The under-counter refrigerator can be a practical and aesthetically pleasing addition to any kitchen.
Whether it is in your home or at your business, for wine or soda, stainless steel or glass, there are plenty of options.
Below are some of the best under-counter refrigerators reviews on the market, followed by a buyer’s guide and a FAQ section.
hOmeLabs Beverage Under-Counter Refrigerator and Cooler
Pros
- Best Value
- Glass Door
- Easy Controls
Cons
- Slight Rattle Sound Occasionally
This hOmeLabs under-counter refrigerator is an affordable and versatile option for your home or business.
The transparent glass is one of the nicer aspects of this unit. Knowing what you have and how much of it you have at a glance is convenient.
The door hinges are adjustable, so you can have the door swing open to the left or swing open to the right. This can be crucial if you are going to fit this in between two cabinets, for example, you can adjust the door to open in the direction that makes the most sense.
The 120-can capacity ensures that you will never have a shortage of beverages at your home or office. This unit goes down to 33 degrees Fahrenheit, a few degrees lower than a lot of its competitors. It is equipped with a digital thermostat which can be easily adjusted.
The under counter fridge is almost silent while it is running. The adjustable shelves allow you to make room for bigger bottles if need be.
Phiestina 15 Inch Under-Counter Refrigerator
Pros
- Design
- 1-Year Warranty
- Compact Size
Cons
- Capacity
- Price
This under-counter refrigerator looks like it belongs in a man cave. The blue interior lights, the glass door, stainless steel border and silver door handle give this unit a distinct appearance.
This unit is smaller and more compact and can be fitted snugly into your kitchen in a way which will blend in perfectly.
Like the hOmeLabs unit, this refrigerator also comes equipped with adjustable shelves which can be removed to fit larger contents.
There is a lock at the bottom of the unit which is a nice touch in case you are keeping something inside that you don’t want people having easy access to, such as wine.
The temperature can be adjusted easily using the buttons at the top of the refrigerator right behind the door. This unit can go down to about 36-38 degrees.
KUPPET Retro Mini Under Counter Fridge
Pros
- Great Value
- Retro Design
- Freezer Section
Cons
- Humming Noise
- No Glass Door
The KUPPET mini-fridge is something completely different than the first two units, or any of the other units within this review for that matter.
It is the type of thing some people will love and some people will hate.
‘Retro’ is certainly not a misnomer; this refrigerator looks like a short trip back in time to the 1970s or so. Although it is very different and a throwback, this particular aesthetic is one that people are rather drawn to.
The blue color is bright and can add life to a room. The interior of the unit is more like a standard refrigerator, less like a beverage cooler.
As you may expect, the temperature control inside is not digital, it is analog.
While the unit is running there is a slight humming sound which is noticeable but not particularly bothersome.
Inside, there is a small freezer section where you can keep ice cream or whatever else.
This under-counter refrigerator is affordable and can be a good option for a kitchen, dorm room, or office. However, it has a more niche design and so it might not be the ideal product for everyone.
Antarctic Star 36 Bottle Beverage Cooler
Pros
- Design
- Capacity
- Affordable
Cons
- Versatility
- 40 Degree Lowest Temp
This refrigerator looks like it’s where Darth Vader keeps his wine on the Death Star.
The sleek, black design with the minor steel details around the outside makes this unit very appealing. Placed between two cabinets in a modern kitchen, this unit would fit in perfectly.
For the capacity and features, the price of this unit is reasonable.
This might seem like a minor thing, but the double pane glass can keep out UV rays. When you are considering keeping wine in pristine condition, these factors should be taken into consideration.
This unit is dead silent, you won’t be able to tell it’s there with your eyes closed.
While it is not exclusively limited to wine storage, the company had wine in mind in terms of the design. The spacing inside is specifically designed to store as many wine bottles as possible, with an area for cans at the bottom. As with other units, the shelves are adjustable and so if you have something else in mind you will have some freedom to augment the interior.
Aobosi 24 Inch Beverage Cooler
Pros
- Capacity
- Temperature Control
- Versatile
- High Quality
Cons
- Expensive
- Very Heavy
Aobosi makes a high-quality machine and it is reflected somewhat in the price. This product, as opposed to those above, comes in at a higher price tier.
The unit, with its stainless steel design and glass door, will be a great addition in the kitchen. It can also act as a standalone, especially considering this product’s size is a bit larger than the others reviewed thus far.
The unit runs very quietly and maintains the exact temperature set at all times. It is very easy to set up, just plug it into the wall and you are ready to go.
Where the Antarctic Star refrigerator is geared toward wine storage, this unit is designed with cans in mind. It works just as well for wine, but the way the shelves are designed there is a capacity for 164 cans!
The unit is sturdy, built for quality and shipped with care.
Lanbo 30 Inch Built-in Dual Zone Beverage Cooler
Pros
- Dual Zone
- Great Design
- Capacity
- Great Warranty
Cons
- Big and Heavy
- Expensive
The Lanbo is one letter away from what would be its vehicle equivalent, the Lambo.
This under-counter refrigerator comes equipped with two-doors, and each side is suited for different purposes.
Of the products reviewed, this provides the largest capacity. It is also designed with both wine and cans in mind, with each side’s interior fitted accordingly.
In addition to the shelving, each side can also have its own temperature set. If you have wine behind the left door, set it to 50 degrees or so. And if you have beer behind the right door, you can turn that down to about 35 degrees.
The company has a great reputation for solving problems and providing effective customer service in the event of any issues with the product.
The Lanbo’s design makes it a great fit for a modern kitchen. At the same time, due to its wider body, this unit looks very good as a standalone in the corner of a room. Some of the other units stick out a bit when placed on their own, this unit looks appropriate under any circumstances.
Avallon AWC241SZLH
Pros
- Highest Quality
- Even Cooling
- Capacity
- Gliding Shelves
Cons
- Very Expensive
- Slightly Awkward Size
This unit’s stainless steel frame and glass door makes it a perfect fit in a modern kitchen. The glass, similar to some of the models above, prevents any UV rays from affecting the wine.
The cooling system in this unit is a bit more advanced than in most of the other refrigerators explored throughout this article.
A lot of under-counter refrigerators use a cooling system in which there is a cooler located at the top and it is constantly blowing in cold air to the unit. This creates an environment where the interior is not quite evenly cooled.
When it comes to more budget options, even the best-reviewed products have trouble avoiding this problem.
For most people, it is no real issue. However, this wine cooler is more geared toward someone with a very nice wine collection. Thus, the cooling system in this refrigerator keeps the whole interior cooled evenly. It creates the ideal temperature condition for preserving wine.
Further, you can see the quality level of this unit when examining the shelves. They are also made of stainless steel and well put-together. You can smoothly and easily slide out whichever shelf you choose.
How to Choose the Best Under-Counter Refrigerator – Buyer’s Guide
The most important question when it comes to deciding what type of under-counter refrigerator is: What do you need it for?
The seven products above are all rather different. There is some overlap when it comes to a few of them, but depending on what you have in mind, one might be a far better option than another.
Price
When making this type of purchase, the price is going to be one of, if not the most important factor.
There are units in this article which are just over $200, and there are units which are just under $1,200. So what exactly are you paying for; what makes such a large difference? Please note that few of the units are absolutely perfect for commercial use also.
Capacity
Naturally, as these units get larger, the price usually increases. That’s not a definite rule, but it is especially true in the $200-500 range.
A lot of these under-counter refrigerators come in different sizes, that’s the best way to observe this factor.
Take the Antarctic Star unit. The model reviewed above is the 36 bottle version, the largest offered. But there is also a 26 bottle version and a 16 bottle version. Both are less expensive than the 36 bottle version since the only difference between the three is the size.
There are models which were left out of this review where the capacity level gets absurd, as does the price (nearly $2,700). One of those models is an Edgestar refrigerator which can store 332 bottles of wine. It did not seem practical to include something like that, it is pointed out to illustrate how capacity can affect price.
Hardware
The material and hardware can have a primary impact on the price of the unit.
Almost any of the higher quality refrigerators are going to be made with stainless steel as well as double-pane glass to keep out UV rays.
The less expensive models might not come equipped with the special glass. If all you are keeping in the unit is soda or beer, that won’t be an issue for you. For someone looking to store wine long-term, it might be something worth considering.
Cooling System
The cooling system appears to be the most substantial factor with regards to price tiers. Usually, the difference between a $300 unit and a $700 unit, which are the same size, is going to be the cooling system.
The importance of the cooling system was briefly described above in the Avallon review.
Essentially, the lower price tier is going to get you the most basic cooling system. In such a system, the bottom of the refrigerator is the coldest part. It does not evenly spread the cold.
With the more advanced cooling systems, the cold is going to be spread as evenly as possible. In a system like the Avallon, you can be sure that a bottle of wine in the top-right corner is the same temperature as a bottle in the bottom-left corner.
This factor explains the difference in price between the hOmeLabs unit and the Phiestina unit.
Wine
If you are purchasing the unit for wine, certain factors become a lot more important and other factors become unimportant.
As you may have noticed, some of these machines get colder than others. For one, the coldest temperature might be 33 degrees. For another, it may only go as low as 40 degrees.
If you are purchasing an under-counter refrigerator for wine purposes, it doesn’t matter if the unit only goes down to 40 degrees. The best temperature to keep wine, according to most experts, is basically between 45 degrees and 60 degrees.
With that being said, the customer looking for a unit to keep wine cool does not need to heavily consider how low the temperature goes. There is a rather wide temperature range where they may keep their wine, any refrigerator is going to fulfill that.
However, given the delicate nature of wine, the temperature must be evenly spread throughout the interior. It is especially necessary if your wine collection consists of older bottles.
For this reason, the wine collector may want to consider exploring the higher price tiers where the cooling systems are more advanced.
Beer & Soda
If the refrigerator’s purpose is to be an addition to your man cave, for example, you need not be quite so concerned with the even distribution of cold inside the unit.
If you have the money for it, why not, but for most people, they simply want to have a more convenient place to keep beer and soda. If that is the case, capacity will probably be a more determinative factor than the cooling system.
The budget-friendly options will be more than enough to meet your needs.
FAQ
Q1. Is it okay to use these refrigerators for food?
It depends on the model, most of them will specify. Mostly, these units are intended to cool beverages rather than food.
Q2. Do these units use a lot of power?
Even the least power-efficient models don’t use much electricity. Regular-sized refrigerators use far more electricity.
Q3. Is an advanced cooling system necessary?
Not necessarily. If your goal is to preserve high-quality wine, then yes. Otherwise, it might not be necessary.
Q4. Will it fit under my counter?
All of the units above are designed to be able to fit under your counter. Each of them are slightly different sizes, and some of the specific units come in different sizes so surely you can find one that will fit the size you need.
Q5. Will it make a lot of noise?
Most of these units run quiet, even the less expensive models. Some of them tend to make a buzzing noise occasionally. Specific information on that can be found via customer reviews.
Q6. What’s the difference between a cheap model and an expensive one?
Usually, it is a combination of the cooling system, the capacity, and the hardware.
Q7. Can I put wine and beer inside at the same time?
One of the models listed above is a dual-zone unit. This means that it has two sides, each of which can be kept at its own temperature. In that case, you can keep beer on one side and wine on the other.
If it is only a single zone unit, you will probably not want to keep them together. You’ll either have wine that’s too cold or beer that’s too warm.
Q8. If I have big wine bottles, will they fit?
There is a standardized wine bottle size. All of these units are fitted for that standard size. If you have larger bottles, you will most likely need to remove a shelf or two.
Q9. Can I keep this in my backyard?
Some of these under-counter refrigerators are more durable than others. Therefore, some might be suited for outdoor use. However, all of these product descriptions advise indoor-use only.