Let’s face it! Before you even consider starting with cigars you must think about storage. A cigar needs humidity and temperature control. If you are new to cigars like I was, just a couple of months ago, you probably have a lot of questions regarding storage of cigars.
The humidor
If you don’t want to invest in a humidor, don’t start with cigars at all. Just buy a cigar for your special occasion. The humidor is a must for all people who respect the cigars for what they are, a life style, just like wine and whiskey etc. Temporarily you can store your cigars in a tupador. It’s basically a sealed plastic container with humidifier like boveda bags or beads. It works great but It looks like shit and it just feels bad.
For the collector and for the one who wants something that might increase in value over time, most of the nicer more expensive humidors are limited editions.
How much storage do I need?
Who knows? But I can tell you that you will need a larger humidor than you think. First of all, almost all companies that manufacture or sells humidors exaggerate the number of cigars that the humidor is capable of. I haven’t seen one humidor that can store the number of cigars that is promised in the specification. My opinion is: Buy a humidor that can store at least twice as much as you think you need. If the specification says you can store 50 cigars it will hold about 25-30 unless we are talking about very thin cigars, not even called cigars.
Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary 50ct Humidor (no 61/750)
Buy quality or buy crap many times for the same money
First. For me a humidor is a work of art and should decorate a home, not be hidden in a closet or a garage. If you buy a humidor that is more expensive and from a known brand you will probably have to pay at least 500$. The reason is easy. A good humidor is built from great material, have a good sealing to prevent the humidity to leak out of the humidor. You can often see if it’s a great humidor just by looking at it, you don’t have to try it. If it looks lovely it is most often lovely.
Another thing that is different between a cheap and an expensive humidor is the smell when you open it. An expensive humidor will smell lovely, cedar, when you open it the first time. Of course, this effects your cigars. I have some cheap humidors that I will talk about later, they don’t smell nice.
My first humidor
I bought the “Daniel Marshall 20th Anniversary Treasure Chest”. Its still the best humidor I have and have ever seen. Its made of an amazing burl wood. It’s also the one humidor that needs less care than the others. It just works! The humidity is always stable, and the construction is made so the temperature is even. Even if the room gets hot during the summer this humidor can hold the temperature down. Of course, if the sun and heat is right on it, it won’t hold the desired temperature, no humidor will.
The humidor is a limited edition of 200 humidors.
For more information about Daniel Marshall Humidors go to http://danielmarshall.com/
Daniel Marshall 20th Anniversary Treasure Chest (No. 162/200)
Next up is comparing the humidors and cabinets. I will also write about humidifying and hygrometers.