Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA Review

Steam Crave is one of the biggest brands in the vaping industry, and for good reason. Their atomizers are generally recognized as some of the best and most innovative, and the Aromamizer line is pretty much legendary at this point. So when I was contacted about doing a review of the newest version of the Aromamizer Plus, I just couldn’t say no. These things are really hard to come by, because fans snatch them up as soon as they go on sale, so this was a very rare opportunity. So let’s see what makes the new Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA so special:

Aromamizer Plus V2 Packaging And Presentation

Steam Crave’s newest entry in the Aromamizer family comes in a minimalist flip-top cardboard box that comes in the company’s signature red and black color combination. The only change I noticed from previous Steam Crave products is the lack of a transparent window to the atomizer inside. Other than that, not much has changed.

This isn’t your ordinary atomizer kit. The Aromamizer Plus V2 is a complex piece of machinery that comes with a wealth of accessories, and it can be a bit overwhelming for the average vaper. In fact, Steam Crave actually point out that this is an atomizer designed to be used by advanced vapers who are familiar both with coil building and wicking, as well battery safety. They are not kidding, believe me.

Sitting neatly in their very own cutout compartment in a red foam holder are the 30mm diameter Aromamizer Plus V2, a spare glass tube, a big bag of spare o-rings, a small screwdriver, two strips of organic cotton and a user manual. That’s what you would find in the Standard Edition kit, but Steam Crave were nice enough to send me the Advanced Edition, which includes extra goodies: a barrel extension that doubles the e-liquid capacity from 8ml to 16ml, two chimney reducers, and a mesh deck kit (mesh deck, mesh installation tool, squonk pin, and a couple of strips of mesh.

Steam Crave also sent me three of the four available extra decks: a single coil deck, a Velocity-style deck, and a postless Series deck. They’re nice to have, especially if you’re a collector, but I think the included postless deck and the Mesh deck are more than enough for most people.

Aromamizer Plus V2 Design and Build Quality

The Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 is made primarily of stainless steel, measures 30mm in diameter and 57.5mm in length in the standard configuration, or 77mm with the barrel extension installed. It’s a really big atomizer, and I think that may work against it. Let’s face it, 30mm is too much for most people, and I myself don’t really see myself using this on a day to day basis, especially on the go. And that extension turns this already large atomizer into a stainless steel tower that looks awkward on most mods. That’s just my opinion, obviously, but I would really like to see a smaller version of the Plus V2, like the Supreme version of the original Aromamizer.

If this is your first Aromamizer, or even your first Steam Crave product, the Advanced kit, the one we’re going to be focusing on, will be a lot to take in at first. Just take a deep breath and take it slow. This is a premium product, but as I mentioned before, it’s aimed at seasoned vapers, not beginners or casual users.

One of the things that makes Steam Crave special as a vape manufacturer is the fact that they don’t simply put out new atomizers and variations every few months, and when they do, it’s mostly improved versions of their previous devices. The Aromamizer Plus V2 is no exception; in fact, all the decks and accessories I mentioned in the previous section of this review are compatible with the original Aromamizer Plus.

So what’s different about this newest version of the Aromamizer Plus? Well, the first thing you’re probably going to notice is that the glass sections is much smaller this time around, which means that the center chimney is considerably shorter as well. I think that’s a good thing, but if you disagree, the extension barrel will make that chimney even longer than it used to be, so the V2 is an improvement any way you look at it.

The next obvious change is the location of the juice flow control (JFC). It now sits in a more logical position, right under the juice tank and above the airflow control ring and the atomization chamber. On the original Aromamizer Plus, it was the other way around, which didn’t make a lot of sense to me, although it didn’t affect the performance of the atomizer, to be honest.

The airflow control ring features the classic honeycomb air slots that we’ve seen on older Aromamizer attys, only this time around the airflow control ring has different size cutouts, letting you adjust the amount of air that hits the coils much more accurately. You can choose between three whole rows of tiny holes for a super airy draw, two, one and anywhere in between, all the way to no exposed air holes. I personally liked to vape with two rows fully exposed, but I encourage you to experiment with the airflow because vaping experience varies on both personal preference and the type and number of coils you are using.

To access the build deck, all you have to do is unscrew the base of the atomizer, which is the knurled part right under the airflow control ring. Then just pull out the pre-installed deck and you’re ready to set up. Just be careful to put the deck back in correctly. Looking at the base of the deck, you can see that it is not perfectly round, but slightly oval, with the elongated sides lining up with two cutouts on the barrel of the atomizers. Once you’ve lined them up, push the deck in gently and you’re good to go.

Once you’ve taken off the base of the Aromamizer Plus V2, you can also check out the inner design of this monstrosity. The juice flow control slots are clearly visible, as are the smaller wicking slots of the deck, and you can see how this thing is supposed to work. The juice flows into the base of the atomizer, which acts as a wicking well, and the cotton leads soak up the juice. It’s a really clever and effective design, which also happens to be virtually leak-proof as well.

Looking at the design of the airflow and the atomization chamber, you can see that air hits the coil/coils from the sides, which is something the Aromamizer family of atomizers is famous for. Most other RTAs have bottom airflow, but not the Aromamizer. This is said to improve flavor quite a bit, but at the cost of extra juice consumption. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I will say that, like previous Aromamizers I’ve tried, this one can go through juice incredibly fast, which explains the barrel extension that doubles e-liquid capacity.

The postless deck that comes with both the Standard and Advanced editions is pretty standard; it’s big enough to fit two large coils, it’s easy to build on, has decent-size wicking slots, I for one have nothing to complain about. While we are on the subject, the other postless deck you can buy separately and the Velocity-style deck are pretty much the same as the standard one. By that I mean they have tried and true designs, performance is very similar as well, so I personally don’t see a reason to spend extra dollars on them, unless you’re a huge fan.

The mesh deck is one of the highlights of this kit. It fits most mesh strip sizes available on the market these days, comes with a special mesh installation tool, and features a very intuitive clamp design. I won’t go into details about installing mesh strips, as you can find plenty of tutorials and how-to videos online, and I actually encourage you to check them out, because the performance of the Aromamizer Plus V2 depends a lot on your building and wicking skills.

Now for the extra bits that come in the Advanced Edition. First, the 6mm chimney reducers. These metal cylinders fit inside the regular chimneys – the standard one and the barrel extension – to both condense flavor and reduce turbulence. Apparently adjusting the airflow only partially resolves these issues, while these reducers really make using the mesh and the single coil build-deck a joy. You don’t have to use them, obviously, but if you prefer a more restricted draw and less turbulence, they are handy to have around.

The stainless steel extension is made up of a detachable chimney and a metallic barrel with the Steam Crave logo etched into it. It’s designed to double e-liquid capacity from 8ml to 1 whopping 16ml, and turns the already beefy Aromamizer Plus V2 into a true monstrosity of an atomizer. I don’t see anyone walking around with that thing, unless they crave the attention, but I will admit that it’s handy for extreme vapers who like to crank their mods to 200W. The Aromamizer Plus V2 is a juice guzzler, and at that wattage you go through full tanks in no time. This extension lets you vape longer without having to refill.

To be honest, I was surprised about the RDTA branding Steam Crave went with for this atomizer. I hadn’t heard the term since 2017, when it was all the rage, although I never understood what it meant. Remember devices like the GeekVape Peerless RDTA, or the SMOK Skyhook RDTA? They were basically RTAs, but with an added letter for marketing purposes. So what’s up with the resurgence of this long-forgotten term?

Well, the way I see it, in this case the RDTA branding is somewhat justified by the modular design of the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 which allows you to take off the glass section and the chimney and screw on the top cap directly to the atomization chamber, essentially turning this RTA into an RDA. Steam Crave never explained the name, but that’s the way I see it.

All in all, I would say that the quality of the materials and the machining of the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 are top notch, rivaling those of more expensive atomizers in this sector. Yes, there are some bits that could be more polished, like the inside of the base and the juice flow control mechanism, but the sections you come in contact with most of the time look and feel really good.

If I were to be really picky and find something to complain about, it would probably be the tolerance of the airflow control ring, which sometimes requires more strength to turn than I think it should, but it’s definitely not a deal-breaker. Another thing would be the size, but that is subjective, because I’m sure there are those who love chunky, 30mm atomizers. I just happen not to be one of them, that’s all.

How Does the Aromamizer Plus V2 Vape?

The quality of Aromamizer atomizers is already legendary at this point, so I’m pretty sure no one will be shocked to learn that the newest version of the Steam Crave Aromamizer V2 is a worthy addition to this line. As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, Steam Crave have the habit of simply improving on their tried and true design without adding risky or unnecessary bits, and that’s exactly what they’ve done here.

The positioning of the juice flow control system has been changed to a more logical location, the airflow suffered an overhaul as well, not only in terms of positioning – the slots line up perfectly with the coil/coils – but also design-wise, with more air slot configurations added, and the optional chimney reducers. All that results in a smoother, more enjoyable vape.

The extension barrel turns the Aromamizer into a behemoth, but it’s a compromise worth making, because it expands juice capacity to 16ml, allowing you to vape at extreme wattages or temperatures without worrying about running out of juice.

Finally, all the optional build decks, primarily the mesh deck, make the Aromamizer Plus V2 into a modern, customizable powerhouse, allowing users to experiment with various styles of coils and different configurations.

To be honest, it’s hard for me to find something to complain about. It sounds cliché, I know, and I can only ask you to believe that this is NOT a paid review, the Aromamizer Plus V2 is just that good. But like all other rebuildable atomizers its performance ultimately depends on user skill. If you don’t have a lot of experience building and installing coils, or prepping the cotton wick, your experience with this atty is probably not going to be very good.

With so many decks and accessories at your disposal, coil building and wicking skills are essential to using the Aromamizer Plus V2 to its maximum potential. Each deck brings its own challenges, and even though you don’t need to use all of them, you should at least get familiarized with the standard deck and the mesh one (if you go for the Advanced edition).

If you nail the coils and the cotton wicking, find the sweet spot of the airflow control and provide it with the necessary power, the Aromamizer Plus V2 will reward you with impeccable performance, both in terms of flavor and vapor production. It’s a special kind of product, and I for one consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to try it!

Conclusion

Steam Crave have once again outdone themselves and the Aromamizer Plus V2 is, in my opinion, the best Aromamizer to date. The Chinese manufacturer has improved on all the main imperfections of the original Aromamizer Plus and thus come up with a product that is superior in every way. That’s not to say the V1 was bad or anything like that, far from it; in fact, if you already have that and don’t have the money to purchase the new one, you will be happy to know that all the decks and accessories for the V2 work with the V1 as well. That alone makes Steam Crave worthy of praise.

I for one can’t recommend the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 enough. I just wish it came in a more compact version as well, so I don’t have to carry a 30mm atty with me everywhere I go.

The Aromamizer Plus V2 was sent to me directly by Steam Crave for the purpose of this review.

Tags : Aromamizer Plus V2,Aromamizer Plus V2 RDTA,Steam Crave,Steam Crave Aromamizer,Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2,tank reviews