Congratulations on your purchase of a Prometheus desktop humidor! Prometheus has been producing humidors since 1995 and our time-tested reputation for quality and modern classic designs are well known among the most discerning cigar connoisseurs worldwide. We have taken great care in designing and producing our Prometheus humidors in order to ensure that it gives our customers years of reliable and enjoyable usage. They are carefully handmade with an attention to the highest quality by our master artisans. It is uncommon that some of our users have inherited their humidors from their grandfather or father.

Please read the below maintenance instruction in order to ensure that your Prometheus desktop humidor is properly maintained and that your cigars are properly humidified and stored for your best enjoyment.

How to Install Prometheus Optima Humidifier and Humidify Your Humidor

Your Prometheus Optima Humidifier has been pretreated with our Prometheus Special Care Solution. Do not open the sealed plastic bag containing the Optima humidifier until it is ready to be used.

When you are ready to humidify your humidor, open the sealed plastic bag to take out the Optima humidifier. Place the Optima in a container filled with about two inches (5 centimeters) of distilled water, and as shown in the below pictures, let it float in distilled water face down for about 2 - 5 minutes. The foam inside your Optima humidifier will absorb distilled water. Please do not push down the Optima to submerge in distilled water because it will cause air bubbles to form inside the foam. Also, do not leave your Optima humidifier in distilled water for too long (more than 5 minutes). The special care solution, with which your Optima humidifier was treated, will get diluted in water, and your Optima will lose its effectiveness. If you wish, you can also pour distilled water through the slots on the front face of the Optima.

Prometheus Optima Humidifier

Designed and Produced by Prometheus in California

Prometheus Optima Humidifier H-Optima/BK
Designed and Produced by Prometheus in California

Capacity: 50 - 150 cigars
Pretreated with Prometheus Special Care Solution
Dimension: 6.5 inch x 2.6 x 1.1 (165 mm x 66 x 28)

IMPORTANT: WE RECOMMEND YOU TO USE DISTILLED WATER BECAUSE THE MINERAL DEPOSITS OF TAP WATER ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOUR CIGARS, HUMIDIFIER AND HUMIDOR.

After adding distilled water, shake off the excess water and lay the Optima on a paper towel for 2 - 5 minutes to allow the excess water to drain. After this, wipe off the water on the exterior of the Optima with paper towel and attach it to the interior magnets which are preinstalled on the interior of your Prometheus humidor.

IMPORTANT : DO NOT APPLY DISTILLED WATER DIRECTLY TO THE INTERIOR VENEER OF YOUR PROMETHEUS HUMIDOR BY WIPING IT WITH DISTILLED WATER. SOME PEOPLE CALL THIS THE SEASONING OF NEW HUMIDORS. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT ONLY UNNECESSARY FOR PROMETHEUS DESKTOP HUMIDORS BUT ALSO WILL CAUSE OVERHUMIDIFICATION OF YOUR CIGARS AND CAN DAMAGE YOUR HUMIDOR. THE SUDDEN INTERIOR OVERWETNESS WILL SHOCK THE WOOD OF YOUR HUMIDOR AND CAN CAUSE THE LID OF YOUR HUMIDOR TO WARP.

APPLY DISTILLED WATER AND SPECIAL CARE SOLUTION THROUGH THE SLOTS IN THE FRONT FACE

We recommend you to place your Prometheus Optima Humidifier face down in distilled water. The inside foam will absorb distilled water. But if you decide to pour distilled water into Prometheus Optima Humidifier, pour it through the slots on the front face. Also, when you apply Special Care Solution, pour it through the slots in the front face. The below pictures show the front face of the Optima Humidifier.

Prometheus Hygro 3

Prometheus desktop humidors come with Prometheus Hygro 3 (digital hygrometer with thermometer and date/time). Attach it to the preinstalled magnet inside of the humidor. USER MANUAL FOR PROMETHEUS HYRO 3 (PDF)

If you are setting up your Prometheus humidor for the first time, monitor the humidity level daily until the humidity level stabilizes at 70%. This will take about five to seven days. Raise the humidity level in your humidor gradually. If you wipe the interior veneer with distilled water in order to increase the humidity rapidly, it will shock the wood of your humidor and can cause your humidor lid to warp.

Once the relative humidity level reaches 70%, you can put your cigars in the humidor.

Maintaining Proper Humidity

(A) Your cigars will taste best if they are kept in the environment which provides a relative humidity (RH) range of 68 - 70% and temperature range of 68 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 - 21 degrees Celsius). If your cigars go through a sudden large fluctuation of temperature and humidity variations, they will lose their flavor. All Prometheus humidors equipped with Prometheus Optima Humidifier provide an optimally controlled environment (Relative Humidity of 68% - 70%) for your cigars. We highly recommend you to not use a third-party humidification device for your Prometheus humidor.

(B) Once your humidor is set up, please check the humidity level and your cigar collection in your humidor regularly. Also by opening and closing your humidor time to time to check the humidity level, you will ensure that the inside air does not become stale. The stale air inside of the confined space is not good for your cigars. If the humidity drops below 68%, add distilled water to Prometheus Optima humidifier. We recommend applying distilled water to the Optima about once a month. As we informed you above, float the Optima in distilled water in a container to apply distilled water to the humidifying foam inside of the Optima case.

(C) Once a year, apply the whole bottle of Prometheus Special Care Solution (SCS) to the Optima humidifier instead of distilled water. Pour it into the front side of the Optima so that it can continuously generate humidity effectively. Before you apply SCS, please do not soak your Optima in distilled water. You can purchase Prometheus Special Care Solution from our authorized retailers or our website.

(D) If the humidity level rises above 72% and remains there, (as shown in the below pictures) remove the Optima humidifier and put it in a zip-lock bag and store it outside the humidor. Close the lid of the humidor without the Optima inside. Because of the great seal of your Prometheus humidor, it will still maintain the interior humidity and lose it slowly even without the Optima humidifier. Once the interior humidity drops below 67%, then re-attach the Optima inside the humidor.

(E) If you are not going to use your humidor for an extended period of time due to business trip or vacation, put your Prometheus Optima Humidifier in a zip-lock bag (as shown in the above pictures) and store it inside of your empty humidor so that it retains a minimum level of moisture and does not lose its ability to absorb distilled water effectively for the future usage. If the humidifying foam of your Optima becomes dry because you have not applied distilled water for a long period of time, apply Prometheus Special Care Solution instead of distilled water. This will bring your Optima back to life.

(F) It is important to check the humidification level of your humidor regularly. You can do this with Prometheus Hygro 3 (digital hygrometer and thermometer), which accurately measures both the humidity and temperature in your humidor. USER MANUAL OF PROMETHEUS HYGRO 3 (PDF)

Please note that the accuracy range of Prometheus Hygro 3 is +/-3% for humidity and +/-1 degree for temperature. You can purchase a new Prometheus Hygro 3 from our authorized retailers or our website.

how to Clean your Prometheus Humidor

Exterior Shiny Lacquer Finish: Clean the exterior surface of your Prometheus humidor with microfiber towel and rubbing alcohol as directed. First, gently wipe the entire exterior with a microfiber towel to remove any dust without scratching the surface. Then, wet your towel with rubbing alcohol and wipe the outside surface to remove finger prints and any other stains. You can also use your microfiber towel wet with rubbing alcohol to clean the metal hinges and plates of your Prometheus humidor.

Exterior Satin Finish: Many years ago, some models of Prometheus humidors were made with satin finish. If yours is satin-finished, use a clean soft cotton towel and gently wipe the exterior surface to remove dust and stain. Do not use rubbing alcohol or any cleaning solution on Prometheus satin-finished humidors. Otherwise, you will damage the exterior finish.

Cleaning Metal Plates: You can also use the microfiber towel wet with rubbing alcohol to clean the metal hinges and plates of you Prometheus humidor.

Cleaning the Interior: In order to clean the interior, use fine sandpaper to remove any stains. Please make sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain. Sanding against it will leave marks.

Interior Finish: Prometheus uses Okume for the interior veneer of Prometheus humidors. Some humidors are lined with Spanish cedar, but we use Okume because Spanish cedar can bleed sap whereas Okume does not. Cleaning sticky sap on the interior Spanish cedar veneer is not a pleasant task, particularly when sticky sap stains your cigars.

Protecting your Humidor Lid from Warping

Prometheus stands behind its humidors and if a Prometheus humidor has any manufacturing defect, we will repair it at no charge according to our warranty. However, if a humidor lid warps due to improper maintenance by its authorized retailer or consumer, the warped lid will not be covered by the Prometheus Humidor Warranty.

In order to prevent a humidor lid from warping, do not place the humidor under direct sunlight or spot lighting. Moreover, if your humidor experiences dramatic temperature changes, the lid of the humidor will also warp. During the winter, do not place your humidor in a cold room, or next to a heater.  During the summer, prevent your humidor from being exposed to direct sunlight.

Warranty and Repair Service

Please send your Prometheus humidor directly to Prometheus Service Center for warranty and repair service.

Your Prometheus humidor passed all demanding tests and inspection standards set by Prometheus Quality Control. Prometheus International, Inc., the manufacturer, warrants the mechanism and construction of your Prometheus humidor to be free of manufacturing defects under normal use.

WARRANTY

If your Prometheus humidor has any manufacturing defect, Prometheus will repair your Prometheus humidor at no charge for the period of 90 days from the retail purchase date. However, you must pay for the shipping charge to send your humidor to the Prometheus Service Center. The 90-day Prometheus warranty covers mechanism and construction only and excludes any damage resulting from accident, misuse, tampering or abuse. The outer finish of your humidor is not covered under this warranty. This limited warranty also does not cover damage resulting from failure to maintain, clean or use your humidor in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction.

In order to preserve the aesthetics of the outer finish, please do not put any objects such as coins and keys on top of your humidor, or expose the humidor to direct sunlight or spot lighting.

REPAIR SERVICE

If you would like us to repair your humidor damaged by accident or misuse, please send your repair request to us by e-mail (Prometheus@PrometheusKKP.com) in order to receive a return authorization before you return your humidor. Upon receiving your humidor, Prometheus Service Center will contact you with the repair charge to get your authorization.

HOW TO SEND YOUR HUMIDOR TO PROMETHEUS SERVICE CENTER

To obtain warranty or repair service, you must get a return authorization from Prometheus Service Center by e-mail (Prometheus@PrometheusKKP.com) before you return your humidor to us.

Once you obtain the return authorization, please package the humidor carefully so that it will not suffer damage during transit. Also, return your humidor to Prometheus Service Center with the following information: (a) your return address (the address to which we should return your humidor after the warranty or repair service), (b) e-mail address and (c) a daytime telephone number. Please send your humidor to:

Prometheus Service Center
6231 Bandini Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90040-3113, U.S.A.

We recommend that you send your humidor to Prometheus Service Center fully insured and with a proof of delivery. Prometheus Service Center will not be responsible for lost, late, damaged, misdirected or postage-due parcels.

More About Humidity and Cigars

In common with many organic substances, cigars dry out in the absence of humidity in the air, or absorb moisture when air humidity is high. They establish equilibrium with the humidity level of the air around them. A dry cigar burns too quickly. The temperature at which burning occurs is too high because it is not tempered by the natural moisture of the cigar. The smoke is hot and bitter, and the cigar becomes harsh. In contrast, a damp cigar does not burn easily. It becomes difficult to draw. For a pleasant smoke, a cigar should contain a certain amount of moisture. If you keep your cigars in the Relative Humidity of 70%, they burn smoothly and their draw is easy.

The Relative Humidity (RH) is defined as the amount of moisture in the atmosphere in comparison with that at the saturation point at a given temperature. Water exposed to air gradually evaporates until the saturation point at which the air may retain the highest quantity of evaporated water. At the saturation point, the slightest drop in temperature will cause condensation. This is known as the dew point and corresponds to 100% RH. At 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and a normal atmospheric pressure, the amount of water present in the air at 100% RH is approximately 15 grams per cubic meter. At a Relative Humidity of 70%, the amount of evaporated water is approximately 10.5 grams per cubic meter.

If you place a water reservoir inside the humidor, the water will evaporate right away. As a result, the air inside of the humidor becomes quickly saturated by evaporated water and the humidity inside of the humidor will shoot up rapidly. However, as you open and close the humidor, the humidity inside the humidor will disappear quickly. This means that your cigars will dry up shortly after all water in the reservoir has completely evaporated.

In this kind of environment, your cigars will go through sudden humidity changes. Many humidors come with a humidifier containing a foam, which merely soaks up water and lets it evaporate rapidly just like the water reservoir example noted above.

The Prometheus Optima humidifier comes pretreated with our proprietary Special Control Solution (SCS), which controls the evaporation of distilled water. Used in conjunction with our Prometheus Optima humidifier, the evaporation is controlled and takes place only when the Relative Humidity falls below 68% - 70%.

Your Prometheus Optima Humidifier comes sealed in plastic to preserve this pretreatment status. Please do not break the air-tight seal until you are ready to use it. After you open the seal, please consult the directions above about how to activate it, using distilled water.

We advise you to treat your Prometheus Optima humidifier with our Special Care Solution (Prometheus SCS) once every six months so that your Prometheus Optima will continuously deliver controlled evaporation. You can purchase Prometheus Special Care Solution (Prometheus SCS) from our authorized dealers or from our website.

Temperature, Weather and Tobacco Beetles

Humidors can be impacted by the surrounding environmental conditions. For instance, if exposed to high exterior humidity, the humidity inside your humidor can go up significantly. If the humidity level rises above 72% and remains there, remove Prometheus Optima humidifier and store it in a zip-lock bag and close the humidor without the Optima inside. Because of the great seal of your Prometheus humidor, it will still maintain the interior humidity and lose it slowly even without the Optima humidifier. Once the interior humidity drops below 70%, then re-attach the Optima in the humidor.

In addition, please make sure that your humidor is kept in the temperature range of 68 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 - 21 degrees Celsius). During the cold winter season, do not put your Prometheus humidor next to a heater. During the summer heat, try to keep your Prometheus humidor in an air-conditioned room which maintains a temperature range of 68°F - 70°F (20°C - 21°C).

If the humidity and temperature of your humidor move above the ideal range (68% - 70% and 68°F - 70°F), tobacco beetles, which exist in larvae form inside of tobacco leaves, can hatch. vIf this happens, you will see small, circular pinholes in your cigars as evidence of tobacco beetle infestation. In as little as two days, a full-fledged beetle infestation can destroy every cigar in your humidor.

If a beetle infestation occurs, immediately discard all of your cigars with the circular pinholes. Put the remaining cigars without the pinholes into a sealed plastic bag and place it in your freezer for 72 hours in order to kill the tobacco beetles and their larvae. After 72 hours, move the bag of cigars to the refrigerator for one day, and then back to your humidor. This extra step will protect your cigars from the shock of sudden temperature change. Before you put these cigars back in your humidor, clean the inside of your humidor with a paper or cotton towel dampened with distilled water.