Head-to-head · Best Wine Coolers

Cuisinart Private Reserve 8-Bottle Wine Cellar (CWC-800CEN) vs Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.4 vs 4.0). Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar is best for: Collectors who want one quiet single-zone cabinet for around 50 mixed bottles. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #4 in Best Wine Coolers

Cuisinart Private Reserve 8-Bottle Wine Cellar (CWC-800CEN)

4.0

1 sourceall derived$229.95as of Oct 11

Cuisinart's Private Reserve is an eight-bottle, single-zone cooler small enough for a countertop. Bon Appétit picked it as the best countertop wine fridge after using it over a period of weeks: it is extremely quiet, has adjustable shelves and gets the job done for someone who keeps only a few wines around. The complaints are that the screen shows the target temperature and not the actual one, and that eight bottles is not many.

Strengths

— Measures 10.5 by 17.5 by 17.25 inches, a smaller footprint than many microwaves per Bon Appétit
— Adjustable shelves and a single zone that sets from 39°F to 68°F, per Bon Appétit
— Limited three-year warranty

Watch-outs

— Screen displays the target temperature, not the actual temperature, which Bon Appétit says can be misleading
— Eight bottles is not very many, per Bon Appétit
— Warranty covers defects but not household wear and tear, per Bon Appétit

$229.95 · Buy at cuisinart.com Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best Wine Coolers

Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar

4.4

1 sourceall derived$1,499as of Oct 15

The Classic 80 is Wine Enthusiast's single-zone wine cellar, sold as an 80-bottle unit. Bon Appétit picked it as the best large wine fridge after weeks of use, praising its quiet running, sturdy UV-protected glass door and smooth-gliding shelves, and calling the line solid value next to pricier models. The catch is capacity: the most the tester could fit without removing all the shelves or tearing labels was 53 bottles.

Strengths

— Quieter than most of the fridges Bon Appétit tested
— UV-protected glass door feels sturdy, per Bon Appétit
— Wood-trimmed black wire shelves glide in and out smoothly even when loaded, per Bon Appétit

Watch-outs

— Bon Appétit fit 53 bottles, not 80, without removing all the shelves or tearing labels
— Five-foot cord is relatively short, per Bon Appétit

$1,499 · Buy at wineenthusiast.com Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Cuisinart Private Reserve 8-Bottle Wine Cellar (CWC-800CEN)

The smallest cooler on the page: eight bottles against 44 for the Magic Chef HMWC44DZ, 46 for the NewAir AWR-460DB and a stated 80 for the Wine Enthusiast Classic 80. It is a single-zone unit like the Classic 80, where the NewAir and Magic Chef have two zones. Bon Appétit tested it in the same guide as the Classic 80.

Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar

The largest cooler on the page by stated capacity, though Bon Appétit fit 53 bottles in it, not far above the 46 of the NewAir AWR-460DB and the 44 of the Magic Chef HMWC44DZ. Those two are dual-zone units; the Classic 80 has one zone. Bon Appétit tested it in the same guide as the eight-bottle Cuisinart Private Reserve, its countertop pick.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Cuisinart Private Reserve 8-Bottle Wine Cellar (CWC-800CEN)	Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar
Model	CWC-800CEN	—
Capacity	8 bottles	—
Zones	Single	Single
Temperature Range	39-68°F	—
Cooling	Thermoelectric	—
Install Type	Countertop	—
Dimensions	10.5"L x 17.5"W x 17.25"H	—
Weight	Less than 30 pounds, per Bon Appétit	—
Racks	3 contoured chrome racks for 750ml or 1500ml bottles	—
Warranty	3-year limited	1 year entire appliance, 3 years mechanical parts
Stated Capacity	—	80 bottles (53 fit in Bon Appétit's test)
Door	—	UV-protected glass
Shelves	—	Wood-trimmed black wire
Power Cord	—	5 feet

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