What You Need to Know about Humidors...

A cigar should be considered the product of a carefully controlled combination of temperature and moisture.

The first thing to know is that cigars should stay in a humidor until they're ready to be smoked. When necessary, you can get away with taking a few along with you in a leather travel case or vest pocket carrier if it is well made and nearly air-tight. But, for the most part, a humidor is an essential piece of equipment for any cigar lover or hobbyist.

At it's essence, a humidor is an simple box-shaped device that keeps cigars at their best by maintaining them in conditions similar to those in which their tobacco grew, fermented and was rolled.

A cigar can dry out and die in less than an hour. In a properly maintained humidor, the atmosphere inside of which closely mimics that of a tropical isle, cigars can be kept for years and years, with the passing of time only increasing their quality (See Cigar 101).

Most dedicated cigar smokers will have more than one humidor or even keep different humidors for different brands of cigars. Within a humidor, the scents from various cigars mingle or "marry," and subtle shifts in flavor can result from cigars of one sort being stored next to very different types.

WHAT IS A HUMIDOR?
A humidor is, quite simply, a storage container designed to allow controlled air flow and equipped with a device that maintains the internal humidity in the range of 70 to 75 percent, with 72 percent being considered optimum. The internal temperature should be maintained in a narrow range of about 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. (Without something to maintain the internal humidity, it's not a humidor; it's just a box.) Humidors come in all sizes. Travel-sized humidors hold just a few cigars; room-sized humidors hold thousands of boxes of cigars. The average table top humidor holds between 75 and 150 cigars.

Note that a humidor is not a sealed environment. Inside an airtight moisturized container, cigars are likely to become moldy. For that reason, it's better to have air circulating between the cigars in your humidor than it is to squish them in too tightly.

While a humidor needs a device that maintains moisture levels, it does not necessarily need a gauge. Most humidors do come with a hygrometer, which indicates the interior humidity. Analog hygrometers (the circular type with the needle) are frequently inaccurate. Digital hygrometers are usually reliable to within a couple of percent.

No matter what a thermometer or hygrometer says, the true measure of your humidor's performance will be the condition of the cigars inside. If the cigars are exuding a little oil, the conditions are perfect. If they seem too dry, you add more distilled water or a distilled water and humidifying solution mixture. If they turn moldy, you have to throw out the cigars no matter what the hygrometer says. There's even a species of beetle, called a tobacco beetle, which can quickly bore holes through the contents of humidors. This will sometimes occur when the humidor maintains a temperature above 75 degrees for more than 24 hours. If your humidor becomes afflicted with these insects, freeze the contaminated cigars for 48 hours, then transfer them to the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours before returning them to your humidor. The beetles and their larvae will not survive. Be sure to wipe down your humidor with a damp cloth (using only distilled water) before returning the cigars.

It is said that tobacco beetle larvae exist in virtually all cigars, from the least to the most expensive. A thought you may not choose to dwell on, but should be aware of. Check the contents of your humidor periodically for the tell-tale holes and react accordingly.

ON EFFECTIVELY MAINTAINING A HUMIDOR
Humidors are quite a bit simpler to maintain than other balanced environments, like tropical fish tanks. All you really need to do is keep the lid or door shut and periodically add distilled water or a combination of distilled water and humidifying solution to the humidifying device. (If you use regular tap water, the minerals in it are likely to collect on the humidifier and diminish its ability to emit and absorb moisture.)

A little common sense helps, too. Exposing a humidor to temperature extremes is bad for the humidor  and for your cigars.

SELECTING A HUMIDOR
Investing in a humidor is a big decision. Good humidors aren't cheap, but there's no point in having a bad humidor. A humidor that does not maintain a constant desired level of humidity, no matter how pretty it is, is a waste of money and cigars. Consider how wine lovers store their wine. They're protecting an investment. Your cigars are equally valuable, and deserve a similar level of care.

The first step is to decide what size humidor you want. A good guide is to buy a humidor that's a little bigger than what you think you need. Look carefully at the construction and performance features of a humidor, as well as at its finish. If the seams don't meet perfectly or if the corners aren't square, move on to a different (more expensive) humidor and take note of the fact that the retailer would have been happy to sell you a worthless product. Probably for real money. Move on to a tobacco retailer with a conscience.

Pay particular attention to the rim and the lid, and how they fit together. The lid should shut tightly. But don't get carried away as a humidor lid should not "seal" completely; it should allow a minute amount of air to circulate in and out of the box. A heavy lid is generally an advantage. Many humidors, even those with locks, rely on the weight of the lid to keep them tightly shut.

The first thing to notice on the inside of a humidor is the humidification device. Most humidification devices are simple. Modern humidifying devices typically use the very same material that florists use to retain moisture in the bottom of cut flower arrangements. This green foam material is readily available from larger craft stores. The biggest variable in proper humidification, after good construction, is not the type of humidification system you have, but whether or not you remember to add the needed water or chemicals at regular intervals.

Look for a humidor lined with Spanish cedar. Cedar absorbs and re-emits moisture in a way that helps the tobaccos that are blended into a fine cigar to age and mature. (If you are ambitious and handy enough and decide to build your own humidor, be aware that you can't use just any cedar. The highly aromatic cedar used to line closets and chests is disastrous to the flavor of your cigars.)

Humidor trays make it easy for you to organize, and occasionally rotate, your collection. The inside of a humidor has variations in humidity, despite the various slots that promote internal air circulation and reduce the likelihood that the base woods and the veneer will warp or separate. Within this climate-controlled environment, you should introduce your driest cigars as far away as possible from the humidification device so that they re-attain proper hydration as slowly and evenly as possible.

Finding a humidor with good construction and features isn't as hard as it sounds. Better humidor manufacturers are fanatical about quality control. Moreover, reputable tobacconists will reject humidors with even tiny functional defects.

Once you have decided on all of the basics and accessories, you might as well let yourself be dazzled by the designs and finishes. Marvel at some of the more curved and sculptural shapes. You are buying a work of art. Be sure you love it: it's likely to be an important part of your home or office for many years to come.

We do not recommend buying a humidor sight-unseen. this includes, for the most part, purchasing this important device online where it cannot be inspected in the manner previously outlined. Buying a humidor at an auction site such as eBay gives you no frame of reference as to the seller's insight, professionalism or ethics and you are in danger of buying an expensive pig in a poke. There are obviously exceptions but the safe way to buy is at a retailer where you can visually inspect the purchase.

One exception would be an online cigar specialist such as Thompson Cigar Company. Thompson is a huge cigar manufacturer, importer, distributor and retailer with a huge, user-friendly online outlet and has been in the business for nearly a hundred years (1915). They are owned and operated by aficionado's and, in addition to having excellent prices, likely to be quite a bit lower than your street corner tobacconist, they have the most customer service-oriented staff and liberal satisfaction guarantees we've seen.

Our editor, webmaster and creator of this site owns a Thompson humidor and buys virtually all of his cigars from Thompson Cigar Co. 

ON SEASONING A HUMIDOR
It takes time, patience and a little know-how to get a new humidor ready to hold cigars. You're trying to recreate the tropical environments where most cigars are made, and you can't rush the process. Putting cigars into a dry humidor will ruin cigars. Plain and simple.

Most humidors have an interior made of untreated Spanish cedar, the preferred wood for humidifying and aging premium cigars. The wood needs to be humidified, or seasoned, before the box is ready to hold cigars. Humidors that have varnished or finished wood interiors that don't need to be seasoned are not recommended by our staff.

Take a new sponge or clean, absorbent washcloth (make sure it is unscented and free of soap) and wet it with a liberal dose of distilled water. Wipe down all the exposed wood, including any trays and dividers, and the interior lid. Avoid using a paper towel or a fraying cloth; these will literally leave a paper trail on the wood. The idea is to dampen the wood, not wet it. After you've wiped down the wood, wet the sponge or cloth with more distilled water, then place it inside the humidor on a plastic bag, avoiding direct contact with the wood, and close the lid.

Next, prepare your humidification device according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use only distilled water or a 50% concentration of distilled water and humidifying solution. Tap water contains minerals that will destroy most humidification systems by leaving deposits that will clog the humidor element. Once the humidification element is filled, be sure to wipe it down to remove all the excess water. Rest it on a hand towel for approximately 30 minutes.

Close the humidor with its humidifying element and the damp sponge, and leave it overnight. The next day, refresh the humidification device (it may not need it) and check the sponge. If it is fairly dry, add more distilled water. If it is very damp, leave it alone.

Let the humidor sit another night, and then remove the sponge and plastic bag. The walls of the humidor have now absorbed all the water they need, and now you can safely store your cigars.

A FEW THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO DO
Most of the time, if you let cigars dry out, you have to write off your investment as a learning experience, albeit sometimes an expensive one. In some cases, cigars can be reconditioned through weeks in a good humidor, but it's a tricky business, and best left to someone with great patience and experience. If you insist on trying to do it yourself, proceed slowly. Over a period of several weeks, gradually move the cigars from the outer corners into the center of your humidor.

All of the other methods of restoring dried-out cigars are myths. Remember that a cigar has many layers of tobacco. It's disastrous for the various layers to become moist or dry out at different rates. For example, if a cigar is placed in a hyper-moist environment, and then taken out of that moist environment, the outside dries and shrinks while the inside is still swollen, and the cigar splits open. (Not a pretty sight.)

Similarly, do not allow your cigars to become over-moistened. In addition to the danger (and heartbreak) of mold ruining your investment, the different layers of a moist cigar will dry out at different rates and you have a similar result on your hands.