Taking the plunge and ordering an Aristocrat

[lbowles2]

I am taking the plunge and ordering an Aristocrat. In fact I talked to Bob on Friday and ordered a Mini Tall with
set & forget. I may move up to either a Plus, Plus 48 or an M though because I was counting up the boxes that
I have ordered lately and ones I'm planning on ordering and have concluded the the Mini will already be full. I like
the M but it doesn't fit where I really wanted to put it so the chances are good I will end up with the Plus or Plus48.

And now a couple of questions...
1. Those of you with the Plus how many singles can you fit in the drawer? The site quotes 2-300 but that's a pretty big range.
2. Do you peoples with the set and forget system use beads along with it to bring down RH? Or do you find that it's not necessary?

 

[Headbanger]

The 200-300 loose sticks depends on the size sticks you have. If you have double coronas or fat sticks, probaby closer to the 200 range. If you smoke tre petite corona or PC closer to the 300 range. Most brothers leave space for air flow where they store boxes and the number of boxes and singles is almost always under what the mfg lists. When in doubt, get the bigger cabinet is what I would suggest.

I think many people if they have beads already put them up top as RH rises, but best to ask Bob where to put them in the cabinet being built for you. People use the beads up top for mostly EXCESS RH absorbsion, the active set and forget system is better for increasing RH.

Good luck and congrats brother, I am sure you will be very happy with the purchase.

(I do not own one, just from experiance what others say over the years here.)

 

[raodwarior]

Best money you can spend thats not on cigars. Have had mine for over 6 yrs and it is as nice as the day it was delivered.

 

[AlohaStyle]

Yes I agree, definitely buy bigger if you already think it will be full. You will be pissed at yourself having a brand new cabinet full right away, then a few months down the road thinking about buying a bigger one. Mine is already close to being full, but I know my wife wouldn't approve of a bigger one than the Mxt that I got so I'm okay with it! LOL

Bob himself says he has found that Rh SINKS in his cabinet humis, even though physics says the opposite. The Rh is higher at the bottom of my Mxt Aristocrat so that's where I keep my NC's. One thing I was thinking though... it's definitely possible the Rh is higher at the bottom simply because the humidification canisters full of water are at the bottom. Doesn't mean Rh is sinking, just a higher Rh at the bottom cuz there's 2 pools of water.

I have beads on every shelf of my Aristocrat because I had beads from owning a couple of wine fridges and coolers. I think it's very wise to have beads to keep Rh constant as an active humidification system adds humidity, but doesn't lower it. If you're gonna invest that much $ in a cabinet, why not a few extra bucks for beads to keep it rock solid? I'm sure there are many Aristocrat owners without beads that are more than happy, but it's an added peace of mind for me.

 

[JDog]

I certainly do not want to hijack lbowles2's thread, and I'm interested in eventually getting a nice cabinet since I have a space problem in my condo. I also agree about buying the biggest unit that you can afford.

Just curious, since I know a lot of folks that own these cabinets will be reading this thread... has anyone considered not getting the cabinet fully lined with Spanish cedar? I like the aromatic qualities of Spanish Cedar but I also like the fact my wineadors are not fully lined with Spanish Cedar except for a few drawers or shelves.

lbowles2... Congrats on making the plunge.

 

[lbowles2]

I decided to go the with the Aristocrat M cabinet... I'll just have to find somewhere else for it than where I
intended. I just think the space that is there is more usable. To me a drawback of the pullout shelves in the
Plus is that you can't stack boxes against the sides. In the 17" deep M you can and they are shallow enough
not to need pull outs. At least that's what I think anyway... :thumbsup:

 

[AlohaStyle]

You really need to be careful about stacking boxes all the way to the sides/back as that limits the airflow. There is space built in around the edges specifically to allow the needed airflow. If you stack boxes to the very edges, I think you are doing yourself a disservice.

JDog, why don't you like having all cedar? Just a preference on looks? Having a big cabinet, the spanish cedar really helps stabilize the insides as the wood takes in, and releases moisture. If you don't get a good material inside a big cabinet, Rh swings could be more likely.

 

[AlohaStyle]

And yes, CONGRATS!

 

[JDog]

JDog, why don't you like having all cedar? Just a preference on looks? Having a big cabinet, the spanish cedar really helps stabilize the insides as the wood takes in, and releases moisture. If you don't get a good material inside a big cabinet, Rh swings could be more likely.

Not looks... I obviously agree on your point with stabilization.

I have a buddy that I smoke with all the time that has had a cabinet, large aristocrat, for a long time. I swear everything that I smoked out of that cabinet seem to have a slight cedar taste, like it's being imparted on the cigar due to storage. When he gives me a cigar (and sometimes the same one) from one of his coolidors, I don't get that taste... maybe it's me or he's not storing them correctly in the aristocrat like over-stacking the boxes without good air circulation... I don't know. I do know that I've smoked a lot of cigars stored in other folks' cabinets and don't get that taste... just curious.

Again, I really, really want to get one of these cabinets some day. I was curious what other folks thought and if others have looked at using a less aromatic wood as a liner... I personally think he's over-stacking his boxes without good air circulation or something. I'm not an expert though.

 

[JDog]

I decided to go the with the Aristocrat M cabinet... I'll just have to find somewhere else for it than where I
intended. I just think the space that is there is more usable. To me a drawback of the pullout shelves in the...

Nice choice! Great point on storage drawbacks due to shelves. Thank you for sharing.

 

[lbowles2]

You really need to be careful about stacking boxes all the way to the sides/back as that limits the airflow. There is space built in around the edges specifically to allow the needed airflow. If you stack boxes to the very edges, I think you are doing yourself a disservice.

Stacking them tight at the sides wouldn't make any difference air flow wise as the drawer slides will block the flow anyway. As long
as there is flow in the front and back I would think I would be good to go.

 

[cvm4]

It's pretty much easy maintenance and worry free ownership. The only thing I do is take the humidification out during the summer and put it back during the winter.

 

[lbowles2]

I was premature in saying that I was getting an Aristocrat... I'm not getting the cabinet from Bob but I did
get his set & forget system. It will be here tomorrow.

As for the cabinet I was going to have my Uncle build one for me but that has fallen through. Instead I just
ordered an Olde English tower humidor for a good price. It actually fits where I wanted to put it better than
the cabinets that I could afford from Bob and it should be pretty nice with the set & forget system in it. I
know the Aristocrat cabs are nicer but what I wanted just wasn't in my budget. Below is a pic of what I'm getting.

 

[jonnysmokes]

That's a nice looking piece as well. Enjoy

 

[orangedog]

very nice looking humi - looking forward to the pics of it settled in and filled up!

 

[nanilla]

That will be a very nice set-up. Congrats.

Not to hijack but I did just order an aristocrat m with 48" width. Still trying to decide whether or not to go 19" vs. 25" depth. Any suggestions? It is a minimal price increase for a good deal amount more storage, but 25" is deep and might be awkward in a room.

 

[CohibaStevie]

My aritocrat mini arrived in ireland this week and im astounded at the quality and finish.

To me there is no better humidor.