Amazing! A cheap humidor that actually works - do you have one?

JCinPA

JCinPA

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I'm flabbergasted. I have an old HC Cigars humidor that I got maybe ten years ago which has been unused in my basement for years. I seasoned the thing for about a month a while back then closed it up with no cigars, 3 Boveda packs, and a Xicar Humifan inside and let it sit for about 6 weeks just to see how it would do. I would never buy another wood humidor now that I have tupperdors and my two fridges. But the results amazed me, this thing actually does not leak hardly at all!

I'm sure it is the exception rather than the rule, but I checked the humidity with a newly-calibrated Caliber IV and weighed the Boveda packs, three 69%.

On May 25 it was at 68% RH after 48 hours of rest with the Boveda packs. The weight of the three packs was 184 grams.

On July 8 it was still at 68% and the three packs weighed 181 grams. I think that's amazing for what was, I think, a $99 humidor at the time I bought it. I filled it up with cigars and put it in the basement and will check it in two months, but this really surprised me. Sure it was never opened for 6 weeks, but still, I did not expect it to do this well.

Anyone else have an inexpensive humidor that is not very leaky? I'm curious.

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I think most of them are lousy. But this one was a real surprise. Hard to beat the tupperdores, though, and I would never buy another of these expecting it to be any good. But wow, this one delivers. Happy accident.
 
Both of my humidors are wooden. The Broadway and the Medici. I believe both are made and/or sold by Prestige Imports. Both hold humidity very nicely. I think I paid $120 and $220 respectively for each.
 
@whopper i think we’re the exception to the rule. But thanks for posting. Anyone else have an inexpensive humi that works well? Again, I would not recommend getting one. Working well is not the way to bet. These are exceptions.
 
I still have a mini-tower 6 drawer like 100-120 count humi I got from thompson back when I first got started. I dont have a picture handy, but I'll see if I can get one.

Never thought in a million years I would need more. hah. famous last words.

But I keep this one around, and generally seasoned well. it doesnt hold humidity very well. Has a glass from (so you can see the drawers), and a built in analogue hygrometer that is not even on the same planet as the word 'accurate'.

I have probably about a pound of 68 or 69% beads in it (top shelf), and I probably have 3 or 4 69% bodivas in there.

It has maybe 30 sticks in it. "Mostly" yard darts for when the guys that have only seen pictures of cigars and think they're 'in-the-know' and know everything about them. It works for what it is, and what I use it for.

My 110quart coolidor and 36 bottle wineador hold the better sticks, and they are always rock solid never varying more than 1% between 68 and 69%.
 
@JCinPA I'm happy to hear that a relic from the basement is working for you!

Keep an eye on the temp when you take measurements. When temp goes up, humidity goes down, and vice versa.
 
I'm interested in your small fan. I looked them up and got mixed reviews. Does yours hold up well?
Exciting, this old humidor is working for you. I tried recently to get my old glass top going, and after five days, no bueno. Guess I'll stick to Tupperware.
 
GrapeSodaGarage said:
I'm interested in your small fan. I looked them up and got mixed reviews. Does yours hold up well?
Exciting, this old humidor is working for you. I tried recently to get my old glass top going, and after five days, no bueno. Guess I'll stick to Tupperware.
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Yeah, tupperdore is the way to go these days. I was just pleasantly surprised this one actually works well. I’d never buy another one, though.

I like the little fans from Xikar. TBH, I don’t know if they are needed in a humidor like the one I keep my “to smoke” stash in upstairs because I’m in/out of it a lot. But for one like this I might just leave unopened in the basement for a couple months, I think the fan may help. Works well for me, I have two of them.

In my little fridge units I use Oust fans, I do notice several % RH difference top to bottom in the small fridges, I think a fan is necessary there. Humidors? I don’t know. but I also don’t worry about rotating them. In that HC humidor it gives me some peace of mind.
 
I will say this about fans. I was very surprised how quickly my new setup gets back to equilibrium after I have had the door open digging out a cigar. I don't think an oust would be able to do that. The top and bottom sections and airtag size ones only vary by 1% or less.

HT
 
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I bet you’re right, but my units are half the size of yours. You need more airflow. I have a couple more oust fans, may go to two in each of my short fridges. Not sure it’s needed, but I have them so why not?
 
hydro-terp said:
Uh no

My first humidor was a pos from Thompson I bought from an ad in the back of FHM magazine probably. Man I miss that magazine....leaky wood box not so much.

Congrats on your unicorn. 😁

HT
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My origin story was remarkably similar, but in my case the magazine was Playboy 😆. I also don't miss the 10 telemarketing calls per week from Thompson after I ordered it.
 
Depends on what you mean by “cheap,” but my two ebay find Humidors were both around $120 if I recall. They have been absolutely stellar for traditional wood humidors, especially for their size.

I love real wood, traditional humidors over anythIng else available. Call me crazy! But part of the enjoyment for me is the need to check in and be watchful with real wood. The attention they need is part of the experience.
 
I agree I like wood, too, but I won’t be buying any more in that price range. Tupperdores are too damn foolproof. And my little fridges are stable as a rock. My two wood humis are it I’ll never buy another one. But I do like them. I’m still gobsmacked at how stable that HC is though. Did not expect it at all.

My problem is if I get more storage I’ll buy more cigars! 🤣
 
UPDATE:

I'm still floored by this thing. My "fancier" one in the living room leaks like a sieve. I'm gonna try to get SWMBO to let me swap this for the fancy one. Don't know if she'll like the artwork, but I'll give it a shot.

Start: On May 25 it was at 68% RH after 48 hours of rest with the Boveda packs. The weight of the three packs was 184 grams.

Today: On July 30 it is at 67% RH and the three bovedas weigh 173 grams now.

It's not as stable as a tupperdore, of course, or my basement fridges, but for the box I smoke out of that is opened a lot, it's pretty good. I'm still kinda gobsmacked because it was so cheap. Yeah, it's a Unicorn, alright.
 
Don't know if it will help in your case, however you might try putting a bright flashlight inside the humidor and then close the lid. See if any light leaks out. I had to do this many years ago to solve a humidor leak, and it actually worked.
 
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