I first got into cigars 9 years ago — in 2012. Since then I’ve tried different ways of storing the cigars, here is what I’ve learned so far.
Table of contents
Humidor
One of the first things I got was a humidor — a Adorini Chianti Deluxe Medium. It had a capacity of 100 cigars, a moisturizing sponge and a hygrometer in front.
I had some trouble keeping it at the right humidity, it simply dried out. And I later find out that the hygrometer it had was way off 😕
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/20120823-00006_hu7be8ace39e9abad49b2b4a48dba9b6b7_505651_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
About a year later I started outgrowing the humidor and explored other ways of storing my cigars.
Zipper bags
Zipper bags is a useful way to temporary store cigars, for transportation or when seasoning the humidor.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/seasoning_humidor_20131204_081237_hu75822a250c2095a91bf28afec1286aac_66992_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
You can even get bags with cigar “fingers” — 5 finger cigar bags. This prevents the cigars from touching each other, which might be beneficial during transport.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20131230_111602.jpg)
Glass jars
I also used glass jars for a while, with a gasket they can be air-tight. Just pop a Boveda pack in there and you are good to go. It’s worth noting that the lack of oxygen will halt the cigar aging. So it’s a good idea to open it every once in a while to let some air in.
Another benefit of glass is that there is no smell to it, when opening a newly purchased glass jar there seldom is any smell. The same can not be said about plastic containers.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20131228_091406_hucbb13319e780baeb44d919e66469e9d1_75819_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
What I don’t like about the glass jars, at least the once I had, was the shape… The cigars had to be stored upright, and was a bit awkward to get to.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20140121_122803.jpg)
Plastic storage containers
Plastic storage containers has become my preferred way of storing my cigars, so much so that I have sold my humidor. The ones I use measure 26x19×11 cm, and have a volume of 4 liters (about one gallon). They have a gasket in the lid, making them air tight.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20131230_121113_hu46720c6e1bd5798d50c44424425b34ab_51555_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
I use Boveda packs to control the humidity, and pack some left over Spanish Cedar sheets from cigar boxes in — they help maintain the humidity and provide some aroma.
I try to keep all my containers about 2/3 full. I want to have some air in there, but not too much. I don’t have a routine of opening the boxes to let fresh air in, I recon this happens naturally as I look for cigars to smoke.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20140206_092551_hu4f34b8b6b013307fafee2c30257e278d_54807_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
Getting the smell out
One drawback of these plastic containers is that they have an awful smell when they are new. I’ve tried multiple ways of getting rid of it:
- Cleaning them with alcohol
- Rubbing them with baking soda
- Placing a bowl of Sodium inside
It did help, but didn’t remove all the nasty plastic smell.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20131219_074545_hu8056156b1cef2d8e88be26d4f9ddc648_54954_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
I eventually found that just washing them in the dish washer, and leaving them open for a couple of months work well 😃
Where to store them?
Cigars likes it best at 21°C, you can go lover but it will slow the aging process. You should keep the temperature below 23°C, because that is apparently when the tobacco beetles like to hatch. I’ve never experienced this myself, but I’ve seen some horrible pictures.
Our old house
Initially, in our old house, I kept the cigars in my home office. This turned out to be way to hot! 🥵
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20140730_143012.jpg)
So instead I placed all the cigars inside a large wine cooler that we had. The maximum temperature on that was 18°C, so a bit too cold, but better than the alternative…
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cigars_20151008_232505_hu2113de66ef4a50f9d890199e19946768_575058_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
Where I store them now
Now I store the plastic containers in the basement, on the bottom shelf in the room adjacent to my home office. The temperature down here is pretty stable, I have a heat-pump to heat or cool if necessary.
![](https://blog.cavelab.dev/2021/03/cigar-storage/cover_hu80625ef7b81ae0290f94d1f14bf92d3f_355481_800x0_resize_q80_lanczos.jpg)
Closing thoughts
I usually overthink things when I first get into something new, and cigars was no different. I worried about the “ideal” storing conditions for my cigars. Over the years I’ve developed a more relaxed attitude towards it, and nothing bad has happened (yet) 😃
I still think humidors are cool — but, for me at least, plastic containers is a more convenient way of storing my cigars.
As I have now discovered pipe smoking I will probably only smoke cigars occasionally. So my remaining stash should last a while 👍
Last commit 2024-04-05, with message: Tag cleanup.