How to Put Out a Cigar the Right Way

At some point you'll want to stop smoking before the cigar is finished — the evening wraps up early, company arrives, or you're simply done for the night. Knowing how to put out a cigar properly is a small thing, but it makes a real difference in how the room smells and whether the cigar is worth relighting later.

How to Put Out a Cigar: Just Set It Down

Here's the simple truth: you don't need to do anything special. Just rest the cigar in the ashtray and walk away. Cigars are not cigarettes — they don't keep burning on their own for long once you stop drawing. Within a minute or two, the cherry will go out on its own.

That's it. Set it down. Let it go out.

Why You Should Never Stub Out a Cigar

The instinct for many people, especially if they're used to cigarettes, is to press the cigar into the ashtray to snuff it out. Don't do this.

When you stub or grind a cigar like a cigarette, a few things happen:

• The tobacco gets crushed and agitated, releasing a concentrated burst of acrid smoke.
• Bitter oils in the filler and binder get exposed, creating an awful lingering smell — the kind that hangs around an ashtray for hours.
• The cigar becomes almost unpleasant to be near, which defeats the whole point of a relaxed smoke.

The smell of a properly extinguished cigar that went out on its own is mild and fades quickly. A stubbed-out cigar can make a room smell bad long after you've left. In a shared lounge or at a gathering, this is also a matter of basic courtesy.

What to Do With the Ash First

Before you set the cigar down for the last time, it's a good idea to let any loose ash fall naturally or give it a gentle tap. You don't want a long, fragile column of ash dangling off a cigar you're about to leave in the ashtray — it'll fall wherever it wants. A quick check of how to ash a cigar covers the mechanics if you're still building that habit.

Then set the cigar in the ashtray, foot end down or resting in the groove, and leave it alone.

Saving the Cigar for Later

If the cigar still has a good amount left on it, you don't have to throw it away. Partially smoked cigars can be saved and relit, though you'll want to be realistic about what to expect.

Let it cool completely. Give the cigar at least 15 to 20 minutes before you seal it up anywhere. A warm cigar going into a sealed container creates condensation, which can damage the wrapper.

Store it well. A zip-lock bag works for a short-term save — a day or two. For anything longer, your humidor is the right home. Keep it away from your fresh cigars if possible, since a smoked cigar has a distinct smell that can transfer.

Know when it's worth it. Cigars smoked past the halfway point become increasingly strong and concentrated as the nicotine and oils condense toward the head. A cigar that has plenty left — say, more than a third remaining — is worth saving. The closer you are to the end, the less rewarding the relight will be.

Our guide on how to save a cigar for later covers the storage side in detail, including how long you can realistically wait before the cigar gets stale.

How Far Should You Smoke Before You Stop?

If you're wondering where the right stopping point is — especially if the cigar is getting hot or the flavor is going sharp — there's a useful guide on how far to smoke a cigar. The general rule is to stop around the last inch to inch and a half, or whenever the heat becomes uncomfortable to hold.

Relighting a Saved Cigar

When you come back to a saved cigar, the relight process matters. You'll want to blow gently through the cigar first to clear any stale air, then toast the foot slowly before drawing. A full walkthrough is in how to relight a cigar — it takes an extra minute but makes a real difference in how the relit smoke tastes.

The Recap: How to Put Out a Cigar

The right way to put out a cigar is to simply set it down and let it go out on its own. No grinding, no stubbing, no pressing it into the tray. It takes about a minute, leaves the room smelling fine, and keeps the cigar in better shape if you want to come back to it later. It's one of those small habits that separates someone who knows cigars from someone who's still learning — and now you know it too.