Raching CT48A: in depth review

[Lunettesman]

Hello everyone,

You dreamed about it, I made it happen. The long-awaited review of my Raching CT48A. Enough talk, relax, and let's dive in!

If you want some context, I invite you to read my first post:

https://www.fohcigars.com/forum/topic/144193-review-raching-humidor-ca330-humidty-and-temperature-controlled/

So now I have 3 Rachings. The CA330, the CT48A which I will analyze, and a third one that is quite old and does not have temperature control. I don't intend to review the latter.

Let's go! My Habanos point tobacconist, who is a friend and a collector, decided a year ago to sell part of his private collection. I don't want you to wet your pants, it would be bad while you read that in your office, so I won't list what I managed to get (Tons of limited editions (maybe some Monte DC 2001...), Regional Editions, special humidors, books (maybe a sublimes...) and Reservas (maybe a Siglo 6 GR in the mix) 😉). Brag time over. However, I ended up with about 60 boxes and no space. My other two Rachings were full, so I decided to invest in a new one. In the mean time, the boxes were going to be stored in jumbo boxes, in the cellar with Boveda packs.

Being very satisfied with my other two Rachings, I naturally turned to them. Sheila from Raching was of great help. She offered me their latest model with the largest capacity. 2990USD + 800USD for shipping, and in less time than it takes to say it, the humidor was on its way to my house. After two months of endless waiting, I received a call: it was going to be delivered (September 2023). I was lucky at that moment! Since my house was under renovation, the workers used a crane to put this beast on my terrace, and they helped me put it in my living room. It weighs about 120kg (250lbs). To thank them, I bought them sandwiches, cigarettes, and dessert. Everyone was happy.

Thanks to my Dad who is always there for me, who doesn't give a damn about cigars, but who always listen to me when I passionately talk about my sticks.

I let the humidor stand for 24 hours before unpacking it. Then... there it is. It's here, big, beautiful, sturdy, shiny... it gave me a glance, I blushed and fell in love at first sight! What a beast! But now... it's time to make it work. 24 hours on, 24 hours waiting, then the ultimate moment: filling it up. I even took the opportunity to make an Excel list for all the boxes that would go in.

 

Raching humidor CT48A review (10-point system):

- Interior 10/10: Like the others, interior made of cedar. The smell is amazing and still holds after 9 months. Out of the 8 drawers, 3 can be pulled out and are on rails. 5 drawers are not on rails and need to be "lifted". I like this in-between. According to Raching, putting rails on each drawer would reduce the interior capacity. From my side, I prefer more space than more rail drawers. There are dividers for the drawers that can be removed. The drawer dimensions seem to have been designed to fit the maximum number of boxes. The height is perfect for any box. The problem with my other Raching CA330 was that the 50 cabinets were too high.

- Look 10/10: I love it. Less kitschy than the other models. I really like the chrome gray. The exterior is solid stainless steel. It's quality and durability. There is also an LED inside the door that really lights up the cabinet and is not just for show. Overall, it's my Rolls Royce, I love it! I also like that the water tray is now hidden.

- Ammonia removal 10/10: The best news from my purchase. I was skeptical, thinking it was a marketing gimmick. But amazingly, it really works very well. Some boxes, when not aired well enough, smell like old shoes to me. And that's where I find it incredible. After 2-3 months, the cigars no longer have that smell, or just a little bit. The ultimate trick is to leave the box slightly open, or if it's a slid lid box, just remove the lid. This thing is really surprising and I really think it works. What a surprise!

- Habanos sommelier 3/10: I find this aspect totally useless and I don't know if it really works. You put your cigars in it, press a button, and it should have the effect of dry boxing. The humidor lets you know when it's done. However, I don't notice any difference. None!

- Screen touch 10/10: Like the previous ones, clear, precise, fast, efficient.

- Longevity of water 7/10: With my previous model, 7 liters of water lasted about 1.5 years. With this model, 8 months. It's much bigger, but it's something to think about and not neglect. Coming back last week, the humidor was beeping beep beep beep.

- Capacity 7/10: A little less than advertised. I don't know exactly how many cigars I have in this one. I didn't total it. They advertise 450l for up to 4000 cigars. I would say more like 1500-2000 with boxes. However, the drawers are well designed. I expected to have more interior space...

- Noise 9/10: Rather quiet.

- Humidification system accuracy 10/10: Incredible. Oh boy! I want to rate it 100/10. No variation, rock solid, super precise, and worry-free. I placed 10 wifi sensors in the unit, from top to bottom it reads 65%, between two boxes, in front, behind 65%. I almost thought my hygrometers were broken. It's perfection. In front of the glass, it's at 61%, but everything on the shelves holds at 65%. However, when it arrived, I had to calibrate it. It was at 61% when I had set it to 65%. After a few text exchanges, they explained to me how to calibrate it and since then it has been working like a charm.

Compressor 9/10: Rather quiet. I find it runs more often than my other models. However, everything works wonderfully.

- Air circulation 10/10: I think this is one of the most developed aspects since the last model. The air circulation is really effective, just like humidity management. There is a mini breeze blowing throughout the unit, but without wind. Really well balanced. I have a doubt but I would say there are 8 mini fans. You can, thanks to the control panel, change the fan strength. But for that, you need to contact Raching to explain the method to you. It's the same for other aspects of the device. It is really customizable in the smallest details but nothing in the user manual.

- Temperature 10/10: Overall as consistent as humidity. Very consistent. My sensors indicate 18°C as I programmed.

- Other: Has a lock. Comes with a funnel and a cable to purge the water container. This last modification is superb. Very practical to completely empty the water basin with a tube. The water basin is hidden and is under/behind the wood. You can't see it. So to purge, you have to insert the tube into a hole, press a button, and voilà. Finally, and this is not negligible, the humidor is on wheels. Very practical for moving it. Once in place, there are extendable feet that can be used under the unit and adjusted to ensure the unit is stable.

Overall 10/10: Is there room for improvement? Absolutely... am I satisfied? Yes. Do I feel reassured? Absolutely, and that's priceless for me. Set and forget (almost). I recommend this unit and also the company in general. I only speak from my experience and cannot speak for anyone else.

There you go! I hope I didn't forget anything.

Looking forward to answering your questions.

[gormag38]

Awesome review! Would love to see a photo of this baby stocked up. I want to pee my pants in my office. 

[Fuzz]

Great review!

I have been thinking about the CS600.

[Odessa]

Congratulations! Enjoy. 🙂

[Uwiik]

Awesome review @Lunettesman. I am on the verge of getting Raching MON800A to act as a long term dry box to supplement my WIH. Do you mind sharing your contact person in China? PM is fine if it's not allowed in the open here. Thanks!!

[Eric05]

Nice review, I just made a purchase Raching Mon1800A I got it for $1800. I have always had custom Built wood Humidors. I felt this might be a better direction to go with since I'm not purchasing as much anymore, should be a good size. 

[Marrduk24]

Thanks for this review. Do you know if functionally there are any differences between Mon and C series? 

[Lunettesman]

9 minutes ago, Marrduk24 said:

Thanks for this review. Do you know if functionally there are any differences between Mon and C series? 

No I don't. But you could probably find information on their website. 

[EasternPromises]

@Lunettesman Maybe I’m missing something here but isn’t the model that you’re reviewing the CT48A? 

[Eric05]

6 hours ago, EasternPromises said:

@Lunettesman Maybe I’m missing something here but isn’t the model that you’re reviewing the CT48A? 

Looking at this, I believe you are right. It is the CT48a I was looking at this model as well. But The CT is the lower end model compared to the Mon series.

[Lunettesman]

On 8/11/2024 at 1:33 AM, EasternPromises said:

@Lunettesman Maybe I’m missing something here but isn’t the model that you’re reviewing the CT48A? 

How could I make such a mistake. You re totally right. I mixed the names with my other one. I will change that. 

[EasternPromises]

No worries. Unit looks fantastic. What would you say are the differences between the CT48 and the Mon3800a? Which would you recommend?

[Socrates]

Thanks for posting this and your great review! I have been looking at the CT48A online for a while now and drooling over it. The main reason I am interested in either this or the Mon 3800A is simply to finally have consistent RH on all shelves. I have a Newair 1500 but the top is always 3-4% dryer than the middle and bottom shelves.

Anyway...congrats and enjoy that beautiful humidor!

[Lunettesman]

On 8/14/2024 at 12:30 PM, EasternPromises said:

No worries. Unit looks fantastic. What would you say are the differences between the CT48 and the Mon3800a? Which would you recommend?

Can't tell. I'm not familiar with the Mon3800a.

[unaslob]

Have a MON2800 and love it. Had a big aristocrat prior that was just getting too old and not doing what it is supposed to reliably. For my Cuban investment it wasn’t going to cut it.

For the Raching, There is a humidity discrepancy between my calibrated govees. Would love to know how to calibrate the Raching. Currently set at 67% to maintain 62%.

The air movement is best described as robust. Some reviews expressed concern about leaving sticks in the open as opposed to boxed.  The significant air movement lead to drying of the sticks prematurely despite good humidity and temp set.  For now I keep everything boxed and have one tupper for the loose sticks. I prefer keeping in boxes as I know the year of the sticks I’m pulling out anyway. 

My only regret was not going a bit bigger. I underestimated my penchant for purchasing Cubans over the past 2 years and overestimated my consumption of the sticks.  I can work on one of these problems.  

[Socrates]

Nice collection man! And a beauty of a unit. Question: Do find any/much discrepancy in RH between different shelves from top to bottom when looking at your Govees?  

[Lunettesman]

On 9/9/2024 at 6:02 AM, unaslob said:

Have a MON2800 and love it. Had a big aristocrat prior that was just getting too old and not doing what it is supposed to reliably. For my Cuban investment it wasn’t going to cut it.

For the Raching, There is a humidity discrepancy between my calibrated govees. Would love to know how to calibrate the Raching. Currently set at 67% to maintain 62%.

The air movement is best described as robust. Some reviews expressed concern about leaving sticks in the open as opposed to boxed.  The significant air movement lead to drying of the sticks prematurely despite good humidity and temp set.  For now I keep everything boxed and have one tupper for the loose sticks. I prefer keeping in boxes as I know the year of the sticks I’m pulling out anyway. 

My only regret was not going a bit bigger. I underestimated my penchant for purchasing Cubans over the past 2 years and overestimated my consumption of the sticks.  I can work on one of these problems.  

Ask the customer service. You can calibrate your settings without any problems. 

And as far as loose sticks go... I would strongly recommend not to leave any loose sticks in the unit. They could dry out. It's what happened to a few sticks I had put on top of boxes. Humidity is there but the ventilation dried the wrapper.