new guy looking for my first humidor

**odiedog52** · 08-04-2013, 04:02 AM

Hi all, new guy here and my first post.

I've smoked cigars socially for a while now, but am just starting to get into them now. I have a few in a friend's humidor until I can get one for myself and I'm looking for suggestions.

I'm looking for:

Capacity of around 100ish cigars (50ish would probably even work)
Aesthetically pleasing

For a budget, I'm really looking for something that is a good value. I know you get what you pay for, but I'm sure some of you have some good suggestions for great budget value humidors that look great and, most importantly, are reliable. Around $100ish ideally.

Open to suggestions! Happy to buy online if good deals are available.

**ggiese** · 08-05-2013, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by odiedog52

Hi all, new guy here and my first post.

I've smoked cigars socially for a while now, but am just starting to get into them now. I have a few in a friend's humidor until I can get one for myself and I'm looking for suggestions.

I'm looking for:

Capacity of around 100ish cigars (50ish would probably even work)
Aesthetically pleasing

For a budget, I'm really looking for something that is a good value. I know you get what you pay for, but I'm sure some of you have some good suggestions for great budget value humidors that look great and, most importantly, are reliable. Around $100ish ideally.

Open to suggestions! Happy to buy online if good deals are available.

If you're looking to store cigars in a good, properly humidified environment - go with a Tupperware container. It's got a fantastic seal, is very durable and relatively inexpensive.

If you're looking for a wood humidor - This is akin to asking this community to recommend a chair - "...looking for something that is a good value. I know you get what you pay for, but I'm sure some of you have some good suggestions for great budget value chairs that look great and, most importantly, are reliable. Around $100ish ideally". you're going to get a very wild range of responses (some good/some bad).

Can you peg it down a bit more? Give us some sense what you like?

**ashauler** · 08-05-2013, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by ggiese

If you're looking to store cigars in a good, properly humidified environment - go with a Tupperware container. It's got a fantastic seal, is very durable and relatively inexpensive.

If you're looking for a wood humidor - This is akin to asking this community to recommend a chair - "...looking for something that is a good value. I know you get what you pay for, but I'm sure some of you have some good suggestions for great budget value chairs that look great and, most importantly, are reliable. Around $100ish ideally". you're going to get a very wild range of responses (some good/some bad).

Can you peg it down a bit more? Give us some sense what you like?

Welcome to the forum.

Have you considered stopping in at your local tobacconist and checking out his wares?

**buzz** · 08-05-2013, 04:57 AM

Welcome from AZ. If your only criteria is ~100 cigars, ~$100, and "aesthetically pleasing", check out cubancrafters.com and pick one that you like. If you want something a little nicer and not made in the worst country in the world, check out sites like michaeldixonhumidors.com. Keep in mind though that you might outgrow it, opt for a coolidor, and end up selling the humidor on craigslist for a loss, wishing you had bought more Padrons instead of a pretty box.

**CptnBlues63** · 08-06-2013, 01:33 AM

Hi from Alberta, Canada

**CoventryCat86** · 08-06-2013, 03:27 PM

Welcome to CigarSmokers.

Thanks for serving our country!

I don't really have any good ideas on small, inexpensive humidors. I have two, an old one that my father bought in the 1950's that I updated and another I won at a cigar dinner in 1998 so I never bought one. I don't use either of them anymore, I use "coolerdors" (120 quart coolers with humidification beads and inexpensive hygrometers which do the trick).

Buzz has a good idea for you, cubancrafters, I've heard others have had good luck with their stuff.

**Mangyrat** · 08-10-2013, 02:29 PM

Tupperware container is a good suggestion till you find a humidor you like at your price.
I used a few large ones for over flow for a year or so then moved on to a cooler for overflow.

now if you want something that looks nice I also say Cuban crafters.

**Merovius** · 08-12-2013, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by buzz

Welcome from AZ. If your only criteria is ~100 cigars, ~$100, and "aesthetically pleasing", check out cubancrafters.com and pick one that you like. If you want something a little nicer and not made in the worst country in the world, check out sites like michaeldixonhumidors.com. Keep in mind though that you might outgrow it, opt for a coolidor, and end up selling the humidor on craigslist for a loss, wishing you had bought more Padrons instead of a pretty box.

Bought a Michael Dixon not too long ago, been very happy.

The E Class is a high quality humidor and very affordable at $400.

It also helps that Michael sometimes takes calls himself and is willing to spend a half hour on the phone just chatting and answering any questions you have. Really nice guy.

**ggiese** · 08-12-2013, 05:42 AM

Originally Posted by Merovius

Bought a Michael Dixon not too long ago, been very happy.

The E Class is a high quality humidor and very affordable at $400.

It also helps that Michael sometimes takes calls himself and is willing to spend a half hour on the phone just chatting and answering any questions you have. Really nice guy.

Thanks for the recommendation. Those are very nice looking humidors...

I don't know that I completely agree, but I found interesting his thoughts on conditioning a humidor and a "tight" versus not so tight lid seal...

Initial Conditioning
Do not spray the interior of any humidor with water or apply a damp sponge or wet rag to any interior wood surface. This will only cause the wood to expand too rapidly and will raise the grain of the wood thereby giving it a rough texture. It could also cause the exterior side walls to split apart and the lid to warp. We will not honor any repair on humidors that have been over-saturated with water. Please read carefully our Humigar instruction sheets. Be patient and go slowly while conditioning the humidor to the 70% R.H. level. It is a slow process and needs to be done slowly so the box can acclimate to the higher humidity levels.

Tight fit/Loose fit
There are conflicting thoughts in the marketplace as to how a lid should fit down over the raised cedar interior lining. Some feel the lid should fit snugly or air-tight when closing thereby giving the interior an air-tight seal. Others feel a humidor should "breathe" and that the moisture should be allowed to escape so there is an air exchange. Stagnant moist air will harbor bacteria which will create mold. Mold will ruin cigars within 1-2 days if left unnoticed. We purposely leave a 1/64" recess on the interior lining so as to allow a small amount of air exchange. This way the interiors are allowed to breathe somewhat, allowing a small amount of air exchange.

**buzz** · 08-12-2013, 05:47 AM

I fall in the tight seal camp because I think I get enough of an air change by opening the humidor 2-3 times a week to select a cigar.

**ashauler** · 08-12-2013, 07:12 AM

Yep, I view air leakage from a humidor as a bad thing. Don't give too much of a shit whether you moisten the wood or not. I moistened both of mine when new....no warpage in 6+ years of continual use. Both of them were made in China though.....and were nowhere near $400. That's probably why.

**kingbeefy** · 08-12-2013, 08:03 AM

$400 for a humidor doesn't seem "very affordable". I'm sure they are nice and if your hobby is humidors it may make some sense.

I'm more of an "it's what's on the inside that counts" kind of guy. And being that kind of guy has me thinking that the ugly blue cooler in my closet in an absolute work of art.

**Mizicke5273** · 08-12-2013, 11:44 PM

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but try to stay away from desktop humidors with "glass". I did not head this advice, because well, I liked the look too much when I was first starting out. They can do the job just fine, but the one I have is a pain in the ass to keep at a consistent humidity. It requires a lot more babysitting than my coolidors; they only require maintenance every so often.

**Mizicke5273** · 08-12-2013, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by kingbeefy

......ugly blue cooler in my closet in an absolute work of art.

absolute work of art

That is because you have obviously stickerized it with pictures of art!

**CptnBlues63** · 08-13-2013, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by Mizicke5273

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but try to stay away from desktop humidors with "glass". I did not head this advice, because well, I liked the look too much when I was first starting out. They can do the job just fine, but the one I have is a pain in the ass to keep at a consistent humidity. It requires a lot more babysitting than my coolidors; they only require maintenance every so often.

Wifey bought me a 500 count a few years back that has glass on it. Both on the lid and on the front. It's also a "cheap Chinese" humidor. But, it seals well and actually stays pretty darn stable with minimum effort on my part. Had I know better at the outset I would have bought Heartfelt Beads but instead got an electric humidifier. If/when that humidifier dies, I'm going beads for sure!

It's been an unusually humid summer up here so I haven't actually added any water since before my fishing trip in June and it's holding nicely around 63-65% RH. Come winter when it gets really dry, I only add water about once every two or three weeks.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with it although I would have never bought that particular one for myself had it been up to me. I'm hoping to outgrow it and build a coolerador. I mentioned doing so to the wife and she was all "Don't freaking Alberta engineer that when we can buy you a humidor" I tried explaining about the cost difference as versus storage capacity but she got all obstinate so when the time comes, I'm just going to build one and forget to mention it to her.........LOL

**gogotron** · 08-13-2013, 11:41 AM

Daniel Marshall

**buzz** · 08-14-2013, 03:37 AM

When I had a humidor it had a glass top and glass front. I didn't notice significant leaking due to the glass, and liked having the ability to decide what to smoke without opening the humidor. You just have to keep it out of sunlight. When my cousin lived with me it would have been nice if my fridge had a viewport so he wouldn't stand there with the fridge door open for 20 minutes deciding what salsa to use for his burrito.

**CptnBlues63** · 08-15-2013, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by buzz

When I had a humidor it had a glass top and glass front. I didn't notice significant leaking due to the glass, and liked having the ability to decide what to smoke without opening the humidor. You just have to keep it out of sunlight. When my cousin lived with me it would have been nice if my fridge had a viewport so he wouldn't stand there with the fridge door open for 20 minutes deciding what salsa to use for his burrito.

ROFLMAO

**Merovius** · 08-20-2013, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by ggiese

Thanks for the recommendation. Those are very nice looking humidors...

I don't know that I completely agree, but I found interesting his thoughts on conditioning a humidor and a "tight" versus not so tight lid seal...

The fit is snug, certainly not loose.

**buzz** · 08-20-2013, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by Merovius

The fit is snug, certainly not loose.

Why did you edit your reply from this?

I have a Michael Dixon Model-E in Spalted Maple. It is absolutely gorgeous. The hardware and craftsmanship are second to none and the humidor regularly maintains a perfect 70%.

The price for what you're getting is almost unbeatable. Furthermore, the customer service could not be better as you are likely to get the man himself when ringing the number on the website.

I highly reccommend checking out his website. Really nice guy.

http://www.michaeldixonhumidors.com/index.htm

Did you forget about your previuos post telling us all how great those humidors are?

Are you affiliated with Michael Dixon?