Summary
Characteristics
Type: Electric Cabinet Humidor;
Capacity: 400 cigars, depending on the vitola.
Key Features: Built-in humidification system with Opti-Temp™ control. Two Spanish cedar drawers and four shelves. Door with a lock and keys. LED lighting.
Manufacturer: NewAir;
Country of Origin: China;
Dimensions, W/D/H: 18/20.8/29;
Interior and Materials: Plastic, Spanish cedar, steel, and stainless steel;
Lock: Yes;
Drawers: Yes, two cedar drawers;
Trays: Yes, our cedar trays;
Lighting: Yes.
Humidification: Yes;
Hygrometer: No;
Water tank capacity: About 14 fl.oz.;
Thermometer: Yes, a digital thermometer;
Temperature control: Yes;
Ventilation: Yes;
Noise level: 43 dB;
Power supply: 110-120 Volt electricity.
Key Features
NewAir uses the Opti-Temp™ system to heat, cool and maintain constant temperatures year-round. Precise temperature adjustment in 1-degree increments and a temperature range of 60° and 74°F make this product not just a humidor, but a wine cooler.
The removable Spanish cedar shelves and drawers, as you probably know, are perfect for storing cigars. Spanish cedar enhances the flavor and aroma of cigars and repels insects. The shelves and drawers can be adjusted to your liking. Each of the shelves and trays have openings in the bottom, so that moisture can flow freely between levels.
A wonderful and practical feature is that you can reverse the door swing. This makes it easier to place the unit in your home. And it can also be more convenient for left-handed people.
NewAir CC -300H has a lock and key so you can protect your collection.
On the top of the humidor there is a LED light. It would have been better if the lighting was placed along the door frame.
Pros
- Fully adjustable temperature system.
- Secure, tight seal.
- Large capacity.
- Lock and key.
- Accurate hygrometer and temperature sensors.
Cons
- No hygrometer.
- There is not enough light to illuminate the interior.
- The lock is on the bottom, so you have to kneel down every time you unlock it.
Packaging and shipping
In this section, we describe our friend’s recollections of shipping and unboxing the humidor. The product arrived only two days after the order was placed. Perhaps the quick delivery is due to the fact that our friend lives in the same state from which the manufacturer shipped.
The NewAir CC -300H is packed in a large cardboard box with a secure lid. Inside the box, the humidor is packed with foam corners. These protect each side of the humidor and reduce waste. The doors are sealed with tape to ensure nothing slips during transport.
You can easily return the humidor within thirty days and it has a one-year warranty.
Exterior
NewAir CC -300H measures 18 inches wide, 20.8 inches deep, and 29 inches high.
The material on the outside of the box is black-painted metal. The door is made of stainless steel and a double glass pane.
The lock is located on the bottom of the door. This is a bit inconvenient because if the humidor is on the floor, you have to kneel down every time to lock and unlock the door.
The documentation included with the humidor consists of an instruction manual, a quick start guide, and a flyer to register your product.
For a second perspective, here’s another person sharing insights on NewAir CC-300:
youtube.com/@CutLightSmoke
Interior
The storage capacity of the humidor is 2.3 cubic feet.
The interior is made of plastic. If you notice a plastic smell when you first open the humidor, you can easily remove it.
You can arrange your stogie collection on four cedar shelves and two drawers. All of them are removable and you can adjust them to your liking.
The CC -300H is equipped with a plastic reservoir for humidification.
The lighting of the humidor is designed so that you can see where your humidor is in the dark, not what is in the humidor.
Setup and Seasoning
Our friend did the initial setup and seasoning. In his experience, there was no strong plastic smell when he first opened the humidor. Anyway, he washed the inside of the humidor with mild soap and warm water, taking out the shelves and drawers. So as not to get the wood wet. The door was open all night. Then the unit ran for a full day to complete the airing out process.
Our friend wiped the cedar shelves and drawers with a dry and clean cloth to remove the dust and particles from the manufacturing processes.
With the reservoir filled with distilled water, seasoning took four days. If you are a fan of electric humidifiers, you’ll need a battery-powered one or one with a thin ribbon cable that runs through the door. There is no electrical outlet in the humidor. Electric humidifiers with a thin ribbon cable cause leaks of moisture out of the humidor. The graph below was created from our friend’s data.
The temperature quickly reaches the desired level. For less than a day, the temperature gauge on the humidor shows 70. When you set the desired temperature, the device will show you the ambient temperature. We were able to collect our own data with the temperature seasoning. While taking out our friend’s cigar collection, transporting it, and setting it up at our place, the temperature was not 70 degrees. It reached 76°F, which is not a good temperature to keep your cigars. Tobacco beetle eggs begin to develop at 72 degrees. The risk of mold growth also increases at temperatures above 70 degrees.
Capacity
They say that this humidor can fit about 400 cigars. To our knowledge, the number is a bit less – about 200 or 250, depending on the vitola. And if you store your sticks in the original boxes, the number of cigars you can store in it is even less.
Seal
The seal is perfect! No moisture leaks at all. The NewAir CC -300H is like a small refrigerator and you can count on it to keep all the humidity inside. The door is quite heavy and when you open it, you can feel the nice suction between the door and the body of the humidor.
Humidification System
The humidification system consists of a reservoir and a built-in fan. The water reservoir holds about 14 fl. oz. You can use distilled water, humidifying gel, or Boveda packs to get the desired RH.
Hygrometer
No, there is no hygrometer built in. It is hard to believe that this is so, but it is what it is. You have to rely on an additional device to monitor humidity. And that is the reason why there is only a red line in the graphs of humidity.
Thermometer
Yes, there is a thermal sensor that helps the thermostat function. It works wonderfully accurately. There is no difference between the built-in thermometer and the control device.
Thermostat
The H in the unit’s name means that there is a heating function. You can adjust the thermostat in 1-degree increments in the range of 60° to 74°F.
Performance
For such a refrigerator-like device, the NewAir CC -300H is quite quiet. The noise level is 43 dB.
The three La Flor Dominicana El Jocko cigars were 66% RH when we put them in the humidor. We know this is a perfect RH for the sticks to be smoked. To ensure consistency, we aim for 70% RH at the end of the test month.
During the test month, humidity measurements were almost the same. On the 10th and 25th day we filled the reservoir with distilled water and therefore for these days there is an increase to RH. We changed the level of the control hygrometer to see if there are any differences at RH. And there are not. There are no moisture leaks. The built-in fan and the heavy-duty seal are doing their job just fine!
The temperature graph is a boring flat line like the graphs of the other electric humidors we have reviewed. There were minor changes in temperature and humidity as we placed test cigars, changed the level of the SMARTRO, or refilled the reservoir. But they do not deserve to be mentioned, as they do not affect the results for the day. The desired values were achieved for a few hours.
The constant temperature is also due to the fact that we kept the humidor indoors as intended. It was in a climate-controlled environment.
La Flor Dominicana El Jocko came out at 70% RH after the month for the NewAir CC -300H review. The cigars were as excellent as we expected. They burned evenly for about an hour. The smoke was opulent. We knew this wineador did its job of storing cigars from before, so the results of the experiment are not surprising.
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FAQ
Yes. Before you load your new humidor with cigars, you need to season it. This process allows the wood in the humidor to absorb moisture so your cigars do not dry out.
As a rule of thumb, you should buy a humidor slightly larger than the number of cigars you want to store. If you think ten cigars is the right number, you should buy a 25-cigar humidor.
Electric humidors give you more control and reliability over the climate in the humidor.
