Wine Cabinets vs. Wine Coolers: Is there a Difference?
You love wine, so you want to make sure your bottles have a dedicated space at home. Besides, if you keep collecting bottles of your favorites, you’ll need to have a wine cabinet sooner or later. But is a wine cabinet the same as a cooler? Here’s a look at the difference between the two, so you won’t make a mistake when you shop around for a storage space that you can use for your bottles.
Temperature and Humidity
When you browse through storage options, you’ll soon find out that there are two types of wine cabinets: those that you can use as an active wine cellar and those that you use as a passive wine cellar. A passive wine cellar is basically a cabinet. You keep the bottles there. However, it doesn’t have any features that control temperature and humidity. If you store the bottles there, they won’t be protected against temperature changes. So, if it’s hot, the taste of the wine might change. On the other hand, an active wine cabinet typically comes with cooling features, door gaskets with a tight seal, and insulation. That means temperature changes won’t be a problem. That’s also how wine coolers work. They come with a cooling system, so the temperature remains at consistent levels. A custom wine cooler may also have a filter that maintains humidity levels. If you’re looking for ways to store bottles of your favorite wine, you’ll want to consider active wine cabinets or wine coolers.
Installation and Style
Wine cabinets can be large, depending on the size you choose. There are also mini-wine cabinets, but they don’t have the capacity to hold many bottles. Some wine cabinets, too, can be customized to fit unused spaces, like under the stairs or cupboards. If you’re looking for space-saving options, that’s something to consider. However, some coolers that are just the right space for tiny kitchens. Also, some wine cabinets are installed and tied to one place. Coolers, however, can be moved from one spot to another. There are, of course, stand-alone wine racks, too. But if they don’t have any of the cooling functions that a wine cooler does or that a big active wine cabinet has, that may spoil the taste of the wine if you try to store any bottles there.
Wine Racking
Wine cabinets come in a variety of shapes, materials, and sizes. You can choose whatever design you want. Some of them are stand-alone units. Some are ideal to be used on top of your kitchen counter. They’re small enough to fit. That goes for wine coolers, too, except that even basic wine coolers have a cooling system, which isn’t the same for wine cabinets. If you want your drinks cold and you want to bring those cold drinks anywhere, whether you’re in the basement doing a movie marathon with loved ones, in your bedroom catching up on a good book while drinking wine, or entertaining guests out in the garden, the cooler is an excellent choice.