Loading...In this guide, we are going to compare four (ye, not five!) great cigar cooler humidors to help you find the best option to protect your cigars.
Best Wineador 2018
| Model | Capacity (cigars) | Temp. Range | Dimensions (inches) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whynter CHC-120S (Editor’s Choice) | 250 | 50 - 66ºF | 20 x 13.5 x 18.5 | Check Price |
| NewAir CC-100 | 250 | 54 - 74°F | 19.5 x 14 x 19 | Check Price |
| Whynter CWC-351DD | 16 750ml wine bottles & 350+ cigars | 46 - 66ºF | 21 x 21 x 33 | Check Price |
| NewAir CC-300 | 400+ | 54 - 74ºF | 20.9 x 18.1 x 29.2 | Check Price |
1. Whynter CHC-120S – Best Overall Wineador
If you are looking for a cigar cooler that is compact to fit in your living space or office, then the Whynter CHC-120S is a great option for you to consider.
It is only 20 inches in width, 13.5 inches in length, and 18 inches in height, which means that the 27-pound cooler can easily fit on the top of a bar or counter without taking up too much space.
The feature you would appreciate
The drawers in the unit are made from Spanish cedar, which is the best wood for preserving the flavor of the cigars and preventing pests from harming them or infesting the tobacco inside of the cigars.
In addition, the temperature and the humidity in the cooler are simple to track because of the LCD screen on the top of the door.
In General
This is a great unit for someone who is just starting a cigar collection. It does not hold a huge amount of cigars, but it is easy to maintain the temperature and humidity levels of this cooler. It also has a very professional look, so you can even keep this cooler in your place of work if you’d like.
- It has a very sleek design.
- The unit has adequate fans to circulate the air.
- It comes with very durable Spanish cedar shelving.
- This unit has a lower temperature range than other coolers.
- It’s not adequate for large cigar collections.
2. NewAir CC-100 – Best Cigar Cooler for Small Spaces
This compact cigar cooler has a design that is sleek and subtle, which makes it ideal for a home or office, and it is small enough to easily fit on the top of a counter without taking up too much space.
It also sports a Spanish cedar construction that helps prevent pests from getting into your cigar storage space and creates a pleasant aroma inside of the unit.
There is also a cool blue LED light inside the unit so that you can easily find the cigar that you are looking for without raising the temperature of the storage unit.
When it comes to the temperature of the cigar cooler, the NewAir CC-100 does not allow you to adjust the temperature of the cooler above the temperature of the room that it is sitting in. That means that if that if you want your living space to be 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the hot months of the summer, you will not be able to have this cigar cooler set at 70 degrees Fahrenheit without raising the temperature in the room to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which can become uncomfortable.
Verdict
If you are looking for a small cigar cooler to fit inside of an office or another location with limited space, this is a great option for you. With a height of 19 inches, a width of 14 inches, and a depth of 19 inches, it is sure to look great in any confined space.
- The wood is very high quality.
- The shelves can be adjusted.
- It has a digital temperature display that is easy to read.
- The hygrometer needs to be recalibrated occasionally.
- The temperature reading seems to be a bit off.
- It may not be large enough for large cigar collections.
3. Whynter CWC-351DD – Best Multi-Purpose Wineador
This is a larger cigar cooler than the ones that we have looked at so far in this guide. It is a 21 inches in width, 33 inches in depth, and 21 inches in height. The 3.6 cubic feet of this unit is designed to hold up to 400 cigars and 16 bottles of wine, which makes it a great cooler to have around when you have guests over for dinner.
Also you can control each of the compartments separately if you want your wine and your cigars stored at different temperatures.
The temperature display on the top of each door is a bit difficult to see unless you are right in front of the cooler itself, which is quite inconvenient. In addition to that, since this is a multi-purpose cigar cooler, you can expect the purchase price to be a bit high when compared to other cigar coolers.
In conclusion
If you like to drink a bit of wine as you enjoy a cigar, then this is a great option for you to consider. It is going to take up a bit of space in your home, but if you have a place to put it, you won’t regret considering this multi-function cigar cooler.
- It has a very stylish, sleek design.
- Wine and Cigars can be stored at different temperatures.
- It has a very spacious design.
- The hygrometer is not as accurate as it could be.
- The temperature range is a bit on the low end.
- It is a bit noisy.
4. NewAir CC-300 – Best Large Capacity Cigar Cooler
The NewAir CC-300 is a cigar cooler that is designed to hold up to 400 cigars. It is designed with a stylish black exterior that will match any home or office setting and the interior shelving is all Spanish cedar, which looks and smells amazing and also helps keep pests away from your cigars.
The temperature can be set from 54 degrees Fahrenheit to 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that the maximum temperature of this unit is right in the sweet spot of 70 degrees Fahrenheit that you need for the aging process!
Final words
If you are looking for a great cigar cooler that has Spanish cedar shelving and a lot of space to accommodate a large collection of cigars, then the NewAir CC-300 is a great option to consider.
- It holds quite a bit of cigars.
- The shelving can be removed and adjusted to the height you need.
- This is a very quiet unit.
- It has a low temperature range.
- It’s difficult to maintain a specific humidity level.
- The temperature reading seems a bit off.
Best Wineador Buyer’s Guide
When you are a cigar aficionado, one of the most important things that you consider when you choose a place to store your cigars as they age is the temperature. If you store your cigars out in the open or in a box that is not airtight, the temperature of the air surrounding your cigars can fluctuate, especially if you plan to age them for a few seasons before you try them out.
Protecting your cigars from temperature fluctuations is imperative, especially when these fluctuations could easily occur when the season changes and the air drafts felt in that area of your home are different.
The temperature that you store your cigars at is also going to affect the humidity level of the cigars, and if these levels are not within a certain range, it could affect your smoking experience quite a bit. If the temperature goes up too much, your cigars could become damp, and if it is a bit too chilly for the cigars, they could become damp.
With a cigar cooler, you will be able to monitor the temperature of the cooler to the degree, which helps you keep the temperature where you need it to be. There are two types of cooling systems that you can choose from. The first is a compressor system that cools quickly, but they can also pull the humidity out of the air, which can be bad for your smoking experience. A thermoelectric cooling system provides a more gradual cooling process, which allows you to keep the humidity levels in the storage unit more stable.
What are other important features to consider?
Humidity Level
Another important consideration for cigar storage is the amount of humidity that is in the storage unit. Typically, a cigar that has been stored at a humidity level that is too low will be dry, which means that the essential oils that were inside of the cigar evaporated. This will cause the cigar to lose flavor, and though it can be restored a bit, the original flavor of the cigar can never be fully restored. Dry cigars will also burn hot and fast, which can give the cigar a pungent taste that is almost bitter instead of smooth and rich.
Correlation of Temperature and Relative humidity for cigars
| Temperature °F | Relative Humidity RH (%) |
|---|---|
| 75 | 59 |
| 74 | 61 |
| 73 | 63 |
| 72 | 65 |
| 71 | 68 |
| 70 | 70 |
| 69 | 72 |
| 68 | 75 |
| 67 | 78 |
| 66 | 80 |
| 65 | 83 |
| 64 | 86 |
| 63 | 89 |
| 62 | 92 |
| 61 | 96 |
| 60 | No RH Level |
When a cigar is kept at a humidity level that is too high, it will begin to absorb the humidity in the air. When a cigar becomes damp, it will become difficult to draw, which can create an uneven burn. In addition, a cigar that is damp can create more smoke as it burns, which can make the smell of the cigar smoke overpowering and make your smoking experience less enjoyable. Too much smoke can also leave a lingering stench on your clothes that is unpleasant.
Humidors humidifiers can either be active or passive. Active humidifiers typically have a built-in sensor that is designed to determine whether more moisture should be added to the air. Units that feature an active humidifier tend to be larger, which makes them more expensive as well. Passive humidifier models utilize vapor conduction to create a specific level of humidity inside of your humidifier. This does not require any power to function, and it can be used in both small and large units.
Level of Insulation
When you have a cooler that is lacking insulation, the cool air that is being circulated in the cooler can leak out of the seals. In addition, this allows unwanted heat to get into the cooler as well, which can compromise the temperature and the humidity level of the unit.
Most cigar coolers have about two to three layers of insulation to help protect the cigars when you live in a climate that is hot most of the year like Arizona or a location like Florida where the humidity is quite high. When you are purchasing a new cigar cooler, look for double paned doors and other safeguards like rubber seals to get the highest level of insulation possible.
Level of Airflow
To keep an area cool, it needs to have a good amount of air circulation. If the air inside of a cigar cooler cannot circulate, the cigars are likely to dry out, which can make them lose flavor.
Most cigar coolers have fans inside of the unit that are designed to circulate the air throughout the entire unit while it is in storage. Without a good fan, you may need to open the humidor a few times a week to ensure that the cigars remain in great condition. Make sure that the air flow is plentiful in your new cigar cooler.
Amount of Space
Before you purchase a cigar cooler humidor, you need to consider where you are going to put the unit in your home. These coolers range quite a bit in size so you are going to need to make sure that you have the space for the unit that you purchase. In addition, a cooler for your cigars cannot be positioned just anywhere in your home because that can affect the air, the temperature, and the humidity in the storage unit. For example, if you position the cooler next to a window that allows a lot of sun into that area of the home, you may have issues keeping the cooler cool during certain times of the day.
Size of Cooler
Cigar cooler humidors come in a variety of sizes so that they accommodate your entire cigar collection and leave plenty of space for more to be added. Before you make a purchase, decide how many cigars you will have on hand at any given time.
There are models that hold 100 cigars or less as well as ones that hold over 500 cigars, so decide which is best for your cigar collection before choosing the best one to fit your needs.
Ideal Temperature for Marrying Cigars
Cigars are typically rolled in tropical areas, so there is about a 14 percent humidity level in the cigars when you first purchase them. When you store one of these cigars in a unit that is maintained at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the moisture that is already in the cigar stabilizes. This means that at this specific temperature, moisture will not be absorbed or released from the cigar, which allows the essential oils that are in the tobacco the chance to blend together and create the complex cigar flavor that many love.
The longer the cigars are allowed to sit during this aging process, the more depth your cigars will have. Though 70 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature, you do not have to have the temperature exactly at 70 at all times. However, you do need the cooler to maintain a specific temperature range that is between 54 degrees Fahrenheit and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the cooler drops below 54 degrees Fahrenheit, the marrying process stops completely, which means that the flavors in the cigar cannot blend properly. If the temperature rises above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, the chances of cigar rot increases as well.
Tips for Preparing a Cigar Cooler
When you purchase a cigar cooler, you will need to prepare it at least 24 hours before you put the cigars into the unit.
- The first thing that you need to do when you get the cooler is wipe down the interior of the unit with vinegar. Allow it to dry for at least a day, and then place a carton of baking soda in the cooler so that it absorbs the vinegar smell that remains in the cooler.
- You should allow it to sit for another 12 hours before placing your cigars inside the unit. Calibrate your hygrometer, then add 10 cigars or so a day to make sure that the temperature and the humidity readings are accurate.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are quite a few benefits to having a cigar cooler humidor in your home. Simply make sure that you regulate the temperature and the humidity to the right levels for your cigar, and you will have a great place to allow your collection to age. Hopefully, this guide has helped you choose the best cigar cooler humidor; all of the models in this guide are great options that will give you a great smoking experience.
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