What is an Integrated Wine Cooler?

by Philip Thompson
07 February, 2023

In this post, we'll detail what an integrated wine cooler is, important features to consider, as well as useful statistics about them.

What is an Integrated Wine Fridge?

As the name suggests, integrated wine coolers are compact refrigeration units built into an existing kitchen cupboard or cabinet.

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As they do not require front ventilation, you can install them into almost any unit and conceal the front door of the wine cooler with a door that matches the rest of your cabinetry.

They are ideal for filling empty spaces in new kitchens and ensuring both red and white wines are at the perfect drinking temperature.

Browse all wine fridges here.

built in wine fridge in a kitchen

Integrated vs Built-in Wine Coolers – What’s The Difference?

While very similar in design, integrated wine coolers and built-in wine coolers are not the same. An integrated wine cooler is fully integrated within a cupboard or cabinet, including its front door. You cannot see this type of wine fridge once installed as it sits neatly behind a cupboard door.

Built-in wine coolers on the other hand are just that - built into an empty cupboard space. This type of wine fridge typically has a glass-fronted door and a front-facing ventilation fan, so you cannot conceal them behind a cabinet door. The bottom part of the fridge must be kept open.

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Is An Integrated Wine Cooler Better Than a Freestanding Wine Cooler?

If you love the idea of incorporating a wine fridge into your new kitchen but do not want bottles of wine on show, an integrated wine cooler is a perfect choice. As it is disguised behind a kitchen cabinet door, just like your fridge and dishwasher, only you will ever know it is there.

If you rent a property or do not have room for an integrated model, you could choose a free-standing wine cooler instead. Just like under-counter freezers, you can use these free-standing models anywhere there’s a plug socket and good ventilation.

Interesting Statistics

Integrated wine coolers typically hold up to 46 x 750ml bottles of wine.
They have no fixed height, but they are typically designed to fit into 590mm - 600mm wide cabinets.
Integrated wine coolers typically have a temperature range of 3-18°C.
They usually generate around 35-45 decibels (dB), making them quieter than dishwashers and freezers.
They generally offer a humidity range of 55-85%.
Quality models can last 10-15 years.
Most integrated wine coolers have adjustable shelves and reversible doors.
You can install panel ready wine fridges behind a kitchen cupboard door.
They do not require back ventilation like freestanding models.do.

Features To Consider

Designed to chill red and white wines to the perfect drinking temperature, integrated wine coolers come with a range of features, including:

Temperature Control

If you are a wine connoisseur, chances are you’ll want to store a mix of sparkling, white, rose, and red wines in your integrated wine cooler.

Thankfully, most models have adjustable temperature controls that allow you to set different temperatures in different zones of the fridge, but not all.

Check to see what temperature controls your wine cooler offers and if in doubt, speak to the manufacturer. If you only drink one type of wine, varied temperature controls are not essential, but if you like to mix things up, you need to be able to set different zones.

Expert Wine Storage offers filtering for one, two, or multiple cooling zones, so you can find the best wine fridge for you - Shop Dual Zone Wine Fridges

Wine Bottle Capacity

How many bottles do you intend to keep in your integrated wine cooler? While you don’t need to keep your entire wine collection chilled at all times, if you like to entertain, your wine fridge needs to be fully stocked and ready for a last-minute get-together.

As mentioned earlier in this article, standard wine coolers typically accommodate 46 bottles split over several shelves, but larger models can accommodate 150 bottles or more. Shop around and consider your options before buying an integrated wine cooler, but also, don’t forget about space. It needs to fit!

If you need to store a lot of bottles, then our range of Large Capacity Wine Fridges is for you.

Interior Lighting

If installing an integrated wine cooler, you won’t necessarily need LED lighting to illuminate your collection, as it will be behind a door. If you collect light-sensitive wines, however, you’ll need a wine cooler fridge with UV-protected lighting.

You might pay a little more for a wine cooler with UV-protected lighting, but it’s a small price to protect your expensive wines against UV exposure.

Vibration Protection

Integrated wine coolers, much like regular kitchen fridges, can vibrate when the cooling mechanism runs, and this vibration could potentially ruin fine wines, sparkling wines, and Champagnes.

Look for a wine cooler with a vibration-dampening feature to protect your collection against this kind of damage.

Energy Efficiency

With energy bills increasing at an alarming rate, you should invest in an integrated wine cooler with a good energy rating.

In doing so, you will not only save money on your household utility bills, but you will also reduce your carbon footprint.

Appliances are now rated on a scale of A to G in the UK (started in March 2021). The older scale is still used for some appliances, which is A+++ to G. The old scale A+ can be the equivalent to F on the new scale.

Expert Wine Storage offers a filtering option for energy ratings, so you can find the one that meets your desired power consumption - Browse Energy Efficient Wine Coolers

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed learning all about integrated wine coolers.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk

If you want to learn more about other types, consider our related blog posts:

You can also shop new wine coolers online at Expertwinestorage.co.uk.

You can browse more posts on Wine Storage here.

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