Are you looking for the perfect place to store your cigar collection? How about a wineador. Wineadors are primarily wine coolers, but they can be converted to a humidor to store your cigar collection, genius, right?
A wineador is a controlled environment where temperature and humidity are kept at a stable and constant level. Much like fine wine, cigars need to be stored in a cool environment with consistent temperature and humidity levels. If you reside in areas with hot temperatures, getting a wineador is the best way to store your stogies.
Asides from the functional advantages, wineadors are very attractive and sophisticated. They have see-through doors and UV light to beautifully display your collection.
It is a known fact that the rule is that premium cigars should be stored in accordance with the 70/70 rule; this means they should be kept at a constant temperature and relative humidity of 70°F and 70%, respectively. If cigars are not stored properly, they could dry out or, worse, grow mold, and this is a terrible loss.
A wineador is a great investment; they are reliable and easy to set up. If you have been thinking about investing in this incredible product, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we have provided you a list of the ten best wineador cigar coolers available on the market.
Before we dive in, you can read the following articles for more information on how to care for your cigars
Best Cigar Humidifiers For Your Humidor
Why You Need a Wineador
- If you are a cigar aficionado, a wineador is the best way to store your cigar in an environment with controlled temperature and humidity. If you live in a really hot, arid region, then you most certainly need a wineador. Heat and cigars do not mix well; the heat dries up your cigar and completely ruins the aroma and flavor. Cigar coolers have controls or buttons that allow you to control the temperature inside the cooler. Temperature has a molecular effect on humidity, so if the temperature is too hot, it’ll affect the relative humidity in that area.
- To store a cigar, you need constant air circulation. This keeps your cigars fresh and maintain their flavors. Wineadors have an inbuilt fan that helps to circulate air in the cooler. This ensures that the cool air reaches every corner of the cooler, so your stogies remain fresh. The fan ensures that the humidity in the cooler is evenly dispersed throughout the wineador
- Another reason to get a wineador is that it is a beautiful and sophisticated way to display your collection. A lot of woneadors have UV light inside them to make your collection more attractive. Along with the glass doors, there’s really no better way to display your prized possessions.
Preparing and Seasoning Your Cigar Cooler
Much like a humidor, your wineador needs to be seasoned before use. You should leave your cooler to prepare for about 24-48 hours before use. This is because most coolers have cedar shelves, making them smell like cedar when they arrive; also, their plastic interior gives them a slight factory odor, which is temporary. To season your cooler, follow these steps°
- Take out the cigar cooler from the packaging. Open it and leave it unplugged.
- Get distilled vinegar, you can find this at your local grocery store, a sponge, and baking soda.
- Wet the sponge a little bit with the distilled vinegar; be careful not to soak the sponge. Use it to wipe the inside of the wineador.
- Leave the wineador open until it is completely dry.
- Plug the cooler into a socket and leave the carton of baking soda inside it. Leave the baking soda in the cooler for about 12 hours; this is so it can get rid of any remnant vinegar smell in the cooler.
- Lastly, calibrate the wineador. You can buy another hygrometer to help monitor the temperature and humidity readings of the cooler.
After seasoning your cooler and recalibrating the hygrometer, you can start storing your cigars. We’ll advise that you store 10 of your cigars every day so you can monitor the temperature and humidity and adjust when needed.
Humidification
The humidification process in a humidor is the same as in cigar humidors. It is advisable to use a two-way humidification method like boveda packs, Xikar beads, or any other similar process. The two-way humidification ensures that things don’t get too wet or too dry inside the cooler.
Choosing the best wineador cigar cooler can be a bit of a hassle, especially because they are still pretty new in the market. This is why we have done intensive research and put together a list of the five best wineador cigar coolers you can find.
The Five Best Wineador Cigar Coolers Are Reviewed Below
Quick Navigation
The five best wineador cigar coolers, along with their specification and key features, are listed below.
1
NewAir CC-300 Cigar Humidor Digital Cooler
The NewAir CC-300 Cigar Cooler is a large capacity cooler that can store up to 400 cigars. It operates quietly with its thermoelectric cooling technology that can maintain a temperature as low as 54°F. This thermoelectric cooling system is driven by a fan, and it operates with no vibrations. It has an inbuilt thermostat that can adjust the temperature in 1-degree increments, which is best for regulating the temperature to suit your needs.
Its shelves can be adjusted and removed to create more space to store even more cigars; it features two full-sized drawers and four slide-out shelves. The best part is that these shelves are made from Spanish cedar, which has a great advantage on your cigar. Spanish cedar shelves are known to improve the flavor and aroma of your stogie; it also keeps pests away from your collection.
This incredible cooler features blue LED lights that illuminate and beautify the contents of the cooler. It has a digital control panel that allows you to monitor the temperature inside the cooler. You can also include a humidifier to have more control over the relative humidity inside the cooler. This wineador is completely airtight, so you can be rest assured that no air is escaping the cooler.
Key Features:
- Thermoelectric cooling system
- 400 cigar capacity
- Thermostat adjusts in 1-degree increments
- Removable Spanish cedar shelves
- 2 drawers and 4 shelves
Specification:
- Brand: NewAir
- Model: NewAir CC-300 Cigar Humidor Digital Cooler
- Dimension: 20.88 x 18.13 x 29.2 inches
- Weight: 45 pounds
- Voltage: 120 volts
- Capacity: 6.4 Cubic Feet
- Material: Stainless-Steel
Pros
- Can store up to 400 cigars
- Spanish cedar shelves to protect your stogies from pests
- Features LED lights to beautify the contents
- Completely airtight
Cons
- Hygrometer is not very accurate
- Has no interior lighting
2
Whynter CHC-251S Cigar Cooler
The Whynter CHC-251S Cigar Cooler is a stainless steel cooler with a cigar capacity of 400. This unit has an adjustable thermostat that can adjust the temperature inside the cooler within a range of 54°F to 66°F. It stores your cigars at an optimal humidity range of 62% to 75% at room temperature.
It operates with a thermoelectric cooling system that operates very quietly with no vibrations. It features four flat shelves and two drawers, all made from Spanish cedar to protect your stogies from insects. These shelves are removable so you can create more space for your cigars. It has a built-in fan that ensures even distribution of humidity and temperature throughout the cooler.
This incredible wineador comes with a humidification tray and an analog hygrometer to monitor and maintain the relative humidity inside the cooler. Its stainless steel trimmed glass door beautifully displays your collection along with the soft interior LED lighting that beautifully illuminates the contents of the cooler. It also features an enhanced LCD temperature display that allows you to monitor the temperature inside the wineador.
Key Features:
- Freestanding setup
- Adjustable thermostat with temperature range 54°F – 66°F
- Vibration-free thermoelectric cooling
- Spanish cedar shelves
- Internal fan-forced circulation
- Analog hygrometer
Specification:
- Brand: Whynter
- Model: Whynter CHC-251S Cigar Cooler
- Dimension: 20 x 16.97 x 29 inches
- Weight: 45 pounds
- Voltage: 120 volts
- Capacity: 2.5 Cubit Feet
- Material: Steel
Pros
- Features 4 shelves and 2 drawers
- It has a large storage capacity of 400 cigars
- Built-in analog hygrometer
- Has interior LED lights to illuminate the contents of the cooler
Cons
- Temperature control may develop problems
3
Whynter CHC-122BD Cigar Cooler
The Whynter CHC-122BD Cigar Cooler is a stainless steel touch control cigar cooler that can hold up to 250 cigars. It comes with a thermostat that can be adjusted to allow the user to regulate the temperature within a range of 50°F to 66°F. It has an enhanced LED temperature display making it easy to monitor the temperature levels inside the cooler. This amazing cooler has a plastic interior with Spanish cedar shelves that protect your stogies against insects and improves the aroma.
It has two flat shelves and one drawer with dimensions 9.5 W x 12 D( inches) and 9.5 W x 12 D x 3 H(inches), respectively. It is equipped with soft interior LED lighting with an on/off switch to add a sophisticated touch to your collection. It has an internal fan-forced circulation that distributes humidity and temperature evenly throughout the cabinet.
This incredible unit consumes little energy, so you don’t have to worry about excess energy consumption. It also features a built-in analog hygrometer to help monitor the humidity level and a humidity tray that can be used with your preferred solution or moisture beads. Its thermoelectric cooling system operates quietly and is vibration-free.
Key Features:
- 250 Cigar capacity
- Adjustable thermostat with temperature 50°F – 66°F
- 2 flat shelves and 1 drawer
- LED temperature display
- Internal fan-forced circulation
- Interior LED lighting
Specification:
- Brand: Whynter
- Model: Whynter CHC-122BD Cigar Cooler
- Dimension: 20 x 13.5 x 18.5 inches
- Weight: 27 pounds
- Voltage: 110 volts
- Capacity: 1.2 cubic feet
- Material: Steel
Pros
- It can hold 250 cigars
- Features removable Spanish cedar shelves
- It has an LED temperature display
- Has interior LED lighting
Cons
- It lacks a warming feature
4
Prestige Import Group Clevelander Thermoelectric Cigar Cooler
If you need a more sophisticated way to store your collection, the Clevelander Thermoelectric Cigar Cooler is nothing short of that. It has enough space to store up to 250 cigars. It is equipped with 3 removable sliding trays and can hold cigar boxes. It has a see-through glass door made from stainless steel tempered glass, allowing you to beautifully display your cigars.
This unit is a freestanding setup with adjustable feet so you can position it wherever you want. It features a thermoelectric cooling system that includes an adjustable thermostat that can be regulated within the range of 51°F – 64°F. It also features a digital hygrometer that displays the humidity and temperature levels of the cooler in Celsius and Fahrenheit, making it easier to monitor the conditions inside the cooler. Its digital hygrometer is a matching stainless frame that includes a battery.
This incredible Clevelander product operates very quietly with zero vibrations. It also has interior lighting to illuminate the contents of the cooler and a removable humidification tray.
Key Features:
- 250 cigars
- Stainless Steel tempered glass door
- 3 Removable sliding trays
- Digital hygrometer
- Thermoelectric cooling system
- Adjustable thermostat with temperature range 51°F – 64°F
Specification:
- Brand: Prestige Import Group
- Model: Prestige Import Group Clevelander Thermoelectric Cigar Cooler
- Dimension: 23 x 18 x 37 inches
- Weight: 20 pounds
- Voltage: 110/120 volts
- Material: Stainless Steel
Pros
- Can store up to 250 cigars
- Comes with three removable trays
- Has interior lighting
- Operates quietly
Cons
- Maintaining a humidity level of 70% may be difficult
5
Whynter CWC-351DD Wine Center Cigar Cooler Humidor
The Whynter CWC-351DD is a dual functioning wineador with separate compartments to store both cigars and wine. It has a partition that separates both compartments allowing you to store your cigars and wine separately. It has large capacity storage of over 350 cigars and holds up to 16 standard 750ml wine bottles. It features an adjustable thermostat that allows the user to adjust the temperature within a range of about 46°F to 66°F for both zones.
It has seven removable stainless steel trimmed scalloped shelves in the wine compartment, three removable drawers, and four shelves, all made from Spanish cedar. It features soft interior LED lighting with an on/off switch to illuminate and beautify the interior of the cooler.
This incredible multipurpose cooler can hold a wide range of beverages, from water bottles to wine, and the best part is that both compartments have independent temperature control. It has no moveable parts and is completely CFC-free, meaning that it operates very quietly, lasts long, and is safe for the environment. It also operates with a vibration-free thermoelectric cooling system that reduces the drying effect when cooling and a fan-forced circulation that evenly distributes cool air throughout the cooler and maintains a consistent temperature.
Key Features:
- 350+ Cigar Capacity
- 16 Standard 750ml wine bottles
- Adjustable thermostat with temperature range of 46°F to 66°F for both zones
- 7 removable stainless steel shelves
- 3 removable Spanish Cedar drawers and 4 shelves
- Humidity tray
- Analog hygrometer
Specification:
- Brand: Whynter
- Model: Whynter CWC-351DD Wine Center Cigar Cooler Humidor
- Dimension: 21 x 21 x 33 inches
- Weight: 69.5 pounds
- Capacity: 3.6 Cubic Feet
- Voltage: 120 volts
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Included Components: Wine Cooler
Pros
- Can store over 350 cigars and up to 16 750ml wine bottles
- Comes with a humidity tray
- Has Spanish cedar shelves to protect your cigars from insects
- Operates quietly with no vibrations
Cons
- Very expensive
- Takes up space
Buying Guide Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions on wineador cigar coolers and how to properly store your cigars.
Can I keep cigars in a wine cooler?
You can keep your cigars in a wine cooler but not for long. It is not advisable to store your cigars in the same place as your wine. This is because cigars should be stored at a maximum temperature of 70°F and relative humidity of 70% room temperature, and these conditions are not suitable for wines. Wine requires a temperature of about 55°F and 70% humidity. A wine cooler is conditioned to store wine at this temperature, and it may be difficult to control and monitor the temperature and humidity in a wine cooler to meet the requirements of cigars.
Can a wine cooler be used as a humidor?
A wine cooler or wine fridge can be converted to a humidor. Follow the simple steps below to transform your wine fridge into a giant humidor
- Clean the inside of the fridge with a clean cloth
- Buy a few Spanish cedar wood that is just as thick as the shelves in the fridge
- Cut the cedar shelves, so they fit into the shelf slot
- Put some cedar at the back of the wine fridge or cooler
- Include some humidification devices in each level of the fridge
- Put a digital hygrometer on the side door
- Store your cigars
How do you tell if a cigar is dried out?
Dried out cigars have cracked wrappers, making them very difficult to smoke. A cigar dries out when it loses all or most of its essential oils from the wrapper; when this happens, it also loses its flavor. Your cigar is dried out or bad if you notice cracks in the wrapper. Another way to tell your cigar has gone bad is if you notice mold on your cigar or there’s a change in the smell or taste.
Does aging a cigar make it better?
Much like aging fine wine, aging cigars definitely gives it a better taste. Age softens the flavor and makes the cigar rounder. Aging your cigar softens the taste and may add complexity to the flavor. This is because the cigar picks up a bit of flavor and aroma from the cedar found in the humidors or cigar cooler. Aging your cigars may also deepen the tobacco flavor if it is stored in a neutral environment.
Can I cut a cigar in half?
Yes, you can cut your cigar in half, but there is a lot of risk to doing that. Some of these risks include
- Change if taste and flavor.
- Your cigar may unravel. This is one of the biggest problems even if you use a sharp cutter. If this happens, you can use pectin, cigar glue, or corn starch to hold it together.
Do you unwrap cigars before putting in humidor?
If your cigar is wrapped ina cellophane, it is advisable to remove the cellophane before putting the cigar in a humidor. This is because the cellophane prevents humidity from getting to the cigar. To ensure that your cigar is stored properly and responds to humidity, make sure you remove the cellophane before storing it in the humidifier.
Can you smoke a 10 year old cigar?
You can smoke an old cigar if it hasn’t gone bad. Usually, cigars tend to dry out with age, but if they are kept at the right temperature and humidity, they can be smoked. Cigar is known to get better with age, just like wine but to ensure that your cigars are in good shape regardless of the age, you should store it at a temperature between 65 – 72 degrees and humidity of 65% to 70% at room temperature.
Can a cigar get old?
Premium cigars, if stored well, will remain fresh and smokable regardless of how long they are stores. This is why it is important to follow the 70/70 rule when storing your cigars to preserve the flavor. In fact, cigars age like wine. They get better, their flavor and aroma improve. If they are stored in humidors or wine coolers with Spanish cedar, the wood tends to improve the flavor and aroma of the cigar.
Why does my cigar taste bitter?
Cigars may taste bitter when they get too hot. Also, smoking your cigar too quickly can make it taste bitter. To avoid this, you should use the right flame to light up your cigar. Use a torch lighter or sulfur-free wooden matches. Light your cigar above and beside the flame, ensure they don’t touch. Also, it is best to rotate your cigar so all the tips burn equally.
Conclusion
As a cigar aficionado, a wineador cooler is a must-have item. These incredible equipment are quite new in the market, making it a bit difficult to select the best one for you. In this article, we have compiled a list of the five of the best wineador cigar coolers you can choose from the make the process much easier.
