Why should you care about finding the best wine cellar cooling unit? While it doesn’t make that big a difference when it comes to mass-market wines, proper wine cellar storage is the key to building an impressive collection of fine wines. Ideally, fine wines should be stored in a dark cellar at a temperature of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 12.8°C) and 70 percent humidity. Otherwise, they may become “cooked” and develop an unpleasant flavor over time.
If you’re planning to build your own wine cellar, optimal temperatures and humidity are among the most important things you need to consider. The best way to ensure that your wines are aging the way they should is to buy a dedicated cooling unit. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of the five best wine cellar cooling units available right now.
Finding the Right Cooling Unit for Your Wine Cellar
Depending on the size of your cellar, a wine cooling unit can be a big investment. It is thus important to opt for a unit that best suits your storage needs and provides optimal ventilation.
There are three main types of wine cellar storage units:
- A through-wall wine cellar cooling system is a self-contained unit that is best suited for wine rooms and wine cabinets. Small and compact, it is easy to set up and doesn’t require any piping or ducting, which could also help reduce the overall cost of the installation.
- A ducted wine cellar cooling system uses ventilation ducts to keep your wine collection safe. Because the ducts can be set up on the outside, ducted coolers don’t require the installation of any large pieces of equipment inside the cellar.
- A split wine cellar cooling system is intended for cellars without access to proper ventilation. With a split cooler, the evaporator will be inside the cellar, while all the other pieces will be set up on the outside, allowing them to draw fresh air into the room.
Discovering the 5 Best Wine Cellar Cooling Units
Below you’ll find the list of the five best wine cellar cooling units available on the market. To ensure that there’s something for everyone, we have included all three types of cooling units – through-wall, ducted, and split.
WhisperKOOL Platinum 4000
The WhisperKOOL Platinum 4000 is a split wine cellar cooling system that can accommodate wine cellars of up to 1,000 cubic feet. This large unit includes an evaporator that can be mounted inside the cellar or ducted from a location of up to 100 feet away, as well as a condenser that can also be installed outside.
Quiet and reliable, the unit has an LED thermostat on the front. There’s also a liquid bottle probe that allows you to monitor the actual temperature of the wine to ensure that it’s stored at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The unit comes with a two-year warranty on parts and labor, as well as a two-year warranty on the compressor. To activate your warranty, you will have to send the installation documents directly to WhisperKOOL via email, fax, or regular mail and wait for their approval.
Click here to learn more about this excellent wine cellar cooling system.
Breezaire WKL-2200
The Breezaire WKL-2200 is a self-contained, through-wall cooling unit intended for use in cellars of up to 265 cubic feet. Designed to lower the room temperature by 25 degrees, this unit maintains the humidity in your wine cellar at optimal levels, between 50 and 75 percent. Small and easy to install, this unit has an adjustable thermostat on the front, allowing you to monitor the temperature closely.
Like any other through-wall wine cooling system, the WKL-2200 might be too noisy to some, but that’s to be expected considering that both the evaporator and the condenser are housed together inside the cellar. The two things that set this unit apart from other comparable products are its affordable price and its vibration-free operation. Breezaire offers a five-year warranty on the unit, as well as free labor for any repair you may need during the first 12 months.
Click here for more information about this affordable self-contained unit.
CellarCool CX2200
The CellarCool CX2200 is another reliable, competitively priced through-wall wine cellar cooling system. Intended for rooms of up to 265 cubic feet and designed for multiple mounting positions, this cooling unit helps maintain the average temperature between 55 and 58 degrees and the humidity between 50 and 70 percent. Thanks to the adjustable LED thermostat, you can control the temperature with just a few presses of the button.
Constructed with heavy-duty coils and manufactured in the USA, the CX2200 is not only very durable but also surprisingly quiet for a self-contained unit. CellarCool offers a two-year warranty on parts and labor, as well as a 30-day insurance policy against freight damages.
Click here to find out more about this ultra-durable wine cellar cooling unit.
Wine Guardian D050
The Wine Guardian D050 is a fully ducted wine cellar cooling system that can be installed either inside your cellar or somewhere outside up to 25 feet away from it. Weighing about 125 pounds total, this cooling unit is designed for medium-sized wine rooms of up to 1,500 cubic feet.
Equipped with a wall-mounted LED thermostat, the D050 is very adaptable and easy to use. Quiet and very efficient, this ducted unit will have no problem maintaining the humidity and temperature at optimal levels. What’s more, this is one of only a few units on the market that can be installed in an attic. Wine Guardian offers a two-year warranty on parts and a one-year warranty on labor.
Click here to learn more about this highly adaptable ducted cooling system.
WineZone Air Handler 4600
The WineZone Air Handler 4600 is a split unit with a vertical evaporator designed especially for long and narrow cellars, as well as L-shaped wine rooms of up to 1,000 cubic feet that need better ventilation. Remarkably quiet for a split wine cellar cooling system, the Air Handler 4600 can be used with either an indoor or an outdoor condenser. When ordering, you will be asked to decide between the two, so it’s important to know where you’ll install the unit beforehand.
Both condensers are made of galvanized steel for superior durability and equipped with a fully protected 24-volt touchscreen thermostat for easy temperature and humidity control. WineZone offers a full two-year warranty on the unit.
Click here for more information about this unique cooling unit with a vertical evaporator.
The Final Word
Before you buy a cooling system for your cellar, you will need to consider your space and ventilation requirements and choose accordingly. If you’re buying a ducted or a split wine cellar cooling system, you will also need to decide if you want the evaporator installed inside the cellar or ducted from the outside.
Depending on your specific wine storage needs, any of these five cooling units could be a good choice. They are all competitively priced and come with comprehensive warranties that cover both parts and labor. Keep in mind that some manufacturers will ask you to provide the installation documents to activate your warranty. So even though some of these units are rather easy to install, it might be best to hire a certified professional to do it for you.
