Head-to-head · Best Wine Coolers

Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler vs Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor 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

Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.6 vs 4.4). Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler is best for: Dual-temp lovers who want real red/white separation under $700 with a trusted brand name behind it. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #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 →

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Wine Coolers

Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler

4.6

2 sourcesall derived$974as of Oct 11

The Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX suits the buyer who wants a real dual-zone touchscreen wine cooler under $700, doesn't need built-in flush integration, and will cap the collection around 30 bottles. The brand's name carries weight, the 3-year sealed-system warranty beats most competitors, and the 40 dB compressor is genuinely quiet. The fixed wavy-chrome shelves are the lone real ergonomic compromise.

Strengths

— Compressor cooling lasts up to 2x longer than thermoelectric alternatives at this capacity per Wine Enthusiast
— Dual independent zones with touchscreen control allow red-serving and white-aging in the same cabinet
— 3-year sealed system warranty (vs 1-year parts/labor) is longer than most competitors

Watch-outs

— Wavy chrome shelves don't slide out — bottles in the back require leaning over

$974 · 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

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.

Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler

The Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX holds 14 fewer bottles than the NewAir AWR-460DB and 12 fewer than the Magic Chef HMWC44DZ, and it is a freestanding unit where those two can also be built in. Against the eight-bottle Cuisinart Private Reserve it is a different product class: a dual-zone compressor cooler against a single-zone countertop unit.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Magic Chef HMWC44DZ 44-Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler	Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler
Model	HMWC44DZ	—
Capacity	44 bottles (16 top, 28 bottom)	32 bottles
Zones	Dual	Dual
Temperature Range	41-61°F	41-64°F (split zones)
Install Type	Built-in or freestanding	Freestanding
Door	Stainless steel door and handle	—
Controls	Electronic temperature control with LED display	—
Compressor Type	—	Compressor
Door Type	—	Full glass with black trim
Shelf Material	—	Wavy chrome
Noise	—	40 dB
Dimensions	—	33.4" H x 19.5" W x 16.9" D
Warranty	—	1-year parts/labor, 3-year sealed system

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