Cigar Humidors: Choosing the Perfect One for You
A humidor is the ideal place to house your fine cigars, and only a humidor can provide the ideal, protected environment necessary for your cigars. A humidor could be a basic Tupperware item, or a top of the range Davidoff, but ultimately the purpose is the same. A chic humidor can double in an ornamental capacity, but a simple, functional humidor would be just as effective for those on a strict budget.
Ideally a cigar should be stored at 70% to 72% humidity and around room temperature, as fine cigars can dry out and their wrappers fall apart in lower humidity environments.
As a cigar dries out it looses essential oils, it flavour and its aroma. Once this has happened it is impossible to restore the cigars original quality. Likewise, too much humidity can destroy a cigars quality as much as the drying out.
Prior to making your purchase, there are several considerations you need to make regarding your humidor. Firstly, how many cigars are you wanting to store, bearing in mind that 7 or 8-inch cigars are the standard size for humidors, but there are 9 inch ones available also. You should also look for a humidor that is hardy and contains a quality humidification system. A good humidor should have a Spanish cedar interior.
A humidor should be made so that it closes without a loud bang, and with enough room in its lid that the humidifying device is not coming into contact with any of the cigars. These two things are an important part of the overall quality of the humidor, and will need to be consider when making your purchase.
Tip #1: When you are preparing the humidifier, be sure to use distilled water or one of the humidifier liquids that are for sale. There are two things that you should be careful with. Firstly, make sure that you do not use too much liquid. Secondly, you should never use tap water. Tap water has added minerals that can leave your cigars smelling off, and may also damage your humidifier. Prior to putting your humidifier into the humidor, drain any excess water and leave it sat on a paper towel for 45 minutes. This will then prepare the interior of the humidor for your cigars.
Tip #2: When wiping the humidifier, use a lint free cloth that has been lightly moistened with distilled water. You will be able to get rid of any residual dust that may have been left over from the products manufacture and it will aid the interior in balancing the moisture that it contains. If the wood inside is dry it may take away moisture from the cigars or the humidifier. When cleaning the exterior of the humidifier, be sure to use only a soft cloth and never use furniture polish. The polish may damage the finish and also the cigars inside.