First Humidor - A Good Deal?

MAJORdorMo

I'm fairly new to cigars (been smoking for about a month), but I already know that I love these things! I also know that to keep this love, I will need a humidor.
I was doing some searching, and I came across this:
http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/331
Seems like a good deal, but I have a few questions:
1. Is Cuban Crafters a reputable company?
2. Are the cigars decent, or will I be throwing them out?
3. Are analog hygrometers alright to use, or will I have to invest in a digital?

I may think of more questions later, but that's what I have now.

j0z3r

1: Yeah, they have a good reputation. I've dealt with them, for cigars not a humidor, and they have good service.
2: The cigars are probably decent, though I doubt much more than that. They do offer some good cigars, but I don't think these will be the tops. Might surprise you though.
3: Yeah, get a digital. Analog hygrometers are little more than paper weights that measure humidity, and they are probably better suited to holding down papers.

smbrink

Looks like a good humi, Ummm I would never throw out any sticks just because you never know when youll have friends over, or maybe they will be better with some age, or stuff like that. As for the hygrometer everyone here will tell you to get a digital one because they really are that much more accurate. When I switched I found out my analog was off by like 10%. I will also suggest getting some beads or the gel over keeping the foam puck. If you have any more questions dont hesitate to ask or dredge up some posts. Theres some really great knowledge, tips, and tricks here at the ccom forums. Welcome and glad to have you with us!!!

kaspera79

MAJORdorMo:

I'm fairly new to cigars (been smoking for about a month), but I already know that I love these things! I also know that to keep this love, I will need a humidor.
I was doing some searching, and I came across this:
http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/331
Seems like a good deal, but I have a few questions:
1. Is Cuban Crafters a reputable company?
2. Are the cigars decent, or will I be throwing them out?
3. Are analog hygrometers alright to use, or will I have to invest in a digital?

I may think of more questions later, but that's what I have now.

Hey again Major.. I have four Cuban Crafters Humidors and am very pleased will them all, I have never smoked their cigars, but if they are free with a purchase, what the hell. If you want inexpensive house blends, they are outstanding right here. Next, go Digital, they are fairly cheap and you can buy them at Wal*Mart for like 7-8 bucks. I got a few free with the Purchase of the Cuban Cabinets by the way. I would never trust that spring loaded piece of junk, You have questions, someone has the answer..

j0z3r

kaspera79:

You have questions, someone has the answer..

Either that, or we'll make something up that sounds good.

smbrink

j0z3r:

kaspera79:

You have questions, someone has the answer..

Either that, or we'll make something up that sounds good.

ROFL!

MAJORdorMo

smbrink:

I would never throw out any sticks just because you never know when youll have friends over, or maybe they will be better with some age, or stuff like that.

I wouldn't really throw them away. I exaggerated for effect ^_^.

kaspera79:

I have never smoked their cigars, but if they are free with a purchase, what the hell.

They aren't free, the 75 cigars + cutter is an extra $45 or so. I figure if they're bad, I'll just keep them there to keep the humidor full (which, from what I've read, keeps the humidity decent.)

Well, unless anyone has any major objections, looks like I'll be ordering this in a few days along with a digital hygrometer and some Humicare Gel. Thanks for the help so far!

kent1146

I actually wouldn't get the cutter + cigars.  You have no idea whether you like those cigars or not... and 75 cigars is a LOT of cigars to buy when you don't know if you like them.  Plus, the cutter is a cheap throw-in.  You can buy a cutter like that for $2 from a cigar shop... if you're gonna get a cutter, either get a cheap $2 from your local cigar shop, or invest in a nice cutter (like Xikar) that will last you for a while.

As for the cigars to fill with... I would actually start off with something like a Cigar.com 21-stick sampler pack.  It comes with 7 different blends, so you get a wide range of flavor and strength profiles you like or dislike.  Sure, you get fewer cigars, but you get more variety, which is much more important.  And the quality and construction on Cigar.com house blends is top-notch.  You can't go wrong.

phobicsquirrel

Go big, BIG! don't wast your time with a 50 count or even a 100 count. Get a 300 count man. Trust me you will fill up a humi fast. Even a 400 count would work too. Just something to pawn over, I have 2 digi hgyros and while one seems to be great the other (little havana) for some reason just got all screwy. It started to read 80 when the rh was about 65. I had the battery out for like a week and it just won't reset. I don't know what went wrong with it. Pisses me off though since now I have only one working hygro. I hear iXar's are good.

MAJORdorMo

phobicsquirrel:

Go big, BIG! don't wast your time with a 50 count or even a 100 count. Get a 300 count man. Trust me you will fill up a humi fast. Even a 400 count would work too.

Currently, I pretty much have no income. The only reason I have money right now is because of a few odd jobs I did. Although I admit I haven't looked too hard for a 150+ ct humidor, from what I've seen it simply is not financially viable. In fact, I can get 2 100ct humidors for less than a 150ct. humidor.

In fact, I opted to get a 100ct instead of a 50ct BECAUSE I've read everywhere that bigger is better from the start.

kent1146:

Plus, the cutter is a cheap throw-in.  You can buy a cutter like that for $2 from a cigar shop... if you're gonna get a cutter, either get a cheap $2 from your local cigar shop, or invest in a nice cutter (like Xikar) that will last you for a while.
As for the cigars to fill with... I would actually start off with something like a Cigar.com 21-stick sampler pack.  It comes with 7 different blends, so you get a wide range of flavor and strength profiles you like or dislike.  Sure, you get fewer cigars, but you get more variety, which is much more important.  And the quality and construction on Cigar.com house blends is top-notch.  You can't go wrong.

I already have a cutter, so that wasn't really a major selling point for me.
Of course, you do bring up a good point about the cigars and the fact I may not like them.

Would buying the 100ct humidor for $50 and then buying a sampler or 2 from Cigar.com be a better option? Is going big that urgent?

phobicsquirrel

well you can go with a 50 but you will only be able to put about 35 or so sticks in there. It's not like you have to go to a larger size but have 3, 4, or 5+ gets to be spendy plus all the room they take up. Also each one would need a humi plus some sort of humidification device. Going to a larger count would save you all that hassel you can always save up and then get a larger one. Just use some tuppaware with a humi pack.

brc81

Skip getting a humidor all together and just build a coolerdor. Its cheaper and will cost next to nothing compared to a similar sized humidor. Get an cooler, throw in some Spanish cedar (old cigar boxes), some beads, and voila! For about $30 you can build a coolerdor that will hold 500 sticks or so.

I'm sure someone on here can help with the cedar. I don't have any other than whats in my coolerdor or i'd send it your way.

phobicsquirrel

That's a good way to go too. I think some wine fridges are about 400 or less and that way you won't have to worry about temperature. Though the one's I were looking at were about 900 or so. They can hold a lot though.

MAJORdorMo

*slaps forhead*
Why hadn't I thought of a coolerdor! I think I just might go this route.
I have a question though: if I go to a cigar shop and ask for some empty Spanish Cedar boxes, would give them to me for free?

dan7876

My local store will give them away, but I always buy a stick or two before asking...keeps the generosity flowing.

dan7876

A thought - if money's tight, maybe getting 75 cigars and a cutter isn't such a bad idea at that price. Most likely they'll be "decent" and you can get a lot of smoke for your 45 bucks...worst case scenario, they suck. I find many "budget" cigars are just fine for casual smoking (as long as they're hand-rolled), that way you'll have plenty of easy options in between purchases of more premium cigars...income can dictate that pace. The humi is good, I have one just like it, works beautifully. Good luck!

MAJORdorMo

Actually, giving it some more thought, I don't think I have room for a big cooler with my current living conditions, which kind of puts me back on the humidor route.

dan7876:

A thought - if money's tight, maybe getting 75 cigars and a cutter isn't such a bad idea at that price. Most likely they'll be "decent" and you can get a lot of smoke for your 45 bucks...worst case scenario, they suck. I find many "budget" cigars are just fine for casual smoking (as long as they're hand-rolled), that way you'll have plenty of easy options in between purchases of more premium cigars...income can dictate that pace. The humi is good, I have one just like it, works beautifully. Good luck!

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. I've read reviews, and I haven't heard a bad thing about Cuban Crafters cigars (Stogie Reviews constantly gives them 4-4 1/2 out of 5).

rdnstn

MAJORdorMo:

*slaps forhead*
Why hadn't I thought of a coolerdor! I think I just might go this route.
I have a question though: if I go to a cigar shop and ask for some empty Spanish Cedar boxes, would give them to me for free?

My B&M sells them for $1 or $2 depending on the box.

Also, if you don't have room for a bigger coolerdor, you can go with a smaller cooler. I have a 9qt cooler that I use and it holds over 100 sticks and the whole thing was less than $10. $7+ for the cooler and a couple dollars for a box to get the cedar. The only other things that you would need is a hygro and humidifier. I already had those so I saved some $ there.

MAJORdorMo

Boy did I get lucky! I was helping my dad today in the backyard, and in the shed I found a nice, 52 quart cooler. I ran it up to my room, and it fit PERFECTLY in my closet. So I guess I'll use that for my coolerdor.
There is a bit of a problem though. The sides are flat, not with little slots like here:
http://www.msmdesignz.com/cigars/cooler/7.jpg so mounting selves may be a problem. Anyone have any ideas?

Also, I feel I should ask: do I need to seal the cooler, or does plastic-on-plastic work?

Vidarien

Plastic on plastic is fine. You dont want to completely seal the cooler anyway, full seals cause mold, and mold is bad. If it maintains an ambient humidity of 65 to 70%, then its all you'll need.

brc81

I had to run a seal of some cheap weather stripping around the lid on my cooler because it wouldn't hold humidity. I leave the drain plug open to allow for some air in, and I'm in it often enough anyway.

kuzi16

MAJORdorMo:

Actually, giving it some more thought, I don't think I have room for a big cooler with my current living conditions, which kind of puts me back on the humidor route.

dan7876:

A thought - if money's tight, maybe getting 75 cigars and a cutter isn't such a bad idea at that price. Most likely they'll be "decent" and you can get a lot of smoke for your 45 bucks...worst case scenario, they suck. I find many "budget" cigars are just fine for casual smoking (as long as they're hand-rolled), that way you'll have plenty of easy options in between purchases of more premium cigars...income can dictate that pace. The humi is good, I have one just like it, works beautifully. Good luck!

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. I've read reviews, and I haven't heard a bad thing about Cuban Crafters cigars (Stogie Reviews constantly gives them 4-4 1/2 out of 5).

my Dad did a similar deal from another retailer. he got his crappy cutter and his 50ish cigars. the cutter sucked.

the cigars were worse.

you can spend $50 on 50 cigars that you hate and you just cant smoke OR you can spend $50 on five cigars that you love.

whats the better value?

ScottU

kuzi16:

MAJORdorMo:

Actually, giving it some more thought, I don't think I have room for a big cooler with my current living conditions, which kind of puts me back on the humidor route.

dan7876:

A thought - if money's tight, maybe getting 75 cigars and a cutter isn't such a bad idea at that price. Most likely they'll be "decent" and you can get a lot of smoke for your 45 bucks...worst case scenario, they suck. I find many "budget" cigars are just fine for casual smoking (as long as they're hand-rolled), that way you'll have plenty of easy options in between purchases of more premium cigars...income can dictate that pace. The humi is good, I have one just like it, works beautifully. Good luck!

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. I've read reviews, and I haven't heard a bad thing about Cuban Crafters cigars (Stogie Reviews constantly gives them 4-4 1/2 out of 5).

my Dad did a similar deal from another retailer. he got his crappy cutter and his 50ish cigars. the cutter sucked.

the cigars were worse.

you can spend $50 on 50 cigars that you hate and you just cant smoke OR you can spend $50 on five cigars that you love.

whats the better value?

I'm with kuzi on this, you could get 10 $5 smokes too! or 20 $2.50, or 5 $5 and 10 $2.50 or....

kent1146

I still say go with the Cigar.com 21-cigar sampler for $48.  3 cigars each of 7 different kinds... all very well constructed, all tasty.  Ranges from mild to medium body, with all ranges of smoothness, spicyness, and flavor. 

This was my first re-introduction into the world of cigars after an 8 year hiatus, and I gotta say that I highly recommend this sampler pack.  It really lets you decide what flavor profile fits your palette, so you know what kind of cigars to try in the future.

Scrambler

MAJORdorMo:

*slaps forhead*
I have a question though: if I go to a cigar shop and ask for some empty Spanish Cedar boxes, would give them to me for free?

Most cigar shops around here put $1 or $2 price tags on the empty boxes, but if you buy the last cigar(s) out of a box, they'll usually let you keep that box, and if you're buying other stuff they usually wont charge you the dollar or two for the other boxes.

Also, Cuban Crafters cigars aren't bad. I've received a couple through trades or games, and didn't mind smoking them.