Ashtrays 101

A cigar takes the better part of an hour. You will set it down.

A cigarette ashtray is a poor place to do that: the notches are narrow and steep, so the cigar leans, the burn runs down one side, and the head sits in moisture.

A cigar ashtray gives the cigar a wide, level rest so it lies above the bowl, not jammed into it. The bowl only has to catch ash. Glass and stone are the practical materials. They take the heat, they do not melt into the foot, and they wash clean. Skip cheap plastic. Heat marks it, and a hot foot can pick up the smell of the plastic.

Size follows how you smoke. A small rest is enough for one cigar at a desk. A wider bowl with several rests is what you want when several people are smoking at once, so you are not emptying it halfway through the hour.

When you are finished, lay the cigar in the rest and let it go out. Empty the bowl once it is cold.

What to look for

The rest should be wide enough that the cigar does not roll, and deep enough that a long ash has somewhere to go without the head dropping into the bowl. Four rests around a low bowl is a common table shape. A single long groove is enough for one person. A deep cigarette cup with a narrow slot is the shape to avoid.

Outdoor use wants something heavy, so a breeze does not tip it, and a material that can sit in the weather. Glass is fine indoors. A metal tray works outside if the rest still holds the cigar level. Avoid a rest lined with rubber or a soft coating that will melt against the foot.

Cleaning

Wait until the ash is cold. Warm ash on a wet cloth makes a paste that smells for days. Dump the bowl outside, or into a bin, before it goes near the sink. Then wash glass or stone with plain soap and warm water and rinse until the water runs clear. Do not use a scented cleaner. The next cigar picks it up.

A tar line, from a cigar left until it went out, wipes off glass with a little baking soda on a damp cloth. Rinse that off too. A drop of isopropyl alcohol on a cloth will lift a stubborn film on glass or metal. Let it dry completely, with no smell left, before the next cigar touches the rest. Do not soak a wooden rest. Wipe it dry. On a porous stone, tar stains, which is only a problem if you mind the look.

Do not run a hot glass tray under cold water. The shock can crack it. A tray with a removable bowl is easier to empty than one you have to tip. Empty it after each sitting if you can. Ash left overnight goes damp and the smell stays in the room.