With the rise in popularity of sparkling wine and champagne, wine lovers have an increasing interest in sparkling wine accessories like champagne chiller buckets, champagne stoppers, and wine refrigerators. There’s a wide range of champagne buckets—also called champagne coolers and champagne holders—on the market, and these buckets are available at many price points. Here, we take a deeper dive into these products to help you make the best decision!
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Before Buying a Champagne Bucket
Do I need a champagne chiller bucket? Let’s try to answer that question for you by delving into the reason for their existence.
What is the Ideal Temperature for Serving Champagne?
Champagne and most sparkling wines taste best served at 8 to 10 C (47 to 50 F). When champagne is too cold, it’s difficult to detect flavors and aromas. When champagne and many sparkling wines get above 12 C (or 55 F), then the wine can taste a little “flabby” (less crisp and refreshing).
In summary, champagne and sparkling wines should be chilled before serving, and they should be kept cold while drinking for maximum enjoyment.
What is the Best Way to Chill Champagne?
On the internet, one can find dozens of methods for chilling champagne, but we prefer to go with what the pros do - using a champagne holder filed with ice and water. Why is using a champagne bucket the preferred method for sommeliers and wine professionals?
First, it takes twenty minutes to an hour to chill wine by simply placing it in the freezer (likely a full hour if the wine is at ambient temperature). Also, if you forget about wine in the freezer compartment, you’ll have a messy disaster on your hand when the cork dislodges!
Cooling champagne in a refrigerator? It will take up to two hours for a wine to go from ambient temperature to 50 F.
What about my wine cabinet? Most wine refrigerators don’t get champagne or sparkling wines cool enough, so in addition to having a small wine refrigerator, you may also want a bucket for chilling.
Champagne or sparkling wine that’s been cooled to 50 F will quickly warm up in ambient temperatures - even faster in warm weather. Once that chilled bottle of wine is opened, it will ideally be placed in an ice and water bath inside a champagne bucket. For this reason, champagne lovers may want to consider purchasing a champagne cooler bucket to keep the wine at serving temperature throughout a meal or evening.
How Do I Use a Champagne Bucket?
PRO TIP:
In a rush to chill down your champagne? Simply use soda water instead of tap water.
Simply fill the champagne bucket about 3/4 full with ice. Then, add water until the water line is about halfway up the side of the bucket. Finally, place the champagne or sparkling wine into the chiller bucket. If you are in a particularly warm location, consider covering the wine and bucket with a towel to reduce the speed of ice thaw.
Never try to “pile drive” a glass bottles into a bucket of ice. For one thing, it will be a noisy process! Even more importantly, you could damage the bottle’s label or even cause a bottle to break if you hit it on a sharp piece of ice.
What to Consider When Purchasing a Champagne Chiller Bucket?
There are a number of factors to consider when purchasing a champagne bucket.
Single Bottle Champagne Bucket - Or More?
The first major consideration when purchasing a champagne holder is the number of bottles you would like to chill. Champagne buckets that hold one or two bottles are sufficient for most wine lovers. However, if you entertain large crowds, consider getting a bucket that holds a minimum of four bottles of wine. Also, you may want to check out our article on champagne bottle sleeves, which are a portable alternative to a champagne bucket.
Construction of Champagne Bucket
Acrylic champagne buckets are typically your best bet for a cheap champagne bucket.
For those wine enthusiasts who don’t want a see-through ice bucket, and who are seeking to replicate a restaurant experience in a home or special events venue, stainless steel is typically the way to go.
Folks wanting something a little different than stainless may seek out hammered copper, hammered aluminum, or another decorative champagne bucket.
If you are looking to splurge, then consider silver or crystal champagne buckets.
Single-walled or Double-walled Champagne Bucket?
Regardless of the construction, consider if you want a single-walled or double-walled champagne bucket. Note that a single-walled champagne bucket may sweat, causing water to pool under it. This might be fine if you’re primarily using it outdoors (say, on a patio), but if you plan to entertain indoors, double-walled may be a better fit.
Champagne Bucket With or Without a Stand?
Finally, do you want the champagne holder to stand by itself or simply sit on the serving table? Using a stand will free up some serving space, as well as reduce the likelihood that the bucket sweats on a countertop. A champagne bucket sans stand saves you from having to store both a stand and champagne bucket.
Best Champagne Buckets
Below find five of our favorite champagne buckets based upon the size, type, and construction.
Best Single Champagne Bucket (Includes Stand)
This single champagne bucket with a stand comes in stainless steel. What we like about this wine chiller is that it has handles for carrying the bucket to prevent smudging as well as to easily move the bucket and its contents.
The bucket and stand are also solid and heavy - the combined weight of the stand and bucket is six pounds. If you are looking for a champagne bucket with a stand to put next to a hut tub or a raised table, this might be a good one for you. A floor standing champagne bucket can also be a great addition to decor for true wine lovers!
Pros:
Simple, elegant look
Robust 18/8 stainless steel construction
Can be used indoors or outdoors, with or without stand
Cons:
We wish that the bucket was about one inch taller so that the neck of champagne bottles don’t stick up so much
Best Multi-Bottle Champagne Bucket
If you entertain frequently or are looking for a relatively smudge-free stain stainless steel, this may be the multi-bottle champagne bucket for you.
The bucket comes in stainless steel and also in copper. In addition to keeping champagne cold, the bucket can accommodate sodas and beer. The bucket holds up to four wines comfortably.
When not in use, one could use the bucket as a decorative planter if storage space is tight.
Pros:
Constructed out of 18/8 stainless steel
Double-walled for sweat-free experience
Available in stainless steel and copper
Cons:
Large size (15.4 x 7.5), might be difficult to store if you have a small home
Best Clear Single Wine Champagne Bucket
Perhaps simply you need an affordable champagne bucket that doesn’t “look cheap”. This could be a good option if you need more than one champagne bucket for weddings or a corporate celebration.
Pros:
Diamond-shaped texture hides the appearance of partially melted ice
Acrylic is light, yet strong
Won’t tip over with a bottle in it
Cons:
Susceptible to scratching
Single-wall, needs a tray or towels under the bucket for use on a wood table or in case of high outdoor temperatures as the bucket may sweat while the ice melts
Best Crystal Champagne Bucket
If you are looking for a crystal champagne cooler that doubles as a piece of art, consider the Riedel Crystal Champagne Cooler. And it comes in 2020 Pantone color of the year - classic blue! This is handmade, mouth-blown crystal champagne cooler made in Kufstein, Austria. The Riedel company has been making fine glassware in Austria for over 250 years and is lead by 10th generation businessman and glassmaker Georg Josef Riedel. This is much more than just a champagne bottle holder and provides a beautiful alternative to the traditional metal champagne bucket!
Pros:
Collector’s item
Handmade
Cons:
Not double-walled
Best Luxury Champagne Bucket
This sturdy, multi-bottle champagne chiller in crafted in a French style. We love the the Fleur di Lis crest. This champagne bottle holder is a spurge, but it will last forever and look beautiful when you entertain!
Pros:
Collector’s item, classic Old World style
Hand cast
Holds several bottles at once
Cons:
On the pricier side
Best Double-Walled Champagne Holder
This champagne chiller features a double-walled construction that insulates chilled bottles, keeping them cold for hours! And it works for white wine bottles as well as champagne bottles. Perfect for those really hot summer nights.
Pros:
Double-walled insulation keeps bottle cool for a long time
Sleek design
Cons:
Only holds one bottle
Champagne Ice Mold Ice Bucket
Prefer a champagne bucket that looks a little more “outside the box”? This single bottle champagne bucket allows you to design your own champagne bottle sleeve with ice and fruit. If you are looking for a fun gift for a champagne lover on your list, this might be just the thing!
Pros:
Fun!
Unique
Cons:
May be time-intensive to set up properly
Best Cheap Champagne Bucket
And by “cheap,” we mean budget friendly! This is good quality, made-in-the-USA champagne bucket with a price point that definitely won’t break the bank. This is an ideal champagne bucket if you’re hosting an event and want a champagne chiller bucket on every table.
Pros:
Very affordable
Can buy several at once for entertaining
Cons:
Not double-walled
Not as sturdy as other champagne chiller buckets
Champagne Buckets Wrap-Up
The main purpose of a champagne bucket is to chill a bottle of wine and keep wine cold throughout the drinking experience, preferably between 8 and 10 C (47 to 50 F). We recommend choosing a double wall champagne bucket so that you don’t get condensation on a permeable surface like wood.
As you can see, there are many types and styles of champagne buckets available at all price points. Whether you go with a metal champagne bucket, a crystal wine bucket, or a luxury work of art wine bucket, we hope you find one that meets your needs!
Do you have a favorite champagne bucket? If so, let us know in the comments below.
Cheers!