Cerabis 44 by CeraVape (updated, smaller Cerabis)

Hello ELR! :smiley:

About a week ago, I received the new Cerabis 44, courtesy of CeraVape. Many thanks go to them! I did a review of their Cerabis tank a while back, hereā€™s a link. Please remember, this isnā€™t a professional review. That said, Iā€™ll do my best to share all the important aspects with you and give my honest opinion on this atomizer. Letā€™s have a look at this thirsty little bugger then!


First of all, packaging. Youā€™ll get a low-key box with the atomizer snugly waiting inside. It should be noted that itā€™s in pristine condition, as clean as they come, with no machine oil or the smell of its packaging whatsoever. To confirm this, I used it right away - unlike what I normally do with a thorough rinse and scrub to break the ice - and it was stellar from the first drag. The labelling on the box can be misleading, as it reads ā€œcottonā€ on the lid, while the back specificies that itā€™s actually ā€œno cottonā€ - potential buyers will be informed enough to not be mislead by this, though. Inside the sturdy box youā€™ll also find a spare glass tank and a full set of o-rings, in case the original ones should age. Apart from that, the atomizer comes with one head installed and ready to go, and one spare.
Having two heads to boot means youā€™re good to go for about six months - assuming regular (weekly) maintenance. All you have to do is attach the atomizer without juice in the tank and burn it at 30W for a few seconds a couple of times until thereā€™s no vapour coming out anymore. After cool-down, the Cerabis will be like new and ready to be filled again. If you do this whenever you get less flavour and vapour than before, the coil headā€™s flavour performance will almost not drop at all. This self-cleaning procedure is made possible by the coil headā€™s material and construction: as this is a real ceramic head, thereā€™s no cotton to get burnt when you dry fire it - no cheating with a sheet of cotton around the core!
This construction was, of course, to be expected, as Ceravape was among the first companies to pioneer ceramic coil heads. Their Soter tank was way ahead of its time, however, it wasnā€™t too well received - the reason being several flaws in the performance of this early design. Years later, Ceravapeā€™s investment in extensive R&D took fruition and they made their terrific comeback with the Cerabis tank, this tankā€™s predecessor. The Cerabis was exceptionally well received for its rich flavour, stunning looks, its push-pull design that made it surprisingly sturdy and its coil headsā€™ longevity. That said, the Cerabis wasnā€™t without its flaws either, as critics and users quickly pointed out. Firstly, the tank and mouthpiece can get rather hot, due to its core being ceramics and therefore needing more power than your standard cotton tanks (above 40W). Secondly, the tankā€™s airflow is somewhat restrictive, considering itā€™s the age of massive lung-hitting. You could argue, though, that it is indeed a flavour tank, so if youā€™re chasing clouds you got yourself the wrong equipment. Thirdly, the Cerabisā€™ size (ā€˜tis a respectable 4.5mls in there) made it look stunning on the Rouleaux for example, but you would get some funny looks on smaller mods. And lastly, there is considerable leaking happening with the Cerabis, which starts sometime one or two months after you start using it.
Iā€™m happy to write that all but one issue have been addressed in this improved Cerabis! As itā€™s a ceramic tank, there will always be considerable heat being produced - however, they switched the delrin/stainless steel drip tip for a big black mouthpiece that does a great job at protecting you from burnt lips. Additionally, because the mouthpiece covers the top completely, you donā€™t run the risk of accidentally touching the hot surface of the tank. The mouthpiece is attached through two o-rings which hold it in place firmly. You also have the option to plug on your favourite drip tip instead of the mouthpiece.
The airflow has been redesigned from scratch, too. With simplicity and size in mind, there are now two airflow slots at the bottom, measuring in at a whopping 3.6x7mm each, that channel air through the centre of the coil head. By turning the bottom part containing the airflow holes, airflow can be adapted seamlessly. Maximum airflow is now less restricted than in the original Cerabis, while not being detrimental to flavour production.
The main issue with the Cerabis, in my opinion that is leaking, has been solved as well. With this new design, leaking should be a thing of the past. However, there is a caveat attached to this, as I have only used the tank for a week or so. Ceravape stated that they specifically engineered the new version to prevent leakage. But, only time will tell.
And lastly, the size. You may have been wondering why the tank is called the ā€œCerabis 44ā€. This number stands for its height: 44mm including the drip tip. With a diameter measuring in at 22mm, the Cerabis 44 is tiny (compared to its big brother) and should look the stuff on any smaller to mid-sized mod. Even on bigger ones, small tanks and drippers make for an elegant combination.
But now for the most important part: real world performance! First things first, the flavour this dwarf is throwing at you is just insane! It brings out all the nuances in your favourite complex mixes in an intensity that makes your mouth water. The flavour production is on par with my best builds - and I have been building for a while now and donā€™t say this lightly. To be honest, I was comfortable with my old Cerabis and my rebuildables, so I my hopes werenā€™t too high for this new tank. But then, the Cerabis 44 took me by surprise! It really is a big step-up from the old Cerabis. Compared to other ceramic tanks, theyā€™re not in the same league. Only the Phoenix by COV is on the same level, although the Phoenix has its own considerable downsides such as intensely annoying spitting and wet lips.
As mentioned above, you get two coil heads, one labelled 1.0 ohms / 25-50W. This coil has fantastic flavour and is suitable for MTL vaping or DL hits. The other one is clocking in at 0.5 ohms and labelled 40-60W. This one is obviously meant for lung-hitting and spits respectable clouds apart from blistering flavour. As a side product of its flavour production, the clouds have become significantly bigger than the older Cerabisā€™. In direct comparison I found the 1 ohms coil to have less throat hit - a smoother, more laid-back vape. I vaped a 12mg juice in a wattage range where Iā€™d normally be vaping 6mg. That isnā€™t to say the 0.5 ohms coil is harsh, of course, and apart from that I found the 0.5 ohms coil be more flavour intense, regardless of wattage.
From my experience with the Cerabis, I can tell you that the coil headsā€™ longevity is not exaggerated at all. Of course you have to take into consideration how much gunk your juice produces and how much juice you run through it on a daily basis, but its coil heads will certainly outlast all your other pre-made coil heads. The Cerabis 44 has, however, sacrificed the steel hull of its predecessor in favour of a more generic glass tank look that might be prone to breaking in the long run. But in case it breaks, you still have a spare and on top of that the glass is recessed by about 1mm which will help prevent the glass from taking the blow when toppling over. Apart from that, there are three versions available: the Cerabis 44 reviewed here, the 44 mini with a glass tank (holding 1.5ml) and the 45 (2.5ml capacity) which sports a side filling port while keeping true to the steel hull construction, leaving a more sturdy impression. These other version were not, however, available to me for review.
One of two small downsides to the Cerabis 44 is a function of its design goal. As you can only fit 2ml in its petite tank and youā€™ll be vaping it at 40+W, you will be refilling it constantly. For me I found, that vaping at 45W in sessions of 15 lung hits, I had to refill every other session, so remember to bring along your juice bottles! Personally, this doesnā€™t bother me at all, as I always keep a bottle of juice on me, in case Iā€™m staying longer than expected or get leaking etc. And the good news is, filling the Cerabis 44 is a breeze, too. Just unscrew the top, dump your juice in, screw it back on and pull the tank into open airflow position and off you go.
The other one con I found is spitting. Donā€™t get me wrong, the Cerabis was specifically designed with anti-spitback in mind and the spitting is light, so you wonā€™t have juice on the drip tip or your lips, but on your tongue you can feel thicker than normal droplets of juice. Keep in mind, however, that Iā€™m vaping 50/50 PG/VG juice, so a thicker juice will most likely solve this problem. Other solutions that worked for me, were decreasing the airflow / pulling more gently and bumping the wattage up by 5-10W for a few drags. On the other hand, I pushed the coils up to 10W above the labelled wattage range, but couldnā€™t get any dry hits - so the wicking is working perfectly.

In summary, this little bugger surprised me with well thought-out solutions to complaints in the community and its performance is well worth every penny. The difference between a good ceramic tank and a better one, is all in the ceramics - and the Cerabis 44ā€™s ceramics are state-of-the-art, coming directly from the ceramic wicking specialist: Ceravape.

Thanks for reading! :smiley:

And some pictures:

Thatā€™s what youā€™ll get. Box with goodies on the left, manual in almost intelligible English and the atty.

You can use any of your favourite drip tips! This resin one is my favourite at the moment :smile: All but one particularly fat drip tip fit perfectly.

Hereā€™s the Cerabis 44 in ā€œclosedā€ position. Notice the feed ports (lower end of the chimney) and the airflow are closed. In this position nothing could leak out. To start vaping, just pull the glass or the cap and it slides open quite smoothly.

Here you can see the mouthpiece it comes with. Itā€™s attached like any normal drip tip.

When you refill, just push it into ā€œclosedā€ position, unscrew the top cap and fill (easy peasy). Notice the horizontal piece of steel in the chimney to prevent spitback.

Here you can see the partly closed airflow. Massive IMO.

When changing the coil, first push into ā€œclosedā€ position, then you can grab the base as shown and unscrew it. Worked smoothly the first time and ever since!

The bottom shows usual the inscriptions. A detail I like was that the centre pin is part of the coil head - saves room and you donā€™t have to worry about oxidation.

Here are the two coil heads youā€™ll get side by side.

This is how the coil head is screwed into the base.

And a picture of the manual. Iā€™d have liked the steel hull version (seen on the right), Cerabis 45. But hey, this oneā€™s awesome, too!

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I indulge in ceramic coils from time to time and you are right the flavor is unparalled. All my ceramics are disposable coils and I kinda hoarde them and use sparingly. Some have the replaceable cotton but the annoyance keeps them in storage. Iā€™ve seen the videos for this, great review. Thanks! hmm I might have to treat myself :wink:

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See updated review of the Cerabis 45 over here:triumph: