Well, we started our journey into cigars, but you now must figure out how to care for them. This is when it's time to purchase a humidor. But what is a humidor? Traditionally, a humidor is a hardwood box exterior with a Spanish cedar inlet. Spanish cedar is used for its ability to absorb moisture and deliver it into its environment, thus keeping cigars fresh. Nowadays, there are a plethora of styles, types and sizes when it comes to humidors. As you go through your cigar adventure, you will develop a taste for the style, size and functionality of your
humidor. Here are my personal preferences for a starter humidor.
1. Beautiful Design
2. 50 Count Minimum
3. Does Not Have A Glass Top
This is my personal preference which I gained from purchasing and using several sizes and styles over the years.
Now, you have chosen your humidor …. Stop! We must first season it. There are many schools of thought when it comes to this process, and you will come across people who will tell you that their way is the only way. This is not the case, there are many ways to season a humidor and some are better than others.
The old school way is to take a brand-new sponge, dip it in distilled water, squeeze as much water out as you can, then wipe the interior of the humidor. Close the humidor and repeat in roughly an hour. You should do this 3 times then dip the sponge again, squeeze out the water, place it on a plastic surface and place in the humidor. Make sure the sponge is NOT sitting directly on the wood.
This would cause the wood to either destroy or warp and ruin your humidor. Leave the sponge in for 48 hours, then check.
The other way to season a humidor is using osmosis. Place a dish of distilled water in the middle of your humidor, close the box and walk away. With this technique, you will have to pray that no one bumps into it and spills the water inside.
A safer route it to place an 84% seasoning pack, made by Boveda. Just throw them in and wait. This process will take about two weeks, but some say that it is a more natural process for the wood and less likely to make a mistake. Once you have completed this process, the hygrometer should read 70-75%.
Most humidors come with analog hygrometers (a device to measure humidity), however, most analog hygrometers are unreliable and inaccurate.
My suggestion is to purchase a digital hygrometer and make sure that the device has the ability to be calibrated. I also recommend it having Bluetooth capability. This limits how many times I open the humidor just to check on it. This process will take about 3 days in total but requires a lot of attention. Below is a photo of the one I use.
Your humidor is now seasoned and ready to take cigars. Here are a few things to consider.
The humidor count is how many it can hold, all the same size. So, if it’s a 50 count, it may be 50 robustos. If you mix and match, expect for that count to differ. Make sure you fill the humidor as much as possible, add Bodeva pack (my preference between 69-72%), and let the cigars acclimate to their new environment. This will take a few days, up to a week. Your patience will be rewarded.