Cigar Humidors

What is a cigar humidor?
It is a box or a room that maintains constant humidity and is used to store cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco.

What is a humidor made from?
Cigar humidors are made from three types of wood.

1. Spanish cedar
2. American red cedar
3. Honduran Mahogany

Spanish cedar does not come from Spain. It comes from the Rain Forests of Brazil and Central America. As a rain forest species it has a number of remarkable qualities. It holds humidity more than other types of wood and has a scent that repels beetles—including tobacco beetles. It also does not warp like other types of wood do. Because it is a species of cedar, it has that same wonderful smell that other cedar species have which imparts an additional hint of aroma to cigars.

How is a humidor designed?
Some humidors are made from a case that is made out of solid wood. The interior is lined by with Spanish cedar. Some humidors are made entirely of Spanish cedar and require not interior lining. Other humidors are based on what is called an MDF (medium density fiberboard) design. The exterior is a veneer made from a species of hardwood, such as cherry, and the interior is lined with a veneer of Spanish cedar.

How does a cigar humidor work?
Within the humidor there is a humidification system consisting of 1:1 ratio of distilled water and Propylene Glycol. The PG keeps the relative humidity balanced. All cigar humidors use a hygrometer to keep track of humidity levels. The hygrometer measures RH to make certain the interior of the cigar humidor maintains the correct humidity level. Correct calibration of the hygrometer is a must to ensure proper operation of the humidification system.

What benefit does a humidor offer?
A cigar humidor is necessary to keep the flavor and burn rate of the cigar at an optimal level. When a cigar is too dry, it is fragile and burns too fast. When it is too damp, it burns unevenly and has a heavy, acidic taste. In order to burn at just the right rate, and in order for it to taste as intended, the cigar must absorb humidity at 14% of its own rate. To achieve this rate of absorption, the interior of the humidor must have a relative humidity of 68%-74%.

What types of cigar humidors are there?
There are four different types of humidors, listed as follows:
1. Table humidor- This type of humidor is common in cigar stores and remains in one place. It can hold up to a few thousand cigars
2. Travel humidor- This is the smallest type of humidor. It is portable and can hold 10-40 cigars
3. Personal humidor- This type is slightly larger than the travel size, holds 30-100 cigars, and is kept in the home or in the office.
4. Room humidor- This is an entire room that has been converted into a humidor and is found in larger cigar stores and cigar smoking bars.