Delhi is finally starting to warm up, and I don’t say this in a happy mood. Currently, in early April, the temperature is around 32°C, and ceiling fans have begun to fall short. At the same time, switching on an AC for long hours still feels excessive. In my case, we use air coolers at our home. My relation with air coolers goes back a long way to my childhood and a time when we didn’t have ACs. I’m sure many of you can also relate to this. While the old school coolers were big chunky metal boxes placed outside the windows, taking up a lot of space in our balconies sometimes, the new ones are lighter and more portable. They come in different sizes, shapes and colours to match our indoor space and ambience.
I already have a 90L and a 43L cooler for two of our rooms. And I recently got this Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 desert cooler from the brand, which, as the name suggests, is also a 90L cooler. I used it in two rooms, sized about 14×10 ft and 18×12 ft, for several days and nights. So, in case you are wondering if it makes sense to buy a room cooler this big this summer, let me take you through my experience.
As I have already mentioned, the Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 is a big 90L cooler. But at 24kg (without water inside) it is not too heavy. I unpacked it with my brother’s help. The side panels with the honeycomb filter came in pre-installed. I only had to screw in its trolley stand. That’s it. Simply move it towards a power socket and plug it in. With the four sturdy wheels at the bottom, the cooler is very portable.
Filling the 90-litre tank took about 7 minutes using a continuous water source. Well, based on the force of the water, this could change a bit. There is a long, roughly 10-inch translucent water level indicator on the front of the tank area. It is legible, and you also get an ‘Overflow’ sticker as a marking to avoid overfilling in a hurry. Instead of a sticker, if it had been an engraving, that would have been better.
Another minor qualm is with how tightly the refill inlet and side panels are fitted. This small tray in front of the cooler, through which you insert a pipe to fill the tank, is tough to pull out. Similarly, when I tried pulling out the back panel, it was very tight. These things may loosen up with time, but it’s just something you ought to know. The first time you try to open them, in case they feel jammed, just apply some force, and they will open.
But, overall, the Kenstar cooler’s build quality is solid. As mentioned already, the wheels can handle the weight of the filled cooler well. A lean guy like me could also move it around with a tinge of effort. Still, while moving it around, be careful of its stature. You don’t want to hit and damage the corners of your wall or anything. In any case, if its placement is decided, you shall push down the wheel brake/lock/stopper. The stopper is metallic with angular edges, and you don’t want to accidentally scrape your leg on it.
Back to the cooler design, the Maha Kool HC 90 comes in this cool, slate grey colour, which has a very muted and industrial feel to it. This is less likely to appear dirty compared to a white or some bright coloured coolers. Whether it suits your indoor decor is a different question. I leave that decision to you.
The honeycomb pads are of a turquoise blue shade and blend well with the grey-toned chassis. Rest everything from the 45cm fan, and the vertically movable flaps match the aesthetic. You only have the Maha Kool 90 branding, 5-star BEE rating sticker and the Kenstar logo around the three rotary knobs. These knobs situated on its forehead are for: Power (On/Off), Function (Swing, Cool-Swing, Cool, Off) and Speed (High, Medium, Low, Off), respectively. Nothing fancy. They just work reliably. No remote included, and honestly, I don’t feel the need.
Since it isn’t that hot in Delhi now, I was using the Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 at its lowest settings. But that gives an idea of the bare minimum experience we can expect. So, I ran it in Cool-Swing settings and sometimes Cool with the speed at low mode. Sometimes, for testing, I had it on simple Swing and also ran it on higher speeds.
Regardless of the speed, cooling starts quickly. It does its job of cooling the air in the room within a few minutes. You feel it more if you are sitting adjacent to the cooler and facing the direct airflow. I am used to speed as I already have a 90L model from a competing brand. But this one’s size is bigger, and the performance is slightly better. My brother, who has the smaller 43L cooler, noticed the difference the first time we switched it on.
Kenstar has equipped this biggie with its proprietary ProForce cooling technology. That, with the double-bearing motor and the 18-inch fan, claims a 50ft throw. That’s peak figure, possibly achievable in lab conditions, and in a real-world closed room, at about 15 ft, you feel the force of the air the most. If you move further, say at around 20ft, you’ll need to turn on the Medium mode, and if you move past that, you’ll need the High mode. The max, I could feel the cool air up to 22ft.
If you are in proximity, the higher speeds feel aggressive for this temperature. But, I am sure, they will come in handy soon. Oh, well, most of India is going to have sizzling hot and humid months ahead.
You can adjust the direction of the wind to some extent using the vertical and horizontal louvres (the flaps). The horizontal louvres have two halves. The one facing the user is fixed, and its other interior half is movable. This design choice may be for the durability of the flap, but it may bounce off some of the air. But since the cooler’s big opening on the front, the airflow should still be plenty.
Speaking of airflow, the honeycomb pads on the three sides are said to be better than regular aspen pads. The latter are the pads made out of wood shavings, which you may have seen on older coolers.
In case it is your first time using a cooler, know that ventilation matters a lot for its operation. With windows closed, the room could feel humid during heavy summers. Keep a door or window open, so that the cooling stays effective and you feel more comfortable.
One thing that stood out was water consumption. Remember, the Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 is a 90L cooler, and I have been using it in mildly warm weather. Say, I use it for an afternoon nap, taking about 4 hours, the water level would drop by less than an inch on the indicator. A full night’s sleep would mean the water level dips by an inch. So, it can easily last multiple days and nights of use. The cooler isn’t very aggressive with water usage in these conditions. But its mileage may vary over time.
Still and all, its size is an advantage over smaller coolers.
The big cooler with higher speeds also means louder noise. The ‘brrr’ sound, which is typical of a cooler, gets stronger as you move from low to medium to high. Unlike an AC, there is a constant presence with the sound of the fan and water circulation. Again, it is common with coolers, and despite it, your sleep won’t be affected.
It is just that if you are using a light blanket, it will likely get pushed around. But that’s also my fight with physics and not this particular cooler’s fault.
What it is missing, though, is an ice chamber on the top, a mosquito net, and humidity control. My other cooler has an ice holder, but I hardly use it and don’t think it makes a major difference in extreme summers. I haven’t experienced a humidity controller yet. So, can’t comment on its effectiveness or the lack of it here. Finally, I doubt whether the external filters and nets impact the air throw. All in all, I don’t really miss these absent features.
Last but not least, the Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 is rated to consume 230W of power, and it is compatible with an inverter, in case you live in an area with frequent power cuts or fluctuations. The BEE 5-star rating is assuring for its power efficiency and long-term savings due to this. Speaking of this, the 5-year warranty on the motor and pump is good to have. But you will be eligible for it only if you register for it within the first three months of purchase. Something to keep in mind!
The merits are clear. The Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 is a high-capacity cooler with strong airflow, good air circulation, a large 90L tank that lasts long, and simple, reliable controls. It cools very well, runs on low power, and is easy to move around despite its size. The sturdy wheels and water level indicator are practical features.
So, in regular use, it delivers where it matters. For larger rooms or spaces with good ventilation, it should fit well. If you don’t have an AC or don’t want to run one, you can use such a cooler for spot cooling in a dry, low-humidity climate.
There are a few things to be aware of, though. The airflow can feel strong in smaller rooms, especially if you are close to it. While it’s working, there is some noise, especially as you go higher in speed. It doesn’t have bells and whistles like an ice chamber or a mosquito net. And the water inlet tray is a little hard to pull out, at least in my unit.
However, these do not take away from the core experience, i.e., cooling. As a cooler under Rs 15,000, the Kenstar Maha Kool HC 90 offers solid, dependable performance. If you want a big cooler for your domestic or commercial space, it is worth considering. And if you want something smaller, you may check out other models from the brand.
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