[Kurt Steinborn interview] Discovering the CigarSpa

Read our exclusive interview with Kurt Steinborn, creator of the CigarSpa, the well-known humidifier for cigar humidors.

Smoking> Who are you? // Introduce yourself to our readers.

Kurt Steinborn> My name is Kurt Steinborn and I was born in Germany in 1947.

Smoking> The CigarSpa is a completely different humidifier from the ones we are used to. How did the idea of creating it come to you?

KS> While I was export director at S.T. Dupont, I travelled a great deal. After one trip I looked at my humidor and was dismayed to find that some of the cigars had split completely and had to be thrown away. I mentioned my surprise to a friend, a physics teacher. We both came to the conclusion that we needed to build a fully automatic humidification system for cigars in order to avoid that kind of disappointment. Nobody should have to throw cigars away, least of all because of a humidification problem. In 2003, after six years of research and testing, we were finally ready to bring the CigarSpa to market.

Smoking> In your view, what most sets the CigarSpa apart from its competitors?

KS> 1. The CigarSpa is the only one to use membrane evaporation.
2. Using the CigarSpa battery is simple: no wiring is required.
3. The CigarSpa humidifier tells you when your cigars have reached the desired humidity level (71%). Hygrometers in humidors generally only indicate the humidity of the air. What about the cigars themselves?

Smoking> You have only made one humidifier model. Why that choice?

KS> From the outset we only wanted to address the humidification problem in cigar cabinets, not in smaller humidors. The CigarSpa was sufficient for cabinets measuring (h x w x d) 180 x 40 x 50 cm.

Smoking> Who are your customers?

KS> Every aficionado who wants to take good care of their cigars, since only properly humidified cigars can develop their full aromatic potential.

Smoking> What is the best way to keep cigars in perfect condition?

KS> Cigars hate rapid changes in humidity (as red wines hate changes in temperature). Slow, gentle and, above all, stable humidification is essential. Under no circumstances should the humidity be increased once it has reached 71%.

Smoking> What advice would you give an aficionado on storing cigars so as to get the best from their aromas?

KS> Keep your humidor closed. No ventilation? That is only needed with so-called « passive » systems such as foam or sponge humidifiers. With CigarSpa the humidor can stay closed and will retain all the aromas of the cigars.

Smoking> Do you have an anecdote or a quotation you would like to share with us?

KS> When we started out in 2003, people laughed at us and said: « humidified air is lighter than dry air ». The source of moisture should therefore not be in the lid but on the floor of the humidor.