Category Archives: Accessories

by Craig Vanderslice | July 5, 2019 · 12:05 am

Accessory Review: Govee Bluetooth Mini Thermometer & Hygrometer

Last year I reviewed a couple of wireless hygrometers from Govee that I really like, they are still going strong today and are in daily use in my humidors. You can see the posts here for the Bluetooth model and here for the WiFi model. I’ve been so pleased with the Govee products that when I needed a new door bell for my house I bought a Govee wireless doorbell and it’s working quite well. Recently they have come out with a new item which I think address some of the things I thought were overkill with the full size model, a Govee Mini Thermometer and Hygrometer. This version eliminates the LCD screen and is just the sensor in a small case. It seamlessly adds in to the smartphone app and has all of the same features as the larger Bluetooth and WiFi versions, temperature and humidity readings with adjustable high and low alarms, data tracking, everything but the display.

Here’s the technical details right from the manufacturer:

App Control via Bluetooth: Monitor temp/humidity data on Govee Home App (free downloading from App Store/Google Play) via Bluetooth. Up to 328ft connecting distance (no obstacles) enables you to monitor temp and humidity remotely.
Higher Accurate Monitor: Built-in Swiss-made SHT30 sensor, it offers higher precision monitoring than other brands. Temp is accurate to ±0.36℉ and humidity is ±2%RH. (Calibration is supported)
Data Storage & Export: 20 days on-board and unlimited in-App storage. The temperature sensor uploads data to App when it connects to APP via Bluetooth. Alert will be sent to App when data is beyond preset range. Besides, export data in CSV format for free.
Mini Size: Smaller size than other brands. Space-saving and portable. A hanging hole is designed for various placement as you want. The battery lifespan is about 365 days.
What’s in Box: 1 x Govee Thermometer and Hygrometer, 1 x Hanging String, 1 x User Manual. Offer 30-day money-back guarantee for any reason and 365-day warranty for quality-related issues.

I bought this from Amazon a couple of weeks ago and received it promptly. All of Govee‘s products are sold through Amazon, and through July 16th (2019) this and the WiFi unit are featured on their Prime Day sale at 60% 0ff (follow the links sprinkles liberally throughout this post) I highly recommend these products especially at these deep discount prices! Anyway, as soon as I received the sensor I pulled the tab covering the battery and it connected to the app and I named it and it started reading temperature and humidity right away. It spent its first few days next to its WiFi sibling, so it’s at least as accurate as that one is, and, judging by the way the cigars smoke, it’s just fine. I like the fact that it doesn’t take up much space, and in a desktop humidor it doesn’t really need a display. I need a hygrometer to give me the data when the humidor is closed, which this one does nicely, a regular digital hygrometer is already moving in the wrong direction as soon as the lid is opened, so you never really know. I think this is a really cool solution, and at the Amazon Prime Days price, it’s a steal! Heck, I ordered another one.

Thanks to Leo at Govee for giving me the opportunity to use Govee products in my humidors and make me into a customer! That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Accessory, Bluetooth, cigar, cigars, Govee, Hygrometer

by Craig Vanderslice | April 17, 2019 · 8:40 am

NewAir CC-300H Climate Controlled Cigar Humidor Review

Back in July of 2015 I became the proud owner of a Newair CC-100 Thermoelectric Humidor, and it’s been functioning wonderfully ever since. It quickly reached capacity, becoming the home for many of my most prized cigars. I stored all of the various coffins, odd boxes and whatnot in it that get lost in the large cabinet, and don’t really fit in a desktop humidor. It also was decorated by Wineadorart.com with some great looking decals. Recently, the folks at NewAir offered me an upgrade to their CC-300H model, not only an upgrade in size but in features as well. Let’s take a look at the list of features that the CC-300 has before I tell you what I think of it!

KEY FEATURES

Opti-Temp™ heats and cools to maintain consistent temperature year-round
Holds up to 400 individually wrapped or boxed cigars for serious collectors
Pin-point accurate thermostat lets you adjust the temperature in 1 degree increments
Removable, adjustable Spanish Cedar shelves and drawers enhance flavors and aromas
Lock and key helps you protect your collection

It’s quite a bit larger than the CC-100, has heating as well as cooling, where the CC-100 only cools. It has a lock and key, which the CC-100 doesn’t. It also has two drawers, and they skipped the dial hygrometer mounted in the drawer which is in the CC-100. Like many dial hygrometers, it isn’t worth a darned anyway, it’s strictly decorative. I had taken a shelf out of the CC-100 to accommodate an additional box, which I won’t have to do with the CC-300H for some time, as it will easily accommodate ten dress boxes if needed. Cabinet boxes will prove to be a challenge and would require removing shelves to make room. I allowed a week or so at elevated humidity for the shelves and drawers to absorb moisture so they wouldn’t be drawing humidity out of my cigars when I moved them in. There’s not a lot of wood, so this isn’t as important a step as it is with a wood humidor. Wineadors aren’t too much more than a fancy coolerdor anyway, it’s just a sealed plastic box with added electronics. I have the same Cigar Oasis Excel that I used in the smaller unit that I rarely ever had to refill and it seems to be settling in right where I want it to be, and I have one of my Govee remote sensors in there so I can monitor things. The room I have this in is the one room in the house that has the wildest temperature swings, so the heating part will be handy in the winter, although my cigars getting chilly is less of a concern than them getting too warm. With all of these units there’s a limit to how far below the ambient temperature it will cool, if the room is 80, it’s not going to get much below 75, but it’s better than 80! Those are the upsides as I see them.

Downsides, minor as they are, would be the placement of the lock. The way is engineered, it’s the most logical way to do it, I get it. It’s on the bottom, and it’s pretty simple, but if you need to keep small children out it’s effective. It isn’t going to keep anyone older than the age of 4 out, but by then you should have taught your child about what are adult things and what are child things. There’s no handle, which looks good and doesn’t really affect anything at all. I like that they no longer highlight the fact that they include a “moisture container”, which they still do, as using that as the source of humidity is just asking for trouble. Of course, as with any humidor, time will tell, but first impressions of the Newair CC-300H are very favorable, and, based on the last 3+ years experience with the smaller predecessor, I have no cause to believe this isn’t a sound investment.

NewAir has provided my readers with a 20% discount off the purchase of a CC-300H! Use code 20CRAIG for 20% off at https://www.newair.com/products/newair-400-cigar-humidor-climate-controlled-heating-and-cooling-with-lock?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=CraigVanderslice&utm_campaign=CC300H .Thanks to NewAir for the oportunity to test drive their humidors!

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as CC-300H, cigar, cigars, humidor, NewAir, Wineador

by CigarCraig | February 20, 2019 · 10:47 am

Revisiting the Colibri V Cut Cigar Cutter

Since I’ve been busy working, and managed to catch a cold and haven’t had a cigar since Friday, I figured I’d follow up on the Colibri V-Cut Cutter I reviewed last April. You may or may not recall (if you don’t, you can go back and read my initial thoughts here), I first became acquainted with the V-cut in the mid-90s when I’d buy a cigar at my local shop and cut it with their Boston Cutter on the counter. Those were the days when I’d buy a cigar and smoke it rather than worry about storing cigars in humidors at home, or having tools of my own. A simpler time. Anyway, I’ve been using the Colibri V-Cut for probably 90% of my cuts over the last 9 months or so, the exceptions being those times when I’m out and about and don’t want to be weighed down by the heaviness of the cutter, which I still find to be my least favorite aspect of the tool, and when I’m smoking an odd shape that I feel will work better with a straight cut or a punch. There’s one other funny exception, and I don’t do this all the time, but every now and then when I smoke something from Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust I’ll give it a straight cut, because I know Saka has said he doesn’t get the deep V cut trend, and for some reason, in deference to him, I smoke his cigars the way he intends them to be smoked (but sometimes I V cut them just to be an ass). I guess the point here is after cutting probably 250+ cigars with this cutter, it still cuts like the day it came out of the box, I can’t recall one cigar I’ve had to re-cut because the draw wasn’t right, and it looks like new. Of course, it hasn’t been in my pocket every day, because it’s not my habit to carry any cigar tool in my pocket every day. It hasn’t suffered the wear of keys and change and whatever other pocket stuff rubbing against it every day does to it. I still dig it, the other V-cutters I have sit in a drawer unused, and this is a near-everyday tool for me. My only wish is that it were lighter in the pocket, but that would compromise the quality and usability, so I guess finding that Batman utility belt is the way to go.

Thank you to Colibri for sending me this cutter to use last year, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase one, as they are very reasonably priced.

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Colibri, V-Cut

by CigarCraig | February 3, 2019 · 11:45 am

Casa Favilli and Mi Querida Cigars and Groovy Groomsmen Gifts

It was cold this week, and I had a hard time getting opportunities to have a cigar. Last Sunday when I visited Pairings Cigar Bar in Media, PA, I picked up a couple Mombacho Casa Favilli torpedos that I spied in the humidor I was sitting next to. I didn’t even look at the price, uncharacteristic of me, I just knew I wanted to try a cigar with a broadleaf wrapper grown in Jalapa, and I knew these were not widely available. The opportunity presented itself and I had to take advantage of it. I still don’t know what they cost, and I don;t want to know, I paid my tab and felt like I got a good value for my visit after spending a nice afternoon with Bill Coyne, recording a good podcast episode, and having a nice smoke in a nice place! At any rate, I did smoke the Casa Favilli, named after the Mombacho factory in Granada, Nicaragua, which is named after the Italian architect who designed the colonial mansion in which the factory is located. visiting this factory is on my wish list, BTW. I’ve only whisked through Granada, it looks like a beautiful little town. As I mentioned, the wrapper on this cigar is from an experimental crop of broadleaf tobacco grown in Jalapa, with a Jalapa binder and fillers from Jalapa and Condega. The flavors in this are interesting, there’s some sweetness, which one expects from Jalapa, but the Broadleaf wrapper offset it with a little bitterness, not unlike the espresso-like flavors in Connecticut broadleaf. It’s a must-try for Broadleaf fans, I think, and another great cigar from Mombacho, who’s cigars have grown on me lately.

Since it was really cold this week, I took a few nights off, but one night I snuck in a little Mi Querida Firecracker, a Two Guys Smokeshop exclusive from Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust. I understand these will be making a comeback, which is a good thing, because this was a really nice little smoke, distinctly different from the slightly larger Gordita, as it has some Ligero loaded in the front to give it some punch, and slow the smoking time. For a 3½” x 50 cigar, it smokes for a good 45 minutes and the flavor is fantastic. Of course, I’m a fan of the Mi Querida, and it’s ugly (Saka’s opinion) sibling, Umbagog, in any size and shape, but this little bastard has a little extra oomph which sets it apart. I’ve had the good fortune to have smoke several in the Firecracker series, although, oddly, never the original Don Pepin versions, and they all are excellent. One of my favorite cigars of last year was a Fratello Firecracker smoked on the Spanish Steps in Rome! For little cigars, they are yummy!

Last year I featured a lighter from Groovy Guy Gifts, and last week their partner site, Groovy Groomsmen Gifts got in touch with me and wanted me to have a look at one of their cigar related offerings. I found that most of the offerings they had were combination cigar/booze accessories…cigar holders with flasks, that sort of thing, and frankly, I have no real way to evaluate that kind of thing. When one isn’t a drinker, drinking accessories aren’t really of interest, and, come to think of it, at my age, chances of me either being a groomsman, or having them are relatively low. Regardless, I decided to have a look at one of the engraved humidors they offered and see how the fit and finish looked, and how their turn around time was. The item was the “Coolector“, which is a 9″ W x 8 1/2″ D x 2 1/4” H cherry finished humidor. Since I have a relationship with the folks at Prestige Group, who make s this humidor, I was able to get some details, such as this is Spanish Cedar lined, and is used by a lot of companies for promotions.

It’s a pressboard construction and seems to seal well, it closes with a nice enough “woosh”. As you can see in the animated gif I made, and the photo, the engraving is very nice, and they turned it around in about 5 days. I would say if you are in the market for personalized gifts to mark an occasion of reasonable quality, I wouldn’t hesitate to use Groovy Groomsmen Gifts, they have a lot of options and they do a nice job of personalizing and shipping quick. The cigar accessories are sourced from a major importer, and while they’re not Elie Bleu quality humidors, they are perfectly usable. My cabinet humidor is from the same company and I’m quite happy with it.

I also managed to get in a Cornelius and Anthony Meridian Robusto, which is number four of my favorite C&A cigar behind the Cornelius, Señor Esugars and The Gent. Heck, they are all good. I still need to revisit that Mistress, although I get a little queezy thinking about it…soon…anyway, that enough for today, until the next time!

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Groovy Groomsmen Gifts, Mi Querida, Mombacho

by CigarCraig | December 27, 2018 · 9:36 pm

Video: Herics Cigar Measuring Tape Review

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and everyone is getting over to the last post and entering to win the E. P. Carrillo goodies I’m giving away! Go to http://www.cigarcraig.com/contest-cigarcraigs-holiday-giveaways-no-2/ and leave a comment to enter. I’ll select a winner on Sunday! E.P. Carrillo’s Encore was Cigar Aficionado’s number one cigar of the year for 2018 and I thought it was well deserved. I can’t say for sure, but one might find its way into the prize pack! Anyway, it’s been a busy week, but I managed to find a nifty little cigar product to review, and I figured a video was the best way to present this one. So take a few minutes and have a look at the video if you will.

The Herics Cigar Measuring Tape isn’t something everyone might need, but it certainly makes life easier if you absolutely have to know the measurements of your cigars, and you have especially hard to measure cigars, such as the box pressed cigar like the one I demonstrated on in the video. I know I’ve struggled with calculating the ring gauge of non-round cigars, not that it matters over-much in the grand scheme of things, but it adds to the enjoyment for many of us. It’s a welcome addition to your cigar toolbox. Check it out at Herics.com and stay tuned for a chance to win one in an upcoming giveaway!