Good to Great Cigars

Simple cigar reviews…

Posts from the ‘Equipment Reviews’ category

This page is where you will find equipment reviews and How To videos.

Lampe Berger Fragrance Review – Creme Brulee

In this short video I will show you how to set-up and use the Lampe Berger air freshener. These things work awesome at home to help keep the air smelling fresh (and not like cigar smoke). Sometimes after leaving your local humidor after a busy night you might end up leaving and smelling like a human cigar. That’s all fine and dandy until you get home and your significant other thinks otherwise! These French lamps work pretty cool by burning fresh scented oils. The fragrances smell wonderful, and there are a lot of different scents to choose from. I bought my Lampe Berger from my local Club Humidor on Huebner Road. If you don’t have a retailer in your area, you can also order them on Amazon. Here are a couple quick tips: 1.) Let the wick soak up the fragrance for at least 15 minutes before you light it.    2.) Make sure the burner/wick is inserted fully (and firmly) into the base and snaps into place    3.) After you light the burner, let the flame burn for at least 2 full minutes.   4.) Place the Lampe Berger in a nice open area at home so the fragrance can easily spread throughout the home.

Xikar Humidity Crystals for Your Wooden Humidor

In this video review I wanted to share a little tip with you about how to keep your wooden humidor at the house humidified a little better. I’m a big fan of the Boveda humidity packs for my tupperdores, but they don’t work as well inside wooden humidors. Hence the Xikar Humidity Crystals! They work awesome! I bought a big 4oz jar and the little 2oz and I put both of them in my humidor (as you can see in the video). I try to keep my cigars around 70% humidity, which can be a little difficult with wooden humidors. So far I’m very happy I decided to try out Xikar’s product. I’m not surprised though, Xikar is known for making great things. I should have tried it out sooner. So far I’ve been able to get my wood humidor to stabilize at 66% humidity, but we’ll see what happens after I rearrange some of my cigars around. Overall, this is a great tool to keep your cigars nice and fresh. Some of the cigars in this humidor include several El Primer Mundo cigars made by Sean Williams like the Epifania, Hermandad and Costa Fuerta, as well as One 13 Chronicles, Black Label Trading Company and The Eastern Standard from Robert Caldwell. Another tip for these crystals is to remove the little black grate on the jar also if you’re not getting the humidity level you are looking for. By removing the grate cover you give more air space for the gel crystals to work their magic.

xikar humidor crystals 3

xikar humidor crystals 1

How to Properly Season (Prepare) Your Humidor at Home for First Time Use

In this video review I will show you how to properly season your humidor at home. Seasoning your humidor simply means wetting the inside of the natural wood humidor so that it won’t suck all of the moisture out of your cigars when you put them inside. Be patient because it takes about a day or so to do it right because you have to give the humidor some time to soak in all the moisture. After you wipe down the inside of the humidor with distilled water, you will also want to get a shot glass and fill it up with distilled water or propylene glycol solution and leave it inside the humidor overnight. I also like to put my Xikar wireless digital hygrometer inside the humidor as well so I can keep an eye on the humidity levels. Don’t be alarmed if the humidity level inside the humidor is high at first (75% – 80%) because keep in mind you did just wipe down the whole inside with distilled water. One of the nice things you will also notice after you properly season your humidor is that it will have a better seal when you close the lid. The wood expands a little bit when it is moist, and the result is a nice, tight seal. Good luck!

How to Season Your Humidor

How to Season Your Humidor

Cedar Spills to Keep Your Cigars Smelling Fresh

Cedar Spills

Cigar Reserve Cedar Spills

These are the cedar spills that I like to use in my tupperdores at the house. They come in packs of 25 or 50 and I usually snap them in half before I lay them in with my cigars. The cedar spills will give you the aroma that your typical wood humidor that is lined with cedar has. I’ve bought boxes of these cedar spills in San Antonio from the Humidors on San Pedro, Thousand Oaks and Huebner. You’ll love the way your cigars smell after adding a few of these to your box.

How to make the perfect Tupperdore to store your cigars at home

In this video review I will show you how to make the perfect tupperdore to store your cigars in at home. I am very picky about how I keep my cigars at the house, and in this video I will show you what I do to keep my cigars at the perfect humidity level and the right temperature. All you need is a Tupperware, a Boveda pack, some cedar spills and eventually a wine chiller to keep them cool.

Tupperdores for my cigars

Tupperdores for my cigars

Precision Guillotine Cigar Cutter Review

In this video review I will introduce you to the precision guillotine cigar cutter. We all know how hard it can be to get the perfect cut on your cigar. Sometimes we cut too deep and sometimes we cut too shallow. With a precision cutter, you can cut your cigar one layer at a time until you get the perfect cut you want.

Colibri Double Guillotine Cigar Cutter Review

This Colibri cigar cutter looks pretty cool, but it isn’t my favorite. I bought this cutter online from Amazon for pretty cheap, but like I mentioned in the video, it’s not perfect. I bought this cigar cutter before I purchased my Colibri V-Cutter which is my all-time favorite. If you’re going to buy a guillotine cutter like you see here, I would recommend that you buy it at a local store so you can test it out in person before you buy it. If you want to take a chance, or if there isn’t a store nearby, you can get one on Amazon.

Overall Rating = Good

How to Make Your Own Tupperdore Humidor for the House

Have you ever tried to maintain a wood humidor at the house but you couldn’t get it to hold the humidity? I have, and that’s why I decided to start using a tupperdore. The solution is simple. All you need is the right size Tupperware, a Boveda pack, some pieces of cedar, a digital hygrometer and you’re good to go. I usually check on my cigars about once a week to make sure everything’s okay and to let some fresh air in. I’ve been using my homemade tupperdore for about a year now and it’s been perfect. That’s all I use to store my cigars.

Xikar PuroTemp Digital Wireless Hygrometer Video Review

In this review I will talk about the PuroTemp Digital Hygrometer from Xikar. This is another essential piece to helping me store my cigars at home. I prefer to have a digital hygrometer in all of my storage cases because I think they are more accurate than the old school analog hygrometers. The digital ones are also simple to use and easy to read. I stick my digital hygrometers inside of clear tupperware containers at the house so I can see the hygrometer’s reading without having to open up my cigar tupperdore. Pretty sweet! The specific model you see in the video is the model number 837XI. I purchased mine at the Club Humidor on San Pedro, but you can also find them on Amazon.

Boveda Pack Video Review – 2-Way Humidity Pack for Cigars

We all know how hard it is to keep our cigars at the perfect humidity level at the house. If you haven’t heard of Boveda packs, or if you’re wondering if they really work… they do! I’ve been using Boveda packs for over a year now, and I’ve been very happy with them. If you can’t find the specific humidity level you are looking for (65, 69, 72, 75 or 84%) at your local retailer, try ordering them on Amazon.

Overall Rating = GREAT!

How to Smoke a Cigar

When I was just starting off, I would smoke my cigars way too fast. I think smoking too fast burns the cigar and makes it less enjoyable. Now I’ve learned that it’s important to take my time in between puffs. It’s also important not to take too hard of a puff on a cigar when you’re smoking it because you’ll get it too hot. Try to take soft, smooth draws on the cigar so the smoke feels “cool” and not “hot.” By taking your time with a cigar, you can taste the flavors on your palate better, and you won’t get burned out too quick. Also, when you feel like you’ve had enough of a cigar (either due to taste or feeling “smoked out”) just put it out. It’s not worth burning your lips, or feeling like crap afterwards. You know your limits better than anyone else, so always try to end your cigar on a good note. After all, smoking a cigar is about the environment, and the experience while you’re “enjoying the moment.” Don’t turn a good experience into a bad one. If you want to learn more about becoming an expert, read the Tobacconist Handbook.

Colibri V-Cut Cigar Cutter Video Review

This is the one of the best cigar cutters around. I got tired of messing up great cigars with bad cuts so I decided to look for a good cutter, and guess what… I found one! This Colibri V-Cut cigar cutter has been one of the best investments I have made. All of my cigar cuts have been precise and perfect. Say goodbye to tight cigar draws! I purchased my cutter at the Club Humidor on Huebner, but you can also find good deals online at Amazon.

Rating = GREAT!

Xikar Lighter Review

xikar lighter

Xikar is known for making premium cigar accessories. I am a huge fan of Xikar, and you’ll see in my product reviews that I have bought several things they make. I currently have an Executive Torch single flame butane lighter from Xikar that has worked like a champ since day one. By the way, butane lighters or matches are the only things you should use to light your cigars to keep them tasting fresh and not like lighter fluid. If you’re going to start smoking cigars regularly, the first thing you should get is a great lighter and a great cutter.

Overall Rating = Great!