The Best Beverage Coolers for Beer, Wine, and Soda

Beverage-Coolers

Summer is looming, so it could be time to ask yourself how you’re doing for drink storage space?

Using the kitchen refrigerator to store wine is inadvisable. The temperature and humidity levels are unsuitable. Also, there’s too much noise and vibration. Beyond this, if you end up storing wine vertically, the cork and liquid are no longer in contact. This can cause the cork to dry and become damaged when you try opening it with your corkscrew.

You likely don’t want your kitchen fridge overrun by canned beverages either, taking up space you could otherwise use for food.

With the best wine and beverage coolers, you’ll keep all your drinks out of the way and chilled to the optimum temperature. By segregating storage, you’ll keep the kitchen ref uncluttered and your man cave fully stocked with all the liquid you need.

If you’ve never shopped for beverage coolers before, we understand you may have no idea what you’re looking for. Focus on the following simple pointers and you shouldn’t have any snags locating the right cooler for your needs.

  • Cans, bottles, or both?: If you exclusively drink wine, we would strongly recommend investigating dedicated wine coolers. Everything about wine coolers is designed to cater for this drink. The same applies if you intend to chill nothing but canned drinks. Many of the models on our shortlist are meant for cans only. Most people are likely to prefer a mixed-use storage space allowing for both cans and bottles inside. We review plenty of these models today, too. The only important thing here I buying strictly in line with your intended usage
  • Capacity: Make sure any wine and beverage cooler on your shortlist offers you sufficient space inside for your maximum requirements. Most manufacturers tend to inflate these figures, so we would always advise sizing up if you’re in any doubt between two models
  • Installation: Built-in wine coolers can be tucked into your existing kitchen cabinets. These make great space-saving solutions. Freestanding wine coolers can be located almost anywhere. Many models on the market offer you the choice of either type of installation.
  • Cooling zones: Single-zone wine and beverage coolers are typically cheaper, but much less versatile. These are ideal if you only drink red wine or white wine. With a dual-zone cooler, you’ll be able to store both types of wine at the optimum temperature without being compelled to compromise. Other dual-zone coolers are designed for chilling wine and canned drinks to different temperatures.
  • Noise and vibration: Compressor-based coolers run quieter than thermoelectric units. We suggest taking the claims made by manufacturers about noise with a pinch of salt, though. Most ambitiously claim the coolers are whisper quiet. In reality, most models make slightly more noise than a kitchen refrigerator
  • Shelves: Wire shelving works well if you’re storing canned drinks. For wine, wooden shelving is the superior option as this won’t scuff the labels on your wine bottles. Shelving should be at least adjustable and ideally removable, too.

Right, with those basics in place, you should now be perfectly positioned to browse the best wine and beverage coolers on the market.

Dive in and enjoy!

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The 14 Best Beverage Coolers for Beer, Wine, and Soda

1. Our #1 Pick: Kalamera 24-Inch Beverage Cooler

Kalamera-24-inch-154-Cans-Capacity-Beverage-Cooler

First up and our overall favorite wine and beverage cooler comes from the industry heavyweight Kalamera. What do you get for your money here, then?

This is a cooler designed primarily for storing canned beverages. Whether you want your man cave stocked with beer or a supply of soda for your kids, you’ll have space for a whopping 154 cans in this unit. To avoid repetition, most cooler manufacturers tend to inflate the maximum capacity. Consider this a flat-out maximum, certainly not a comfortable working capacity.

Adjustable and removable shelves give you the scope to configure your storage to suit your collection.

Despite this generous capacity, this is a space-saving cooler ideal for smaller spaces or apartments.

The broad temperature band allows you to keep your canned drinks aggressively chilled down to 38F. You can tweak the temperature using simple digital controls that are very user-friendly, even if you’re not the greatest tech lover.

Muted blue LED lights allow you to monitor your collection at a glimpse without exposing it to harsh fluorescent lighting or UV rays. Tempered glass doors further preserve the storage environment.

Five metal shelves are designed to fully support the large cumulative weight of over 100 cans while allowing you to slide them in and out of the cooler with ease. The only drawback is that a few users point out the flimsy nature of this shelving.

You can leave this cooler freestanding or, alternatively, you could build it into your existing kitchen cabinetry. With a reversible door, you have the ability to configure the cooler to your exact needs.

If you also want to store wine bottles in your cooler, Kalamera offers a variant of this unit that also offers bottle storage. For anyone looking to stash a large collection of canned drinks, though, this is among the best wine and beverage coolers out there.

Things We Like

  • Compressor-based cooling
  • Under-counter or freestanding installation
  • Temperature from 38F to 50F

Things We Dislike

  • Shelving is quite flimsy

2. Aobosi 24-Inch Beverage Cooler

Aobosi-24-Inch-Beverage-and-Wine-Cooler-Dual-Zone

Aobosi is a highly reputable brand specializing in producing affordable wine and beverage coolers that don’t force you to compromise in terms of performance.

Capacity is spacious with room for up to 18 bottles of your preferred wine on one side of the cooler, and 57 canned beverages on the other.

Like all the best dual-zone coolers, this one offers independent temperature control. Keep your cans iced between 36F and 50F, while you can cool your wine from 41F to 65F, giving you the flexibility to store both red and white wines at their very best.

While this cooler is marketed as running extremely quietly, it’s rated at 42 decibels. As several users point out, this is quite loud and kicks out more noise than a standard kitchen refrigerator.

You’re spoiled for choice in terms of installation. If you want the most space-saving configuration, build this cooler into your kitchen cabinets. For freestanding application, take advantage of the adjustable feet to position the cooler to your liking.

Both cooling zones are neatly illuminated with subtle blue LEDs giving you gentle light and ensuring your storage environment remains stable.

In terms of design, the expanse of stainless steel might not be to everyone’s taste, but this cooler makes a neat addition to any minimalist room or small bar.

Things We Like

  • Accommodates 18 bottles and 57 cans
  • Twin-zone cooling
  • Built-in or freestanding application

Things We Dislike

  • Runs quite loud

3. homeLabs Beverage Cooler

hOmeLabs-Beverage-Refrigerator-and-Cooler

If you’ve been searching in vain for the best budget wine and beverage cooler, you might be surprised to know you can get that from a highly reputable brand, homeLabs. How does this cost-effective unit stand and fall?

The first thing to be aware of is that this is a single-zone cooler. The touch controls allow you to cool drinks as low as 34F, ideal for keeping those cans icy. The selected temperature in displayed in oversized numerals you can easily read from a distance.

Capacity is impressive with space for up to 120 canned drinks. This should be more than enough for small commercial premises, and will be sufficient for most reasonable purposes at home.

The auto-defrosting feature is a welcome bonus and ensures that maintenance is hands-off and stress-free.

The compressor-based cooling is quite quiet and the convection fan onboard pushes air evenly throughout the entire cooler, avoiding those hot spots or cold spots that blight many cheap wine coolers.

Resist the temptation to store food in this cooler. It’s only designed to chill drinks. 

Although you have enough space for a decent batch of canned beverages, you won’t sacrifice too much interior real estate. This is a squat and slender cooler, and you can build it easily into your existing kitchen cabinets if you want a streamlined under-counter aesthetic.

While few wine and beverage coolers will win any design awards, this stainless steel unit doesn’t look too bad, even if it’s more functional than elegant. Let’s face it, you’re not buying a beverage cooler for the way it looks, and in terms of performance you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Things We Like

  • Single cooling zone for mixed drinks
  • Auto-defrosting
  • Even, consistent air circulation

Things We Dislike

  • Doesn’t chill cans aggressively

4. Kalamera 24-Inch Wine Cooler

Kalamera-24''-Wine-Cooler-Refrigerator-46-Bottle-Dual-Zone-Built-in-or-Freestanding-Fridge

For anyone who likes to drink both red and white wine, a dual-zone wine cooler gives you the freedom to store both types of wine at the optimum temperature, like with this Kalamera.

Measuring 24 inches across, the cooler is reasonably compact and won’t eat up too much space in the kitchen. While you can leave the unit freestanding, you could build it into your existing cabinets if you’re looking to save even more space.

Finished in stainless steel with a tempered glass door, the overall feel of this cooler is solid. The doors are also designed to keep the sun’s UV rays from harming your wine inside.

Chill your white wines in the upper cooling zone from 40F to 50F. Down below, keep your red wines chilled from 50F to 66F. You could theoretically use both zones for cooling white wine, but the upper zone is too cold for reds.

You get 5 beech shelves inside, meaning none of the labels on your vintage wines will get scratched off like they would with metal shelving. Subtle LED lights allow you to monitor your collection without opening the door.

 The total capacity is 46 bottles, but this should be considered an outright maximum. For small to medium-sized collections of mixed wine, this is one of the best beverage coolers out there.

Things We Like

  • Twin-zone cooling
  • Rugged stainless steel build
  • Freestanding or built in installation

Things We Dislike

  • Some warranty issues reported

5. New Air Beverage Cooler

NewAir-Beverage-Refrigerator-And-Cooler,-Free-Standing-Glass-Door-Refrigerator-Holds-Up-To-126-Cans

New Air has a deep bench of wine coolers and beverage coolers ideal for a variety of purposes. How does this model stand out, then?

Well, the primary purpose of this unit is for storing cans. If you drink mainly bottles of wine at home, we advise you explore some dedicated wine coolers. You will not only get more storage space, but you can also find many with twin cooling zones.

You can fit up to 126 cans of your favorite beer or soda inside this thing, giving you more than enough space to provide for a large family and guests. To put this into perspective, that’s over 20 full six-packs!

One of the main draws of this beverage cooler is the 7 presets punched in. Whether you’re chilling wine, beer, soda, or other beverages, ensure they are chilled to perfection at the push of a button, even if you have no idea of the optimum temperatures.

The generous temperature band of 37F to 64F in a single cooling zone lets you keep all your favorite beverages chilled and ready to serve.

 Whether you are looking for a new beer fridge for your man cave, an extra cooler for the kitchen, or a unit for commercial purposes, New Air hits a home run with this efficient and quiet space-saving model. Does it make the right fit for your needs, though?

Things We Like

  • Generous capacity
  • Store food as well as drinks
  • Ideal for lots of cans

Things We Dislike

  • Doesn’t get especially cold

6. Antarctic Star Beverage Cooler

Antarctic-Star-Beverage-Refigerator

This is the smallest of three models in the Antarctic Star line of beverage coolers for beer and wine.

With an internal capacity of 2.3 cubic feet, you can slide 24 bottles of wine or up to 100 cans inside this unit.

Designed to be built in rather than left freestanding, this is a compact and intelligent addition to any cramped kitchen, measuring up at 17.7 x 29.1 x 16.9 inches.

The cooling zone offers you a decent band of temperatures, from 40F through 61F. This lets you store red wine, white wine, and canned beverages at the right temperature for serving.

As with all the best beverage coolers, you can remove the shelves for ease of cleaning, and to allow you to create a customized cooling environment.

The double doors are made of tempered glass. This serves to stop the sun’s UV rays from penetrating and compromising the cooling environment.

Adjustable legs are self-leveling, ideal if you’re planning to place your cooler in a garage or basement with uneven flooring.

Despite claims to the contrary, this cooler makes a reasonable amount of noise in operation, so be prepared for this if you were expecting a whisper-quiet cooler.

 Although this is a single-zone cooler, it still provides you with enormous versatility for storing a variety of beverages at their best.

Things We Like

  • Generous capacity
  • Compressor-based cooling
  • Adjustable and removable shelving

Things We Dislike

  • Noisy and short cycles

7. Whynter BR-130SB Beverage Refrigerator

Whynter-BR-130SB-Beverage-Refrigerator

Whynter has a deep bench of efficient beer and wine coolers, so how does the BR-130SB stand and fall?

Firstly, choose from the base model offering the cooler only, or bundles including the following:

  • Coffee maker
  • Refrigerator
  • Coffee maker and refrigerator
  • Microwave
  • Tray
  • Paper towel

Each of these bundles comes keenly priced, giving you the chance to snatch a bargain if you’re in need of any of these extras.

The freestanding installation of this cooler maximizes your options when it comes to placement. Your options are further widened thanks to the reversible door. Hang this with the hinges on either side to suit and pop this cooler just about anywhere.

This cooler is designed to accommodate 120 regular sized cans, making it an equally solid choice for the home kitchen or for a small commercial outlet. Ensure you have iced beverages all summer and beyond without overcrowding your kitchen refrigerator.

You benefit from 5 removable and adjustable shelves allowing you to create the storage environment you need for you and your family.

Powerful compressor-based cooling keeps all your canned drinks icy. This is achieved without too much noise being kicked out, something we can’t say for all wine and beverage coolers.

 The stainless steel build translates to a lengthy lifespan, and this cooler can withstand plenty of rough and tumble, too. As long as you store more cans than bottles, this is one of the most effective and affordable coolers out there.

Things We Like

  • Space for 120 cans
  • Freestanding flexibility
  • Multiple configurations

Things We Dislike

  • Weak warranty

8. Lanbo Wine and Beverage Cooler

Lanbo-Wine-and-Beverage-Refrigerator

Lanbo excels when it comes to wine and can storage, with this double-doored compressor-based cooler packing a punch without costing a fortune.

Now, this is a weighty and substantial unit, so make sure you have the space to accommodate before committing to purchase. It measures 24 inches across and comes with a pair of doors.

On the left-hand side of the unit, you’ll have space for up to 18 bottles of your favorite wine. You can manipulate the temperature in this zone between 41F and 64F, giving you the latitude to store both red and white wine at its optimum temperature.

The right-hand side of the cooler has a wide temperature band, too, allowing you to chill canned beverages from 39F to 50F.

Crisp and easily navigable digital controls give you the ability to change the settings at ease, even if you’re not the greatest tech-lover.

Circulation fans efficiently push air to all corners of this cooler, providing you with a consistent cooling environment to bring out the best in all your wine bottles and canned beverages.

Most user reviews of this cooler are overwhelmingly positive, but a few disgruntled customers complain about the difficulty of comfortably storing champagne bottles. If you drink lots of bubbly, we would advise exploring some of the other coolers on our shortlist. If you’re not a huge fan of fizz, the Lanbo makes a solid and affordable option, as long as you have the space in your kitchen.

Things We Like

  • Compressor-based cooling
  • Split cooling zones
  • Broad temperature band

Things We Dislike

  • Not ideal for champagne bottles

9. Kalamera Wine and Beverage Cooler

Kalamera-Wine-and-Beverage-Refrigerator

Next up comes another entry from the distinguished Kalamera. This brand consistently delivers first-class cooling equipment, allowing you to keep all types of beverages at their best.

This is one of the best mixed-use wine and beverage coolers out there, giving you the freedom to chill both wine bottles and cans of soda or beer. You’ll have space inside for 33 bottles and up to 96 cans, with the usual proviso that this represents a flat-out maximum.

The twin zones of this cooler come with independent temperature controls. Ice your cans from 38F to 50F in the right-hand side, while your wine sits in the left-hand side of the cooler. You can adjust the temperature in this zone between 40F and 66F, so you’ll have the scope to keep either red wine or white wine at the temperature it requires.

If you experience a power outage, the temperature memory function ensures that the cooler reverts to your saved settings as soon as the power is restored.

Although we could find very few complaints concerning the cooler itself, we can’t say the same about the company’s customer service. Several disgruntled users report unresponsive and unhelpful exchanges with customer care.

Overall, this dual-zone wine and beverage cooler is one of the most flexible options at your disposal, and also boasts an impressive capacity.

Backed by a 1-year limited warranty, you have some redress if anything goes wrong, although you may get a rocky ride dealing with customer service.

Things We Like

  • Temperature memory function
  • 33 bottle and 96 can capacity
  • Twin zone cooling

Things We Dislike

  • Customer care could be improved

10. Euhomy Beverage Refrigerator

Euhomy-Beverage-Refrigerator-and-Cooler

Euhomy makes some highly effective wine and beverage coolers that also come very reasonably priced, so if you’re looking for a bargain without being forced to compromise on build quality or cooling performance, look no further.

The first thing that strikes you is the black stainless steel, a welcome change in a sea of silver appliances. Fortunately, it’s not a case of form over function here, though.

Inside this cooler, there’s over 3 cubic feet of storage space. This provides you with room for over 100 regular cans of soda. You can also remove the shelves to create storage space for a few bottles of wine. The primary application is canned beverages, so if you drink lots of wine, we’d strongly advise considering a cooler with more space for bottles.

Installation couldn’t be easier. You can either leave the cooler freestanding or build it into your kitchen cabinets to suit. The reversible door hinge adds further flexibility.

Temperature maintenance is excellent, and you can cool your favorite drinks from 34F to 50F. You’ll note this doesn’t give you a warm enough upper limit to store red wine optimally, but you’re in safe hands with crisp white wines, beers, sodas, or mineral water.

The cooler runs fairly quietly compared to similar competing models, making just slightly more noise than you’d expect from a kitchen refrigerator.

The glass doors are triple-layered to preserve the integrity of the storage environment while keeping harsh, bright light away from your drinks. White LED lights inside provide the requisite illumination without damaging your drinks.      

Overall, this is a simple but effective wine and beverage cooler. You get no bells or whistles, but you are getting outstanding value for money and a consistent cooling environment for a large stash of canned drinks.

Things We Like

  • Crisp digital display
  • Auto defrost
  • Flexible installation

Things We Dislike

  • Some issues with placement of cans

11. EdgeStar 30-Inch Wine Cooler

EdgeStar-CWBV80261-30-Inch-Wide-26-Bottle-80-Can-Side-by-Side-Wine-and-Beverage-Center

EdgeStar makes some powerful and efficient wine and beverage coolers ideal for all tastes and budgets. This model is one of the larger in the stable, and would work well for a large home or a small business.

Measuring fully 30 inches across, this cooler will dominate a smaller room, so think twice unless you have plenty of space in the kitchen.

As you would expect from a hulking unit like this, you’ll benefit from one of the most generous capacities of all the coolers on our shortlist. The split-zone cooler has room for 26 bottles of wine alongside 80 cans of drink. This should be ample for all residential purposes, and offers enough space for a bar or restaurant.

One of the key selling points here is the temperature control. The beverage cooler has a temperature band of 38F to 50F. On the other side, the wine cooler is split into two discrete zones, each with independent temperature controls. Chill your white wines in the bottom zone between 40F and 54F, while you can pop reds up above and keep them cooled from 54F to 65F.

What you’re getting with this bundle is the opportunity of picking up a pair of winning EdgeStar models and configuring them side by side. Each of the units can be left freestanding or built in to suit.

Things We Like

  • Built-in installation
  • Dual-zone cooling
  • 80 cans and 26 bottles

Things We Dislike

  • Some reported issues with temperature

12. NewAir Beverage Cooler

NewAir-NBC126SS02-Beverage-Refrigerator-and-Cooler

NewAir is a highly reputable brand in the wine and beverage cooler vertical, and this nifty can cooler shows why so many consumers place their trust in this company.

You’ll have space for up to 126 cans at maximum capacity. This should cater for large families or small bars and restaurants looking to supply chilled soda or beer on demand. If this capacity doesn’t make the right fit, choose from a smaller 60-can unit or a larger cooler with space for up 126 cans. This translates to over 20 six-packs of beer, more than enough for even a vigorous BBQ or dinner party.

The sizing of this variant makes it a good choice for dorm rooms and RVs as well as the home kitchen or man cave. The cooler would also serve as a useful office refrigerator, so you have plenty of use cases at your disposal here.

You won’t need to worry about any installation or set-up here, it’s plug-and-play simplicity.

Once you’re up and running a few minutes later, choose from 7 custom temperature settings in the range of 37F to 64F. This gives you enough scope to chill just about any cold drink to its required temperature with no need to compromise.

The double-paned glass doors are effectively tempered to keep harsh light out and ensure your drinks stay cool and unspoiled.

Despite the repeated references to food in the product listing, we would not advise storing anything apart from drinks in this cooler.

If you drink predominantly canned beverages and you need a robust, reliable, and consistent cooler, we strongly recommend this commanding NewAir model.

Things We Like

  • 126 cans
  • 7 temperature settings
  • Straightforward installation

Things We Dislike

  • No temperature gauge

13. Antarctic Star Wine and Beverage Cooler

Antarctic-Star-26-Bottle-Wine-Cooler/Cabinet-Beverage-Refrigerator

As we near the end of our showcase of the best wine and beverage coolers, we have something small but perfectly formed from the ever-reliable Antarctic Star. How does this fridge differentiate itself?

This is a wise choice if you have limited space at home but you need to store wine and/or canned beverages. How does the storage stack up, then? The shelves are designed to hold up to 26 regular 750ml bottles of Bordeaux. You can rack the wine bottle horizontally. Beyond this, you’ll also have space for canned beverages, giving you exceptional versatility.

The temperature band is broad, spanning 40F to 61F. Whether you need to chill red wine, white wine, soda, beer, or water, the Antarctic Star has you covered.

In spite of such a generous overall storage capacity, this cooler is slimline and also occupies a pretty small footprint. It’s a smart move for anywhere with limited interior real estate. This is a freestanding cooler.

Running quietly with no vibration to disturb the sediment in your wine bottles, you’ll also get soft LED lighting to bring out the best in your drinks collection without introducing any harsh lighting to spoil your favorite wine.

Backed by the standard 1-year limited warranty you get with most of the best wine and beverage coolers, you can buy with total confidence, and you’ll keep all your drinks perfectly chilled year-round.

Things We Like

  • Slender yet reasonable capacity
  • LED lighting
  • Rugged build

Things We Dislike

  • Single-zone cooling

14. Aobosi 15-Inch Wine Cooler

Aobosi-15-Inch-Wine-Cooler,-28-Bottle-Dual-Zone-Wine-Refrigerator

To round out our collection of the best wine and beverage coolers, we have yet another entry from the ever-reliable Aobosi. How does this dinky unit shape up, then?

The first thing you’ll appreciate is the slender form factor. This cooler measures just 15 inches across, making it the perfect choice anywhere space is at a premium.

This cooler is expressly designed to accommodate wine bottles, so if you need something for canned beverages as well, we’d suggest the beefier Aobosi above.

A twin-zone cooler, you’ll be able to chill red and white wines, both for short-term consumption and long-term storage. Keep your white wines super-chilled in the upper zone between 41F and 54F. Down below, you’ll have ample space for all your red wines, where the temperature range spans from 54F to 68F, ideal for the warmer temperatures reds require.

There is a lock function to prevent the temperature from being accidentally altered, and the memory setting ensures the cooler reverts to its saved settings in the aftermath of a power outage.

With room inside for up to 28 bottles at full capacity, this cooler makes a smart choice if you have a small collection of mixed ones, some for ongoing consumption, and some to be laid up for the long-haul.

Build this cooler into your cabinetry or leave it freestanding.

The compressor-based cooling is claimed to be whisper-quiet, but these claims don’t really hold water. While this cooler is not eye-wateringly loud, you can certainly expect more noise than you get from a kitchen refrigerator.

The cooler is backed by a 1-year limited warranty giving you peace of mind and one of the best wine and beverage coolers out there.

Things We Like

  • Slender and space-saving
  • Freestanding or built in
  • Twin-zone cooling

Things We Dislike

  • Not the largest capacity

Conclusion

We hope today’s comprehensive look at the best wine and beverage coolers has given you the insight you need to choose the right cooler for you the easy way.

The main distinction you’ll find when comparing these coolers is the intended purpose of storage. Some coolers are designed primarily for wine, some mainly for canned beverages, and some for mixed use. Obviously, there’s no right or wrong answer here. What’s essential is choosing what works best for you.

If you’re mainly planning to store wine in your cooler, you’ll also need to consider whether you want a single-zone or dual-zone unit. The latter affords you the flexibility to store both white wine and red wine, for short-term consumption and long-term conservation. Single-zone units work well if you only drink one type of wine.

Beyond this, we very much that our reviews point you in the right direction and help you to whittle down these coolers to a small shortlist.

Before you head off today, take a moment to bookmark Pascucci Restaurant. We bring you fresh content daily on all aspects of collecting wine and creating a home bar. Pop back soon if you don’t want to miss out!

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