【Cigar 101】How to Season Electric Humidor
Intro
Cigar humidors are an essential tool for every cigar lover, providing an ideal storage humidity and temperature, preserving the perfect flavor and aroma of cigars. However, many first-time users often overlook a crucial step—seasoning the humidor. This blog will guide you through the practical details and professional tips to help you effectively and scientifically season your humidor.
Why is Seasoning Humidor Important?
When you purchase a new electric cigar humidor, it is typically dry inside. If you place cigars directly inside without seasoning can damage them, causing them to dry out, spoil, and lose their flavor very quickly.
The primary function of a humidor is to keep cigars moist. To fulfill this basic function, it must first achieve the humidity balance required by cigars, which is known as the "seasoning" process. This ensures that the humidity remains stable between 68%-72%.
What Do You Need?
√ Distilled Water
√ Boveda Humidity Packs (optional, details below)
√ A brand-new sponge or cloth
√ Glasses or stainless steel dishes
× A hygrometer (not needed for our electric humidor, but required for non-electric models)
× Additional humidification device (not needed for our electric humidor, but required for non-electric models)
Note: The Needone electric cigar humidor comes with a built-in water tank and humidity probe, so you won’t need to prepare any additional humidification devices or hygrometers.
How to Season an Electric Humidor
1. Check and Plug-In
Check that your humidor is in good condition and place it in a location away from direct sunlight. Carefully read the user manual and allow it to sit for half a day before powering it on.
2. Clean the Interior and Cedar Shelves
Using a clean, new cloth, lightly wipe the interior wooden parts and cedar shelves of the humidor with a small amount of distilled water to remove dust and any odors. Avoid soaking the wooden surfaces, as this can cause warping.
3. Start Humidifying the Interior
● Soak the sponge or clean cloth in cool distilled water. Wring it out slightly, but don’t dry it completely. Place the sponge in the water tank or a glass dish on the cedar shelves.
● Close the humidor door and wait for 7 days, or even up to 2 weeks .For humidors under 26L recommended to wait 5-7 days; for those over 26L, 7-14 days is ideal. We recommend erring on the side of caution and waiting longer to ensure the wood is fully humidified.
● Adjust the humidity with an LED display around 75%-80% RH. This is 5% higher than the normal humidity range because the cigars will absorb a significant amount of initial moisture once placed inside. Set the temperature to 68-70°F.
Notes:
① Use distilled water: not tap water, as it can encourage mold growth.
② Do not place the sponge directly on the cedar shelves, as it can cause pooling and lead to warping of the shelves.
③ Check the sponge regularly to see if it has dried out, and re-soak it if necessary.
④ Initial humidity readings may be inaccurate; wait until the humidor has absorbed enough moisture for the readings to stabilize.
⑤ Avoid frequently opening the door.
【Tips】 Use Boveda Humidity Packs Instead of Distilled water
Boveda humidity packs are an efficient and low-maintenance option for providing stable humidity levels. We recommend using 84% RH packs for seasoning. Once you remove the pack from its packaging and place it in the humidor, it will begin releasing moisture. Place the appropriate number based on the humidor's capacity; for example, for a 50-count humidor, use two 84% humidity packs, and so on. Larger humidors can accommodate multiple packs on each shelf.
Then, also to wait for 3-7 days, or up to 2 weeks. Boveda packs generally last for 2 months, so replacing them during the seasoning process is unnecessary.
Notes:
① Use the 75% RH or 84% RH packs for seasoning, as the higher RH accelerates the humidification of the humidor.
② After seasoning is complete, replace the 84% RH packs with lower humidity options, suggesting 69% or 72% RH. Excessively high humidity can affect the aging of cigars and may even cause the packaging to split.
How to Determine If Seasoning Was Successful?
After 7 days (or longer), check the humidity reading on the LED screen. If the humidor humidity has reached 75%-80% RH, you can further test its stability. Open the humidor door for 2-3 minutes; the temperature and humidity inside will drop. Then, close the door and observe whether the humidity returns to the previous settings within 10 minutes. If not, keep the door closed for another day. If it can, the seasoning is successful. At this point, you can remove the sponge and glass dish and refill the water tank with distilled water.
Placing Your Cigars
We recommend filling your humidor to at least half capacity and maintaining that level. However, do not overcrowd it. It's best to leave about 20% of the internal space empty. With a bit of extra space, air and moisture can move more easily, reaching all cigars.
Generally, for humidors 48L or larger, the lower shelves provide the best humidity and temperature; the middle and upper shelves may vary slightly. Therefore, it's best to place box-aged cigars on the bottom and naked cigars (without cellophane) on the middle and upper.
Then, adjust the humidity and temperature according to your personal habits. Generally recommended that humidity is around 68-70%RH and temperature is around 68℉-70℉.
Regular Maintenance
● Daily monitor and check the temperature and humidity readings on the LED screen. If the temperature drops below 60°F, it’s time to add distilled water.
● Regularly refill the distilled water every 2-4 weeks.
● If you’re using Boveda humidity packs for regular humidification, you can choose 69% or 72% RH according to your preference. Replace the packs when they become hard. Typically, Boveda packs last at least 2 months, but the quantity of cigars stored and the number of packs used can affect their lifespan.
Notes:
① For optimal results, do not mix different humidity levels of Boveda packs.
② Use distilled water; tap water can promote mold growth.
③ Keep the door closed and sealed unless removing cigars or checking the temperature and humidity levels inside.
What to Do During Climate Changes
If you live in a dry, arid climate like a desert, you need to replenish the humidification source more frequently. If you experience seasonal changes, pay close attention to humidity levels in winter, especially when your heating system is on. When the hot and humid summer arrives, indoor humidity will rise, so keep an eye on the LED's humidity reading. If it consistently stays above 72% RH, it's best to lower the humidity. The ideal humidity is suggested to be around 68%-70% RH.
How to Lower Humidity
You need to reduce humidity gradually; do not leave the humidor door open all day. Rapidly dissipating humidity can damage your cigars and the wood inside the humidor. The correct approach is to temporarily remove the water from the tank or the humidity packs, wait a few hours or a day, and once the humidity level drops, return the water or packs to the humidor. This process may take a day or two to stabilize.
The Ideal Choice for Easier Cigar Care
Seasoning a new electric cigar humidor is the first and most critical step in aging your cigars. If you’re a beginner, we hope this blog will be helpful to you. Maintaining and caring for a humidor is an ongoing process, but sometimes our busy work and life schedules make it difficult to dedicate the time needed for meticulous upkeep. This is where electric cigar humidors come in, simplifying the maintenance process and making cigar aging effortless. The latest 3rd-gen Temperature and Humidity control electric cigar humidor from Needone should be your top choice.
This series can intelligently adjust temperature and humidity, featuring a built-in water tank and temperature/humidity sensors that allow for precise settings (±1°F, ±3% RH). The system smartly identifies and auto-adjusts to keep the humidor temperature between 54℉-74℉ and humidity between 60%RH-75%RH. This keeps cigars in a stable environment regardless of the outside dry, humid, or fluctuating seasonal temperatures—making cigar care easy to peasy. As Needone upgraded the water circulation system, the frequency of water changes was reduced, making maintenance even more convenient.
These humidors come in various sizes: 16L, 23L, 48L, and 60L, capable of holding 100, 200, 350, and 420 cigars, respectively, suitable for personal use or hosting friends and family gatherings.
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