Best Wine Chillers
Remember when chilling a favorite chardonnay meant plunging it into a bucket of melting ice, then shaking it off each time you pulled it out to pour? Rest assured those days of dripping bottles is over. Its time to clear some counter space for one of the handiest bar-tending gadgets ever invented – the wine chiller. Now, if you’re like me and simply toss your vino into the fridge, you’re wondering “why even bother?”. Here’s why. Because they’re tremendously effective at keeping your wine nice and cold – particularly important on warm afternoons when you’re with friends on your deck. Now, they don’t make a warm wine cold, but they do keep a pre-chilled wine, icey. So, let’s look at our top chillers – chosen for their range of prices, temperature retention times, and ease-of-use. Ready?
Our Favorite Wine Chillers
Huski Award-Winning Wine Chiller: for Those Who Enjoy Premium Wines
Overview:
Capacity: 750 ml
Material: Stainless-steel
Chill Time: 6 hours
Special Features: Adjustable height
Let’s face it, entertaining is when we get a chance to bring out our best stuff and show off a little, right? If you’re like me, you want bar accessories that not only look great, but offer up some bragging rights to boot, and that’s where this award-winning Huski wine chiller steals the show. It’s made from premium quality, double-walled stainless steel and features vacuum insulation and internal copper plating for optimal cooling efficiency. These details also mean you get zero condensation and a dry bottle that is perfectly chilled – minus the messy drips. Best of all, it will keep any 750 ml bottle of wine, champagne or soda water nice and chill for up to 6 hours. A really unique feature that you won’t find with other individual chillers, is the adjustable height. The flexi-lock expandable design lets you pull the neck up so that regardless of the bottle shape or height, the contents are always covered and stay cold. It’s perfect for outdoor entertaining, or to take out on the boat, RV, or to the cottage. And like all good accessories, it comes in a range of colors including brushed stainless, white and a rose gold.
Pros:
- Double-walled, stainless-steel construction
- Vacuum insulated and copper lined
- Fits any 750 ml bottle
- 2019 Good Design Award, NZ Gift Fair.
- Adjustable height
Cons:
- Doesn’t work with bottles over 750 ml
If your idea of entertaining is lots of friends, a sunny deck and a chilled bottle of wine, you’re going to love this slick-looking wine chiller.
mDesign Natural Marble Wine Chiller: For Those Who Love Great Quality at a Discount Price
Overview:
Capacity: 750 ml
Material: Natural stone
Chill Time: 2-3 hours
Special Features: Multi-Purpose
If you’re all about quality, but not about pretense, you’re going to love this simple mDesign stone wine chiller. Because Carrera marble is renowned for its natural ability to retain cool temperatures better than say a similarly priced ceramic or terra cotta wine holder, it’s perfect for keeping your favorite white wines, nice and cool for hours. Clean lines, beautiful materials, and a neutral color palette mean this chiller works well in any setting – from casual drinks on the patio to a formal dinner party. And while it’s a solid, heavy-duty statement piece, it’s still light enough to just pop in the fridge for a little extra chill before you add your bottle of wine. I love that it fits with any décor and, can do double-duty when you’ve run out of wine. Seriously – why put it away? Use it to hold kitchen utensils, as a vase, or simply a piece of artwork in your living room. The look is just that classic. Now, being made from natural stone not only means that each piece is unique, but that it requires a little more care a stainless-steel chiller. So, a quick hand-wash (no dishwashers, please) and you’re ready to go.
Pros:
- Natural stone-chill capabilities
- Beautiful marble construction
- Multi-functional
- Fits any 750 ml bottle
- Portable
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a pad in the base to buffer bottle
If you’d rather spend your money on the wine than a pricey cooler, then this beautiful, natural stone chiller is an excellent option.
VINENCO Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 Wine Chiller: For The Wine Lover Who Appreciates Fun Gadgets
Overview:
Capacity: 750 ml
Material: Stainless-steel
Chill Time: 2 hours
Special Features: Aerator function
You’ve never been into plonk. You love a good quality wine that’s chilled to perfection. If it’s a red, you want to give it time to breathe and release its complex layers and bouquet. Right? Now, you may not be sommelier-worthy, but you do appreciate the best and that’s why this Vinnenco Wine Chiller with Aerator is about to become your favorite drinking buddy. You see, the big difference between this chiller and any of the others, is how it works. It comes with a slim, stainless-steel chill rod that you pop into your freezer for an hour – just long enough for the cooling gel to freeze. When ready, you simply screw the aerator onto the top of the rod and insert into your wine bottle. The chiller keeps white, sparkling, and rosé wines cool for up to 2 hours. For red wine drinkers, it cools your pinots down to the ideal serving temperature while the aerator allows air to circulate and bring out the best in your wines. And this chiller comes with all the accessories you need to pour with style – a foil cutter, stopper, storage pouch for all these goodies and even an eBook for wine tasting.
Pros:
- Stainless-steel chill rod doesn’t change wine flavor
- Keeps white, sparkling and rosé wines cool for 2 hours
- Moderates the ideal serving temperature of red wine
- Aerator attachment allows wine to breathe
- Accessories include foil cutter, stopper and eBook for tastings
Cons:
- Still need to pre-chill wine before using chill rod
If your idea of heaven is any gadget that can enhance the wine-drinking experience, then this stainless-steel chiller rod is going to make your day.
Vinglacé Stainless-steel Adjustable Wine Chiller: For The Wine Lover on the Go
Overview:
Capacity: 750 ml
Material: Stainless-steel
Chill Time: 2 hours
Special Features: Screw top holds bottles snugly
Not all wine is enjoyed in the comfort of one’s own home and that’s why we sometimes need a wine chiller that’s a little more portable than most. This is where the Vinglacé cooler is so great. In spite of it being stainless-steel, double-walled, and vacuum-insulated for a no-fail chill, its super lightweight and easy to carry in a tote, picnic hamper, or backpack. Not only that, its screw top design ensures bottles are held secure so nothing bumps around which means nothing leaks. It’s really pretty basic in terms of how it works – your bottle of wine simply wears this chiller like a coat. You pop in a pre-chilled bottle, screw the top back on and its completely sealed in the vacuum-insulated chiller. You never have to worry about your wine losing the crisp cool taste that you love and best of all, you can pour right from the Vinglacé – you don’t have to remove the bottle each time you want a glass of wine. For red wines, its ideal for maintaining your preferred serving temperature and for safely transporting your favorite bottles. Of course, it comes in a wide range of fashionable colors, too.
Pros:
- Lightweight and portable
- Durable stainless-steel construction
- Double-walled and vacuum insulated for optimal thermal
- Screw top holds bottles secure
- No need to remove bottle when pouring
Cons:
- Can’t hold bottles larger than 750 ml
If you love the idea of enjoying perfectly chilled wine, whether camping, hiking, picnicking, or more, this double-walled unit is an ideal choice.
Cooper Cooler Electric Multi-Function Wine Chiller: For The Consummate Entertainer
Overview:
Capacity: 750 ml
Material: Stainless-steel
Chill Time: 2 hours
Special Features: Chills up to 6 cans of beer
If your entertaining style leans more towards bringing friends and family over to your house to enjoy a cold bevvie, an electric wine chiller is something worth looking at. And here’s why we think this versatile Cooper Cooler is one of the best. Not only can it chill a bottle of wine in just 6 minutes, it takes only 1 minute to turn 6 cans of warm lager into cold lager. Important to note here is that most wine chillers simply keep pre-chilled bottles cold. This one actually takes your bottles from room temperature to a chilled state in just minutes. It uses a patented process that rotates beverages horizontally while simultaneously spraying them with ice water – yes, loading with ice is required. And it’s fast. Cool a 77-degree can of pop or beer to just 43-degrees in 1 minute. A handy touchpad covers all bases – choose extra chill, no-spin, or pre-set the time you want it to start up. Not only does it auto-stop when finished, but an LED light lets you know when it’s time to add ice. But there’s more, just add hot water and you can heat a baby bottle or warm a cold red wine.
Pros:
- Chills both bottles and cans
- Auto touchpad features pre-set times, extra-chill, and no-spin
- Horizontal rotation won’t impact carbonated beverages
- Includes auto-stop and add-ice feature
- Chills from room temperature
Cons:
- Need to load the unit with ice.
If you’ve been looking for a versatile, quick-chill wine cooler that can tackle any size bottle, fall in love with this unit that can also chill canned beverages.
Achieving the Right Chill Isn’t Rocket Science
Unless you or your friends are sommeliers, you’re really not going to notice whether your whites are chilled to perfection or simply cold enough. As long as you enjoy the varietal, anything above room temperature is sure to hit the spot. That said, we all know how much crisper a Sauvignon Blanc tastes when it has a good chill on. And how important it is to enjoy a nice Riesling or Rosé, while its still icy cold. That’s why you want to invest in a wine chiller. Take the bottle out of the fridge, sit it into a good chiller, and then enjoy it at a leisurely pace out on your deck. If you’re traveling and know you’ll want to enjoy a cold one when you reach your destination, a wine chiller will keep your white wines cold for hours, so its perfect for when away from home. For just a few dollars, you’ll be enjoying your wines chilled the way you want, when you want them.
A Good Quality Wine Chiller Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank
Wine chillers are designed to keep pre-chilled bottles of wine cold for an extended period of time. As such, their construction is far from complex and can make them an affordable asset to have on hand. Whether you choose the thermal-walled, vacuum insulated design or simply go with the natural cooling properties of real stone, there is a design and features at a price point that will fit your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Look for in a Good Quality Wine Chiller?
There are a number of factors to consider. How long do you need it to maintain the chill? Does it need to be portable for transport away from your home? What about size? Do you typically buy the 750 ml size bottle of wine, or do you opt for the larger 1.5-liter when entertaining? Are you okay with a chiller that needs to be refrigerated first, or would you prefer a thermal design that can keep the cold from escaping?
Should Different White Wines be Served at Different Temperatures?
While most wine drinkers won’t notice a big difference, lighter white wines should be served at around 44- 50 -degrees Fahrenheit. If your wine is a little heavier – like an oaky chardonnay, you’ll want it to be a little less chill in order to open up the layers. In that instance, aim for a lighter chill of about 50 – 55-degrees Fahrenheit.
How Long Should It Take for a Chiller to Make Room Temperature Wine, Cold?
With the exception of the Cooper Cooler we featured, wine chillers or coolers do not take a warm bottle of wine to a cold state. They simply keep a cold bottle of wine, chilled for longer. With the Cooper design, it can chill a warm bottle of wine within 6 minutes, however it is electric and it does require you add ice so you lose some of the convenience.
Can I Put My Wine in the Freezer?
If you want a quick chill, you can. But don’t forget about it, or plan to leave it in for an extended period (think, overnight), because the liquid will freeze and pop the cork or crack the bottle. And if we’re talking sparkling wine, never put it in the freezer. Any freezing process will cause it to become unstable.
Conclusion
While taking the time to keep wine properly chilled may seem excessive for those of us who simply reach into the fridge for a bottle, it really does make a difference. Not only in how long you get to enjoy your beverage, but in how well you entertain your friends and family. We’ve all seen it – a lukewarm chardonnay or tepid, too-sweet rosé that gets dumped down the sink and replenished with something nice and cold. Temperature matters. Add a couple of wine chillers to your arsenal of entertainment equipment and your bottles of white, sparkling, and rosé will stay cold and ready to pour for hours. And because today’s coolers keep condensation at bay, you’ll never have to deal with messy drips as you fill glasses. When whites are our drink of choice its because we want a light, cold, refreshing taste, so why would we compromise the experience. Today’s wine chillers are available in a number of shapes and sizes. They can be lightweight and portable or the plug-in variety that make quick work of cooling down your bevvies. And they can also do a pretty admirable job without a big outlay of cash. We’ve shopped around to find some of the best features out there so you can make your purchase and get back to the party.