Wineador ideas/suggestions?

[Texican]

It's finally happened y'all. About a year and a half into this hobby/obsession and I think it's time I moved out of tupperdors in a wine fridge and into a proper wineador. Because of the climate, I absolutely NEED a refrigerated humidor. So, here is what I'm looking for:

1. Under $400
2. Holds at least a couple hundred cigars
3. Built-in cedar shelving
4. No customization or modification needed

Been looking at NewAir, Whynter, and Audew. Any recommendations? Also...for humidification I'm assuming I would just throw some of the huge Boveda packs in there, right?

 

[navyvet]

I wouldnt get the built in cedar shelves. Surely a couple people here have a couple shelves. I got a 280e I dont know what models you are looking at. I would definitely look at market place before dropping 400 bucks on a thermoelectric wine fridge the cooling unit usually will go out within 2 years. Just my 2 cents. I got a shelf if you end up with a 280e

 

[Texican]

I wouldnt get the built in cedar shelves. Surely a couple people here have a couple shelves. I got a 280e I dont know what models you are looking at. I would definitely look at market place before dropping 400 bucks on a thermoelectric wine fridge the cooling unit usually will go out within 2 years. Just my 2 cents. I got a shelf if you end up with a 280e

That is valuable insight, thank you and thanks for the shelf offer. I sure as hell don't want to pay for something that'll go out in a couple years and leave me scrambling to cool my sticks.

 

[Boudie]

Are you able to find a reasonably priced Cigar Cooler? Last time I checked it looked like the manufacturers where going to heat/cool units in the $700 range. Buy your wife a new refrigerator because you lover her and take the old one as your cooler.

 

[BootyGrocery]

Hey buddy,

I got the Tooca. If you buy it directly off their website it comes somewhere to be like $230.

Mine says it holds 300 cigars but I am sure it holds more if I took the cigars out of boxes

 

[Texican]

I wouldnt get the built in cedar shelves. Surely a couple people here have a couple shelves. I got a 280e I dont know what models you are looking at. I would definitely look at market place before dropping 400 bucks on a thermoelectric wine fridge the cooling unit usually will go out within 2 years. Just my 2 cents. I got a shelf if you end up with a 280e

Dang...best I can see they don't make the 280e anymore. Looks like they replaced that model with a thermoelectric.

 

[navyvet]

All the wineadors you want should be thermoelectric. A compressor will remove all rh from the cooling box.

 

[Texican]

All the wineadors you want should be thermoelectric. A compressor will remove all rh from the cooling box.

Oooooh. I think I understand what you're saying now. You're saying that it should be thermoelectric, but that I shouldn't throw down a lot on it because most of them only last a few years. I thought you meant to try and find a compressor unit. Well, that actually simplifies things then because I see a ton of smaller thermoelectric ones for not that expensive. If I have to get a new one every few years so be it.

 

[navyvet]

I woulda felt really bad had you bought a compressor unit. But yeah think of compressor units like air conditioners you see them always leaking water that is all the rh they are taking out of a room or house. I could see all the rh questions now lol. The thermoelectric ones usually aren't hard to fix tou can get another cooling unit for about 60 dollars on ebay but then you have to tear your wineo apart do some soldering and it will work for another year or two

 

[Texican]

I woulda felt really bad had you bought a compressor unit. But yeah think of compressor units like air conditioners you see them always leaking water that is all the rh they are taking out of a room or house. I could see all the rh questions now lol

I currently have my tupperdors in a compressor wine fridge and the RH fluctuations are insane. I'll be glad to get away from that crap.

 

[navyvet]

Well if yours has a drain plug that's a plus you can put some fans in the bottom a very cheap modification that makes it so you dont have to rotate stock it's like 10 bucks run the wire through the drain plug some people go crazy and epoxy the drain plug closed after installing the fans I am not that crazy, and if you want to be fancy you can get some of the tape led lights I have seen quite a few people take theres to the nines and make that chevett look like a caddie ha ha ha

 

[Boudie]

Shouldn't have a problem is you are using the weather seal tupperdoors. My storage is care free with just an occasional swap out of Bovedas

 

[Texican]

Shouldn't have a problem is you are using the weather seal tupperdoors. My storage is care free with just an occasional swap out of Bovedas

It's weird...they definitely are the ones with the little rubber gaskets. But what happens is the wine fridge is set to 64ish....and sometimes the temp will drop to like 56 for whatever reason and when it does, the RH just skyrockets.

 

[Boudie]

Buy an Inkbird temp controller can set it to 2 or three degree swing.

 

[navyvet]

I am sure it has a range so it will get warm while the unit is off, then it kicks on I am really sure that has a drain plug so it sucks all the air through the drain plug from the room that's what I would think anyway

 

[Boudie]

I believe the problem he is having is the size of the temp swing. Set the unit as low as it will go and use a stand alone temp controller. Very happy with Ink Bird Mine is set to power the fridge at 67 and go off at 65. I can also attach a small heater if I decide to move my cigars into the garage.

 

[Texican]

Sadly we have zero space in the garage or anywhere for another fridge.

I'm thinking about getting one of those Audews.

 

[navyvet]

Sadly we have zero space in the garage or anywhere for another fridge.

I'm thinking about getting one of those Audews.

Looks like it's time for an out building/mancave

 

[M1B1]

I've only had it for a few months, but I've been very happy with my NewAir 250 that both heats and cools. Found it on sale for right at $450. A couple large Boveda packs (could probably get away with using only 1) has been holding things steady right at 65/65 for me.

 

[StogieNinja]

Long and short is that thermoelectric is ok if you’re not trying for too much of a temp differential - less than 10*. Any more and you’ll experience difficulty as the thermoelectric cooler tries to keep up, sending cold or hot air swirling around and you’ll have condensation issues and lots of humidity fluctuation. Basically, you want as little disturbance as possible for your cigars, and the flaw with wineadors is that you’re sending extreme air swirling around in there. Your overall numbers might hit target, but only because you’re sending frigid or hot air swirling around in there. Like pouring boiling or ice cold water into your bath.

This is why I unplugged my wineadors a few months after setting them up and have never plugged them back in. They’re just fancy-looking humidors now, but that’s much preferable to the wildly unstable environment that occurs when they’re plugged in.

I agree with Boudie, it sounds like your issues are related to the temp swings. I would highly recommend keeping your current setup and just installing an ETC to prevent the temp swings. Most ETCs have memory and will even keep the temp settings after a power outage.