wine refrigerators” (or thereabouts).

• Aobosi – Built-in, Dual Zone (Comp) – 28 Bottle – $$$$ – Skip to section [#1 Best Value & Premium Features]
• Ivation – Freestanding, Dual Zone (Thermo) – 24 Bottle – $$$ – Skip to section [#2 Affordable Dual Zone Option]
• Ivation – Freestanding, Single Zone (Comp) – 24-Bottle – $$ – Skip to section [#3 Great Single Zone Option]