Cigars VS Cigarettes
How many smoked tobacco products do you know? The most common types are cigars, cigarillos, and cigarettes. Among the eight (8) smoked products of tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes are usually mistaken for each other. Though we are not entirely sure why, they both have a history of being compared based on their looks, taste, method of smoking, amount of nicotine, health risk/benefits, how they are made, and where they are smoked.
It could be because of their many similarities or because they are the two most common smoked tobacco products. Either way, we would finally settle the conflict and expose the difference between the two, once and for all.
Why The Two Are Similar
Right before we puff into the differences, let’s settle with their similarities first. Both cigars and cigarettes are products of tobacco. Both products consist of tobacco leaves that have been fermented and dried. The dried leaves are squeezed, squished, and packed into a long cylindrical tube made from another material. This is the content that is usually smoked to release the smoke puffs we know with both a cigar and a cigarette.
They also both contain some level of nicotine which unleashes the relaxed feeling you usually get from smoking a tobacco stick. Finally, different health risks are associated with the two. But despite their similarities, they are not the same thing. Not only are they packaged differently, but they are also not smoked the same way. Below are the differences between cigars and cigarettes.
Are cigars worse than cigarettes?
The differences between cigars and cigarettes will be discussed based on the following factors: how it is made, what it contains, how it is packaged, the look, taste, method of smoking, amount of nicotine, health risks, the level of luxury, price, and the perception.
How It Is Made
A cigar is made by hand. They have a lot of processes involved in the making which include the careful selection of the tobacco plant type, the drying process, fermentation, grinding, filling, bonding, wrapping, and so on. Cigarettes, on the other hand, are made by machines. Not as much thought is placed into the leaf selection, and the machine does the grinding, and wrapping. It is almost why it is easier to find and buy cigarettes than cigars. It is also why they have different smoking effects.
What It Contains
Cigars contain three ingredients; tobacco, water, and a whole lot of time. That’s it. The tobacco is left to age for a very long time under supervised conditions and most of the flavors from a cigar are not from any artificial ingredient. With cigars, it’s all-natural. Cigarettes are not all-natural. There are different additives and chemicals in cigarettes. With cigarettes, the ingredients differ. Yes, there is tobacco (chopped tobacco leaves that could contain sugar or flavor enhancer) and water, the rest depends on the brand and their method of production. However, all the ingredients in a cigarette include artificial burning agents, filters, paper (used to roll the cigarette), and brand additives.
How It Is Packaged
Let’s begin with Cigarettes this time. In a cigarette, we have the chopped tobacco packed in a roll of paper. Then a filter is put at the top end which can contain other materials such as added flavor or mint ball. For a cigar, the tobacco leaves are wrapped with a binder (made from other kinds of tobacco leaves) and then wrapped again with a wrapper (also made from tobacco leaves). Its tobacco bound in tobacco, wrapped in tobacco. And most cigars do not come with filters which gives a different smoking effect.
The Look
A cigar is thicker and darker than a cigarette. A cigarette is thin, long, and usually color white. It also has a golden brown or brown wrapper (which contains the filter and indicates which is the top end). A cigar on the other hand is very thick and can come in more shapes than a straight-edged cylindrical stick. It is also made in different shades of brown that tell the type of tobacco used to make the cigar, the age of the tobacco, and how fermented the tobacco is. Dark shades of a cigar are usually sweeter and brighter shades are dry.
Taste
When it comes to taste and flavor, there are several flavor notes in every cigar. A cigar can taste like flowers, coffee, chocolate, earth, nuts, cream, wood, pepper, mint, or spice. Depending on the type of tobacco that is used, you can have either a single flavor in your cigar or a mix of various blends. Cigarettes do not have flavor notes. That’s why cigarette smoking tastes like burning paper and tobacco ash.
Method Of Smoking
A cigar is not inhaled directly into the lungs while Cigarettes are. Let’s explain. When smoking a cigarette, the smoke is drawn through the tobacco stick and swallowed or inhaled. But when smoking a cigar, the stick would be puffed so that air will pass from the mouth, through the stick, and out the bottom end. The smoke would then be released into the air. The released smoke is what makes a person relaxed during smoking.
Amount Of Nicotine
Do cigars have nicotine? There is no need to spend too many words in this section. The cigar has much more nicotine content than Cigarettes because of the plenty of tobacco wrapper in them.
The Luxury Level
When it comes to class and luxury, the cigar has class. Cigar smokers were usually associated with presidential personnel, Hollywood folks, royalties, and other high-class people. Cigarettes are the opposite.
Price
At this junction, it is easy to know that cigars cost more than cigarettes. They are also harder to store. To store a cigar, you would need a humidor and that too is another expensive investment.
The General Perception
So, are cigars better than cigarettes? All in all, we can end by saying that cigar is seen as a high-class, healthier, more expensive alternative to cigarettes. And though they are made from the same plant - tobacco, they are 100 percent, not the same thing.
Conclusion
We are always excited when cigar lovers learn about their favorite cigars. For some reason, the more you know about that amazing tobacco product, the sweeter it tastes. That’s why we highly hope this article has been helpful. And if it was, feel free to check some of our best cigar reviews, especially if you want to rise to the next level of smoking. We are sure that you will find what fits your taste and budget.
FAQs
Are cigars addictive?
Addiction comes from the feeling of wanting more of what you can’t have. And smokers (usually) crave the nicotine in smoke - which is what makes them feel good. But since Cigars have a good amount of nicotine, there is a low chance of being addicted.
Why do people smoke cigars?
People smoke for several reasons: to get away from thinking about life challenges, to feel good, to relax, to get high, or for the fun of it. For cigars, the major reason smoke is because of the adventure in the smoking process. Cigar smoking is more than smoking a cigar, it is a hobby that many people have grown to love and find pleasure in.
Is inhaling cigar smoke safe?
Cigars, just like other tobacco products have many health risks. This means that excessive smoking can cause one to develop these health risks.
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