Does it always have to be Spanish cedar?

Primarily three types of wood are used for the humidor’s interior lining:

Spanish cedar (by far the most popular)
American (or Canadian) red cedar
Honduran mahogany

Spanish cedar offers the following advantages (botanical term “cedrela odorata”):

Protection from tobacco worms – through the cedar’s special odoriferous quality
High humidity absorption capacity – this ensures that a stable climate will be maintained inside the humidor and mold is prevented
Supports the cigar aging process
Positive effect on the flavor of the cigars

Spanish cedar does not originate from Spain as one might assume but is generally imported from Brazil and other countries of South and Central America. In some individual cases resin may form on the surface of the wood (See also humidor is secreting/resin). The risk of resin formation can be substantially reduced by previously drying the wood carefully.

American red cedar is inferior to Spanish cedar in humidity absorption and it exudes a more intense aroma. Some humidor manufacturers use American cedar because it is less expensive and with this wood there is no danger of resin formation. Particularly when storing cigars for longer periods the cigars will adopt a strong woody flavor that is generally not desired.

Honduran mahogany has a humidity absorption rate comparable to that of Spanish cedar and at the same time has a less intense odor. Thus, unfortunately, the deterrent effect on worms and the desired flavoring of cigars is also not as good as with Spanish cedar.

The veneer of the interior wood should be untreated.

For long-term cigar storage those humidors should be preferred, which are lined with Spanish cedar.

All adorini humidors are made exclusively with an interior lining of Spanish cedar.

Continue to “Veneer or solid wood”

Veneer or solid wood construction

There are basically two different options for constructing humidors:

Based on MDF (medium density fiberboard), the interior is lined with a veneer of Spanish cedar and the exterior consists of a veneer of some type of hardwood (often cherry).
The entire humidor case is manufactured of solid wood and is lined inside with Spanish cedar (sometimes the entire humidor is made of solid Spanish cedar without any interior lining).

Contrary to popular belief, solid wood humidors are not necessarily superior to veneer humidors. The higher price of the material of solid wood humidors will usually be far outweighed by the substantially more complicated construction of veneer humidors.
Since the humidity inside the humidor is much higher than the external humidity, the internal wood expands and it leads to tensions in the walls of the humidor.

Here veneer humidors have the advantage that the internal MDF will expand less with an increase in humidity. Thus, fewer tensions in the inside of the humidor will develop – tensions which might otherwise lead to cracks and deformations in the humidor’s lid. A further advantage of the veneer construction is that high gloss lacquer finishes can be better applied on hardwood veneers.

Solid wood humidors of Spanish cedar are more susceptible to dents and damages since the wood is very soft. As previously mentioned, the softness of the Spanish cedar limits the gloss and durability of the exterior lacquer. For these reasons, the construction of humidors based on MDF instead of solid wood has become the standard in humidor production.

Continue to “Air-tight seal of humidor”

Does the humidor have to have an airtight seal?

Humidors should close so well that a constant level of internal humidity can be maintained.

Continue to “Glass or wooden lid humidors”

Glass or wooden lid

For the storage of cigars that are to be consumed within a few months, humidors with glass or wooden lids are equally suitable. However, if cigars are to age over several years in a humidor then humidors with wooden lids are definitely preferable. When using humidors with glass lids avoid exposing the humidor to direct sunlight. Longer storage times may cause discoloration in the first few rows of cigars.

On the other hand, glass-lid humidors have an advantage over wooden lid humidors in that they have to be opened less frequently and that they will be opened for shorter periods. Therefore, a more constant interior humidity can be maintained. This is particularly useful for humidors in restaurants, clubs, and hotels.

Glass doors on cabinet humidors do not have any negative impact on cigar storage, as long as cigars are stored in their original boxes. With respect to the placement of cabinet humidors, the glass door should never be exposed to direct sunlight.

Continue to “Quality criteria of humidors”

Quality criteria of humidors

Recently, the average prices for humidors have dropped significantly. Many buyers are confused about the huge price differences that can be found in the market, especially when humidor models are frequently of similar appearance.

First of all, what functional characteristics does a humidor need to fulfill? Basically, a humidor must be able to maintain a constant humidity level of approximately 70% and should maintain even climate conditions within the different parts of the humidor interior.

This basic functionality of the humidor is determined by the following criteria:

Use of an adequate and effective humidification system. Active electronic humidification systems such as the adorini cigar heaven are the best option here. Among the passive humidifiers, polymer based humidifiers are preferred to sponge based models.
Interior lining of Spanish cedar which absorbs humidity well and ensures constant climate conditions. Apart from using the correct type of Spanish cedar wood, the thickness of the Spanish cedar is critical. Common Spanish cedar linings of only 1-2mm do not permit taking full advantage of the beneficial characteristics of the Spanish cedar.
Air circulation within the humidor. The construction of the humidor interior and the design of the tray elements should permit free air circulation to all areas of the humidor interior. Insufficient air circulation is a weakness of many humidors of all price levels.

In addition, the quality of a humidor is also determined by the following criteria:

Hinges should be durable and ensure a low-friction functioning for many years. In quality humidors only quadrant hinges are the preferred choice.
Use of an accurate hygrometer. Hygrometers based on a hair mechanism are preferred to those based on a metal spring mechanism.
Strength of the wooden humidor corpus. A strong humidor corpus improves the isolation of the humidor and forms an important part of a higher value construction.
Quality of lacquer application.

In the development of the adorini deluxe humidors the best solution for each of the aforementioned criteria was sought. Combining the most sophisticated components, high quality material and innovative constructional design, the adorini deluxe series sets quality standards in the construction of humidors and demonstrates that high quality humidors do not necessarily have to cost a fortune.

Continue to “Optimum humidity level”