How To Store Cigarettes To Keep Them Fresh

Key Takeaways:

• Cigarettes begin to dry as soon as you open the pack, so learning how to keep cigarettes fresh is important to preserve the flavour and avoid brittle, harsh draws.
• It’s best to keep cigars and cigarettes in airtight containers away from heat, light, and temperature swings. 
• For best results, you can use two-way humidity packs (72% RH) from Boveda or Integra to maintain ideal moisture levels.

Cigarettes and cigars, like any natural product, have a shelf life; while this shelf life can last quite a long time, the cigarettes start to dry out the moment you break the seal. An unopened pack of cigarettes should stay fresh for as long as two years. But we know you’ve bought it to smoke, so that’s not a consideration.

You may not realize it, but the actual tobacco production process is designed to dry out the leaves. This process allows for chemical changes to occur in the leaves, so you get a smoother, less harsh smoking experience. However, the producers are careful not to let the produce dry out wholly; they know how to keep cigarettes fresh. To halt the drying process, they seal the smoking tobacco in an airtight package at the right moment.

You need to know how to maintain those conditions so your smokes stay as pristine as the day you bought them. No more full flavour cigarettes that lose their flavour!

How Cigarettes Stop Being Fresh

As soon as you open the pack, the drying process starts again. Everyone smokes a pack at a different rate, so while some will consume the pack in a matter of days, it might take others a week or two to finish it off. No matter how quickly you smoke, it helps to know how to keep your cigarettes fresh. After all, you need to keep your tobacco in the best possible state—you’ve spent hard-earned money on this smoke, so you should get to enjoy it in peak condition.

Methods To Stop Cigarettes From Drying Out

While you can’t stop the drying-out process, you can learn how to store cigarettes properly and introduce humidity to keep the tobacco fresh. It starts with maintaining the right atmosphere:

• Keep it cool, dark, and dry. Store packs in a cupboard, drawer, or closet away from heaters and windows. Heat and UV rays sap moisture from tobacco and degrade the paper as well. 
• Maintain the right humidity. To keep your cigarettes and cigars fresh, aim for a relative humidity of about 60-65%. Too much moisture invites mould; too little leaves tobacco brittle and harsh.
• Avoid air and contact. Oils from fingers can affect the burn rate and taste. Slide your cigarettes out gently and avoid fiddling with them. Store them in Tupperware tubs, mason jars, or small humidors to stop air exchange.
• No temperature drops. Condensation from temperature and humidity swings ruins tobacco structure faster than you can imagine. Don’t store your stash in the fridge. Room temperature is always the best.
• Leave the original packaging on. It is designed to preserve freshness. Keep cigarettes in their box or soft pack for as long as you can. If you know how to store cigarettes properly, they will remain fresh for several months, maybe even a year. 

Storage Accessories To Keep Cigarettes Fresh

Some methods suggest using a fine mist sprayer to squirt a little water directly onto the cigarettes or cigars. But this can overly dampen them and change the flavour profile. It might also mean that you have to end up drying out the cigars using paper or cloth towels. This is a far from ideal situation.

The industry standard recommendation on how to keep cigarettes fresh is to use a humidity control packet or “humidor” to introduce humidity into the atmosphere where you store your tobacco. You can also place your cigars and cigarettes in a mason jar and throw in the humidity control packet, which is simple and readily available.

The most recognizable brands are Boveda and Integra, specifically the 72% RH type. 

1. Boveda

Boveda is well-known for its humidity control packs. These packs use a patented two-way humidity control technology. They can either release or absorb moisture to maintain a specific humidity level, which is crucial for storing items like menthol cigarettes, musical instruments, and even food. 

Boveda packs offer an easy way to keep cigarettes fresh. They are available in different humidity levels to cater to various needs and are widely praised for their ease of use and effectiveness. They don’t require any maintenance or refilling, which makes them a convenient option for humidors.

2. Integra

Integra offers similar humidity control solutions. Integra Boost packs are also two-way humidity control systems, meaning they can either add or remove moisture to maintain the set humidity level. They are often used for storing light cigarettes, cigars, herbal medicines, and other moisture-sensitive goods. Their products maintain the desired humidity level within a closed environment that keeps cigarettes fresh.

Integra products are recognized for being non-toxic and salt-free. Both Boveda and Integra are highly regarded for their ability to maintain stable humidity levels, which is essential for the preservation and quality maintenance of tobacco and herbal products. The choice between the two often comes down to personal preference or specific requirements.

Our Recommendation On How To Store Cigarettes

Place the stale cigarettes in a Mason jar with either of the brands (72% RH humidors) overnight to enjoy a freshened-up morning smoke! This will also work well for cigars. For those of you on the go, opting for the small-format humidor and throwing it inside the cigarette pack should help slow the drying process and keep cigarettes fresh while you’re still going at your pack.