You dont have to be a cigar aficionado to select a well-made humidor, and there are many good ones available at moderate prices. Keep a few uncomplicated rules in mind and you're sure to identify one to suit your size requirements, and get an attractive decoration to boot.
Choice of materials is always the first factor in choosing a fine
humidor.
Spanish cedar lining is overwhelmingly the first choice, and for solid rationales. It has superior moisture evenness features, consuming water effortlessly and letting it go again when the air inside is too barren. It also is warp impervious, making it possible to keep a good seal.
Mahogany is an acceptable substitute, but for reasons of appearance as much as capacity. It's more costly, so the reason for the change is not to lessen the price. It's usually used on the outside because of its excellent looks, with Spanish cedar still used for the inside. Still, some good humidors do use it as a liner and it can do a competent job.
Bigger humidors, as well as lesser quality ones, will sometimes substitute any number of things: plastic, synthetic wood, even metal. Their use should be avoided. Even in this age of miracle materials, there is still no good alternative to natural wood, particularly mahogany.
The
humidor should seal well, though it doesnt need and should not be completely airtight. Some small amount of airflow is beneficial to avoid accumulation of fungus. Needed wetness should, alternatively, be replaced by a device that keeps the cigars' box at the right humidity.
That characteristic leads directly to the next necessary element in a good cigar humidor: the humidity system. That system has two parts, which include the unit that releases and absorbs water and a mechanism to measure the humidity level. The first is called the humidifier; the second is called a hygrometer.
The humidifier could be something as simple, yet still capable, as a tiny sponge which is soaked with distilled water. Sometimes, especially these days, propylene glycol is added to change the rate of aerated water exchange. Often, that sponge will be located in a small little mesh 'basket' to keep it guarded. The 'basket' is then fastened via Velcro or a magnet in the lid.
Temperature control is essential, of course. However, few but the most costly humidors will have any inbuilt thermal control device. Most will rely on appropriate arrangement to keep cigars at the ideal 68F/20C mark. That's not typically an issue in the typical cigar smoker's home where air conditioning and modern heating are common.
Lastly, apart from aesthetic criteria, comes the selection of size. Smokers who indulge one of Man's finest pastimes - smoking cigars - only occasionally will need no more than a small desktop humidor, one designed to hold 10-20 cigars. That not only keeps the price down, but it also makes humidity and temperature control simpler. Aficionados will want a humidor large enough to easily hold all their desired treasures for months or even years without decomposition. A humidor that holds 100-400 will fit the bill.
The
cigar humidor's appearance, as expected, is consistently going to change the final decision, once a series of good ones is available. Here, nobody can provide any helpful advice. Personal preference reigns supreme, just as in the choice of the cigar itself.
