Humidor is a container or room used to store cigars in an appropriate air humidity (about 70%), which prevents the tobacco from drying out. Humidors are usually lined with Spanish cedar, because this wood helps to extract the full aroma from the stored cigars. To measure humidity in humidors, hygrometers are used, and to maintain appropriate humidity – special humidifiers.
The passion for cigars is widespread. Therefore, it is recommended for every cigar lover to get informed about humidors. Especially for a larger quantity of cigars it is a worthwhile investment to buy humidors. This allows the precious cigars to be stored safely and stylishly.
Humidors in the Course of History
Humidors have been around for hundreds of years, but only since the beginning of the 19th century have they been regarded and produced as such. Before that, they were mostly flat wooden or metal boxes, but smoking cigars wasn’t that popular then either. The problem with humidor precursors was the nature of the material and the lack of safety for what was stored in them.
The first real humidors were called nailed-wood humidors because they were made of solid wood held together with nails and hinges. However, these were not yet suitable for storage as they were easy to open and did not provide optimum protection for the high-quality goods.
Spanish Cedar Wood – The Ultimate
The advantage of Spanish cedar wood is that, although it has its own aroma, this does not drown out the natural taste of cigars, but rather complements it. Another advantage is the ability of the wood to absorb humidity and only release it when needed, when the temperature is right. In this way, cigars can be much better protected from drying out and heat, and the wood does not deform as quickly as other types of wood.
This is especially important when it comes to cigar beetles. These small pests settle on tobacco fields and eat up everything they can. The disadvantage of this is that they also lay eggs and hatch them under optimal temperature and humidity conditions, even if the tobacco has already been harvested and processed. The Spanish cedar wood can counteract this hatching because it can regulate temperature and humidity so well that the cigar beetles cannot lay their eggs in the first place.
Safe Storage for the Precious Cigars
On top, humidors can provide the option of storing cigars safely from other people. In the course of history, the safety measures have been optimized steadily and by now, it is very common for them to have a code or a special key that you need in order to open them up.