Electactic 37 Bottle Wine Fridge Review: a roomy drinks cooler that’s solid but not perfect

I’ve been using this Electactic 37-bottle / 145-can fridge for a few weeks in my basement bar, and I’ll be straight: I bought it because I was tired of cramming beers, soda, and random bottles of white wine into my main kitchen fridge. I didn’t need something fancy, just a unit that stays cold, looks decent, and doesn’t sound like a jet engine. On paper, this one checks all those boxes: 4.5 cu.ft capacity, digital temperature control, glass door, and a pretty compact footprint.

In practice, it’s a pretty solid mid-range beverage fridge. It cools well, holds a good amount of cans, and the noise level is low enough that I can watch TV in the same room without being annoyed. It’s not luxury-level build quality, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. I’d call it “good enough for home use” and fine for a small bar or office.

There are some quirks though. The advertised capacity (37 bottles or 145 cans) is realistic only if you stack things carefully and mostly use standard-size cans or 750ml wine bottles. If you start mixing tall energy drink cans, bulky craft beer bottles, or weird-shaped wine bottles, you’ll lose some of that theoretical capacity. Also, the wire shelves are decent but not ideal if you want a bunch of tall bottles standing up.

Overall, after living with it, I’d say this fridge is good value if you want a reliable, basic drinks cooler with a glass door and digital controls. It’s not perfect, and there are nicer units out there, but for the price bracket it sits in on Amazon, it gets the job done without drama. If you expect premium finishes and perfect shelving for every bottle shape, you’ll probably nitpick a few things like I did.

On value, this fridge sits in a sweet spot for people who want capacity and a glass door without paying premium-brand prices. You get 4.5 cu.ft of space, a claimed 145-can capacity, digital temperature control, and a decent-looking design. For what it usually sells for on Amazon, that’s fair. You’re not paying for dual zones, wood shelves, or built-in install options, and that’s fine if you just want a straightforward drinks fridge.

Compared to cheaper mini fridges I’ve used, this one feels like a step up simply because of the glass door, better temperature control, and quieter compressor. Compared to high-end wine fridges, it’s obviously more basic. So if you’re a serious wine collector, I’d say look elsewhere. But if you’re like me and just want cold beer, soda, and a few bottles of wine ready to go, this covers that use case nicely without blowing the budget.

The main compromises for the price are: wire shelves instead of nicer glass or wood, single-zone only, manual defrost, and non-reversible door. If those sound like deal-breakers, then you’ll need to spend more. If you can live with those trade-offs, you’re getting a lot of storage and decent performance for the money. The child lock on the panel and the relatively low noise are nice bonuses at this price level.

Overall, I’d call the value good, not mind-blowing. It’s a sensible purchase if you want a dedicated beverage fridge that looks decent, works reliably, and doesn’t cost as much as the wine inside it. If you expect premium materials and advanced features, you’ll feel the limitations. If you just want something that keeps a lot of drinks cold and is easy to use, the price-to-performance ratio is hard to argue with.

From a design point of view, this fridge is simple and modern. Black cabinet, glass front door, small digital display on the top edge. It doesn’t scream “industrial” and it doesn’t scream “high-end boutique wine cellar” either. It just looks like a normal, modern beverage fridge. I put it next to a black TV stand and it blends in pretty well. The big glass door is handy because you can see what’s inside without opening it, which actually helps keep the cold in when you have guests constantly hunting for a drink.

The handle is basic but fine. You have to install it yourself with a couple of screws. It feels solid enough, not wobbly. The door has a right-side hinge only, so you can’t reverse it. That might be annoying if your space really needs a left-hinged door. For me, right-side worked, but it’s worth thinking about before buying because you can’t swap it.

The control panel is on the front with touch buttons and a digital temperature display. It’s easy to use: tap up/down to set the temperature between 32°F and 61°F. The display is bright enough to read from across the room, but not so bright that it lights up the whole space at night. There’s also a lock function, which is nice if you have kids who like pressing buttons, though it’s not some heavy-duty security lock, just a panel lock.

Overall, the design is practical and decent-looking, but nothing fancy. If you want a unit that looks super premium with wood shelves and stainless trim, this isn’t that. If you just want a clean black box with a glass door that doesn’t look cheap, this does the job. I’d rate the design as good, not mind-blowing, but absolutely fine for a home bar, office, or man cave.

Material-wise, this fridge sits in that middle ground: not junk, but clearly not premium. The cabinet is a standard painted metal. It doesn’t flex or feel flimsy when you move it. The door frame is plastic around the glass, but it feels solid enough. The glass door itself is thick and doesn’t wobble when you open and close it. The seal around the door is decent; you can feel the resistance when you pull it open, and you don’t get obvious cold air leaks.

Inside, the shelves are wire racks. This is where you really feel the cost-cutting. They work, but they’re not as nice as glass shelves or wood-trimmed shelves you see on higher-end wine fridges. The wire shelves are fine for cans and bottles lying down, but if you try to stand bottles upright, they can wobble or shift around, especially thinner glass bottles. One Amazon reviewer mentioned swapping in glass shelves from an old fridge, and I get why. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a weak point if you want nice presentation.

The interior walls are just molded plastic, nothing fancy. The LED light is small but does the job. The control panel on the front feels okay; the touch buttons respond reliably, and the temperature display hasn’t glitched so far. The handle is metal and doesn’t feel cheap, which is good because that’s the part you touch the most. No weird chemical smells inside after a quick wipe-down and some airing out.

In short, the materials match the price. If you’re coming from a regular mini fridge, this will feel like a small upgrade because of the glass door and digital controls. If you’re comparing it to high-end wine coolers with fancy finishes, this will feel basic. For a family, office, or casual home bar, I think the build is good enough, but don’t expect luxury touches.

In terms of durability, I obviously haven’t used it for years, but based on a few weeks of heavy use and reading through a bunch of Amazon reviews, I’d say it feels reliable enough for home use. The compressor doesn’t make any weird clunking noises, the door hasn’t sagged, and the seal still feels tight. I’ve opened and closed it a lot (kids grabbing sodas all day), and the handle and hinges still feel solid.

The noise level stays consistent. Some cheaper fridges get louder over time as things loosen up or start vibrating. With this one, after initial setup and making sure it was level, I didn’t notice any rattling or buzzing. If your floor is uneven and the fridge isn’t leveled properly, you might hear more vibration, so it’s worth taking a minute to adjust the feet. Once leveled, it’s just a soft hum when the compressor is running.

The manual defrost system means you’re responsible for keeping an eye on any frost build-up, especially if you live in a humid area or open the door constantly. In my case, I didn’t see any serious frost build-up in the first weeks, just a little condensation now and then, which is normal. Long term, you’ll probably want to occasionally unplug it, let it thaw, and wipe it down—standard mini-fridge maintenance.

Looking at the overall build (ETL certification, decent compressor sound, and Amazon rating around 4.3/5), I’d say the durability is good for the price range, but I wouldn’t treat it like a commercial unit that runs 24/7 in a busy bar with people slamming the door all day. For a family, home bar, or office, it should hold up fine if you don’t abuse it.

On performance, this fridge is pretty solid for the price. Once it’s cooled down, it keeps drinks at a steady temperature. I tested it mostly between 34°F and 40°F for cans, and it holds that range quite well. When you first plug it in and load it full of room-temperature drinks, it does take a while to pull everything down to temp. That’s normal, but if you’re the type who buys warm cases and expects them ice-cold in an hour, you’ll be a bit disappointed. Think several hours, not minutes, especially if you pack it full.

The compressor cycles on and off like any normal fridge. When it’s running, there is a hum, but it’s low noise. In my basement bar, I forget it’s there once there’s some background noise (TV, people talking). If you put it in a completely silent bedroom, you’ll still hear it when the compressor kicks in, but it’s not a loud rattling sound. Compared to a lot of cheap mini fridges I’ve used, this one is quieter and more stable.

The temperature range is wide enough to handle both beer and wine. For wine, I tried running it around 50–55°F and the bottles felt right for whites and sparkling. Reds are usually stored a bit warmer, so this is more of a serving fridge than a long-term cellar, but that’s what it’s marketed as anyway. It’s a single-zone unit, so you can’t have one shelf for cold beer and another shelf for warmer reds at the same time—everything is the same temperature.

One thing to note: if the room is very hot (like a garage in the summer), the fridge has to work harder, and you will notice longer cool-down times and maybe a bit more noise. That’s normal for a small compressor fridge. It’s rated around 190.5 kWh per year, which is reasonable. Overall, I’d say the performance is reliable and good as long as you have realistic expectations and don’t treat it like a blast chiller.

Out of the box, you get the fridge itself, four wire shelves (one of them wavy for wine), the handle, and some basic paperwork. No fancy accessories, no door racks, nothing extra. It’s a simple freestanding beverage fridge: 21.85" deep, 20.28" wide, and 31.5" high. That size worked well for sliding under a counter in my basement, but you do need to leave some space around it for ventilation, since it’s not a built-in unit.

Installation is pretty straightforward. Two people are better than one because it weighs around 60 pounds and the glass door is awkward to grab. You’re supposed to leave it upright and unplugged for a few hours before turning it on, just to let the compressor oil settle after shipping. Then you plug it in, set the temperature on the touch panel, and let it cool down empty for a bit before loading it with drinks. No assembly beyond screwing on the handle and sliding in the shelves.

The interior layout is flexible but basic. You get three flat chrome racks plus one wavy wine rack, all removable. That’s good if you want to switch between wine storage and can storage. For example, I ended up using the wavy rack for wine and two shelves for cans, and I removed one shelf to fit taller bottles. The LED light inside is actually useful; it’s bright enough to see what’s in there at night without opening the main room light.

Overall, the presentation is very much “functional appliance”, not fancy bar furniture. It’s aimed at people who just want a dedicated drink fridge that can handle a mix of wine and cans and don’t care about extra gimmicks. If you expect built-in locks with keys, door storage, or dual zones for red and white wine, that’s not what this is. But as a single-zone, no-frills beverage fridge, it’s pretty straightforward and easy to live with.

In everyday use, the effectiveness really comes down to how you load it. If you stick with standard 12 oz cans and regular 750ml wine bottles, it does what it claims. I easily packed in over 80 cans without even trying too hard, plus a few bottles of wine on the wavy rack. To hit the full 145-can claim, you have to stack and use every inch, but it’s believable if you’re organized and mostly using cans.

Where it gets a bit “meh” is when you mix different shapes and sizes. Tall energy drink cans, bulky craft beer bottles, and odd-shaped wine bottles don’t sit perfectly on the wire shelves. You end up removing a shelf here and there to fit taller items, which obviously reduces capacity. So yeah, it can be a 145-can monster, or it can be a flexible mixed storage fridge, but not really both at the same time. That’s just the reality of a compact unit with basic wire shelves.

For wine, the 37-bottle claim is optimistic but not insane. If you use the wavy rack and stack bottles carefully, you can get close, but again, it assumes pretty standard Bordeaux-style bottles. Anything fatter or with weird shapes will cut into that number. Personally, I used it more as a drinks fridge with a handful of wines rather than a full wine cellar, and for that mix it worked well. The temperature control is accurate enough that whites and sparkling wines come out at a nice serving temperature when set around the mid-40s to low 50s.

Day to day, it’s effective at what it’s supposed to do: keep drinks cold and easy to grab. The glass door makes it simple for guests to see what’s available, the light helps at night, and the digital panel is straightforward. It’s not some fancy dual-zone system or a long-term aging cellar, but as a practical beverage station, it works well.