A method of assembling a radiant cooler includes providing a vessel shell that defines a gas flow passage therein that extends generally axially through the vessel shell, forming a tube cage from coupling a plurality of cooling tubes together to form a tube cage defined by a plurality of chevron-shaped projections that extend circumferentially about a center axis of the tube cage, each chevron-shaped projection includes a first side and a second side coupled together a tip, circumferentially-adjacent pairs of projections coupled together such that a valley is defined between each pair of circumferentially-spaced projections, each of the projection tips is positioned radially outward from each of the valleys, and orienting the tube cage within the vessel shell such that the tube cage is in flow communication with the flow passage.