If you have ever wondered why cigars are stored in a humidor than I am here to help. Any tobacconist worth his salt will have a cigar store humidor. The size and quality of each cigar store humidor will vary, but the overall purpose and function is the same. There is no other reason to have a cigar store humidor than to provide the customer with the highest quality smoke and best cigar that money can buy.

How A Cigar Store Humidor Works

A humidor does not necessarily have to be like the cigar store humidors we think of. A humidor is simply any box or room that has a consistent humidity. Certain boxes function very well for this purpose. Small wooden or acrylic glass boxes can be used to store several dozen cigars, but generally speaking in order to store more than that you will need a cigar store humidor that can store many hundreds and thousands of cigars.

A cigar store humidor will use a hygrometer to measure the humidity level and add or subtract moisture from the air based on the setting. Ideally this should be kept between 65 and 75 percent humidity. The larger the humidor, the harder this is to regulate. Typically a small size humidor will be made with an interior veneer of Spanish cedar wood or mahogany. Both these woods do a very good job of regulating the moisture in the air. Because of there porous nature the wood can take in water when the air because to humid, and it will evaporate over time as the air dries out.

The reason Spanish cedar is most commonly used is because it possesses several features that make it ideal for being used in a humidor. The first is that it holds more moisture than most woods. This helps it to maintain a constant humidity in the humidor. Second in imparts a slight aroma to the cigars if they are stored enough. In some cases cigars are packed in cedar sheets before they are sold to impart this desirable aroma as well. The third thing that Spanish cedar can do is repel tobacco beetles. This little pests can quickly ruin and entire stock of cigars. They eat their way through the tobacco and lay eggs which causes further harm. The fourth and final thing that makes Spanish cedar desirable is that it is extremely resistant to warping and damage from water.

So there you have it, some of the basics behind how a humidor works and why cigar store humidors are so important.