Using a wine cooler involves the following steps: choosing the ideal spot to place the cooler, plugging it in, picking the appropriate temperature setting, filling it with wine bottles, and closing the door.
Wine coolers are small household appliances used for storing wine bottles and maintaining them at the ideal temperature.
To learn more about how to work a wine cooler, refer to our detailed wine cooler usage guide below.
For additional details, read on wine cooler humidity control.
1. Choose The Ideal Spot For Your Wine Cooler
The first step in using a wine cooler is choosing the ideal location to place it. When picking your spot, there are several factors to keep in mind, the most important being:
- Keep Away From Heat: Wine coolers should always be placed well out of the way of heat sources like radiators, furnaces, ovens, etc. If you live in a warm city, or your house is prone to high ambient temperatures, you may want to place your wine cooler in the garage or basement.
- Keep Away From Direct Sunlight: Direct sunlight is bad for two reasons. First, it will impede the cooler’s ability to keep wine chilled, and second, it can cause wine to age prematurely and spoil. Because of this, always keep wine coolers out of direct sunlight.
- The Darker The Better: For optimal performance, keeping your wine cooler out of direct sunlight isn’t enough. When picking a spot, remember that the darker the space, the better your wine cooler will function.
- Humidity: When choosing a spot for your wine cooler, try to ensure that the space in question has an ambient humidity of around 5%. If the humidity level is any higher, it will cause the wine to age prematurely.
2. Plug It In
The standard wine cooler draws around 75 watts, meaning they are compatible with all standard house-hold electrical outlets. If your wine cooler comes with a grounding prong you must plug it into a three-holed outlet.
3. Set Temperature
Now that you’ve chosen the best spot for your wine cooler and plugged it in, the next step involves setting the appliance to an ideal temperature.
The average wine cooler will have a temperature range between 40 F and 70 F. What temperature you choose will depend on the kind of wines you’re storing.
- Full bodied red wines: 61F – 65F
- Light bodied red wines: 56 F – 60F
- Full body white wines: 44 F – 55 F
- Light bodied white wines: 40 F – 45 F
- Sparkling wines: 45 F – 47 F
If you’re storing several different types of wine together, most wine experts suggest finding a happy medium. Additionally, the temperature setting will depend on personal preference. For example, some people enjoy their white wine highly chilled, and as a result, store all whites at around 40 F.
4. Fill Cooler With Wine
Once the wine cooler has reached the appropriate temperature, it’s time to fill it with wine bottles.
To do so, simply place bottles into the racks or groves. Never overload the cooler or try stacking wine bottles on top of one another. When all wine bottles have been placed in the cooler, or the cooler has reached its maximum capacity, close the door.
5. Maintain Wine Cooler
Wine coolers require very little maintenance and parts only need to be replaced when they break. That said, you should change the filter in the water line once every few months to avoid the buildup of mold.
What Should I Know Before Using A Wine Cooler
What is a wine cooler? Wine coolers are small household appliances used for storing and cooling bottles of wine. The average wine cooler stands 17.72” x 13.58” x 30.31” and can fit between 15 and 25 bottles of wine.
There are a few types of wine coolers you should be aware of, the important of which include:
Compression Wine Coolers: These types of coolers use a compression system and fan to remove hot air from inside the cooler, leaving the wine bottles chilled. Compression coolers are very efficient and are typically used for larger models.
That said, if you buy a compression wine cooler, you’ll need to allow for some space at the back for hot air to escape.
Thermoelectric Coolers: Instead of using a compression motor and a fan, thermoelectric coolers use an electric current to achieve the desired temperature. The main advantage of thermoelectric coolers is they don’t make any noise, making them a great choice for an office or kitchen setting.
Dual Zone Wine Coolers: Some wine coolers are split up into two compartments, each with its own temperature setting. This type of wine cooler is popular among wine aficionados who store both white and red wine and want to keep both kinds at their ideal temperature.
Single Zone Wine Coolers: Unlike dual zones, single zone wine coolers come with a single, unpartitioned storage area.
What Are The Stages Of Using A Wine Cooler?
Using a wine cooler can be broken down into the following stages:
- Choosing an appropriate place to install your wine cooler
- Plugging it in and selecting the desired temperature setting
- Filling the cooler with wine bottles
- Closing the door and let the cooler maintain the temperature
Does The Wine Cooler Type Affect The Usage Stages?
No, the wine cooler type does not affect the usage stages. However, some of the best wine coolers have dual zone functionality, meaning you can choose two separate temperature settings.
Is Using A Wine Cooler For Smirnoff Better Than Using A Mini Fridge?
No, using a wine cooler for Smirnoff is not better than using a mini fridge. Mini fridges are able to reach much colder temperatures than wine coolers, meaning if you want to drink ice cold smirnoff, the mini fridge is the better option.
When it comes to the question of wine cooler vs. mini fridge for storing Smirnoff, the fridge is the clear winner.
However, there’s no reason why you can’t store Smirnoff in your wine cooler. The only downside is that the alcohol won’t be nearly as chilled.
Is Using A Wine Cooler For Alcohol Better Than Using A Refrigerator?
No, using a wine cooler for alcohol is not better than using a refrigerator. Because refrigerators can achieve lower temperatures than the average wine cooler, they are a better choice for storing many types of alcohol, especially beer and vodka.
That said, wine coolers are still a great option for storing many types of alcohol, including whiskey and rum.
Is A Free Standing Single Zone Wine Cooler Better Than A Dual Zone Wine Cooler For Storing Wine?
No, a free-standing single-zone wine cooler isn’t better than a dual zone wine cooler for storing wine. Dual zone coolers are partitioned into two sections, both of which have their own temperature control setting.
Because of this, Dual Zone coolers are more versatile and let you store more than one type of wine at its ideal temperatures. Of all types of wine coolers, Dual Zones are the preferred option of wine aficionados.
How To Use A Wine Cooler For Other Uses Besides Storing Wine
Although wine coolers are designed for storing wine, they do have several other applications you should be aware of. To learn more about the different uses of wine coolers, refer to the sections below.
How To Use A Wine Cooler As A Mini Fridge
To use a wine cooler as a mini fridge, follow these steps:
- Remove wine racks from inside wine cooler
- Plug wine cooler in and set it to the lowest temperature setting
- Fill cooler with items you wish to keep cool
How To Use A Wine Cooler As A Beer Fridge
To use a wine cooler as a beer fridge, follow these steps”
- Plug wine cooler in and set it to lowest possible temperature setting
- Place beer cans or bottles into the wine racks.
- Close door and wait for the beer to become chilled
Although wine coolers can be used as beer fridges, the standard cooler isn’t capable of reaching temperatures that most beer drinkers would find acceptable.
How to Use A Wine Cooler As An Alcohol Fridge
To use a wine cooler as an alcohol fridge, follow these steps:
- Plug cooler is and choose the lowest possible temperature setting
- Place bottles of alcohol onto the wine racks
- Close door and wait for alcohol to become chilled
