My humidor upgrade started with a rookie mistake: I put a partially smoked cigar back into my original humidor.
Yep. Not my finest moment.
We aired it out and cleaned it up, but this happened around the same time I was getting more into cigars and needed more storage. The mistake got me thinking about a replacement. My growing collection gave me a reason to go bigger.
After looking at several options—including some that were more humidor than I needed—I landed on the Case Elegance Mill. It offered the increase in cigar storage I wanted, useful storage underneath, and an appearance I liked.
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🚬 Why I Wanted a Larger Humidor
My original humidor was a Tesonway desktop humidor. It was my starting point, before I became more interested in trying different cigars and keeping a larger selection on hand.
The partially smoked cigar incident was my mistake. I wouldn’t blame the Tesonway for something I put inside it.
We worked on airing it out and cleaning it up, but I was also reaching the point where I wanted more room. Replacing it with another humidor around the same size wouldn’t solve that problem.
My priorities were pretty straightforward:
- More room for cigars.
- Convenient storage for accessories.
- An appearance I liked.
- A size that made sense for my setup.
That last point helped keep the search under control. Once you start shopping for humidors, it’s easy to keep looking at bigger ones.
🔎 The Bigger Option: Black Edition Military Humidor
One option I remember considering was the Case Elegance Black Edition Military Humidor.
It has a distinctive military-inspired appearance, protective metal hardware, an accessory drawer, and Case Elegance’s Hydro System. You can see the design on the manufacturer’s product page.
It was appealing, but it felt like a bigger step than I needed. I wanted additional room without going further than made sense for my collection.
The Mill ended up being the better fit for what I wanted: more cigar storage, storage underneath, and the look I preferred.
Browse the Case Elegance Black Edition Military Humidor on Amazon.
🪵 Why I Chose the Case Elegance Mill
The Case Elegance Mill humidor brought together the things that mattered most to me.
More Space for My Growing Collection
Capacity was the main reason for upgrading. As I became more interested in cigars, I wanted room for more of the selection I was keeping on hand.
The Mill offered the increase in space I was looking for without taking me all the way to one of the much larger options.
Storage Underneath for Accessories
The storage underneath helped make the decision.
Cigar accessories need a home too. Having that space built into the humidor was appealing, and I considered it alongside cigar capacity when comparing options.
An Appearance I Liked
Looks mattered. This was something I would keep out and use, so I wanted to enjoy its appearance.
The Mill checked that box for me. Taken together, its size, accessory storage, and appearance made it feel like the right upgrade.
Check the Case Elegance Mill on Amazon.
💧 How I Seasoned My Mill Humidor
Before adding my cigars, I spent time seasoning the new humidor.
My process was:
- Wipe down the interior with seasoning solution.
- Place Boveda seasoning packs inside.
- Leave it to season for more than 10 days before moving on to cigar storage.
That’s the sequence I followed. I don’t remember the exact number of days beyond “10-plus,” so I won’t pretend I kept a perfect setup log.
For readers planning their own setup, there’s a distinction here: my experience isn’t the same as the manufacturers’ recommended instructions. Boveda recommends using its 84% seasoning packs for a full 14 days and advises against wiping down the wood as part of its method. See Boveda’s seasoning guidance and its explanation of the 14-day process.
Case Elegance also provides a separate Mill seasoning procedure for the supplied Hydro System.
I’m sharing what I actually did, but those instructions are the references to use when deciding how to season your own humidor.
Find Boveda seasoning packs on Amazon.
📦 Two More Humidors to Compare
If you’re shopping for an upgrade, these are two additional Case Elegance models worth comparing. They’re included as shopping alternatives; I haven’t used them.
Case Elegance Octodor
The Octodor offers another glass-top design with a distinctive shape. If appearance is a big part of your decision, compare it with the Mill and Military models. You can view it on the Case Elegance Octodor product page.
Browse the Case Elegance Octodor on Amazon.
Case Elegance Luca Cabinet Humidor
The Luca takes a different approach with an upright cabinet design, three removable cigar drawers, and a separate accessory drawer. That layout may appeal to someone who wants their collection organized in drawers. See the Case Elegance Luca product page.
Browse the Case Elegance Luca on Amazon.
When comparing humidors, look at the dimensions and storage layout along with the advertised cigar count. The sizes of the cigars you keep affect how much usable room you’ll have.
🪿 Goose’s Take
The rookie mistake started the conversation, but needing more space was what made the upgrade make sense.
I was getting more interested in cigars, and I wanted storage that fit that growing interest. The Mill gave me the combination I was looking for: additional cigar space, storage underneath, and an appearance I liked.
The larger options were tempting, but the Mill was where I landed.
And the lesson from the original humidor? Keep the partially smoked cigar out of it. I already learned that one for you.
