Built-in and integrated wine coolers – what is the difference?

Free standing

Overall, wine coolers are divided into three different types; freestanding, built in, and integrated. The freestanding one is simple enough and can be placed pretty much anywhere as long as it has five cm of free air on all the sides.

But the confusion can arise with the other two types, since they in the eyes of many are envisioned as the same solution, that being as part of a kitchen island, a kitchen cupboard, etc. It is also true that the end result has some similarities, but there are still some important differences

Built-in

The biggest difference visually speaking between built-in wine coolers ond the integrated ones is that the built-in ones have more simple dimensions. A built-in wine cooler will almost always have a standard width of 59,5 cm. This is because it is made to replace a kitchen unit.

Most standard kitchens come with high and low cupboards that have a width of 60 cm. This means that if one of these cupboards is removed, the built-in wine cooler can be placed as a direct replacement.

One of the most common examples is if you imagine a space under a kitchen table, where a washing machine or a dish washer can be placed. Here, the built-in wine cooler will quite simply be pushed under the tabletop, while the front will be visible and flush with the rest of the kitchen’s front.

The depth of a built-in wine cooler will most often be max. 60 cm, which corresponds with most modern kitchen units but of course there are exceptions..

Integrated

With an integrated wine cooler, the wine cooler is placed inside an existing kitchen unit. This means that the kitchen unit is already in place, that being either high or low, and the wine cooler is then placed on top of a shelf inside the kitchen unit.

An integrated wine cooler is further distinguished by the fact that the actual cabinet has smaller dimensions than the kitchen unit, since it needs to be placed inside. For instance, the width of the wine cooler will typically be 55.5 cm (and always under 60 cm), whilst the door will be slightly wider and thereby cover the frame of the kitchen unit. This gives a more complete result and will fit in most modern kitchens

Air circulation is essential

Whether you are considering a wine cooler to be built in or to be integrated in your kitchen, there is one parameter that always must be fulfilled and that is air circulation. A correctly installed ventilation solution is imperative for the wine cooler to work optimally and to last as long as possible.

The simplest solution of the two is the built-in version. Here, the only requirement is free air circulation at the bottom of the wine cooler’s front. Here, the wine cooler’s grill will ensure that fresh air can come in and the hot air be pushed out.

Some wine coolers have an inserted plinth, which means that you can place your own base in front to give a more complete result. The only requirement is that there is a grill in the base.

When it comes to the integrated wine coolers, it requires a little more. Here, there must be free air behind the wine cooler, above, and below. This is because the wine cooler respectively draws and pushes fresh air in and hot air out behind the wine cooler.

Since hot air rises this must be able to escape at the top through an opening in the kitchen unit. Correspondingly, the wine cooler must be able to draw in the fresh air from below through a gap behind the shelf on which its placed, and via a grill in the bottom of the appliance the same way as on a built-in wine cooler.

The free air space behind the wine cooler ensures a constant and unhindered circulation of both the hot and cold air. If you have questions about the installation of an integrated wine cooler, we recommend that you contact one of our sales assistants for further guidance.