Making a Cooler-dor

A Cooler-dor is an economical way to store a larger number of cigars in the perfect environment and allows you to add to your collection of fine cigars without worrying about running out of space. You can create a "Cooler-Dor" very inexpensively using materials that you may already have at home! So, start that collection and turn all your friends green with envy.

How to Build a Cooler-Dor:

1. Buy a cooler - search for a bargain. Overpaying is a sin! A 56-quart cooler is the most popular choice. If you really want to go nuts (and why not?) go with a 150-quart cooler.
2. You'll need some Spanish cedar - you can buy it at some lumber stores that deal in hardwood, or if you've been patiently saving those swatches of cedar that come inside boxes of cigars, now's your chance to finally use them. DO NOT BUY WHITE CEDAR, only Spanish cedar will work! 
3. Wash your cooler - Wash out the cooler with dish detergent and water, and let it dry out with the lid open for several days. This gets rid of the plastic smell.
4. Create your humidification - Get yourself either the foam that florists use (it MUST be the kind that holds water... there is another kind for dried flowers that repels water) or get a sponge (good idea to get one that has a microbial growth inhibitor in it). Put this in a Rubbermaid, Tupperware, or another plastic container. Saturate it with a mixture of water and Propylene Glycol (PG) mixed 50/50. Place it in the 'dor and close the lid.
5. Pre-Moisten your lining - If you lined the cooler with Spanish cedar, take a clean cloth, moisten it with distilled water and then carefully rub the cedar with it. The cedar then will act as a reservoir for moisture.
6. Monitor your humidity - At this point it would be wise, but not necessary, to add a hygrometer. This will display a read-out of the relative humidity inside your cooler-dor. A digital hygrometer will provide you with both the temperature and humidity.
7. Season your Cooler-dor - Close the lid and allow relative humidity to rise to around 70%. Add boxes and place any loose cigars in old empty cigar boxes.

That's it! Don't worry when your new cooler-dor becomes too full for any more boxes, it's even easier to build your second one! To read more about humidors and storing cigars, check out our Humidor section here in Cigar 101!