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Casual cigar owners often ask themselves: is a humidor really necessary? The answer is: only if you care about the quality and taste of your cigars.

After all, for some smokers, the after-dinner cigar is more symbolic than anything – a conspicuous display, perhaps, of taste and leisure, or a social or familial ritual. If, however, you smoke for taste – which is the best reason to smoke – you should probably invest in a humidor: a specially-constructed box designed to maintain your cigars in near-70% humidity and at a proper temperature when they’re not being smoked.

To understand why humidors are so important, remember what a cigar essentially is. It’s a set of rolled-up tobacco leaves that have been cut, dried, cured, and fermented, then maintained at a very slight but essential level of moisture. If the cigar dries out completely – as can happen in open air, at the wrong temperature, or in low humidity – it loses its taste. If it’s kept in an airtight environment, on the other hand, the necessary low level of moisture will, over time, cause mold. A cigar requires a very special set of conditions in order to maintain optimum taste.

The humidity in which cigars are stored is important because of the specific conditions in which most tobacco is grown. The natural climate for most such areas is in the neighborhood of 70% relative humidity; the tobacco plant has evolved for such a climate. Thus, humidity control is the sine qua non of a humidor – without that, it’s not a humidor but a box with cigars in it. Humidors are able to maintain a relatively consistent humidity level partly because of the relatively porous wood used to line them (Spanish cedar and Honduran mahogany are popular choices for this reason).

Most humidors also, of course, have some sort of device that maintains moisture levels; some use hygrometers, which indicate interior humidity. (Digital hygrometers tend to be more accurate, though they lack the old-fashioned appeal of dial hygrometers.)

When packing your humidor, make sure you leave some room between the cigars to allow air to circulate between them. (Again, you want to avoid an airtight fit, which would promote mold. On the other hand, too much empty space will allow that all-important humidity level to drop. Check on your cigars frequently, at least once a week, to ensure that nothing needs to be adjusted). The cigars should, at best, exude a small amount of oil when stored; this is a sign that the humidor is working. Slight amounts of water can be added if cigars start to dry out.

If your cigars suffer an attack of tobacco beetles – a species of beetle that preys on tobacco and can sometimes bore through a humidor – you’ve probably been keeping the temperature in the box a touch too high (tobacco beetles flourish at temperatures over 75 degrees.) Remove the affected cigars and put them in your freezer for 48 hours, then move them to your refrigerator for another day, following which they should be safely returnable to the humidor.

Spanish-cedar humidors are a popular choice. This wood, as mentioned above, holds moisture well, maintaining humidity, and it holds an aroma many consumers find pleasant and complementary to that of the cigars themselves. It’s also slightly favored for keeping tobacco beetles out, and it doesn’t warp in high humidity.

When you buy your humidor, “season” it by applying a moist cloth to the interior wood and then leaving a small, closed container of water inside the humidor for 12 hours. If the humidor “drinks up” most of the water, leaving the container near-empty after 12 hours, repeat the process for another 24 hours. Once the water stops evaporating, the humidor is ready for your cigars!

Many people wonder if they can restore their dried out cigars. If the wrapper of the cigar hasn’t unraveled or cracked significantly then it can definitely be restored. You need to keep in mind however, that once a cigar has dried out significantly, the flavor has most likely changed and it will not taste the same is it would have originally. There are a few ways to bring your cigars back to life. I’ll describe them from my favorite to least favorite methods.

The first is to use a cigar humidor. Make sure that your humidor is not fully charged, otherwise you will ruin your cigars rather than save them! You should start with humidity levels well under 60%. If the humidor is completely dry, add some water to the humidifier to slowly add humidity to the box. Place your cigars in the humidor and close it. After a several days you can go ahead and fully charge the humidor. This will give your cigars the gradual humidification that they need.

If you don’t have a free humidor, you could use a plastic container instead. Place a hygrometer and humidifier in the container along with your dry cigars. Add a little bit of water to the humidifier and close the container. For the next couple of days, you should check the hygrometer reading every 8-12 hours and keep adding water to the humidifier so that the humidity gradually increases up to 70%. Once it reaches 70% monitor the levels daily and leave your cigars in there for the next couple of weeks. Then transfer them over to your humidor.

Another option is to find a damp place such as a cellar and place your cigar box in there. Every few days you should go into the cellar and rotate your cigars about a quarter turn. Doing this for 3 weeks will be enough to give the cigars two full rotations and be evenly humidified. Make sure you monitor the humidity levels in the cellar though…you don’t want it to be too humid.

Using a Ziploc bag method is also a convenient way. Puncture a Ziploc bag with little holes and then place your cigars in it and seal it. Then place that bag in a larger, non-punctured one. Dampen a sponge and place the sponge in the second, non-punctured bag and seal it. Again, the idea is to slowly humidify your cigars so that you don’t inadvertently ruin them. Every couple of days, rotate your cigars so they are evenly humidified. After a couple of weeks, you can put them in a fully charged humidor.

Finally, the easiest but least accurate option is to dampen a towel and wrap the cigar box in that towel. Leave it for a couple of weeks and that should do the trick!

While there are other ways to salvage your cigars, these are the methods that I have used successfully in the past. Good luck!

Have you recently joined the cigar smoking fervor and wonder why do they need cigar humidors? You must be thinking that you had to buy a lighter after buying cigars and now other humidor accessories. This is because if cigars are not kept in better environment and properly, they adapt to the surroundings and they will not give the effect and satisfaction to the cigar smoker. On the other hand if the cigars are well kept in cigar humidors they remain well suited for long time.

Now, when you know why cigar humidors are important, you must be thinking about how to buy a good one so that you do not have to worry about the humidor accessories and the cigar again. Humidor is just a box that is used to keep cigars and it maintains the humidity inside the box as well. If you need to purchase humidors for your personal use, you need not worry about the size and buy the one that seems suitable for your use. The humidors contain hygrometer that maintains the humidity level to the right percentage. The idea percentage is 65 to 70 percent.

When you are filling up the cigar humidor, make sure you pack it full that is to the top so that there is no drop in the humidity percentage. When you have bought the humidor, do not put in the cigars immediately. You need to prepare the cigar humidor so that your cigars are well kept and well maintained to a longer period of time. Take a damp cloth first and wipe out all the dust and dirt inside the humidor. After this place a bowl of water inside it for 12 hours with the lid closed.

You have to see whether the water gets evaporated or not. If it gets evaporated, keep another bowl of water for next 12 hours and do this till the evaporation stops. Now your cigar humidor is ready for use and it will keep your cigars fresh and preserved as well as enhanced with their typical essence. Cigar humidors are important for a good cigar collection.

Do you consider yourself as a cigar aficionado? If yes, then you surely appreciate the flavour of a matured cigar. This is the reason why you require a humidor for preserving the cigar in an efficient manner. Quality humidors prevent the onset of moisture and also the entry of insects or worms. Following are some of the factors to consider when you buy cigar humidors.

Tips for a cigar aficionado

Large versus Small Humidors

Decide if you will be using a single brand of cigar or different brands. Avoid storing different types of cigars in a single humidor as it can affect the flavour of other cigars as well. Thus, it is better to purchase a large humidor in this case so that you can store cigars in their original boxes. Similarly, if you are planning to purchase less number of cigars then opt for a smaller humidor.

Temperature

Ensure that your cigar humidor can provide the ideal temperature required for your brand of cigars. Ideally, you should store cigars in humidors which can maintain around 65 to 70 degrees temperature. It is better to select humidors that can sustain this temperature.

Humidity

As mentioned earlier, the humidity factor plays an important role in the preserving of cigars. Experts recommend that a humidity level of 70 percent should be maintained for preserving cigars. Less amount of humidity will affect the flavour of the cigar. Similarly, too much humidity content will result into the developing of an acidic flavour. Therefore, to avoid this, cigars should be equipped with a hygrometer. This device can measure the humidity inside the humidor. In addition, ensure that the humidor is provided with an airtight seal.

Types of Humidors

Humidors are available in many different types. Desktop humidors and designer humidors are some of the popular types of humidors available. Desktop humidors are known for their large storage capacity as they can contain around hundreds of cigars. They are also sturdy in nature and rather expensive than the designer humidors. Designer humidors are popular among elite cigar aficionados.

Cigar Humidors.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a cigar humidors expert to find a good quality cigar humidor that fits your budget these days.  But before you go out and buy one or two cigar humidors, try and get a good idea in your mind of what you would like to have in your cigar humidor.

As you know or may not know, cigars consume oxygen and emit gases into the air.  It is therefore extremely important that cigar humidors are regularly aerated in order to provide the cigars inside with fresh air.  Cigar humidors should close really tightly so that a constant level of internal humidity can be secured and more importantly maintained.

Humidity

The ideal humidity you should aim for in your cigar humidor is around 69 – 71% of the outside relative humidity.  Although the humidity can go higher or lower depending on the your preferences but take my advice, the cigar humidors humidity should never go higher than 75% due to the possibility of the hatching of tobacco beetles.  

Another tip is to keep your cigar humidor with a well stocked compliment of your favourite cigars.  The reason being is that the more empty space there is in the humidor, the more readily the humidity level of the cigar humidor box will drop.

All cigar humidors contain a humidifying system which keeps the air moist, which in turn keeps your prize cigars moist too.

Most humidifying elements are sponge like, passively releasing stored humidity through diffusion and evaporation.  Electronic humidifiers are also available these days, relying on electronics to measure and regulate the relative humidity.

To discourage the eggs of the tobacco beetle from hatching, the cigar humidors temperature should be kept below 25°C/75°F, as well as below 75% relative humidity.

Good luck with your search in finding some perfect Cigar Humidors.  In fact to aid your search I can recommend this site:  Cigar Humidors

This site has great prices and a fine selection of Cigar Humidors!

Humidors are spaces (in the form of boxes or specialized buildings) with controlled humidity conditions, used for storage of things that sensitive to humidity fluctuations, and especially tobacco products like cigars and cigarettes.

They come in all sizes, from those that can fit into a pocket (say the variety that is known as travel humidors), to those that take up a whole room or even a whole building floor. Their working is dependant on the humidifying system they tend to come with, which, when faced with falling humidity levels, quickly moisten the surrounding environment to compensate for the natural fluctuations. It is not always a highly sophisticated system. Sometimes, this humidifying effect takes place by the simple virtue of the material the body of the humidifier is made of – typically wood. But then again, nowadays, there are electronic humidors, which come equipped with electronic humidity sensors and these can be extremely useful.

Now humidors tend to be relatively costly pieces of equipment. Moreover the role that they serve is a very sensitive one – especially in the case of the huge scale (room filling) variety, where a malfunction can often translate to very huge losses in terms of ruined cigars or ruined tobacco. It therefore becomes imperative to take proper care of humidors – with a considerably high number of people searching over the Internet for information in this regard.

One key to successful care of humidors is to ensure that you regularly season them, as the need arises. When we talk of seasoning, it is worth noting that humidors are usually (structurally) made from special types of wood; so that when we talk about seasoning in this respect, we are actually talking in the same terms a logger or a carpenter would be talking. One of the biggest blunders you could make is to buy a humidor and put it into use immediately, without seasoning it. The seasoning is not hard to do – but people often forget to do it out of plain ignorance. Often, all it takes to season a humidor is to keep a small water container (or even just a piece of sponge that is soaked in water) in it for sometime and it would be properly seasoned. The idea in doing all this is to humidify the wood that makes the humidor structure, so that it doesn’t end up ‘stealing’ the humidity from the space it encloses and cause humidity fluctuations, which are precisely what it was installed to check!

Another key to successful care of humidors would be in controlling temperature carefully, to ensure that it never goes above 25 degree Celsius; the point at which malfunctions start to occur.

Another key to successful care of humidors is to ensure that you buy those of a size that is likely to be occupied a lot of time (so that the empty space in them at a given time is likely to be small). This is because the greater an empty space you have, the greater the chances of humidity levels inside falling – causing the very humidity fluctuations we are trying to avoid.

In electronically controlled humidors, it helps to check the circuitry regularly to forestall the occurrence of faults, because waiting for something to happen before you can act might mean ending up incurring huge losses.

Where the humidor is used for keeping tobacco (as is usually the case), it become essential to ensure that the humidity level in it never exceeds 75% – the point at which the risk of starting to breed tobacco beetles becomes very high. You can vary the humidity levels depending on your preferences, but they must never exceed this critical point of 75%.

Before getting into exploring the three most commonly bought types of humidors, it might be a good idea to come up with a brief ‘primer’  as to what a humidor is, for the benefit of those who may be encountering them for the first time. Now, humidors are spaces with controlled humidity, used for storing things that would be ruined if exposed to the severe humidity variations. The things we are looking here include, for instance, cigars, cigarettes, and the semi-processed tobacco that is usually sold for people looking to use in for their pipes. Tobacco, as we know it, is very sensitive to variations in temperature. The easiest way to ruin it is by exposing it to huge temperature variations. It therefore becomes imperative to strictly control the humidity in the place where it is stored, with humidors coming in handy in that role.

Now humidors take all shapes and come in all sizes. There are some whose measurements are in terms of cubic inches (where the humidor is a small box-like structure that you place on your table, even in your traveling bag). And then there are those that are huge, sometimes filling a huge room or even a whole building floor. In cases like these (where we are talking of the room/building filling humidors), the humidor tends not to be a ‘stand-alone’ structure that is brought in; but rather, it is the room or the building that is redesigned to act as a humidor. All it takes, in any case, is to control the humidity conditions in a given space, to turn that space into a humidor.

There are many companies that make and sell humidors. In the market, the humidors are usually categorized according to, among other things, their sizes. And from this categorizing criterion, we end up with a five types of humidors: room humidors, table humidors, cabinet humidors, travel humidors and personal humidors. And some of these types of humidors tend to be more commonly bought than others.

The most commonly bought variety of humidors are, arguably, those that are known as personal humidors. These are usually very modest in size, and are especially popular amongst (individual) cigar lovers. They can be useful for the people who buy their cigars in bulk, yet who are not heavy smokers, so that the stock of cigarettes bought today could stay for a couple of months or so – during which time they may get messed up by humidity changes. A typical personal humidor will usually have capacity for up to, say, 70 cigars.

Another commonly bought variety of humidors are those that are known as table humidors. They tend to be bigger than the personal humidors, with capacity for several hundreds to a thousand cigars. They are popular with cigar sellers.

Then there are travel humidors, as another variety of commonly bought humidors. Strictly speaking, these fall under the category of personal humidors; but with specialized features for travel. They will tend to take fewer cigars than the typical personal humidors that are created for home usage (so that while the average personal humidor has capacity for 70 cigars, the average travel humidor could take in between 10 and 40).

The other two varieties of humidors – room humidors and cabinet humidors – are less common, being as they are, humidors meant for large scale applications.

Cuban cigars originate from the Caribbean, which has a tropical climate very different to Europe. As a natural product, your Havana cigars need to be kept carefully. They are used to being in a warm climate with a relatively high humidity.

Therefore they will need to be protected from extremes of temperature and humidity (particularly low humidity). This is particularly difficult to achieve in air conditioned and centrally heated buildings, where the air tends to get de-humidified and cigars can dry out very quickly. Some cigars come in aluminum tubes which can help preserve them in dry climates, however they tend to mature at a much slower rate than ‘naked’ boxed cigars.

Maintain a temperature of 16 C to 20 C and a relative humidity of 65% – 70%.

In the UK you will need a humidor to maintain the humidity of your cigars at various times of the year:

Humidity

At the least, keep your cigars in a tight fitting cupboard, drawer or box, away from radiators and other sources of heat. Pick the coolest indoor spot in your house. Leave the cigars in their original boxes as this will help preserve them, stop them from being damaged, and prevent any cross-tainting of flavours between different varieties of cigars stored in the same area. If the humidity in your make-shift humidor is low, a damp sponge in a cup will serve as a basic provider of humidity.

When you purchase your cigars from Tomtom, they will be packed in an airtight zip-loc bag, which will maintain the humidity of your cigars while you transport them from the shop to your humidor. These bags are a very efficient short term humidor, however we would not recommend that you leave your cigars sealed in these bags for more than one month. Although humidity will be maintained, cigars also need to be exposed to some fresh air to allow them to ‘breathe’ and age correctly.

A variety of desk-top and travel humidors can be purchased (see ‘Accessories’) and are an essential item for the dedicated cigar smoker (more information below).

Temperature

The danger of excessive temperature (combined with too much humidity) is that the cigars can either go moldy or be damaged by weavil attack. If cigars go moldy, this is generally not a problem, as long as it is spotted reasonably soon and the mould (or bloom) only appears on the wrapper leaf. The mould can be removed with a soft brush (e.g. a badger shaving brush) and then the cigar can be returned to store in the correct conditions. If mould gets into the end of the cigar, we recommend that you do not smoke it. Weavil, or tobacco beetle, is a more serious problem. If you see any small holes in your cigar, you should take immediate action. Please call Tomtom for further advice. Never store cigars near direct sunlight or for long periods exposed to sea breezes (salt will not enhance your smoke). The lower the temperature, the higher the humidity required to compensate.

Desk-Top Humidors

There is a very wide selection of these humidors on the market. The basic design requirements are that they are sealable (and generally lockable!), but allow the cigars to breathe. This is normally achieved by leaving the base of the box unvarnished: and no portion of the inner cedar box should be laminated. The box contains a fitting, which provides the humidity: this is normally a pad containing a sponge or chalk, which can be dampened. The box may also contain a dial showing humidity and temperature.

As a rule of thumb, the smaller the box, the harder it is to maintain a steady level of humidity within its confines. These humidors do not regulate temperature. The price range starts from about 125 for a plexi glass humidor, which will hold approximately 50 cigars to 2000 and above. A comprehensive selection is shown on our accessory page. Fabulous humidors can also be created out of antique boxes which many families have inherited as writing slopes or medal cases and which have since become redundant. This is a very cost-effective way of storing your cigars in a unique and personal humidor.

Travel Humidors

Ranging in price from 100 upwards. These are not suitable for long-term storage of cigars, however they are essential if you are moving about: the wrapper leaf on a handmade cigar is very thin and delicate and will easily damage. The safest way to prevent this is to keep the cigars in their original box, in tubes or in a purpose-built travel humidor.

Cigar Cases

Generally these do not offer humidification systems built in, but will protect your cigars if you take them in your pocket for the day. There are some metal tubes with hermetically sealed screw tops that will act in the same way as a cigar tube and seal in moisture. The majority are made from leather and offer protection from damage as well as limited protection from fluctuations in humidity and temperature.

Reviving Dried-Out Cigars

This is not an exact science and not always successful. Dry cigars need to be rehumidified very slowly and with care. We suggest you speak to us

Footnote

We do NOT recommend that cigars are kept in a refrigerator for storage. It is likely that the cigars will be dried out by this process and irretrievably damaged.

Perhaps the movies are to blame. All those scenes where the powerful businessman or politician says to the ingenuous hero, “May I offer you a cigar,” then-without missing a beat-brandishes a gold-embossed cigar case. A case with no humidity controls. A case that is not a humidor.

Whatever the reason, many casual cigar smokers-and even fairly committed lovers of premium cigars-don’t realize how important it is to store your cigars in a humidor.

In fact, if you’re like many smokers, you’re asking yourself what a humidor is, and why you should use one. A humidor is, basically, a box that’s designed to maintain your cigars at a certain level of humidity (near seventy percent) and a proper temperature (seventy degrees or below) when you’re not, you know, smoking them.

Why exactly is that near-seventy-percent humidity figure so important? To answer this question, we have to remember what a cigar is-a set of cut, dried, cured, fermented, rolled-together leaves. When the cigar maker picked these leaves, allowed them to dry, and cured them, etc., it put those leaves on a process that ends in the death of the leaves, and the death of their flavor. In the open air, these leaves can easily dry out completely, and the cigar loses its taste. In a too-humid environment, on the other hand, they get moldy. Basically, the moment you purchase a cigar, you are in a war with the elements; your job is to keep the cigar’s flavor alive, while the elements (air, bacteria, etc.) want your cigar to be spoiled.

Humidity is your ally in that battle. The tobacco plant has evolved to thrive in an environment near seventy percent humidity-the condition in which you’ll most often find it in nature-and if you can replicate that humidity, your cigars are in good shape. The best humidors use Spanish cedar or Honduran mahogany to trap that moisture, and they have a hygrometer-a device that controls and allows you to monitor moisture levels.

Now that you know why you need one, here are some tips on the care and feeding of humidors. First of all, new humidors need to be “seasoned.” When you buy your humidor, before using it, wipe the interior wood with a moist cloth, then leave a small, closed container of water inside the humidor for 12 hours. After those twelve hours are up, check to see how much of the closed vial of water the humidor has “drank.” If it’s nearly empty, then repeat the process for another twenty-four hours. Repeat this process until the water stops evaporating; now the humidor is ready for your cigars!

You’ll also need to fill the hygrometer (the device controls humidity levels). Use distilled water-or a humidifying solution (the humidor should come with instructions regarding this choice). Let the excess water drip from the hygrometer into a sink, and wipe off the outside of the device. Put it in the humidor. Another option should you choose not to use a hygrometer, is a new product that many veteran keepers of the stick have turned to: Bóveda Packs. Bóveda Packs are an amazing invention. Each pack is rated for a certain humidity level, either 72%, 69% or 65%.

Simply place the correct number of Bóveda packets inside your humidor to maintain a precise relative humidity. Each Bóveda packet consists of a specially prepared saturated solution of pure water and natural salt. This saturated solution is contained within a water-vapor permeable reverse osmosis membrane. Within a closed desktop humidor Bóveda maintains a predetermined level of (RH) by releasing or absorbing purified water-vapor-as needed-through the membrane. Boveda Packs are only to be used once, they are not refillable. They become very stiff when the contents are spent. These amazing packs last around 2 months in an average humidor.

Another recommendation: don’t keep your humidor near any home appliances that tend to affect home humidity, or any places in the home where these appliances tend to be stored. These might include heaters, air conditioners, vents, fans, and windows. Keep it away, also, from sustained direct sunlight; pay attention to the way that sunlight exposure changes throughout the seasons, too, because some “safe places” in your home might be less safe during the summer, when the sun’s rays creep further in and stay longer.

And lastly, know what to do if, in spite of all your preparations, your cigars suffer an attack of tobacco beetles. This irritating species preys on tobacco and, in some cases, can bore through a humidor. First of all, remember not to let the temperature in your humidor go too high-tobacco beetles flourish at temperatures over 75 degrees. (So a tobacco-beetle infestation means you haven’t monitored that humidor carefully enough!) Take out the cigars that have been infested and keep them in your freezer for 48 hours. Refrigerate them for another day after that. Now they should be safely returnable to the humidor-which, in the meantime, should be thoroughly cleaned, checked for structural integrity, and if necessary, replaced. Spanish-cedar humidors, by the way, are slightly better for keeping these nasty beetles out in the first place.

Cigar smoking is a very popular pastime among many different people. Those who are just getting into cigar smoking will find that they need to have many different accessories to go along with their newfound hobby. Some of the most common accessories that you will find include a cigar lighter, a cigar cutter, a humidor, and a cigar holder than can aid when you are traveling. Something that not everyone puts a lot of thought into is the ashtray. Not all ashtrays are going to be suitable for cigars. For example, an ashtray made for cigarettes simply won’t hold the larger and heavier cigars. You need to have something special, something that matches your unique style. How do you choose a good ashtray for cigars?

You will find many different materials when it comes to choosing an ashtray, and you will find even more styles and colors. Glass is one of the most popular materials for cigar ashtrays. You can find a variety of glass ashtrays that are large enough to accommodate your cigars, and you are sure to find a style that matches your smoking habits as well as the rest of your furnishings.

One of the most popular materials from which the ashtrays are made is glass. They are heavy and they come in many different styles and colors. Because they are heavy, you don’t have to worry about tipping the ashtray over and making a mess. Some of the ashtrays also come with holders for your other accessories. Metal is another popular choice when it comes to ashtrays for cigars. Be sure that you get a metal ashtray that is heavy, as this will avoid tipping. Some of the small, light metal ashtrays won’t be able to hold the weight of a large cigar. Also, make sure the bowl is deep enough to accommodate the cigar.

Ceramic is another great choice, and you can find them in many styles and colors. You will find that many of the ceramic ashtrays that can accommodate cigars are even a bit cheaper than those made of glass or metal are. For those on a budget, this might be the way to go.

You will be able to find the perfect ashtray to go along with all of your other accessories. Some ashtrays even have holders for some of your accessories. With all of the different options available, you will find that finding a great ashtray can be a fun process. You can look for ashtrays in many of the same places that you would for your other accessories, including humidors and cutters, as many shops will carry everything you need for your cigar smoking.