The Complete Handbook of Humidor Accessories

Chapter 1: Understanding Humidor Accessories

A humidor is a sealed wooden box that holds cigars at a stable relative humidity. The accessories are the parts that make that box work as intended. Without them, a humidor is just a nice-looking container that does not hold the right environment. This chapter covers what humidor accessories actually do, the physical principles they rely on, and why getting them right matters to anyone who stores cigars for any length of time.

You need to understand one core fact first: cigars are perishable. A cigar is a roll of dried tobacco leaves, and the leaves contain natural oils and moisture. If the environment around a cigar is too dry, the leaves lose their oils, become brittle, and the wrapper cracks. The cigar burns hot, tastes harsh, and the draw is loose. If the environment is too humid, the cigar absorbs moisture, the filler expands, and the draw becomes tight. Worse, the cigar can develop mold or attract tobacco beetles. The entire purpose of a humidor and its accessories is to keep the air inside the box at a relative humidity of about 68% to 72%, within a temperature range of about 16°C to 21°C (approximately 60°F to 70°F). This chapter is about the equipment that does that job.

Let us be specific about the physical environment. Relative humidity (RH) is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air compared to how much the air could hold at that temperature. Warm air