Every cigar aficionado, beginner or veteran, should have a humidor. It doesn’t matter if your favorite cigars come in plastic wrapping--unwrap them and place them in a humidor. Humidors are specially designed to keep your cigars from drying out and to help the flavor develop over time. They are also faster and more convenient than fussing with boxes and wrappers. Many of them even come with spaces to store your lighters and clippers.
The humidifier is the part of the humidor that keeps the interior moist and humid. The primary way to keep your humidor functioning properly is to make sure your humidifier is filled.
Set a small bowl of water inside a new humidor and close the lid. Let the water evaporate for 48 hours, refilling the bowl as necessary. Older humidors will not need this treatment, because their humidifiers keep the interior constantly moist.
Remove the humidifier from the humidor. Humidifiers are circular or rectangular black plastic boxes with grates on the top and bottom. Soak your humidifier in distilled water for half an hour. Dry the outside thoroughly. Distilled water does not have the minerals that tap water does and will not change the flavor of your cigars.
Spray or pour water into your humidifier if instructions direct you not to soak it. Spray water directly into the grate until it begins to drip out. Stop spraying immediately. Do the same for pouring; dry the humidifier thoroughly. Water dripping on the wood of your humidor will ruin it.
Set your humidifier back into the humidor and close the lid for about 12 hours. Check the hygrometer, a circular device measuring humidity, to make sure it reads between 68 and 75 percent humidity. Any higher and your cigars will not burn evenly; any lower and they will dry out.
Fill your humidor with the cigars of your choice. Check your hygrometer each time you remove a cigar from the humidor, especially in extremely warm or dry conditions. If you don’t smoke every day, check your hygrometer every two to three days, making sure the humidity is sufficient.
Things You'll Need:
- Humidor
- Distilled water
- Small bowl
- Spray bottle
