Review: Raching Humidor CA330 Humidty and temperature controlled

[Lunettesman]

Hey everyone,

It's the perfect moment to take time to write a review of this baby. Moreover, being stuck at home give me the time to write a longer post. So if some folks are just interested in the review, skip the beggining as I d like to share my hunt for a proper humidor first. I did with my best with my broken english, hope everything will be understandable (especially the grammar).

I begin the journey of cigar smoking about 5 years ago. It was occasional and a buddy of mine was providing from time to time a habano for us to enjoy. Little by little, the passion grew and I became a fan of this wonderful hobby. I like to do things well and not rush in my things. So I took time to read, research and get educated about cigars, humidors, storage, ect. I knew from the beggining that I had to avoid cheap humidors. If I buy several thousends worth of cigars, I better not be cheap with the storage (something I cannot empetize enough). 

So I started small, and bought a 100ct cedar glass top humidor. I know the glass top is probably not the best, but I knew that this one would be for the ready to smoke sticks and that I would buy a big humidor for the resting and ageing ones.

 

I soon realize how small the 100 was and sold it to buy a 300ct one that I really love. 3 drawers, glass top, top quality. Great investment. I had planned a trip to Cuba and I knew I had to buy a big humidor.

 

The Cuban trip was great, I recommend everyone to visit this beautiful country! Kind people, gorgeous surrounding, lots of history, delicious rum and of course cigars. I bought a lot of boxes: Lusitania 25, EP2 50 cab, HUpmann half corona 2x25, Monte 2 25, RyJ Churchill 25, Vigia 2x25, Reyes 2x12, Libertadores 1x10, Siglo 6 tubos, and...I forgot what else.

I had to find a descent humidor. I  moved on to look for a controlled humidor and bought the El President 63 liters. It didnt have humidity control, but I had plan to buy an oasis so I tought it would be ok. The machine was a thermocompressor type, inside cedar drawers and the rest was plain plastic. It worked pretty well during the cold month of winter, but as soon as it got a bit hot, the compressor couldn't cool the humidor enough, tons of condensation occured and the oasis was running like super crazy. I think oasis was running and as soon as humidity was popped in the air it was soon condensation. The back of the humidor was wet and the all experience was terrible.

I had to change something. About that time, I discovered FOH and read all I could about compressor type humidor, thanks to Piggy and the crew. I sold my thermoelectric humidor and bought a compressor wine cooler 123l. What a mistake!!! Humidity swings were terrible and going from 55-85 every 30 minutes. I put wood in it, beads, wasted money on humidity device. I lost patience and hope. I must say I m not the type of guy who do much with his two hands. I m brain smart, not hand smart. This had to change and I had to buy something better. I was not a fan of the idea of a cooladore. I wanted a proper cigar cabinet that controls temperature and humidity. But I didn't have the money...so in the mean time, I zip lock all the boxes I had in big zip lock bags. I made the mistake to put 65 heart fell beads in it. After 2 weeks, condensation was huge in the zip locks and it was even wet! Luckly, I had plan a failure so all the boxes had been put on small wood piece. The water never touched a box...ouf.

Desperate, looking for a good alternative, I saw a new humidor on a swiss website on auction. And it's were my story beggin with the Raching Humidor C330A. Minimum bid price was 600 dollars new. I bet 600 and...won the auction. I was pretty confident after reading as much as I could about the raching humidors. Moreover, the compagny selling them is a known cigar dealer in Switzerland. He had 4 different to sale, from big to small, from new to used. A day after winning the auction I went to pick it up. Huge box...very heavy and barely entered my car. In the process I managed to talk to the owner who made me a tour of his stock. He had a box of Behike and he was nice enough to sell me some. What a lucky day. I head back to my place and set the humidor up.

 

Raching Humidor C330A review:

I want to mention I ve no expertise with controlled humidors other than the El President 63 l thermo and the wine cooler 123l compressor. Point system 10.

• Inside 7/10: five drawers with line gape for air circulation and the inside cover all made with spanish cedar. The smell is amazing. The finish is really nice and well measured. It's precise, looks and feels great. What I dont like is that when you pull the drawers they dont stand straight. What I mean is let say I pull a drawer 30cm, if I dont hold it it would fall down because there's no side bars that come outside the cabinet as I pull the drawer. Therefore, you either take all the drawer out or just pull it 10 centimeters. The space between the drawers a a bit tight for 50 cabs too. The cabs touche the top.
• Lock 10/10: I like the fact that there's a lock in the bottom. It prevents kids to reach in it.
• Look 7/10: not kitchy as other in the Raching line, it looks decent (even my wife accepted it to be display in the living room...it says something). There's a light that can be switch on and that illuminate very well the interior. It switchs off automatically after 20 min. I love to wake up, switch on the light and have a coffee watching my babies before going to work.
• Touch screen 10/10: convenient, easy, readable from far, indication of what s currently working (humidity, compressor, ect).
• Capacity 8/10: I think the bottom humidifcation system takes a lot of space. But for the rest it's pretty spacious and well organised. They advertise it as 1000 cigars capacity and it's probably correct. I currently now have more or less 700 sticks in there and there's still room for more. 
• Noise 7/10: it's only noisy when the compressor switch on. The humidification devise is very silent. When nothing is properly running you don t hear it at all. It doesn't kick often so I d say the unit is pretty quiet.
• Humidifiation system 8/10: two big fans with a container of up to 6 liters. The fans are somewhat strong when turn on. I put wood on the bottom of the box that are in the last drawer to prevent them from getting to much wind. The device is very efficient and works smoothly. On the top of the humidor there's a hidden condensation rack. This rack has a tube that goes back to the main container on the bottom. It resluts of a kind of a closed system.
• Charcoal filter 9/10: seems great so far.
• Air circulation 10/10: I could have gone with a little less than a 10 because the air circulation is at some time pretty strong.
• Humidity accuracy 8/10: I've but an hygrometer on every drawers. On the front "normal" ones and in the back wireless ones. I've put 2 wireless ones in cigars box on the bottom and on the top. I set it up at 65% (which is the lowest as it goes from 65-75 and from 5-22 degrees celcius). The front is more or less always rock solid at 65%. The back varies from 68-70%, which makes me thing that the aircirculation in the back is not optimal even there s a 5cm space between the back of the drawers and the back of the humidor. Inside the box themselves I've seen in the bottom a 68% only and on the top 68%. I m pretty. I've lost hope in the "solid XX humidity" and I always aim for a 65%-68% range. I go a little bit lower with my ready to go humidor as I think cubans smoke better a bit dryer.
• Temperature controlle 9/10: pretty impressed with the overall result. As with the hygrometer, I've 12 captors inside and they all show between 15.5-17.1 degres celcius when set at 17 degrees. It's on the colder side of the set temperature.
• Overall for the money I bought it 10/10: you might ask yourself why a 10/10, here's why. It functions well, it's reliable, it's easy maintenance, it suits the living room and more importently, it works for me. As long as it works for me, it's worry free and it doesn't look bad I m happy.

 

 

[LLC]

Well done review. Enjoy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lunettesman]

On 4/1/2020 at 12:39 AM, LLC said:

Well done review. Enjoy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you sir

[RichUK]

Good review, thank you. These are on my shortlist for my new office humidor.

[PigFish]

Nice review. Cheers

[The Squiggler]

Nicely done.  Thanks for the read

[Lunettesman]

22 hours ago, RichUK said:

Good review, thank you. These are on my shortlist for my new office humidor.

 

3 hours ago, PigFish said:

Nice review. Cheers

 

2 hours ago, The Squiggler said:

Nicely done.  Thanks for the read

Thanks for the comment

[PigFish]

I might add that if you want the humidor to be more consistent, try removing some of the shelves.

Controlled humidors must have circulation. By definition, if you are controlling your microclimate at a delta of 5% of your ambient, the circulation is a major issue. Don't assume that if 'feel' the airstream it is excessive, quite the contrary. These controlled spaces work best when you can actually feel the air moved around.

Cheers! tP

[Lunettesman]

1 minute ago, PigFish said:

I might add that if you want the humidor to be more consistent, try removing some of the shelves.

Controlled humidors must have circulation. By definition, if you are controlling your microclimate at a delta of 5% of your ambient, the circulation is a major issue. Don't assume that if 'feel' the airstream it is excessive, quite the contrary. These controlled spaces work best when you can actually feel the air moved around.

Cheers! tP

Thanks for the advice. Good to know. I was a bit concern it was too windy in there?I already thought about removing 2 shelves. Especially to have more room for the 50 cabs. I ll definitely do it. Thanks piggy. Wish you a good day

[PigFish]

1 minute ago, Lunettesman said:

Thanks for the advice. Good to know. I was a bit concern it was too windy in there?I already thought about removing 2 shelves. Especially to have more room for the 50 cabs. I ll definitely do it. Thanks piggy. Wish you a good day

Not a problem!

Look, when you fill your humidor leave it room to breathe, or you will kill what success you have. You cannot pack a humidor like this, mine included. Best of luck! -R

[Ironbound84]

Hello all,

I’m new to this forum so I apologize if I do something wrong as I’m not sure how everything works here just yet.  Anyway , I’m now getting more into cigars than I used to be.  I purchased a NewAir cc300h but am not impressed with it although I’m willing to give it an honest try. It gets pretty dang hot in my house during day time summer months when I’m not home not running the AC.  This is where I feel the NewAir will fail, once it gets to 80-85 degrees ambient temperature. 
So , I’ve been looking at the Raching MON800 and C150a. Does anyone here know the real difference between the two ? Are they both using the same cooling system, heating , humidification?  There’s not a lot of good Info out there With these units and there website isn’t all that great. 
I emailed Raching directly and they responded quick.  The MON800 is about $1150 and the C150a is $660 plus shipping.  All other questions I had for them were not answered very well probably because of the language barrier.  
I’m just really wondering what makes the MON800 almost double the price of the c150a?Also , anyone know a Raching dealer in the USA ? I’ve had no luck finding one  

Any input would be most helpful 

[Lunettesman]

On 4/24/2020 at 6:19 AM, Ironbound84 said:

Hello all,

I’m new to this forum so I apologize if I do something wrong as I’m not sure how everything works here just yet.  Anyway , I’m now getting more into cigars than I used to be.  I purchased a NewAir cc300h but am not impressed with it although I’m willing to give it an honest try. It gets pretty dang hot in my house during day time summer months when I’m not home not running the AC.  This is where I feel the NewAir will fail, once it gets to 80-85 degrees ambient temperature. 
So , I’ve been looking at the Raching MON800 and C150a. Does anyone here know the real difference between the two ? Are they both using the same cooling system, heating , humidification?  There’s not a lot of good Info out there With these units and there website isn’t all that great. 
I emailed Raching directly and they responded quick.  The MON800 is about $1150 and the C150a is $660 plus shipping.  All other questions I had for them were not answered very well probably because of the language barrier.  
I’m just really wondering what makes the MON800 almost double the price of the c150a?Also , anyone know a Raching dealer in the USA ? I’ve had no luck finding one  

Any input would be most helpful 

One problem with this company is indeed the language problem. I never really got all the answer I wanted neither. 

 

Have you been on their official website? Because for the humidors I was comparing they have all the info you need. 

I know they recently upgraded their ventilation system so it might be a part of the price?!? Also, some have a dry box area. 

[Ironbound84]

1 hour ago, Lunettesman said:

One problem with this company is indeed the language problem. I never really got all the answer I wanted neither. 

 

Have you been on their official website? Because for the humidors I was comparing they have all the info you need. 

I know they recently upgraded their ventilation system so it might be a part of the price?!? Also, some have a dry box area. 

Thank you for the input. Im assuming yours is holding up well?

I visited their web site and yes they have all the info.  I was just hoping to find more user reviews.  It’s a lot of $ to drop on something going by the companies  word alone.  But hey , sometimes you gotta gamble I guess.   

[Lunettesman]

10 hours ago, Ironbound84 said:

Thank you for the input. Im assuming yours is holding up well?

I visited their web site and yes they have all the info.  I was just hoping to find more user reviews.  It’s a lot of $ to drop on something going by the companies  word alone.  But hey , sometimes you gotta gamble I guess.   

I m very happy with mine. It's an investment indeed. 

[jvd1291]

Anyone know if you can get one of these in the US? I have  CC300H that is totally full and want something bigger with heating and cooling!

[JLin]

Hello. Are you able to give me the name to the Switzerland supplier for Raching Electric Cigar Humidor please. Thank you. 

[Lunettesman]

On 6/20/2021 at 6:17 PM, JLin said:

Hello. Are you able to give me the name to the Switzerland supplier for Raching Electric Cigar Humidor please. Thank you. 

Sorry just see your question now. I cannot tell you I've no idea. Got mine on auction 

[el_papacito]

Raching is a legit company, if you order through Alibaba, no sweat you will be taken care of - my experience. The MON series has more features but the big difference is there is no membrane which you would need to replace every 6 months with the C series. Just received my MON1800 yesterday and so far it is performing well... can't stop staring at it, such a cool piece of kit if you can swing it, go for it. 

[SevyG]

21 hours ago, el_papacito said:

Raching is a legit company, if you order through Alibaba, no sweat you will be taken care of - my experience. The MON series has more features but the big difference is there is no membrane which you would need to replace every 6 months with the C series. Just received my MON1800 yesterday and so far it is performing well... can't stop staring at it, such a cool piece of kit if you can swing it, go for it. 

I just received mine in the states (NJ) last week.  I bought a MON2800A, its a sharp looking humidor for sure.  A few downsides:

Mine came with a couple of dings in the wood

The display came broken

One shelf was loose.

Sukie sent me a new display, still waiting for it to arrive.  They cannot ship the cedar shelves from China to the states for some reason, so if you ever need a new shelf you will be SOL.  They also couldn't ship anything to fix the dings in the cabinet.

They say they have a warehouse in Cali, not sure why they don't keep spare parts there....but they dont yet.

Anyway super excited to get the display and load up my cigars, unit looks and smells amazing and I am super excited to start using it.  Will keep you posted.

[Lucifer Morningstar]

I'm waiting for mine to ship.
It's nearly 3 weeks and it still hasn't shipped.

I'd highly suggest dealing with someone higher up in the company to get things done easier. Some of the staff have poor English.

[Meesterjojo]

They were running slow on shipping several months ago. Part on their end due to a chip or board shortage which is global. The other end is the shipping. Last month it was an 8 day back up on some west coast ports. The  the freight forwarders being slow as snot. I'd bet they're just as frustrated right now.

I hope yall enjoy your new rachings when you get them. I enjoy mine plenty. Slight learning curve, but fantastic once you learn it.

[SevyG]

On 8/23/2021 at 11:37 AM, Meesterjojo said:

They were running slow on shipping several months ago. Part on their end due to a chip or board shortage which is global. The other end is the shipping. Last month it was an 8 day back up on some west coast ports. The  the freight forwarders being slow as snot. I'd bet they're just as frustrated right now.

I hope yall enjoy your new rachings when you get them. I enjoy mine plenty. Slight learning curve, but fantastic once you learn it.

thanks

Question for everyone love my MON2800a,  have a some questions for the group. My compressor seems to be running constantly, is that your experience as well? I have it set for 66/66 and my house is 71 degrees. bottom 4 shelves are empty and 2/3rd are half full with boxes and top shelf has 100 monte 2s bare. Also, it seems a little on the noisy side, its right by my desk enough that it could become annoying while working.

When the compressor "shuts down" get a little popping sound too, normal?

Last question - has anyone been successful in getting the wifi to work. I think I connect via WeChat but then I cant bring up the same screen they show in their documentation and YouTube video.

[Meesterjojo]

They will email you English instructions to connect via wechat if you email their support. 

Compressor pop is not normal. At least from my experience. 

Mine is whisper quiet until I open the door, if the compressors are running. The unit is quieter than my audews even. 

Mine doesn't run all the time, but it does run frequently. My belief is that they designed these to run at 70/70. So while it can go lower, it's optimal the closer to 70/70 one gets. I keep the temp of the room it is in set at 68F. One figures it gives the unit a head start so to speak, and that maybe it'll hold its temp for a bit like a fridge. And for the most part it does. I have it about 10" from a wall in the back as it does get warm back there otherwise. 

My concern is what do we do when the compressors inevitably go out. I believe they're using compressors from a US company. 

Anyway, write them for support. It'll take a week for them to respond, but get those English instructions, and ask about the compressors. I'll say this- the 3800 is their flagship model, and what I was told is that they are prioritizing them this year. That said, perhaps it's a difficult compressor/s for yours, or even circuitry? Just speculation. 

 

[Fuzz]

On 8/24/2021 at 1:37 AM, Meesterjojo said:

They were running slow on shipping several months ago. Part on their end due to a chip or board shortage which is global. The other end is the shipping. Last month it was an 8 day back up on some west coast ports. The  the freight forwarders being slow as snot. I'd bet they're just as frustrated right now.

 

Global shipping is in tatters, ports are full of empty containers, fewer ships are sailing etc, it is a major problem. The entire supply chain is totally stuffed, and things are not going to improve this year. Predicitions are for mid 2022 before global shipping starts to improve, though, they said the same thing about 2021 back in 2020.

[Happydiver]

Hi All,

New here and this is my first post. Thanks for the info on the C330A unit. I just ordered one and cannot wait to get it. I know the unit only has one light at the very top but my understanding is that it uses a regular light connection. I have not seen this up-close but this is based on some videos I saw on YouTube. Has anyone replaced this single light with any other type of lighting to light up the shelves individually? I was hoping to find some LED strips that would be as close to plug and play as possible and run them on the inside of the unit. ideally, I can use the light connector inside rather than run it out the bottom of the front door. 

Also there are no sliders for the shelves in this unit. Has anyone tried to install drawer slide type brackets for the shelves?

Welcome the feedback.