Pugsley finally satisfies his craving with the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA

[Steampugs]

Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA

I have the worst friends in this industry, they know I'm weak, well.....not just weak, but the walking epitome of a sales person’s wet dream. You only have to suggest something to me and I'm all in, but my friends don't stop there, oh no.....they are the meanest, most malicious bunch of Jedi mind bending enablers the world has ever seen, and not a day goes by that I don't hear the immortal phrase..

"Hey Pugs....have you seen this?"

As they present me with a piece of vape pornography that not only do I not own...but really and truly belongs in a glass cabinet on a jewellery showroom floor, and as ever...I try my best to be polite in my retort...

Does it stop them?....no...does it fuck, what it does do, is entice them to scurry back under their little rock...which happens to be covering a vape cave full of hidden....SHOULD be illegal....vape paraphernalia, and what do they do with this treasure trove of trinkets ten minutes later?....

"Hey Pugs....have you seen this?"

Mean......pure, unadulterated, vindictive, malicious and downright unruly meanness. I mean don't get me wrong, I have quite the arsenal myself, you don't stay in this game as long as I have without acquiring 'one or two' stand out pieces.....but.... these guys seem to fill every gap in my collection with something that more often than not....makes a little voice in my head come alive with some really useful advice...

(pssssst.....they're alone......you could totally take them out right now......and no one would ever know.....then we could go and get a McDonalds)

Honestly....if it wasn't for that voice in my head I'd probably be skinny.

And it's exactly this kind of premeditated peer pressure which has led us to where we are today, a device that pretty much most of my selfish Steam soirée had before I got my hands on one, and my word....did they enjoy that fact. So much so....that I may have one less friend who may...or may not....now be buried under my patio.....but....at least my vape arsenal has one less gap in it....silver lining and all that...

That's not admissible evidence.

Shall we...?

Welcome back once more unto the breach my finest fluffy fog fetishists. Here again with more literal bollocks for your semi-enjoyment....and I emphasise the word 'semi'. And this time....we ain't fuckin around, not that I ever just 'fuck around' being the consummate, award winning professional that I am...

But in terms of rebuildable tanks?....today's offering deserves something of a more respectful nature....me....respectful? Hey I can only try, right?.....Short of fainting or bursting into flames what's the worst that could happen? ....Famous.last.words.

So.....without further ado, please.....allow me to present to you, Courtesy of Steam Crave, who finally gave into my wanting 'diva-like' demands, the quite simply stunning Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA ...

I can literally hear the sound of wallets and purses flapping frantically everywhere as they try their hardest to oust that vape budget with complete abandonment. Man....that's a sexy looking tank right there. I own it...and I'm still licking the computer screen at that picture, shit....compose yourself Pugs...

It's funny...because it's true.

Moving on...believe it or not, this is actually the first time I've ever reviewed any of Steam Crave’s gear, which is especially odd given that I own 4 of their tanks....and....I don't actually remember buying 2 of them. I probably owe an apology to someone there, best not attract too much attention to that fact....but the one I definitely do remember buying is the Aromamizer Supreme V1, and I have had that thing now for...what...5 years? Back in the day when I first received it...there was nothing which came even remotely close to it. I admit...I probably haven't used it for the last couple of years, but that's just the nature of the game - you're testing new tanks all the time and things get put on the shelf and forgotten about, regardless of how good they are. But....because of what I was reviewing today, I decided to dust off my entire Steam Crave collection and give them a bit of much needed attention...

And would you like to know what I discovered..??

The Aromamizer Supreme V1 will still hold up against any RTA on the market today in terms of machining, flavour and vapour production....even though it's 5 years old.

Right?....I am a constant wealth of interesting facts which make your life that little bit better...sometimes I just don't know how I manage it...but this fact alone, I believe, is testament to the kind of quality we are talking about today......so there.

The Lowdown

The Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA is a girthy 30mm RTA......and I'm going to continue to call it an RTA, because essentially....that's what it fucking is. "But it's clearly called an RDTA?" you may well shout at me - and you'd be right. But.....although this terminology is by no means set in stone, the term RDTA is generally known as a dripper sat on top of a tank, which this isn't. The fact that this can be used as a dripper...does not make it an RDTA....it makes it an RTTCABUAADA, which is EXACTLY....why I'm not allowed to name anything .... ever ...I'm sure you'll agree...

Now, the kit I received is the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA Advanced kit, which comes with a fair few extras. However it is also available as a straight forward, no nonsense, basic kit. The tank is essentially the same though, which...in its basic form can house a very respectable 8ml of liquid in it's belly.

Now...when you've handled a lot of tanks in your time, it becomes instantly apparent that when you pick up anything made by Steam Crave, you're picking up something that's been so expertly milled, so finely crafted, and so lovingly engineered..that you can't help but get a little vape chubby while you fondle it. Does that make me weird?....No...that doesn't make me weird at all, there's literally thousands of things that do make me weird...but that's not one of them - and any Steam Crave fan knows exactly what I'm talking about. You would honestly believe that you were handling a high end tank...yet...you didn't pay high end prices for it...what's not to like about that.

But as for the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA ......We'll start at the top.....

A standard fitting 810 drip tip....but the tip itself is anything but standard - beautifully rounded edges in deep, rich colours making it not only incredibly comfortable to use, but also really pleasing to the eye. Below that we have the heavily debossed name of the tank, this used to be engraved around the top of the tank just under the top cap, but I am bigger fan of this, and the debossing is immaculate.

Unscrew the top cap....which....by the way, makes you pull this face when you feel the silky, smooth threading...

And you are greeted with something that, in my opinion, is the the most perfectly executed top fill system known to man....

Two huge kidney shaped fill ports which are heavily recessed to prevent any spillages....but then, you'd be pretty fucking dumb to miss those holes with any bottle (I totally did btw...stands to reason)

 

[Steampugs]

And underneath this you have the glass, of which you get a spare. Now...8ml...is not to be sniffed at, and in a tank this size it's practically the bare minimum you would expect. However, at this point in the proceedings I'm going to break off and show you an optional extra available from Steam Crave that...for the price....I think is a must if you're ever going to pull the trigger on one...

Yes...you're right, the packaging is uninspiring, but it seems to me that the money they save on presentation is reflected in the price, for what you actually get in return for around $10/£8...

No, the cap isn't included, it's just for show (available at Steam Crave), but what you do get are 2 x 14ml straight glass (up from 10ml on the V1), 2 x 18ml bubble glass (up from 15ml on the V1) , an extension tube, a bunch of O-rings and a suitable tank band.

Now, I'm a pig for bubble glass, it's the first accessory I look for when I open the box of any new tank...

If it comes with one then installing it is the first thing I do EVERY time, and as if the Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA needed to look any sexier....would you just look....at....that.

And just for the record...it's really difficult taking pictures of something when you're pulling this face.....

Aaaanyhoo, what this kit does -apart from make you pull weird faces while ogling it's completely irresistible and pant party-ish appearance - is not only raise your temperature and... possibly your gentleman sausage...but also raise your liquid capacity to 18ml, which....in my eyes...IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH...

So...

Let's fuck shit up, it is after all my absolute favourite past-time. And how am I going to do that exactly?...Well...this is the advanced kit, and one of the extras you get in this kit.....IS ANOTHER FUCKING TANK EXTENSION!!

I think I.....I just need a minute....just look at all that brushed stainless....(sobs)

In short....there is nothing short about this set up. This curvaceous monolithic statue comes in at 85mm from base to tip, and in this guise it can hold a quite frankly preposterous 26ml of your finest, plus a couple of ml in the deck.....28ml......28ml!....from a 30mm Tank!......do you use 30ml bottles?....prepare to cry after you fill it up...

Now, as we avert our eyes away from the mesmerising 'aquarium' for a minute, just below this we have something synonymous with all Steam Crave tanks, and something you rarely see on any other tanks - a juice flow control, as well as the AFC ring.

Why do you need a juice flow control on Steam Crave tanks?.....Honestly, I can't answer that, I always have it wide open on all my Steam Crave stuff, and I've never had anything flood during normal use so....it's just the way these things are made. I'm sure there's some technical explanation, but hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it. But you sure as shit have to close that thing right down when you fill it up, the last thing you want is 28ml of liquid to come cascading through the airflow....which will happen if you don't. And as for the airflow, it goes entirely from one extreme to the other - wide open it's really airy, right down to practically closed, I like an airy tank and I have it somewhere in the middle....and it has to be said, the tension on both the juice control ring and the AFC is absolutely perfect.

Now to the guts of the whole ordeal.....an area which, I'm sorry to say, may make some of you a tad disappointed - without real reason I might add, because the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA and all it's 'hulking mountain of a tank on steroids'....as it turns out....actually has quite a small willy...such is life. Simply unscrew the bottom base plate off, and pull it out by the 510...

Aww....it's like a build deck....only smaller.

The truth is, you just expect it to be bigger due to the size of the tank, but actually it's more than big enough to wack a couple of chunky coils in there. Because it’s a postless deck, it's also very forgiving and an absolute piece of piss to build on.

You do have to trim your legs quite short, and the post holes may be a little on the snug side for a pair of wider ribbon coils, but it's more than ample for the majority of vapers, and wicking offers little challenge too, just trim ‘em, comb ‘em, and tuck ‘em in.

The really interesting thing about this build deck though, is that it doesn't have to be the one you use. You can simply hop onto the Steam Crave site and purchase a number of different configurations depending on what your personal vaping style is:

Because the one I received was the advanced kit, it actually comes with the extra mesh deck included...

Complete with mesh strips, a handy little tool to help you install them, a squonk pin, and a couple of lengths of made to measure wicks with aglets.

No spring loaded block like you get on the Wotofo Profile build deck, but....it didn't cause any issues with dry hits, which I was expecting - a bonus...because since giving up smoking I have become quite fond of my lungs. And as an added bonus, they also provide 2 chimney restrictors, one for the tank and one for the extension. I didn't try them, but they apparently come into their own when using the single coil deck as well as the mesh deck. The mesh experience was 'okay'.....but I don't think it's this tank’s forte.

 

[Steampugs]

Lastly, and I did touch on this before, but should you wish, you can turn this tank into an RDA. You just tear it all down, remove the whole glass part, and screw it back together - which is great if you're going to use it as a squonker...as shown here on top of the Steam Crave Hadron with the extra back pack.....

And in this particular kit you do get the squonk pin included, but it only fits the mesh deck, not the postless one, and I just don't particularly like mesh. If I had the squonk pin for the postless deck I probably would have slapped it on my Topside Carbon (it just about fits) and given it a right good going over, but....I didn't, and to use this as a straight forward dripper is a bit of a pain in the ass, as you either have to drip through the tip or unscrew the top cap to get to the coils....neither of which I was willing to do, but...it's nice to have the option.

The Specs

Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA

Final Thoughts

Wow....I almost feel like I don't need to fill this part of the review in, I feel I have made my thoughts pretty damned clear.

Is it the best tank I've ever tried?....Possibly yeah, but that's not the thing I like the most about Steam Crave products, in fact....there's a few things that really need mentioning here. Firstly, Steam Crave as a company, or more over, BJ Shi, the Vice President and Lead Designer, stays on track better than any other vape company I know of. The packaging has never changed. The quality has never changed. There have been no 'wobbles' in their tank designs. The general idea has always remained steadfast throughout - ‘create above average quality vape gear at below average prices’. THIS...is exactly the kind of brand you should be seeking out in ALL walks of life, and it's a lot rarer to find that than you would think.

The quality is just fucking outstanding, and that's no more apparent than when you tear these things down....

Every piece is perfect, every single time. And remember I said I dusted my original Supreme off?...Well that thing has been sat on an atty stand on my shelf for....I dunno...2 years?....What I didn't know though, was that I had actually left a build AND cotton in it, even a bit of syrupy manky juice (I know..I'm a massive tramp) Yet.....when I took it apart, not only did it all come apart like it was the first time I'd ever done it, but after a quick clean with a brush and a dip in the old IPA, it came up like I'd just taken it out of the box, the threads were still silky smooth and there wasn't a spot of tarnish of any description on any part of it AT ALL.....and back in the day I used this thing almost exclusively. Some other tanks I have come back to after a long time, I haven't even been able to unscrew the top cap off.

Then there's the performance. Over the years I have never tried a Steam Crave tank that didn't hit the mark in terms of flavour and vapour production. They were great back then, and they've steadily improved ever since. They don't flood the market every couple of months with a regurgitated tank design just to make money, they make little tweaks here and there to formula that they know inside out. They listen to the community, and if there's ever anything that people aren’t overly keen on, they'll tweak it on the next model and make it even better.

But...I digress ....this is not a review for 'Steam Crave'.....this is a review for just one of their products, and I can safely say, hand on heart, that the Aromomizer Plus V2 RDTA is the best Steam Crave tank I have tried to date. I haven't tried them all...so don't come at me with a different opinion, because I'll tell you in detail exactly where to put said opinion. As an RTA....I have not one single con with this tank, not one....it's fucking beautiful, both to look at and to use, and if you think for one second you're going to ruin this masterpiece by choosing a garish blood spatter colour scheme.....think again - SS, Black or Gunmetal....as it should be.

And when you consider the price....it's also an absolute fucking bargain.

The Price

At the time of writing, Steam Crave have the basic kit up for just £38/$49 , and for the advanced kit, which I highly recommend by the way, an extra £15/$20 on top of that. Find those here...

Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA - Basic Kit

Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA - Advanced Kit

If you're new to Steam Crave, and what I have told you - coupled with these numbers - doesn't excite you, then we have nothing left to say to each other...you need one in your arsenal, it's that simple.

But for those that are still here, this is the part where I like to pimp out myself and my good friends by telling you how fucking fantastic we are and what we're up to, so...BIG THINGS COMING....fuck yeah. Firstly, there's our calculator. It's getting a serious following now, but we've completely lost Grubby to this thing, day and night the man is obsessed with coding for what is coming next. It’s...fucking...amazing, so...look out for the changes that are coming very soon here...

Vaping Community - Mixing Calculator

Then of course there's our accompanying forum. It's starting to fill up with a really good bunch of knowledgeable vapers, who are there to answer your every question. It's completely free to sign up and offers a warm and drama free welcome, so please feel free to pop in and say ‘Hi!’. It's becoming a really cool place to be, find us here...

Vaping Community - Forum

I wouldn't be doing myself any favours if I failed to mention our one shots either, which are now being sold over at DIY Flavor Chaser, A range of hand crafted one shots created by the three of us who run the forum, all proceeds of which go directly to the running of that forum, and...if we do say so ourselves....they're fucking delicious too. Find those here...

Vaping Community One-Shots @ DIY Flavor Chaser

And finally!!

There's always yours truly, and the doors over at Steampugs are open 24/7, for now you will find a plethora of reviews not only be my good self, but also from some of my very talented yet incredibly mean friends, find us here..

Steampugs Vapeology Reviewed

And if you watch this space, you'll be seeing something rather special coming in the not too distant future, my lips are sealed for now ....

Because I can.

Until next time.

Pugs.