Head-to-head · Best Wine Coolers

Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler vs NewAir AWR-460DB 46-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler

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

Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.4 vs 3.5). Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler is best for: Under-counter or bar installs where sturdiness and capacity for the price come first. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Wine Coolers

Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler

4.4

1 sourceall derived$698as of Oct 15

The Magic Chef HMWC44DZ is a 44-bottle, dual-zone cooler with a stainless steel door and shelves that installs built-in or freestanding. Reviewed tested it in its refrigerator lab and names it one of its two favorite wine coolers, calling it a sturdy wine fridge with reliable shelving and good storage capacity. It ran 1°F to 4°F warm in Reviewed's temperature tests, its shelves do not adjust, and testers heard a small hum.

Strengths

— Named one of Reviewed's two favorite wine coolers after lab testing
— Sturdy: Reviewed never doubted the stainless-steel shelves would support the bottles
— Reviewed was impressed with the number of bottles it holds for its price

Watch-outs

— Ran a little warm in Reviewed's tests: zones set to 60°F and 55°F held wine at 61°F to 62°F and 58°F to 59°F
— No adjustable shelving, and fitting different size bottles took some maneuvering, per Reviewed
— Reviewed noted a small hum that the more silent models it tested did not have

$698 · Buy at homedepot.com Full review →

Ranked #5 in Best Wine Coolers

NewAir AWR-460DB 46-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler

3.5

1 sourceall derived$839.99as of Oct 11

The NewAir AWR-460DB is a 46-bottle, dual-zone compressor cooler that can be built in or left freestanding. Reviewed tested it in its refrigerator lab and came away split: the wood shelves and full-cavity blue LED lighting were highlights, but the outer shell did not feel as solid as the other fridges it evaluated, opening the door nearly tipped the unit over, and the wine sat about 5°F warmer than the zones were set.

Strengths

— Wood shelves are beautiful, sturdy and easy to pull in and out, per Reviewed
— Blue LED lighting runs through the whole cavity and helped Reviewed's testers find bottles in the dark
— Locking door

Watch-outs

— Outer shell materials did not feel as solid as the other wine fridges Reviewed evaluated
— Opening the door nearly tipped the fridge over during Reviewed's testing
— Ran warm in Reviewed's lab: zones set to 55°F and 50°F held wine at about 60°F and 55°F to 56°F

$839.99 · Buy at newair.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

Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler

Reviewed tested this Magic Chef and the NewAir AWR-460DB in the same lab. It called the Magic Chef sturdy and a favorite and faulted the NewAir's outer shell; the Magic Chef also held closer to its settings (1°F to 4°F warm against about 5°F). The NewAir answers with pull-out wood shelves and two more bottles of capacity (46 against 44). The Cuisinart Private Reserve holds eight bottles, and the Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 is a single-zone cabinet.

NewAir AWR-460DB 46-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler

Both this NewAir and the Magic Chef HMWC44DZ are dual-zone coolers that Reviewed tested in the same lab and that can be built in or freestanding; the NewAir holds 46 bottles to the Magic Chef's 44. Reviewed called the Magic Chef sturdy and named it a favorite, while it faulted the NewAir's exterior build. The NewAir ran about 5°F warm against 1°F to 4°F for the Magic Chef. The Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 is a single-zone cabinet, and the Cuisinart Private Reserve holds eight bottles on a countertop.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler	NewAir AWR-460DB 46-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler
Model	HMWC44DZ	—
Capacity	44 bottles (16 top, 28 bottom)	46 bottles
Zones	Dual	Dual
Temperature Range	41-61°F	40-50°F upper zone, 50-66°F lower zone
Install Type	Built-in or freestanding	Freestanding or built-in
Door	Stainless steel door and handle	—
Controls	Electronic temperature control with LED display	—
Compressor Type	—	Compressor
Door Type	—	Double-paned, UV-protected glass with lock
Shelf Material	—	Beechwood
Noise	—	39 dB
Dimensions	—	33.00" H x 23.40" W x 22.40" D (24.00" D with handle)
Weight	—	104 lbs
Warranty	—	2-year

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