What’s up VC’ers? Today I’ll be reviewing the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus v3 RDTA. Huge thanks go out to Maggie at Steam Crave for sending out this black retail version which I used for the photos. Testing was carried out using an earlier revision of the Plus v3 which is mechanically identical to the final version but had minor cosmetic differences as it was a prototype so I didn’t use it for the photos.
Specs:
- 30mm Diameter
- 59mm Height in RTA mode with drip tip fitted
- 43.2mm Height in dripper mode with drip tip fitted
- 12ml E-liquid capacity/3ml in dripper mode
- Large dual kidney shaped fill ports
- Dual/single coil postless build deck fitted as standard
- Mesh deck kit available separately
- New airflow config with 80% side and 20% below-coil airflow
- Large wicking channels
- Juice-flow control ring
- New design 810 drip tip
- Gold plated 510 pin
- Very easy to build on. Large, open build deck
- 3 Colours available: Black, Stainless Steel and Gun Metal
Included in the box:
- 1x Complete Aromamizer Plus v3 with newest postless deck fitted
- 1x Spare 12ml straight glass
- 1x Spares bag of o-rings & screws.
- 1x Allen key
- 1x Steam Crave vape band
- 1x User guide
- 1x Steam Crave sticker
I’d been eagerly awaiting getting my hands on this one as I have 3 of the previous version, the Plus v2, and they are one of my favourites for flavour and size. I was also looking forward to trying the new deck with the under-coil airflow similar in design to the Ragnar RDTA. The Plus v3 is also compatible with all of the decks from the Plus v2 though only the new postless deck will benefit from the under-coil airflow.
The new Plus v3 comes with a larger e-liquid capacity than the v2 with a 12ml capacity right out of the box. There’s no included metal extension like the v2 though but it will fit if you already have one.
The new Plus v3 has a new improved airflow control ring to match the new below-coil airflow configuration and also has different o-ring placement beneath it for much smoother and easier rotating.
The extension kit which is already available for the Plus v2 will also fit the new Plus v3 along with all other parts from the v2.
The Packaging:
Anybody familiar with Steam Crave will recognise the packaging immediately. We have the well known sturdy black box which opens by lifting the front flap. The front shows a wireframe image of the enclosed RDTA in the centre with it’s name, Aromamizer Plus v3 RDTA written across the top. The sides have the model number, which is SC303 in this case, and the enclosed colour option. The back has the usual scratch-off authenticity panel a barcode and safety certificates:
Inside the box everything is packed away securely in red felt covered foam:
The contents of the box once emptied:
The Aromamizer Plus v3:
The Plus v3 will be familiar to anybody who already owns one of the more recent Steam Crave RDTA’s as they all follow a similar, very good design. Up top we have the new design 810 drip tip which sits in the top cap which has the RDTA name engraved around it and unscrews counter-clockwise to remove.
Removinng the top cap will reveal the 2 large kidney shaped fill ports. In this picture you can see I have a chimney reducer from the Plus v2 fitted inside the chimney for better flavour.
Here you can see the newly designed air-flow control ring which is by far the best yet from Steam Crave. Above that is the juice flow control:
The bottom Cap shows the serial number across the bottom and ‘Designed By BJ Shi’ across the top with the usual safety certificates either side of the 510 pin.
All of the parts stripped down. From left to right starting at the back we have The Main body, The chimney section, the 12ml glass, the upper juice flow control ring, the lower juice flow control ring, tank top section with fill ports, top cap, drip tip, airflow control ring, latest postless deck, bottom cap:
Here’s a couple of images of the new postless deck. You can see the airflow holes all the way across the deck and the hole feeding them on the sides in the centre between the coil leg screws. There is no squonk pin available for this deck as it has been designed for maximum flavour with more airflow holes below the coils instead of a protruding squonk pin. Squonking is still possible with this RDTA using one of the older Plus v2 decks. Here you can see the large wicking channels:
The juice ports in the base seem to be much larger than they previously were which works very well. There are zero issues with wicking this deck for me. I’ve been using it for a month and a half and it’s been flawless:
In the main body you can see the new o-ring configuration where the airflow control ring sits which makes it so much easier and smoother to turn. You can also see the airflow holes for the side and the single hole below for below the coils. On the top plate you can see the protruding shapes which the juice flow control rings fit onto perfectly. These control how much the juice flow control ring can turn:
The centre tube here with the threads is where the chimney section screws in. The 2 juice flow channels can be seen either side.
The bottom/inside of the main body/chamber:
The new style of 810 drip tip seems decent enough and is pretty much the same as the older one with a groove around the centre.
Throwing a build together!:
There are surprisingly no coils or cotton included in this retail package so I wrapped a pair of 4mm ID 4 wrap Staple Staggered Fused Claptons which ohm’ed out at 0.8Ω once the build was finished. Like previous Steam Crave RDTA’s, the build deck lines up and slots into place due to small tabs protruding from the sides of the deck which fit snugly into the chamber:
I used my trusty old Vapefly Cotton Clouds:
Ready to go!
Usage:
I’ve been using this new RDTA heavily for around 6 weeks now. Every day, all day. I’ve not had a single issue with it. The new airflow config gives sublime flavour, much better than the already good Plus v2. Wicking it is a breeze thanks to the large wicking ports. Filling is a breeze due to the large fill ports. It could use a quarter turn top cap but that’s a minor niggle for me. I’ve been using the postless deck with 4mm ID coils at around 80w. This ‘mini Ragnar’ certainly lives up to the name when it comes to flavour. It has found a place right at the front of my daily rotation, I love it.
Pro’s:
- 30mm Size is a pro for me but may not be for others
- New under-coil airflow
- 12ml E-liquid capacity
- Compatible with parts from previous generations
- Incredible flavour
- New style 810 drip tip
- Very easy access build deck
- Large wicking channels
- New much improved airflow control ring
- Improved o-ring placement beneath airflow control ring
- Excellent machining and build quality as always from Steam Crave
Cons:
- No coils or cotton included
- Mesh deck is a separate purchase. There is no basic/advanced kit
- No squonking with new postless deck
Conclusion:
If you liked the Plus v2, you will love this, I have no doubt. The airflow ring is the best design so far from Steam Crave and I hope it can be implemented into their other RDTA’s. It turns so easily and smoothly compared to previous versions. The knurling is great and in the right places. Everything fits together perfectly as you would expect. This is easily my favourite tank of 2022 so far and will take a lot of beating flavour-wise.
Thanks go out once again to Maggie from Steam Crave for sending this out to me.
The Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus v3 RDTA is available now from Steam Crave and any day now from retailers worldwide.
Thank you for reading.
Knurling for the win. I’ve always appreciated the interchangeable parts, especially the build decks.
