HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR FIRST HUMIDOR?

Choosing A Humidor

If you are new to the world of cigars, one thing you will quickly find out is that cigars need to be stored properly in humidors in order to preserve them. Installing a humidor in your own home allows you to keep your cigars in top-notch condition, just like when you buy them from your local tobacconist. However, this can be an intimidating prospect for a newbie.

Maybe you have seen some of the posh, upscale humidors, which are designed as much for looks as they are for functionality. If you have that kind of money to spend, by all means, be our guest although please read on for advice about purchasing your first humidor without breaking the bank. But first, let’s take a brief look at the origin of humidors.

History Of The Humidor

The concept of the humidor is usually traced back to an Irish furniture craftsman named Terence Manning, who in the year 1887, returned home from Ireland after spending time abroad honing his skills. The Manning family created and distributed the earliest known humidors and they are still in business today.

Early humidors were made of fine wood and were quite expensive. Nowadays, there are much less expensive versions which are made of cheaper materials. These include wood board, metal or acrylic glass with an internal layer of wood.

Classification Of Humidors

There are many different types of humidors and the type you should buy depends on your needs. We will take you through a few of these below:

Room/Walk In Humidors – You would only need a room humidor if you were operating a shop like us at Taylors Tobacconists. This is literally a room that has been converted into a humidor.

Cabinet & Table Humidors – These are high capacity humidors, which can hold thousands of cigars. Cabinet humidors are pieces of furniture in their own right, while table humidors are more portable, but are also rarely moved since they are still extremely heavy. You probably do not need or want either of these types of humidors as a beginner, but you could potentially consider investing in one further down the line.

Personal & Portable Humidors: These types of humidors may interest you if you are a beginner. A personal humidor is the first humidor you will likely buy, and it will allow you to hold a few dozen cigars. These containers are small, relatively lightweight and movable.

Portable humidors are miniature versions that allow you to carry up to around a dozen cigars, they are great when you are travelling. In terms of design, there are all kinds of different aesthetic choices out there, ranging from the simplest rectangular boxes to ornate wood boxes with rounded edges and artistic flourishes. You also may find humidors with glass lids, which allow you to see inside.

How Large Should It Be?

Ask yourself how many boxes of cigars you think you will have around at a given time. Consider that a box of cigars may hold up to 25 cigars. This should give you a good idea of how much space you are going to need.

Buying a humidor that is just slightly larger than what you think you will need is usually a good plan since it gives you more flexibility without wasting space. Believe it or not, you can get a small, good quality humidor here at Taylors Tobacconists for between £50-£85.

Setting Up Your Humidor

You are definitely going to want a thermometer to put inside your humidor, as well as a hygrometer (That’s an instrument that measures humidity). This way, you will always know if your humidor is working at its optimum level. Try to keep the humidity between 68% and 72% and the temperature at about 65-70 F.

To get your humidity settings right, you will need to complete a few steps.

First, prepare your humidifier, this is the device that is placed inside the humidor to keep the humidity level stable. Usually, doing this will involve filling it with distilled water or propylene glycol, depending on the humidifier type. Then, you are going to want to wipe down the inside of the humidor with distilled water and wait about an hour for it to dry. Finally, you will need to put a small glass of distilled water inside, along with your hygrometer and thermometer.

You can then close the humidor and leave the humidifier in there for 48 hours, adding more water if necessary, while the inner walls of the humidor are absorbing the moisture. After this, your humidor should be operational, just watch the humidity level for a few days to make sure it stabilises.

Contact Us

If you would like to know more about choosing your first humidor then please feel free to contact us today at Taylors Tobacconists. You can also order humidors directly from our website.