How to Store Cigars in a Humidor

If you’re serious about cigars, you should be serious about storing them properly. As our tastes expand, so do the cost of the cigars we enjoy. No one wants to find out that the Nicaraguan puro they just bought a week ago is now dry and cracking. Making sure you store your cigars properly will help you avoid the headache and keep your cigars ready to be enjoyed and may even improve them.

Can You Mix Different Cigars in a Humidor?

You can mix different cigars in a humidor. Some cigar smokers prefer to keep milder cigars and stronger cigars separated, but it isn’t necessary. However, cigars do absorb the aroma and flavor of things that are near them, including from other cigars. For this reason, you may want to store the different cigars on different trays or separate them with a divider.

One caveat is to never store infused or flavored cigars with your other cigars. If you are going to keep those cigars in your humidor, it is best to keep them in a sealed container like Tupperware or another airtight storage like a Ziploc bag.

How Long Can Cigars Stay in a Humidor?

Cigars can stay in a humidor almost indefinitely. Aficionados recommend keeping your new cigars in a humidor for at least three months before smoking them, while others maintain that 4-5 years is ideal. To keep your cigars fresh it is most important to maintain the right humidity and temperature. If you do, your cigars will last you a long time.

Do Cigars Lose Nicotine?

If cigars aren’t stored properly, the nicotine content will dwindle. Cigars can get stale and dry if not kept at the right humidity which will result in losing the tobacco’s oils and decreasing the nicotine content in the cigar.

Do Cigars Need to be Removed from Cellophane Before Put in Humidor?

You don’t need to remove cigars from the cellophane before being stored in your humidor. Personally, I remove all of the cellophane before I put the cigars in my humidor, unless I get a big order or pick up a lot of five packs. My top shelf has a lot of room above it, so I tend to stack up 5-packs that are still in the plastic there. On the lower shelves, I have all of my cigars stacked neatly and removed from their plastic wrappers.

In the end, it’s up to you if you want to remove the cellophane or not.

Do Cigars Get Better With Age?

Cigars change with age. For the most part, cigars tend to mellow as they age. When stored in a cedar-lined humidor, cigars can pick up flavors from the cedar. However, if they are stored in glass, metal, or ceramic, the tobacco flavors can deepen.

Regardless of which container the cigars are stored, the tobacco will lose some of its oil content and the flavors tend to settle down.

Can You Use Tupperware for Cigars?

You can use tupperware for cigars. In fact, many people use tupperware instead of humidors. It was become so popular that they are known as tupperdors. Cigar lovers buy Spanish cedar trays for their tupperware and use Boveda packs to maintain humidity. Since high end tupperware containers are air-tight, they are great for storing cigars.