Dellonda Baridi 12 Bottle Wine Cooler Review: slim fridge for wine that doesn’t like it too cold

I got the Dellonda Baridi 12 Bottle Wine Cooler because I wanted something narrow that could squeeze into a small gap in the kitchen, without sounding like a full‑size fridge. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now, mostly for white wine, prosecco, and the odd beer when the main fridge is packed. I’m not a sommelier, I just wanted bottles not rolling around the salad drawer and taking up space.

My first reaction when I unpacked it was: this thing is really slim. The 27.3 cm width is no joke, it genuinely fits where a normal under‑counter fridge never would. It’s taller than I expected though, so you still need a decent bit of vertical space if you want it under a worktop. I ended up using it freestanding next to a unit, which works fine.

The other thing that stood out early on is the temperature range. It’s a thermoelectric cooler, so you’re looking at roughly 12–18°C, and it depends a lot on the room temperature. If you’re expecting ice‑cold beer or properly chilled prosecco at 5–6°C, this isn’t the right product. For red wine and people who like their whites just cool, it’s acceptable, but you need to know this before buying.

Overall, after some days of use, my impression is: it’s a space‑saving, quiet wine cupboard that lightly cools, not a mini freezer. If you understand that, it does the job. If you expect pub‑level cold drinks, you’ll probably be disappointed and start swearing at the temperature display like I did the first weekend.

On the value side, the Dellonda Baridi 12 Bottle Wine Cooler is pretty solid if your main priorities are: small footprint, quiet running, and keeping wine at a moderate serving temperature. You’re not paying a fortune, and for the price you get a slim stainless‑and‑glass unit that looks decent in most kitchens or lounges. It’s not luxury gear, but it doesn’t look cheap either, which is nice if it’s visible to guests.

Where the value becomes more debatable is the temperature range. If you only drink whites very cold or want a dedicated beer fridge, you’ll probably feel you didn’t get your money’s worth, simply because it doesn’t cool enough for that. In that case, I’d say you’re better off spending roughly the same on a small compressor‑based drinks fridge that can hit 4–5°C. You’ll lose some slimness and gain more noise, but you’ll get colder drinks.

If, however, you mostly drink red wine and just want it slightly below room temp, or you like your whites at around 10–12°C, then the value is much better. It frees up space in your main fridge, keeps bottles organised, and looks tidy. The running costs are also reasonable: 92 kWh per year is not huge, so it shouldn’t kill your electricity bill, especially if you’re not constantly opening the door.

Compared to other 12‑bottle thermoelectric coolers, this one stands out mainly for its very slim width and quiet operation. If those two things matter to you, it’s a good deal. If you have plenty of space and don’t care about noise, there are other options that cool better for similar money. So, value verdict: good purchase for small spaces and casual wine drinkers, less convincing if you want multi‑purpose, ice‑cold drink storage.

The design is clearly aimed at people with not much space. At 27.3 cm wide, it’s genuinely one of the narrowest wine coolers I’ve seen. I managed to slide it into a gap where pretty much nothing else would fit, so on that point it’s very practical. Depth and height are more standard fridge territory (about 54.7 cm deep, 74 cm high), so check your measurements carefully if you want it under a counter. It’s freestanding only, so you’re not meant to build it in tightly like some integrated models.

The front door is a tempered mirror glass. In real life, it looks fairly smart for the price. It reflects light, hides the bottles a bit, and does give the impression of a more expensive unit. The downside: it’s a fingerprint magnet. Every time you open it with slightly greasy hands, you see it. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth sorts it, but if you’re picky about smudges, you’ll be cleaning it often. Also, because it’s mirror‑like, you don’t see the bottles super clearly unless the internal light is on.

On the inside, it’s pretty basic. Black interior, wire shelves, small LED light at the top. The light is not strong, and it’s manual only, which means you have to press the button to switch it on or off. It doesn’t come on automatically when you open the door. That sounds minor, but in practice, when you grab a bottle in the evening, you end up poking around in the dark or turning on kitchen lights. For a simple appliance, I would have liked a door‑activated light, but you learn to live with it.

Noise‑wise, the design with thermoelectric cooling pays off. There’s no loud compressor. It runs at around 35 dB, which in reality is a very soft hum. I have it in an open‑plan kitchen/living area and after a day I just stopped noticing it. If you’re sensitive to noise or want it in a lounge or office, the design is suitable. Overall, the design is practical and low‑key, with some small annoyances (fingerprints, weak light) but nothing that breaks the deal.

The cooler arrived in a standard cardboard box with foam padding around the top and bottom and plastic film around the door. Nothing fancy, but it did its job. Mine turned up without any dents or broken glass, so I’d say the protection is adequate. You do need two hands to get it out safely though; at 19 kg it’s not super heavy, but it’s tall and a bit awkward to lift alone if you’re not careful.

Inside, there were a few bits of tape holding the shelves and door shut. You just remove all of that and the internal cardboard, and it’s basically ready to go. The manual is short and functional. It explains the basics: leave it upright for a few hours before plugging in (important if it’s been moved around), keep some space at the back for ventilation, and don’t expect it to cool below ambient temperature. Nothing complicated, just basic guidelines.

One thing to note is the power cord is not very long. It’s enough for a normal kitchen layout, but if your socket is far away or hidden behind cabinets, you might need an extension cable. Also, because it’s freestanding only, you shouldn’t trap it in a tight cabinet. It needs breathing space at the back and sides. I initially pushed it too close to the wall, and you could feel the back getting pretty warm. Pulling it out a few centimetres helped cooling and probably helps longevity too.

So in terms of packaging and setup, it’s no‑nonsense and quick: open box, remove tape, position, plug in, set temperature. Just don’t expect fancy unboxing or premium accessories. It feels like what it is: a basic appliance that’s meant to be practical, not luxurious. As long as you handle the glass door carefully and give it enough ventilation, there’s nothing tricky about getting it up and running.

In terms of build quality, this cooler sits somewhere in the middle. It doesn’t feel cheap like a toy, but it also doesn’t feel like a high‑end kitchen appliance. The body is fairly solid, the door lines up properly, and the hinges don’t feel loose. After a few weeks of daily use, opening and closing the door several times a day, there’s no sign of sagging or misalignment. The rubber seal around the door is also holding well and seems to close properly without needing to slam it.

The interior parts are more on the basic side. The wire racks are light and do flex a bit when fully loaded with heavy bottles. They’re fine for normal use, but I wouldn’t lean on them or overload them with random cans and bottles. If you’re constantly shuffling bottles around, you might bend them slightly over time. That said, for 12 bottles max, they hold up. I’ve had no issues with them slipping or coming loose.

The thermoelectric system itself is usually simpler than a compressor, so in theory there’s less to go wrong: no gas lines, fewer moving parts. That’s one of the reasons I’m fairly confident it will last a few years if not abused. There’s a basic fan you can hear when you get close. As long as you keep the vents at the back clear and don’t shove it into a completely tight space with no airflow, it should stay healthy. I’d avoid stacking stuff directly on top that blocks heat escape.

From what I’ve seen and from user reviews, reliability seems pretty solid for the price range. Some people online have had theirs for over a year with no real complaints beyond the temperature limit. I haven’t had it long enough to talk about 5‑year durability, but nothing so far suggests it’s fragile. It’s not built like a tank, but for a compact, budget‑friendly wine fridge, the construction is decent and practical if you treat it reasonably.

This is where expectations really matter. The Dellonda Baridi uses thermoelectric cooling, not a standard compressor. In practice, that means it’s quiet and doesn’t vibrate much, but it also means the cooling power is limited. The stated range is 12–18°C, and it’s very dependent on room temperature. In my kitchen at around 21–22°C, the cooler settled at about 12–13°C on the lowest setting. I did see it show 10°C once after running for a while with the door closed, but it doesn’t stay there consistently.

For red wine and people who like their whites just gently cooled, this range is okay. A sauvignon blanc at 12°C is drinkable and much better than room temp. But if you want properly cold white wine, prosecco, or beer at 5–7°C, this cooler just doesn’t go there. I tried putting a few beers in for a party, and they came out cool but not fridge‑cold. I ended up moving them to the main fridge an hour before people arrived. So as a beer fridge, I’d say it’s meh. It works in a pinch, but it’s not ideal.

The good point is the temperature is fairly stable once it’s cooled down and you don’t open the door all the time. I didn’t notice big swings, and the bottles at the top and bottom felt roughly the same to the touch. Also, because there’s less vibration than a standard fridge, bottles don’t rattle and labels stay intact. For wine that you’re going to drink in the short to medium term, it’s perfectly acceptable storage.

One more thing: the cooler will not go lower than the ambient room temperature, as clearly stated. So if you stick it in a very warm room or next to an oven, expect weaker performance. I had it once in a small utility room that hit 25–26°C in summer, and the display struggled to stay at 14–15°C. So, performance verdict: good for casual wine drinkers who want bottles out of the main fridge, not good if you’re chasing icy drinks or live in a very hot flat.

Out of the box, the Dellonda Baridi 12 Bottle Wine Cooler is pretty straightforward. You get the fridge itself, a basic manual, and the removable wire shelves already inside. No fancy extras, no useless gadgets. You plug it in, peel a bit of protective film off the mirror door, set your temperature on the touch panel, and that’s basically it. Setup took me maybe 10 minutes including finding a spirit level to stop it wobbling.

The control panel is on the front, just behind the glass. There are simple touch buttons to adjust temperature and turn the light on and off. The display shows the set temperature in °C. There’s no app, no Wi‑Fi, no weird smart features, which honestly I’m fine with. It’s a wine fridge, not a spaceship. For anyone who likes simple appliances, that part is good.

In terms of layout, there are several wire racks that slide out so you can adjust for bottle height. The brand claims 12 bottles, and yes, you can get 12 standard 75cl bottles in there if you stack it properly and don’t use chunky champagne bottles everywhere. As soon as you throw in fatter bottles, you start to lose capacity and have to shuffle things around. I ended up with something like 9–10 mixed bottles comfortably without wrestling the shelves.

One thing you notice quickly is that this is single zone only. So if you were dreaming about having one section for reds and one for whites at different temperatures, that’s not happening. It’s one temperature for everything. For my use (mostly whites and sparkling plus the odd red), it’s fine, but if you’re serious about different serving temps, this is a bit basic. In short: what you get is a narrow, simple, no‑nonsense unit that focuses on fitting in tight spaces rather than doing fancy tricks.