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Freestanding Wine Coolers & Fridges
Freestanding wine coolers provide the best storage conditions for your wine collection, considering important storage factors such as humidity, sunlight - and of course, temperature. Take a look at our range of freestanding wine coolers & fridges below!
What makes freestanding wine coolers different to other designs such as built-in/under-counter wine coolers and integrated wine coolers is that freestanding wine coolers are designed to be placed in an open space.
What Freestanding Wine Coolers Are Available at Elite Wine Refrigeration?
We have a wide range of freestanding wine coolers with varying capacities and installation types in the UK and Ireland, the majority are in stock for delivery in 2-5 working days.
Our mid-sized freestanding wine coolers have a capacity of up to 102 Bordeaux bottles and are generally only suited for installation within a home where the ambient temperature is relatively stable as they do not have the heating ability, only cooling.
If you are looking for a freestanding wine fridge that can be installed in a garage, you should look at our wine cabinets page as generally they can withstand much lower ambient temperatures and are more suited to installations in a garage or outbuilding.
How to Install a Freestanding Wine Cooler
Be sure to check the installation requirements before placing your freestanding wine fridge in position. Typically, freestanding wine coolers need at least two inches of space around the rear and sides of the unit, as well as a minimum of 10 inches above the unit for the air to flow in and out of the appliance freely.
This means that freestanding units aren’t designed to be installed into cabinets or under kitchen counters - instead, they should be placed standing alone. Avoid placing your freestanding wine cooler around other large kitchen appliances that generate heat, such as cookers or even dishwashers. This can cause the internal temperature of your wine cooler to rise.
That being said, freestanding wine coolers are versatile - you can place them anywhere in your home. Some people prefer to have their wine fridge pride of place in their dining room, kitchen, or living room, whereas others prefer to keep them in a utility room next to their freezers and other appliances.
Freestanding wine coolers are a great choice if you have limited cabinet or kitchen space available. You can move your freestanding wine cooler whenever you like - whereas built-in or integrated wine fridges are confined to the same space.
Freestanding Wine Coolers: Key Features
At Elite Wine Refrigeration, our quality wine fridges don’t just keep your wine cool - they are full of convenient and practical features, from humidity control to UV protection.
In our collection of freestanding wine coolers, you can find modern wine coolers that feature glass doors and LED lighting, allowing you to proudly display your wine collection. Whether you choose a modern black design or a stainless steel finish, a freestanding wine fridge will always look great in your home.
Humidity Regulation
Humidity is something that is often overlooked but is an important factor when it comes to wine storage. Your wine needs some humidity for the cork to remain moist and in place.
Without enough moisture, your cork will dry out and expose your wine to oxygen, quickly ruining any good wine. However, too much humidity can lead to water droplets accumulating, soaking and destroying your labels.
The wine coolers we have for sale at Elite Wine Refrigeration feature humidity regulation to ensure your wine is stored in the best possible way. Our expert wine fridges regulate humidity between 50% and 70%.
Temperature Control
Temperature is arguably the most important wine storage factor, impacting the taste, texture, appearance, and smell of your wine, as well as how well your wine ages.
This is why our range of freestanding wine coolers feature precise temperature control - you can adjust the temperature within the range of 5°C - 20°C to match the serving temperature of your favourite wine.
Wines are generally best stored at temperatures between 11°C and 14°C - with white wines being served at a slightly cooler temperature, and full-bodied reds being best served at 14°C - 15°C.
This brings us to the next feature to look out for in our collection of freestanding wine coolers - dual-temperature zones or multi-temperature zones.
Dual Temperature Zones
We have a range of single-zone wine fridges available. Single-zone wine coolers are a great choice if you have a wine collection consisting of just one type of wine, or if you plan on storing your whole collection for years at a time.
However, if you wish to store your reds and whites at their optimal storage temperature, then you’ll need a dual-zone cooler or a multi-zone cooler. In a dual-zone wine cooler, you can store your wine at two different temperatures within the same unit.
A dual-zone or multi-zone fridge is also a great choice if you plan on storing some of your wine bottles in the long term at storage temperature while having others stored at serving temperature - if it is just the storage you are looking for a wine cabinet may be a better option.
Our multi-zone wine coolers feature polyvalent technology. Polyvalent technology allows you to achieve three or more temperatures within the same unit - with the top being warmer, and the bottom of the cooler being more chilled. This allows you to store two or three different types of wine at either serving or storage temperatures, all in one freestanding wine cooler.
UV Protection
Sunlight - or more specifically, the UV rays found in sunlight - can damage your wine beyond repair. This is why we have wine fridges with a range of door styles - from solid doors to glass doors. Wine coolers with glass doors are always UV-treated to prevent harmful UV rays from damaging the quality and taste of your wine.
We also offer handleless doors that use push-to-open technology - you simply tap the corner and the door opens. Some doors are also reversible for your convenience.
How Many Bottles Do Freestanding Wine Coolers Hold?
As freestanding wine fridges aren’t limited to cabinet space or under kitchen counters, the bottle capacity can vary. For example, we have an 8-bottle drinks fridge, as well as a 300+ bottle wine fridge for sale - and of course, everything in between.
Check out our small wine coolers today if you have limited space available - you can place a small wine fridge on your kitchen counter, side table, or even your dining room table. Alternatively, if you have a large collection, check out our range of large freestanding wine fridges. Most of our larger models feature dual-temperature zones or polyvalent technology, allowing you to store a variety of wines.
Our wine fridges are designed to accommodate standard Bordeaux bottles - so if you plan on storing larger bottles (e.g Champagne bottles), the bottle capacity will decrease.
Browse through our selection of quality freestanding wine fridges today, and be sure to check out our ratings and reviews.
The Difference Between Purchasing A Built-in and Freestanding Wine Coolers:
When it comes to choosing a wine cooler and you are unsure which one to purchase, one of the key decisions you'll need to make is whether to go for a built-in or freestanding model. Both types have their pros and cons, though, the choice essentially comes down to your personal preferences and the specific requirements of your wine collection.
Freestanding wine coolers are the more versatile of the two options, as they can be placed anywhere in your home without the need for additional installation. They are typically larger than built-in models and can hold more bottles. A perfect choice if you have an extensive wine collection and they tend to be less expensive than built-in models.
Built-in wine coolers, on the other hand, are designed to be installed directly into your cabinetry or kitchen counter. They offer a sleek and integrated look, which can be ideal for homeowners who want to create a seamless and streamlined design in their kitchen.
Built-in wine coolers also tend to be more energy-efficient than freestanding models, as they are designed to fit snugly into your cabinetry, reducing the amount of heat loss.
They also come with a range of features, including dual-zone temperature control, digital thermostats, and UV-resistant glass doors to protect your wine collection from harmful light.
If you're looking for a versatile wine cooler that can be placed anywhere in your home and offers a greater storage capacity, a freestanding wine cooler may be the right choice for you. However, if you're after a more streamlined and integrated look for your kitchen and prioritise energy efficiency, a built-in wine cooler may be a better option.
If you're looking for a freestanding wine cooler, we offer a wide range of models to suit different budgets and preferences. Our freestanding wine coolers come in a variety of sizes, from compact 12-bottle models to larger 166-bottle models.
Benefits of a Freestanding Wine Cooler for Your Wine Collection
Investing in a freestanding wine cooler can be a great decision for any wine lover. Not only does it provide a dedicated space to store your collection, but it also offers a range of benefits that can help to preserve the quality and flavour of your wine.
One of the key benefits of a freestanding wine cooler is that it provides optimal temperature control. Wine is a delicate and perishable product, and it requires specific conditions to age and develop properly.
A freestanding wine cooler provides a stable and consistent temperature environment, which helps to protect your wine from fluctuations in temperature that can cause it to spoil or age prematurely.
Another benefit of a freestanding wine cooler is that it helps to maintain the proper humidity levels.
Too much or too little humidity can negatively affect the quality of your wine, as it can cause the cork to dry out or allow mould and bacteria to grow. Freestanding wine coolers come with built-in humidifiers, which help to maintain the ideal humidity level of around 70%.
Freestanding wine coolers also protect your wine from harmful UV rays. Exposure to light can cause wine to spoil or age prematurely, which is why most wine bottles are tinted. Freestanding wine coolers feature UV-resistant glass doors, which help to block out harmful light and protect your wine from damage.
Freestanding wine cooler FAQS:
Yes, providing you meet the manufacturer's ventilation requirements and it isn't installed under a countertop then there is no issue there - we usually recommend 12 inches above the unit and 2-3 inches around the back and sides for adequate ventilation.
Providing you select a freestanding wine fridge that has either a winter system or heating ability and not just cooling, then that will be ok, the heating system is needed during the winter months when the ambient temperature can drop and then the cooler can warm the cabinet back up if need be.
The main difference between these two types of wine coolers is the ventilation requirements, your typical freestanding wine cooler will require plenty of ventilation space around the sides and rear - the majority of freestanding wine coolers are what's called a 'top mount' unit.
This means the evaporator is mounted in the very top of the unit and the cooling pipes are all located in the side walls, this means that when the freestanding wine cooler is running, the sides and top can get very hot but it isn't anything to worry about - it just means that it shouldn't be built in at all as it can force the cooling pipes to crack.
An undercounter wine cooler has all of the cooling components mounted on the underside of the wine cooler so there is no worry about overheating providing the plinth is not blocked.
Yes, the products we provide are all quiet running machines which also means it takes very little energy to run them. Low energy consumption means low vibrations as the compressor is not having to start up and shutdown all the time. All of the units we provide have the cooling system mounted on rubber dampers which means there is no vibration from the compressor and your wines can chill in peace!
Generally, freestanding wine coolers will have displays that are on the outside of the wine fridge, this usually means that the door is not reversible. You will find a few brands like Swisscave where the doors can be reversed though so please send us a message on livechat for advice.
In March 2021 the energy labels changed so that manufacturer's could start making their products even more energy efficient as we already had A+++ fridge freezers. This means that what was once rated A, was downgraded to G with a view to improve this over time.
Read more about the energy label changes, here.
Yes, the shelves can accommodate beer bottles and cans and we find that the colder temperature of 5 for the wine fridge is more than cold enough for a cold beer on a Summers day.
In short, no. With no ventilation at all, the wine fridge will overheat very quickly as the heat produced from the wine fridge will gather in the cupboard, this will then force the wine cooler to work even harder and very quickly you will find that the freestanding wine cooler loses the ability to cool - it would also void the warranty.
Some of the larger capacity models do as they are more suited to installation in outbuildings where they may hold some very valuable bottles of wine so a lock is a must. Smaller, service wine fridges probably don't need a lock as they only hold everyday drinking bottles but if you do need a lock on a smaller unit, Swisscave has a few products to pick from.
A shadow gap is essentially where a tall freestanding wine fridge is built into cabinetry, subject to the manufacturer's installation requirements, they may ask for a 10cm channel at the back of the cabinet so that the ventilation is not hindered in any way - a good example of this type of unit is the Vestfrost WFG185.
You will find an indication of the lead time on every product, just under the add to cart button - in general, we have most wine coolers in stock although some may need to be manufactured (Expo, Artevino) so they may be on longer lead times.