It doesn’t matter whether you call it a “humidor” or an “umidor”, the meaning is the same. A humidor is a storage container that keeps cigars fresh by controlling humidity and temperature.
Tobacco is highly hygroscopic and cigars easily absorb and release moisture from the environment. Both high and low humidity levels can affect the cigar’s flavor and the smoking experience. That’s where a decent humidor comes into play. The humidor is a must-have if you want to start a cigar hobby.
So what is a cigar humidor used for? The humidor is where you store your cigars and keep them fresh. If you store your stogies outside for too long, they will dry out. This causes them to lose their aroma and taste. Additionally, your humidor creates the right conditions for your cigars to age properly.
What Does a Cigar Humidor & Humidifier Do?
Most of the tobacco used for cigars is mainly grown between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. The climate in countries such as Cuba or the Dominican Republic is warm and humid. It is best to store your cigar collection in such conditions. As many cigar lovers live outside the tropical climate zone, they use a humidor to maintain the relative humidity that is suitable for storing and aging cigars.
The humidifier releases moisture in the humidor so that cigars don’t lose their freshness. The desired moisture levels are between 65 and 75% and the perfect temperature is between 65 and 75 0F. The humidification unit is the most important part of the system. Its capacity must correspond to the size of the humidor and the number of cigars stored.
How Does a Humidor Work?
The humidor box maintains the right climate for storing your cigars thanks to its good insulation. Good insulation is the result of high-quality materials, craftsmanship, and intelligent design. Spanish cedar is considered the best material for long-lasting contact with tobacco. Accordingly, almost every wooden humidor claims to be a Spanish cedar box.
Most humidors include a hygrometer to measure the humidity inside. If the unit also has a thermostat, you can store and care for your cigar stash very conveniently.
What are the Types of Humidors?
An avid cigar enthusiast needs a different type of humidor depending on their needs and budget. There are various types of humidors on the market that differ in size, capacity, transportability, and robustness.
Desktop Humidors
The most common type is the desktop humidor. These humidors vary in size and capacity but, as the name suggests, you can keep them on your table or desk. You can usually store between 20 and more than 100 cigars, depending on the design. The construction can be made of wood, acrylic, or glass.
The major advantages of desktop humidors are their classic looks and always having them to hand. The disadvantage, especially for humidors with a glass- top and those made of acrylic, is that you have to be careful not to expose them to direct sunlight.
Cabinet Humidors
They are intended for advanced cigar lovers with larger collections. The cabinet humidors offer more storage capacity. Usually, more than 300 cigars can be arranged on several levels. Larger models can hold more than a thousand sticks. Their construction can be made of wood, plastic, acrylic, or glass.
The big advantage of desktop humidors is their storage capacity, but their size can be a disadvantage when it comes to storing the humidor itself or moving it around.
Travel Humidors
Travel humidors vary in wide ranges in size and capacity. There are pocket humidors that hold two or three cigars, and there are portable storage containers that can hold more than 200 cigars.
Their main function is to keep your cigars safe and fresh during transportation. Most travel humidors are shatterproof and some models are even waterproof.
Humidor Jars
By definition, jars are transparent, wide-mouthed containers. They are made of glass or heavy acrylic. Cigar humidor jars can hold about 10 to 20 cigars. Most humidor jars have excellent seals.
Electric Humidors/Wineadors
Electric humidors are large-capacity storage options. Their biggest advantage is that you can be sure that you are storing your cigars at the optimal air levels. Electric humidors offer precise control of temperature and humidity and automatic maintenance, especially if they are good ones. This makes storing a large collection of cigars easy and convenient.
Walk-In Humidors
Imagine a room full of cigars. This is the walk-in humidor. You can store an enormous number of sticks. The RH level inside is controlled by an electronic humidification system.
How to Use a Humidor for Cigars?
When you get your new humidor, you must first season it properly if it contains cedar wood. If you don’t do this, the cedar will draw the needed moisture out of your cigars. An important part of the initial seasoning is setting up the humidor’s humidification system.
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Also, where you place your humidor is very important. Keep it away from any kind of heat sources or direct sunlight. Heat and sun can spoil your sticks quickly. High temperatures increase the risk of developing mold and tobacco beetles hatching.
After you have set up the humidor and placed your stogies in it, you should pay attention to the readings of the measuring devices for unwanted changes. Depending on where you live, you should re-season your humidor at least two times a year and calibrate your hygrometer.
