Need help buying a humidor please

[KYbluegrass]

I already have a travel humidor but looking to upgrade to a desktop humidor that holds 100 cigars or less. Would like to know if there's any decent ones that seal good and hold the humidity without breaking my bank. If any of you all could point me in the right direction with suggested humidors and websites I would appreciate it!

 

[cgraunke]

Are you set on the traditional look of a wooden desktop?
Would you be open to a coolerdor, wineador, or even large tupperdor?
100 sticks or less, I'd buy a med/large snapware container, personally. Spend the money you save on more cigars!
But, my 100 stick desktop quickly became two, then was joined by multiple tuppers, then became a wineador. Wish I would have just bought the wine fridge straight away in the beginning. If you want to stay small, you can get an 8 bottle thermoelectric for less than you're going to pay for a decent wood humidor, much less headache with RH control, and a temperature controlled solution to boot!
Otherwise, check out cheaphumidors.com

 

[KYbluegrass]

What do I need for a snap wear container?

 

[StogieNinja]

What do I need for a snap wear container?

A boveda pack and some spanish cedar (like from an empty cigar box). That's about it!

I have three different suggestions:

1. If you're truly wanting something small, go with the tupperware option. Grab some empty boxes from your local cigar store, season* them, insert a couple of Boveda packs, and you're done. Done for about $20.

2. If you want a little extra room to breath, Amazon has 28qt Coleman coolers for $20. This is my preferred recommendation for new smokers, as it's inexpensive, but allows for a decent amount of storage. Go to cheaphumidors.com and grab four of the spanish cedar trays for $40 + shipping. Season* the trays, then get some 100% silica, unscented kitty litter** at your local supermarket/pet store to regulate the humidity, put it in a stocking and throw that in. Done for about $70.

3. If you want something that looks nice, find a 6 or 8 bottle wine cooler on craigslist, usually around $50. Grab 2-4 of the trays from cheaphumidors.com (depending on measurements of your wine cooler, whatever will fit on the racks). Season* the trays, then get some 100% silica, unscented kitty litter**, put it in a stocking and throw that in. Done for $80-100-ish.


*seasoning - if you need help with seasoning instructions, let me know.
**if you need information on kitty litter, let me know that as well.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

Let me provide some input. I bought a 48 quart cooler, the smaller version to the huge one everyone buys for 16 dollars at wal mart. Very cheap, then 4 bucks for kitty litter, maybe 5 to 10 bucks for cleaning material to get the smell off.

Orrr. My wal mart has an 8 bottle thermoelectric wine cooler on sale for 50 bucks new I'm box right now. Check yours out if that interest you.

 

[cgraunke]

Damn, Ninja. You're on point!

 

[rdomfoto]

The only thing I would add to Stogie Ninja's post is that, if you buy a Tupperware or similar brand container (a lot of us use/used Lock Tight containers), make sure it seals well. A lot of the lids don't seal very well and there is a lot of air leak. When that happens, it's much harder to control the Rh inside. The first one I tried to use also had a carrying handle which I thought made moving it around really convenient. Except that every time I picked it up by the handle, the lid bowed out a bit and drew a bunch of the outside air in through holes where the handle went into the lid. Plus, it caused the gaps between the lid and the container to open a bit more.

So, just make sure it seals well.

Now, YMMV but I've now had a tupperdor and my new coolidor and, hands down, using the cooler has been a lot better. They seal much better and it's easier to control the Rh level inside. You can get coolers in a variety of sizes and prices without having to break the bank.

One last thought - I see that you're new to BoTL but I don't know if you're new to cigars. If you are, a friendly heads-up: you'll outgrow a 100 count humidor very quickly if you hang out here. Go bigger than you think you need (you can always add an extra empty cigar box or two to help fill up space and maintain Rh) and get something you can grow into and not out of.

Cheers!

 

[Donk]

If it were me I'd get on c-bid and score on a large Xikar carrying case. I have one that holds 80+ cigars with the foam trays, take the trays out and you could store a dozen more cigars. Toss in a couple Bovidas and a few cedar sheets and there you have a large humidor that is also easily transportable too.
That is in place of a tupperdor, If you are looking to buy a actual wood desktop, That one will take a bit more searching. Mine was cheap and has lasted for over a decade now. Love mine.

 

[cgraunke]

Skim through some of the wineador and cooler threads in the BOTL storage section and let your mind wander. You'll find there are so many more options out there than the traditional humidor we first picture. Then, after seeing pictures of all these other setups, reassess where you're at and make a decision.
Congratulations on the step forward, and best of luck in your journey!
(Oh, and show us pictures of what you end up doing. You might just have the perfect solution for the next guy that asks the same question! &#128521

 

[StogieNinja]

The only thing I would add to Stogie Ninja's post is that, if you buy a Tupperware or similar brand container (a lot of us use/used Lock Tight containers), make sure it seals well. A lot of the lids don't seal very well and there is a lot of air leak. When that happens, it's much harder to control the Rh inside.

This.

One last thought - I see that you're new to BoTL but I don't know if you're new to cigars. If you are, a friendly heads-up: you'll outgrow a 100 count humidor very quickly if you hang out here. Go bigger than you think you need (you can always add an extra empty cigar box or two to help fill up space and maintain Rh) and get something you can grow into and not out of.

I should have mentioned that you should get a $50 150qt Coleman Extreme cooler from Walmart.com, clean it out, and stick it in the garage "just in case"... lol.



Also, a note on our recommendations: the reason we're all suggesting tupperware, coolers, or wine cooler is because they all have one thing in common, which is that they seal well. Most wood humidors out there are Chinese made with an incredibly thin spanish cedar veneer, don't seal well, and even with a good seal have very thin bottoms that allow the humidity to leak right through. Not worth the time, money, or hassle. Learn from our mistakes! If you're dead set on a wooden humidor, look at some of the custom build humidors from E Dogg, Waxing Moon, and others but be prepared to pay several hundred dollars for an entry-level humi.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

My first 40 count humi that I still use I actually got off cbid for 11 bucks and 6 for shipping i think. A hundred count seems to go up significantly in price though

 

[Jfire]

One thing no one mentioned..... (Caps for a reason)
DO NOT BUY A GLASS TOP HUMI!
If you're short on budget go with Snap lock brand Tupperware.
(Target or Walmart)
A colidor as others said.

 

[KYbluegrass]

A snap lock brand tupperware might be the way to go for me as I don't have much room to store a 28 qt cooler or wine cooler.
How do I know which cigar boxes are spanish cedar? Do I need to tear them apart for just the wood and how do I go about seasoning them? Then what would I need to use just Boveda packs?

 

[StogieNinja]

A snap lock brand tupperware might be the way to go for me as I don't have much room to store a 28 qt cooler or wine cooler.

28qt isn't actually very large, but yeah a tupperware will work great.

How do I know which cigar boxes are spanish cedar? Do I need to tear them apart for just the wood and how do I go about seasoning them?

Just look for any cigar box that's unfinished (no paint/laquer) and you should be good for the most part. The wood just keeps aroma great inside and also acts as a natural medium for regulating rh. You could either just set them in there, or else take the box apart and line the tupperware with it. (either just setting them in there or using a foodsafe adhesive to glue them to the top/sides/bottom.

Then what would I need to use just Boveda packs?

Yeah a couple Boveda packs should be plenty sufficient in even a large tupperware.

 

[rdomfoto]

Wooden cigar boxes (available from your B&M) will be Spanish cedar (except for the cardboard boxes, obviously). Season them with distilled water only. Some people will wipe them down with a clean sponge dipped in DW, some people will squirt the boxes with a plastic spray bottle filled with DW, and some will leave the boxes in the empty humidor with a bowl of DW.

Using a bowl of DW is probably your safest method (spraying and wiping can lead to using too much water and getting the Rh too high) but it's also the slowest. I like wiping them with a sponge. I did over-season a piece of cedar so I just took it out of the humidor overnight and it dried out.

One other thing to note with the tupperdor: your cigars will emit ammonia so you will want to open it up every few days to let that escape. Once the cedar is seasoned, your Rh dialed in, and cigars in your humi, opening the lid won't negatively affect the Rh factor.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

A snap lock brand tupperware might be the way to go for me as I don't have much room to store a 28 qt cooler or wine cooler.
How do I know which cigar boxes are spanish cedar? Do I need to tear them apart for just the wood and how do I go about seasoning them? Then what would I need to use just Boveda packs?

I hope im right here, if not one of the vets will know. Some cigar boxes have the Spanish cedar portion sort of like a border or lining, and you can just remove it or use it as is if you want. You can buy spanish cedar shelves online as well.

Edit: ninjad

 

[Senor Perfecto]

A boveda pack and some spanish cedar (like from an empty cigar box). That's about it!

I have three different suggestions:

1. If you're truly wanting something small, go with the tupperware option. Grab some empty boxes from your local cigar store, season* them, insert a couple of Boveda packs, and you're done. Done for about $20.

2. If you want a little extra room to breath, Amazon has 28qt Coleman coolers for $20. This is my preferred recommendation for new smokers, as it's inexpensive, but allows for a decent amount of storage. Go to cheaphumidors.com and grab four of the spanish cedar trays for $40 + shipping. Season* the trays, then get some 100% silica, unscented kitty litter** at your local supermarket/pet store to regulate the humidity, put it in a stocking and throw that in. Done for about $70.

3. If you want something that looks nice, find a 6 or 8 bottle wine cooler on craigslist, usually around $50. Grab 2-4 of the trays from cheaphumidors.com (depending on measurements of your wine cooler, whatever will fit on the racks). Season* the trays, then get some 100% silica, unscented kitty litter**, put it in a stocking and throw that in. Done for $80-100-ish.


*seasoning - if you need help with seasoning instructions, let me know.
**if you need information on kitty litter, let me know that as well.

This is the kind of post that makes BOTL rock.

 

[59Bassman]

For what it's worth, I put together a Tupperdor two weeks ago (2 Boveda packs, 2 cigar boxes, 1.5gal Rubbermaid container). I already wish I'd put that money towards a medium sized cooler and some kitty litter instead...

 

[Heath]

What do I need for a snap wear container?

A boveda pack and some spanish cedar (like from an empty cigar box). That's about it!

I have three different suggestions:

1. If you're truly wanting something small, go with the tupperware option. Grab some empty boxes from your local cigar store, season* them, insert a couple of Boveda packs, and you're done. Done for about $20.

2. If you want a little extra room to breath, Amazon has 28qt Coleman coolers for $20. This is my preferred recommendation for new smokers, as it's inexpensive, but allows for a decent amount of storage. Go to cheaphumidors.com and grab four of the spanish cedar trays for $40 + shipping. Season* the trays, then get some 100% silica, unscented kitty litter** at your local supermarket/pet store to regulate the humidity, put it in a stocking and throw that in. Done for about $70.

3. If you want something that looks nice, find a 6 or 8 bottle wine cooler on craigslist, usually around $50. Grab 2-4 of the trays from cheaphumidors.com (depending on measurements of your wine cooler, whatever will fit on the racks). Season* the trays, then get some 100% silica, unscented kitty litter**, put it in a stocking and throw that in. Done for $80-100-ish.


*seasoning - if you need help with seasoning instructions, let me know.
**if you need information on kitty litter, let me know that as well.

One thing no one mentioned..... (Caps for a reason)
DO NOT BUY A GLASS TOP HUMI!
.

If you listen to these two you can't go wrong. Check out JFires video's (Links are on his Signature line) He has some great tips.