WINE BLOG
Top 5 Wine Cellar Cooling Units Taking North America by Storm
Wine enthusiasts in the United States and Canada understand well the importance of maintaining optimal conditions for their coveted wine collections. Like you, they are in search of the best cooling unit for their cellars, to age their fine wines.
In North America, where wine culture has grown considerably over the last twenty years, several cooling units have gained popularity for their efficiency, innovation, and esthetics. Having been in the business myself for over 20 years, with a staff combining 60 years of wine cellar construction experience, let’s explore what we’ve found to be the best wine cooler units for wine cellars.
- WhisperKool Ceiling Moounted Split
WhisperKOOL Ceiling Mounted Split stands above the rest in our choice for this year’s best cooling unit for wine cellar applications.
Known for its discreet installation, advanced temperature control features, variable fan speeds, larger fans for sound reduction, internal condensate pump, and easy access for wine cooler repair, the WhisperKOOL Ceiling Mounted Split has captured the attention of wine connoisseurs across North America…our team included!
Its split design allows for a flexible installation ensuring even distribution of cool air throughout the cellar. Being the evaporator is in the ceiling, it can be painted, with nothing to impede your creativity for wine racking design. The new condenser is extremely robust handling outdoor temperatures from -20F to 120F (-28C to 48C).
And get this: the dba of the condenser ranges from 45-52! Yes, you read that right. Hands down, our favorite wine cooler brands will always include Whisperkool! We consider the ceiling mounted split to be the best wine cooler in the split system category.
- Wine Guardian D025, D050, D088 and D200 Sentinel Air
Wine Guardian D025, D050, D088 and D200 Sentinel Air cooled wine cellar cooling unit is a hit with installers and wine collectors alike.
For ducted, air cooled systems, the Wine Guardian Sentinel home wine cellar and commercial wine cellar cooling units are our go to. Easy to tuck away and duct to the cellar with a discreet, tidy installation. With the sturdy new Sentinel design and cutting-edge power, the Wine Guardian D025-D0200 has secured its spot among the top wine cellar cooling units in the world.
This compact yet powerful unit excels in maintaining consistent conditions, ensuring your wines age gracefully. Its user-friendly interface adds to its appeal with your wine cellar cooling unit installation. There are multiple ports to attach supply and return air ducts, making it’s install a dream.
Wine Guardian also offers multiple options in its construction: lower, white wine cooler temperatures, remote thermostat, extreme low ambient protection, water cooled availability, split ducted systems and humidifiers to name a few. With the large variety of sizes available, and enough power to cool even the most challenging wine cellar cooling unit installation, we find the air cooled Wine Guardian to be the best of class in its category.
- CellarPrro 1800XTS
CellarPro 1800XTS, is a small wine cooler unit for compact, through the wall, wine cellar cooling.
The CellarPro 1800XTS stands out for its gentle cooling capacity and durability. CellarPro, who makes cooling units for wine cellars specifically, is long known for its outstanding craftsmanship and design in cellar cooling systems. Designed as a small wine cooler to handle more compact spaces, we consider it an excellent, small cooling unit for your wine cabinet installations or smaller wine cellaring spaces.
This unit, if sized appropriately, maintains precise temperature and elevated wine cellar humidity levels. Its clever construction gives you the option to vent the heat above the unit or out the back to an adjacent room that is climate controlled (and not a mechanical room).
CellarPro also makes accessories to direct hot air away from intake if the space is tight, to ensure a longer lifespan. Its energy-efficient components make it a favorite among environmentally conscious consumers and us as well.
- WhisperKool SC
WhisperKOOL SC wine cellar cooling systems are one of our favorites for through the wall applications.
WhisperKOOL SC cooling systems are renowned for their efficient and quiet wine cellar solutions with respect to wine cellar climate control. They were one of our first cellar cooling systems 20 years back when we founded Wine Cellar Depot. These cooling units are designed to maintain optimal temperature and elevated humidity levels (provided your cellar is constructed correctly with insulation and vapor barrier), crucial for preserving your wine collection’s quality.
WhisperKOOL underwent a huge redevelopment of their products in 2020. Just before Covid, we were lucky enough to fly out and get the full training on the revamped cellar cooling systems, their features, and benefits. Probably the most remarkable change for us as cellar contractors was the sound level and focused direction of the cold air. We couldn’t have been more impressed with this cooling unit for wine cellar applications.
With features such as digital temperature control, bottle probe accuracy, fan speed control, choice of power chord in the cellar or out and condensate evaporation (200 watt heat plate to evaporate minor condensate), we found the WhisperKOOL SC cooling systems to be superior to many of their competitors.
WhisperKOOL SC caters to the needs of wine enthusiasts and wine cellar contractors, providing a seamless and sophisticated solution for wine cellar climate management. It’s a hit in our books!
KoolR Magnum Series
KoolR Magnum Series through the wall, small wine cellar cooling systems.
The KoolR Magnum is a small cooling unit for wine cabinet and wine cellar installations. It is considered the best value on the market today (we avoid the words “cheap wine cooler” because it doesn’t do this little beauty justice, if you know more about it). Its one of our favorites but you need to get all the information from your cellar professional before you embark on its installation. It combines efficiency and quality but demands the cellar conditions are built correctly to give you worry free cellar cooling and a good life span.
Other coolers are similar in their needs, but we find KoolR is especially sensitive to its surroundings and much attention should be paid to proper cellar construction practices to get the best results. The unit can withstand approximately 2000BTU of cooling capacity, must vent to a wide open space (there is no such thing as a self-contained wine cooling system, sadly) that is climate controlled and not a mechanical or laundry room.
All wine cellars should have no heat in the floor (even nearby as you need a thermal break), insulation and vapor barrier in the walls (seal it up like a zip lock bag) and provide a good seal on the glass or doors. If this is achieved, you will have great success with this brilliantly priced, wine cooler temperature management system.
Concclsuion
In closing, choosing the right wine cellar cooling unit is essential for preserving the quality of your wine collection. How to choose a wine cellar cooling unit can be complicated with so many options available. We can help. The same goes for how to install a wine cellar cooling system. A wine cellar professional, such as Wine Cellar Depot, can answer common questions that help clarify your needs and what is possible in your specific situation.
Questions such as: Are there any notable differences in installation requirements for the recommended wine cellar cooling units? Or What is the price range for these top 5 wine cellar cooling units, and Do they offer good value? What is the most reliable cooling system for my wine cellar?
Or How do I know which system is best for my wine cellar application? Whatever it may be, our recommendation for the top 5 units in North America – WhisperKOOL Ceiling Mounted Split, Wine Guardian Air Cooled D025-D200, CellarPro 1800XTS, Whisperkool SC, and KoolR Magnum Series – are only a few of the best choices available to you. They showcase a range of features to cater to diverse preferences. Whether you prioritize discreet operation, energy efficiency, or affordability, these units are sure to enhance your wine storage experience. Cheers to you on your journey to preserving the perfect conditions for your cherished bottles!