DinoCop05 Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 I've been shopping for a larger humi to hold all my CCs. But, I'm torn between these choices. I know there are members here who own the Aristocrat. I hear great things about them. Great workmanship and quality. I also really like the modern look of the Monolith and Adorini. Ease of use and reliability is also very important. As well as, capacity. Would love to hear the consensus. Would be great to hear input from some owners of either or other brand humidors. Thanks!
Hohenthal Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 I've been shopping for a larger humi to hold all my CCs. But, I'm torn between these two. I know there are members here who own the Aristocrat. I hear great things about them. Great workmanship and quality. I also really like the modern look of the Monolith and it's system. Ease of use and reliability is also very important. As wel as, capacity. Would love to hear the consensus. Would be great to hear input from some owners of either. Thanks! Can't speak about either one, in Europe many use Adorini Aficionado, Adorini has also recently added two more medium sized Cabinet humidors. Have a look at humidordiscount.com.
DinoCop05 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Posted October 31, 2011 Can't speak about either one, in Europe many use Adorini Aficionado, Adorini has also recently added two more medium sized Cabinet humidors. Have a look at humidordiscount.com. Thank you! I didn't know about these. I went to the Adorini website. They are gorgeous too! Added the Bari to the poll.
CigarAsh Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 I consider myself kind of a woodworking snob since it's a major hobby of mine. I'm instinctively attracted to solid woods and quality workmanship. The Aristocrats seem to fit that. When I built my own humidor last year, I made it out of Cherry wood (to match cabinetry where it would sit), then I completely lined the interior with resawn quarter inch thick Spanish Cedar, lap jointed and set loosely in a "frame" I built so the cedar could move with the humidity as it seasoned. I think the use of solid Spanish Cedar (and NOT veneered plywood) adds a real traditional feel and smell to the humidor. When I open the door, the spicy smell that comes out of my humidor is just amazing and it seems to impart a little of the spice and aroma to the cigars. The other thing that solid Cedar inside your humidor will do is just totally lock in your RH levels. Once it's seasoned and you start to fill the humidor the variation in RH levels will be minute because of the moisture contained in the wood (and your cigar stock). Based on advice here, I've been trying to get the RH in my humidor down to around 63% (or lower). I had my humidifier turned off for the last 4 months and have only been able to knock a couple of points off the RH (a nice dry Winter will help take care of that though). If you're going to buy a display type humidor, go with one that doesn't look like a mini-fridge. Good cigars cry out for a well built, wooden case that has some craftsmanship behind it. Aristocrat gets my vote.
Lotusguy Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 I voted for the monolith for two reasons: A Leadtimes on the Aristocrat are ridiculous and B The modern design of the monolith will work better for many homes (depends on your decor, of course). My own humi is custom made so I can't comment on the quality of either unit... Edit: You did notice that the Adorini's don't include temperature control, right?
tydra Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Agree with Lotusguy on the Aristocrat leadtimes, but I truly think it's worth it. I've owned an Aristocrat MXT plus for a little bit over 2 months now and it's an amazing piece of furniture AND humidor. As for the contemporary look, you could practically customize an Aristocrat whichever way you like; I have mine in black dyed mahogany and it looks perfect with my black mahogany, brushed steel and glass furniture.
bc8436 Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Of the 3 on your list, I voted for the Aristocrat M. Their build quality is really top notch. When I was searching for a cabinet humidor, I came across a few posts on another forum about the Monolith. Apparently, the temp/RH control unit tends to malfunction pretty frequently so you might want to look into that.
DinoCop05 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Posted October 31, 2011 I voted for the monolith for two reasons: A Leadtimes on the Aristocrat are ridiculous and B The modern design of the monolith will work better for many homes (depends on your decor, of course). My own humi is custom made so I can't comment on the quality of either unit... Edit: You did notice that the Adorini's don't include temperature control, right? Yes I did realize it doesnt come with Temp Control. Figured I could always add one if I decided this one. I appreciate your feedback.
DinoCop05 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Posted October 31, 2011 I've read the placement of the water tank on the monolith is akward. Supposedly, you have to remove the tray everytime it needs to be filled. I didnt hear of the unit malfunctioning. But, I'm glad it was mentioned. I definitely have to research that! I must say, I do love the modern design though. But, in the end, I think reliability and craftsmanship of the Aristocrat will prevail. Im sure the leads times are crazy, but like Tydra said, I'm certain it's worth it. Thank you all for your comments and recommendations.
SCgarman Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 Aristocrat M, these humidors have a great reputation, and when I can afford to shell out the 5 grand, I will own one myself!
drake2k Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 I have an Aristocrat custom, a little larger than the M Plus, THC. I love it. I've had a couple of issues, but Bob has been very responsive every time. Lead time is a little long, but well worth the wait.
DinoCop05 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Posted November 1, 2011 I have an Aristocrat custom, a little larger than the M Plus, THC. I love it. I've had a couple of issues, but Bob has been very responsive every time. Lead time is a little long, but well worth the wait. May I ask what issues you encountered? Thanks
thechenman Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 If I may ask...what is the lead time on an Aristocrat right now? Anyone know?
Lotusguy Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 Based on what happened to a guy on another forum it is quoted leadtime plus several months...
DinoCop05 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Posted November 1, 2011 Yep, I remember reading somewhere in the vicinity of 2 to 4 months.
drake2k Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 May I ask what issues you encountered? Thanks First, I ordered my humidor in March this year. Delivery estimate was 6 weeks. It took about 9 weeks. It's beautiful, great workmanship. After a couple of months, I had a problem with the power supply. I called and discussed with Bob. He had a new power supply delivered to me overnight. Then, the cooling units started acting up, probably because of the power supply problem. I called Bob again, and I had two new cooling units overnight. Now, everything is perfect. From my experience, Bob is a first class guy, and 100% responsive. His estimate of delivery time may be optimistic, but the humidor was well worth the wait. I don't expect perfection, but when problems come up, the real test is how a guy reacts. Bob hit a home run IMO.
DinoCop05 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Posted November 2, 2011 First, I ordered my humidor in March this year. Delivery estimate was 6 weeks. It took about 9 weeks. It's beautiful, great workmanship. After a couple of months, I had a problem with the power supply. I called and discussed with Bob. He had a new power supply delivered to me overnight. Then, the cooling units started acting up, probably because of the power supply problem. I called Bob again, and I had two new cooling units overnight. Now, everything is perfect. From my experience, Bob is a first class guy, and 100% responsive. His estimate of delivery time may be optimistic, but the humidor was well worth the wait. I don't expect perfection, but when problems come up, the real test is how a guy reacts. Bob hit a home run IMO. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I certainly have to agree, i would never expect perfection. The most important thing is to have that support when you need it. That's what truly makes the difference between something good and something great! How would you rate, ease of use? Thanks again.
tydra Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 As for the leadtime, I was given an estimate of 8 wks,but it took 16. Nothing to it as for the ease of use. Set up's real simple and instructions are with the cabinet. My mxt plus took about 1 wk to season and another wk to completely stabilize.
drake2k Posted November 7, 2011 Posted November 7, 2011 Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I certainly have to agree, i would never expect perfection. The most important thing is to have that support when you need it. That's what truly makes the difference between something good and something great! How would you rate, ease of use? Thanks again. The unit could not be easier to use. Just set the temp and humidity you want, put in some distilled water, and leave it alone.
anacostiakat Posted November 9, 2011 Posted November 9, 2011 I have no direct experience with two of the brands you list. Bob at Aristocrat makes a top shelf product. I am very happy with his work. I would add that there is another vendor worth considering and that is Avallo.
RonLA Posted November 9, 2011 Posted November 9, 2011 aristocrats, great workmanship, beautiful, function very well, with set and forget, temperature control. Custom wood of your choice to choose; imo hard to beat
DinoCop05 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Posted November 10, 2011 aristocrats, great workmanship, beautiful, function very well, with set and forget, temperature control. Custom wood of your choice to choose; imo hard to beat After researching all the possibilities, I couldnt agree more. It appears to be the best choice.
DinoCop05 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Posted November 10, 2011 I have no direct experience with two of the brands you list. Bob at Aristocrat makes a top shelf product. I am very happy with his work. I would add that there is another vendor worth considering and that is Avallo. Avallo seems to be similar to the Aristocrat, without all the extra options. Not bad... thanks!
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