How to Choose a Humidor
You don't have to be a cigar aficionado to select a fine humidor, and there are several acceptable ones available at moderate prices. Keep a few simple rules in mind and you're sure to find one to suit your size needs, and get an attractive decoration to boot.
Choice of materials is invariably the first detail in selecting a good humidor.
Spanish cedar lining is consistently the first choice, and for solid rationales. It has desirable moisture evenness characteristics, absorbing water quickly and letting it go again when the air inside is too barren. It also is curve impervious, making it probable to keep a good seal.
Mahogany is a prevalent substitute, but for reasons of aesthetics as much as capacity. It's more expensive, so the purpose for the change is not to lower the price. It's usually used on the exterior because of its excellent looks, with Spanish cedar still used for the interior. Still, some good cigar humidors do use it as a liner and it can do a capable job.
Larger humidors, as well as lower quality ones, will sometimes substitute any number of things: plastic, synthetic wood, or metal. Their use should be bypassed. Even in this age of miracle materials, there is still no good alternative to natural wood, namely mahogany.
The humidor should seal well, though it doesn't need and should not be wholly airtight. Some miniscule amount of airflow is acceptable to avoid accumulation of fungus. Needed perspiration should, instead, be replaced by a instrument that keeps the cigars' container at the right humidness.
That attribute leads promptly to the next important 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 device 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 adequate, as a tiny sponge which is soaked with distilled water. Sometimes, especially these days, propylene glycol is added to alter the rate of aerated water exchange. Often, that sponge will be located in a tiny little mesh 'basket' to keep it secure. The 'basket' is then attached via Velcro or a magnet in the lid.
Temperature regulation is important, of course. However, few but the priciest humidors will have any inbuilt thermal control unit. Most will depend on suitable arrangement to keep cigars at the ideal 68F/20C mark. That's not usually a problem in the typical cigar smoker's home where air conditioning and modern heating are probable.
Lastly, aside from aesthetic criteria, comes the election of size. Smokers who indulge one of Man's finest pastimes - smoking cigars - only at times will need no more than a modest desktop humidor, one designed to hold 10-20 cigars. That not only keeps the cost down, but it also makes humidity and temperature control easier. Aficionados will want a cigar humidor expansive enough to comfortably store all their desired stogies for months or even years without decomposition. A humidor that stores 100-400 will fit the bill.
The cigar humidor's appearance, as expected, is consistently going to change the final selection, once a assortment of good ones is obtainable. Here, nobody can offer any useful guidance. Personal preference reigns supreme, just as in the selection of the cigar itself.
Stefanie Phillips is the Public Relations & Marketing Assistant at Vigilant. Vigilant is a premier design/build firm that specializes in high-end wine storage and cigar storage equipment. We manufacture wine cellars, wine racks, wine cellar doors, wine cellar furniture, cigar humidors and cigar cabinets. All of our products are designed to the exact specifications of our customers and are backed with the industry's best warranty. Our education center is filled with the most comprehensive set of resources available to allow our customers to better understand what building a wine cellar entails and to ensure them a better chance of success on their projects.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
