G'day legend,

Winston Churchill's favourite ashtray was made of silver. Shaped like a pagoda with a small trough at the top to cradle his cigar. A gift from a friend. He thought so much of it that it travelled everywhere he went — packed into its own dedicated suitcase. On the French Riviera, the ashtray was ceremoniously handed to the head waiter of his private dining room each day before lunch and returned with great decorum after dinner.

The man who led Britain through its darkest hours treated his ashtray with the same ritual seriousness he brought to everything else in his life.

Because for Churchill, the ashtray wasn't an afterthought. It was part of the ceremony.

That's the point of this post, mate. Most cigar lovers spend serious time choosing the right stick, the right cutter, the right lighter. Then they grab whatever's nearby and call it an ashtray. A saucer. A bottle cap. A coffee mug from 2009 that's been promoted sideways into garden duty. And every time they do, they're shortchanging the experience they just spent good money on.

The right ashtray matters. Here's how to choose one.

TL;DR - Quick Answers

• A cigar ashtray is fundamentally different from a cigarette ashtray in size, depth, and the design of the cigar rests — and using the wrong one affects how your cigar sits, burns, and holds its ash.
• The three main ashtray materials are glass, ceramic, and metal. Each has genuine advantages and genuine trade-offs depending on how and where you smoke.
• Glass ashtrays are elegant, easy to clean, and show ash buildup clearly — but they're heavy and can break.
• Ceramic ashtrays are the most diverse in design, stay cool under heat, and are excellent for indoor use — but they chip and crack if dropped.
• Metal ashtrays are the most durable and wind-resistant — the natural choice for outdoor smoking in Australian conditions.
• Design matters as much as material. Desktop, freestanding, and travel ashtrays all serve different smoking environments and habits.
• The right ashtray is waitin' for you at CigarBox, mate. A carefully selected range built for serious cigar lovers - delivered anywhere in Australia, backed by Joe's Big Brazen Guarantee.

What Makes an Ashtray a Cigar Ashtray?

Pull out a standard cigarette ashtray and hold it next to a proper cigar ashtray and the difference is immediately obvious, even before you've lit anything up.

A cigarette ashtray is shallow, narrow, and designed for a small, fast-burning product that goes from fingers to tray in seconds. A cigar ashtray is deeper, wider, and built around the specific demands of a smoke that can burn for anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours, carry an ash column measured in centimetres, and needs to rest securely without rolling, tipping, or making contact with anything that could interrupt the burn.

The cigar rest is the defining feature. Every proper cigar ashtray has at least one; a groove, notch, or channel specifically sized to cradle a cigar at the correct angle, keeping it stable and allowing the ash to fall into the bowl below without the cigar shifting. The rest needs to be wide enough to accommodate the ring gauge of the cigar being smoked. A narrow rest that grips too tightly on a 60-ring gauge Toro will damage the wrapper. A rest that's too shallow on a lighter gauge Lancero lets the cigar roll. The geometry of the rest is not decorative. It's functional.

The bowl depth matters too. A proper cigar ashtray has enough depth to hold a meaningful amount of ash without requiring constant emptying and without risk of ash blowing back across the cigar or the smoker. For a two-hour smoke, that's more ash than most people expect.

What Are the Different Materials That Cigar Ashtrays Are Made Of?

Walk through any quality cigar accessory range and you'll find three primary materials across the ashtray category. Each one has a character, a feel, and a set of practical advantages that make it the right choice in some situations and the wrong choice in others.

Glass is the most visually striking. A well-made glass cigar ashtray is heavy, cool to the touch, and has a presence on a desk or side table that reflects the quality of the ritual it's part of. The clarity of glass means you can see exactly how much ash has accumulated, which helps with knowing when to empty it before things get untidy. Glass also cleans beautifully…  warm water, a rinse, done.

Ceramic is the most versatile. The firing process that produces ceramic can accommodate virtually any shape, colour, and finish, which is why the most diverse and visually interesting ashtrays on the market tend to be ceramic. Ceramic stays genuinely cool under sustained heat, which matters over a long smoke, and it carries a weight and solidity that feels premium in the hand.

Metal is the most practical. Stainless steel, aluminium, and cast iron ashtrays are essentially indestructible under normal use, resist heat without any risk of cracking or shattering, and perform reliably in outdoor conditions where wind, humidity, and the occasional knock are all part of the smoking environment.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Metal vs Glass vs Ceramic?

Here's the honest breakdown that'll help you match the right material to the way you actually smoke.

Glass

The advantages are real and immediately obvious. Glass ashtrays are non-porous, which means ash and residue don't penetrate the surface… they sit on top of it and rinse away cleanly. The weight of quality glass keeps the ashtray stable on a flat surface without any effort. And there's something genuinely satisfying about a heavy crystal glass ashtray sitting on a timber desk alongside a premium cigar and a decent pour of something worth drinking.

The trade-offs are equally real. Glass breaks. Drop a glass ashtray on a tiled floor and the conversation is over. Glass also shows every mark, smudge, and residue deposit clearly, which means it looks magnificent when clean and frankly ordinary when it needs a rinse. For outdoor use, glass is the wrong call. Wind, uneven surfaces, and the general chaos of an outdoor setting make a breakable heavy object a liability rather than an asset.

Ceramic

Ceramic's greatest advantage is its thermal behaviour. A ceramic ashtray absorbs heat slowly and distributes it evenly, which means the surface stays genuinely cool even during a long session. It's also the most design-flexible material - ceramic ashtrays come in every shape, size, colour, and finish imaginable, which means finding one that suits a specific aesthetic (a home study, a lounge setup, a gift for someone whose taste you know well) is genuinely possible.

The trade-offs: ceramic chips and cracks on hard contact. Not as catastrophically as glass, but a dropped ceramic ashtray often survives with a chip that compromises both the look and the structural integrity of the cigar rests. Ceramic also varies enormously in quality. A poorly fired piece will absorb staining and become difficult to clean over time. A well-fired, glazed ceramic ashtray is an entirely different proposition… smooth, non-porous, and genuinely long-lasting.

Metal

Metal is the material that performs when conditions aren't ideal. A stainless steel or cast iron ashtray is essentially indestructible under normal use - it can be knocked off a table, left in the rain, and put through a dishwasher without any consequence. Metal ashtrays are the natural choice for outdoor smoking, balcony setups, camping, golf course use, or any environment where the ashtray needs to cope with whatever the Australian climate throws at it.

The trade-off is heat. Metal conducts heat readily, which means a metal ashtray that's been sitting in the sun or absorbing sustained cigar heat can become genuinely uncomfortable to handle. Some metal designs address this with rubber or cork bases and heat-resistant coatings. For indoor desktop use, metal's industrial character can feel out of place alongside a quality humidor and cigar accessories. But for outdoor smoking in Australia, which, let's be honest, is where most of us end up most of the time,  metal is the right answer more often than not.

Desktop, Car, Freestanding - Everything You Need to Know About Ashtray Designs

Material is only half the conversation. The design and form factor of an ashtray determines whether it actually works in the environment you're smoking in — and there are more options here than most people realise.

Desktop Ashtrays

The most common cigar ashtray format. Designed to sit on a flat surface, a desk, a side table, an outdoor table, and provide a stable, practical resting point for the cigar between puffs. A quality desktop cigar ashtray has at least one deep cigar rest (ideally two or four for group smoking), a bowl with enough depth to handle a full smoke's worth of ash without needing constant attention, and enough weight or base width to stay put if the table gets bumped. For most cigar lovers who smoke primarily at home, a quality desktop ashtray is all they need.

Freestanding Ashtrays

The territory of the serious setup. A freestanding cigar ashtray - typically floor-standing with an adjustable height and a removable bowl - is what you reach for when the smoking setup deserves its own dedicated furniture. They're common in private cigar lounges, home study setups, and anywhere a bloke has committed to creating a proper smoking environment rather than improvising one. If you've got a dedicated smoking chair, a quality humidor, and the kind of ritual Churchill would have recognised, a freestanding ashtray completes the picture in a way that nothing sitting on a side table quite manages.

Outdoor and Portable Ashtrays

The Australian climate creates a specific set of demands that most ashtray designs weren't built for. Direct sunlight, coastal humidity, afternoon breezes that can turn a lightweight ashtray into a projectile, and the practical reality that a lot of premium cigar smoking happens outdoors… on the back deck, at a mate's barbecue, on the golf course, or somewhere scenic that has nothing resembling a flat stable surface.

For outdoor use, the priorities flip from indoor use. Stability and weight resistance matter more than aesthetics. A wide, heavy base that doesn't tip in a breeze is worth more than the most beautifully crafted glass bowl on the market. Metal is the natural outdoor material. Ashtrays designed with wind guards or deeper bowls that protect the ash from scattering are worth every cent in an outdoor setting.

What Are the Things I Need to Know Before Choosing an Ashtray?

Before spending money on a cigar ashtray, here are the four questions worth asking yourself honestly:

Where do I smoke most? Indoors on a desk, outdoors on a deck, or a mix of both? The answer points directly toward glass and ceramic for indoor-primary smokers and metal or heavy resin for outdoor-primary smokers.

How many cigar rests do I need? A solo smoker who wants a single quality rest for one cigar at a time has completely different requirements from the bloke who smokes with mates on a regular basis and needs to accommodate four cigars simultaneously without them touching each other or tipping toward the centre.

What size cigars do I smoke regularly? The width of the cigar rests needs to match the ring gauges in your humidor. A 60-ring gauge Toro needs a meaningfully wider rest than a 38-ring gauge Lancero. If your collection spans a wide range of ring gauges, look for ashtrays with rest widths that accommodate larger formats without being so wide that smaller cigars slip through.

How much maintenance am I willing to do? Glass and high-quality glazed ceramic clean easily and thoroughly. Unglazed ceramic and some metals can absorb staining over time and require more effort. If you smoke regularly and want a low-maintenance solution, choose materials that rinse clean rather than materials that require soaking or scrubbing.

How Many Cigar Rests Does a Good Ashtray Need?

The honest answer is: as many as the bloke using it needs, and no more.

For a solo smoker who smokes alone the vast majority of the time, a single deep cigar rest is genuinely all that's required. One rest, properly sized, properly angled, in a bowl deep enough to hold a full smoke's worth of ash without drama. That's the whole spec. Anything more is personal preference rather than functional necessity.

For occasional shared smoking — a mate comes over, two people settle in for an afternoon smoke, two rests is the practical minimum. Four rests is the comfortable social option that covers most groups without requiring anyone to balance a cigar on a saucer.

What matters more than the number of rests is the quality of each one. A well-designed cigar rest holds the cigar at the correct angle… slightly elevated from the bowl so the lit end doesn't contact the ash below, and grips it firmly enough that it won't roll but gently enough that the wrapper isn't marked or compressed. A poor cigar rest that lets the cigar roll, tip, or make contact with accumulated ash below is worse than no rest at all.

How Do I Choose the Right Ashtray for Indoor vs Outdoor Smoking in Australia?

Australia's climate is genuinely varied in ways that affect this decision more than most cigar advice acknowledges. A bloke smoking on a covered deck in coastal Queensland is dealing with completely different conditions to one smoking indoors in a Perth home with the air-con running, or one who lights up at a mate's place in the Adelaide Hills on a still summer evening.

Indoor smoking: Glass or high-quality glazed ceramic. Both look excellent in a dedicated indoor setup, clean easily, and perform reliably in the stable temperature and humidity conditions of an interior space. The weight of quality glass provides natural stability on a desk or table without any wind compensation required. A beautiful glass or ceramic ashtray on a timber desk alongside your humidor and a quality cigar cutter is the indoor setup that Churchill would have recognised - everything in its place, everything chosen with intention.

Outdoor smoking: Metal or heavy resin with a wide, low centre of gravity. Wind resistance is the primary engineering challenge for an outdoor cigar ashtray in Australia. A lightweight ceramic or glass ashtray on a deck table in a coastal breeze is an accident waiting to happen,  and a breakage you don't need. Metal ashtrays with deep bowls that prevent ash scatter and wide bases that resist tipping are built for exactly this environment.

Mixed use: If you smoke in both environments regularly, the practical answer is two ashtrays - one indoor, one outdoor - rather than one compromise that serves neither setting well. A quality glass or ceramic desktop piece for the indoor ritual. A durable metal piece for outdoor use. Both will last years if well-maintained, and the difference in your smoking experience across both settings is worth the investment.

You can explore the full range of cigar ashtrays at CigarBox and find the right option for your setup, your environment, and the way you actually smoke.

How Do I Clean and Maintain a Cigar Ashtray Properly?

The cleaning frequency depends on how often you smoke and what material the ashtray is made from. But the general principle is the same across all materials: clean it before it needs cleaning rather than after it's been neglected.

Glass and glazed ceramic: Empty after every session. Rinse with warm water and a small amount of dish soap. A soft brush deals with any residue in the cigar rests without scratching the surface. Dry thoroughly before the next use. That's genuinely the full maintenance requirement for quality glass and ceramic… maybe five minutes of attention after each session.

Metal: Metal ashtrays tolerate more between cleans but benefit from a regular wipe-down to prevent ash residue building up in the cigar rests and bowl. A damp cloth handles most of what accumulates between full washes. For a deeper clean, warm soapy water and a brush, followed by a thorough dry to prevent any surface oxidation on non-stainless finishes.

Unglazed ceramic: Requires more attention. Unglazed surfaces are porous and absorb staining over time. A baking soda paste left to sit for fifteen minutes before scrubbing with a soft brush pulls staining out of the surface without damaging the material. Worth doing monthly for regular users.

One more thing worth saying plainly: empty the ash after every session rather than leaving it to sit. Stale ash in a cigar ashtray is the fastest way to make a quality accessory feel cheap and neglected. It also affects the air quality of the space the next time you sit down to smoke. Churchill's silver pagoda ashtray was treated with ceremony because it was part of the ceremony. Treat yours with the same respect and it'll serve you properly for years.

Original Stinky Ashtray in Matte Red 👆

Key Takeaway

The right cigar ashtray is not an afterthought — it's the piece of the ritual that keeps everything else running properly. Glass and glazed ceramic suit indoor setups beautifully and clean with minimal effort. Metal is the outdoor material that performs in Australian conditions without complaint. Design matters as much as material: desktop ashtrays for everyday use, freestanding for a dedicated setup, portable for outdoor and travel. Match the number of cigar rests to how you actually smoke, not how you imagine you might. And clean it after every session.

FAQ Cigar Ashtrays

What are the different types of cigar ashtrays and does the material matter?
Cigar ashtrays come in three primary materials - glass, ceramic, and metal - each with distinct advantages depending on how and where you smoke. Glass is elegant and easy to clean but fragile. Ceramic is thermally stable and design-flexible but chips on hard contact. Metal is indestructible and wind-resistant, making it the natural outdoor choice. Material matters because it directly affects durability, heat resistance, cleaning requirements, and how the ashtray performs in your specific smoking environment.

What makes an ashtray a cigar ashtray?
A cigar ashtray is specifically designed around the physical demands of cigar smoking - deeper bowl to handle more ash, wider cigar rests sized for large ring gauges, and enough weight and stability to hold a cigar securely for an extended smoking session. A cigarette ashtray is narrower, shallower, and not designed to cradle a cigar without it rolling or tipping. Using a cigarette ashtray for a premium cigar risks wrapper damage from contact with the rim and constant instability throughout the smoke.

Which cigar ashtray material is best for outdoor smoking in Australia?
Metal is the clear choice for outdoor smoking in Australian conditions. It's indestructible under normal use, wind-resistant, unaffected by coastal humidity, and can be left in sun and rain without consequence. Look for designs with deep bowls that prevent ash scatter in a breeze and wide bases that resist tipping on uneven outdoor surfaces. Glass and ceramic are better suited to the stable conditions of an indoor setup.

How many cigar rests does a good ashtray need?
A solo smoker needs one well-designed rest. A smoker who regularly shares the experience with one or two others needs two to four rests. What matters more than the number is the quality - a properly angled, correctly sized rest that holds the cigar securely without marking the wrapper, elevated slightly from the bowl so the lit end doesn't contact accumulated ash below.

How do I clean a cigar ashtray properly?
Empty after every smoking session. Glass and glazed ceramic clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush… five minutes of attention after each session. Metal wipes down easily with a damp cloth and benefits from a full wash periodically. Unglazed ceramic requires more attention - a baking soda paste left for fifteen minutes before scrubbing removes staining from the porous surface. Never leave stale ash sitting between sessions - it degrades the experience the next time you sit down to smoke.

The Bottom Line on Cigar Ashtrays

Churchill packed his silver pagoda ashtray in its own suitcase and had it ceremoniously returned to him after every dinner on the French Riviera. That's not eccentricity. That's a man who understood that the quality of the ritual is determined by the quality of the tools you bring to it.

Your ashtray isn't just where the ash goes. It's where the cigar rests between draws. It's part of the setup that tells you, and anyone else in the room, that what you're doing deserves to be done properly. Glass, ceramic, or metal: choose the material that suits where you smoke. Choose the design that suits how you smoke. And choose the number of rests that suits who you smoke with.

The right ashtray is waitin' for you at CigarBox, mate. A carefully selected range built for serious cigar lovers -  delivered anywhere in Australia, backed by Joe's Big Brazen Guarantee.

Till next time, LOTLs,

Joe Box | Your Brother of The Leaf 🍂

PS: The right ashtray changes the feel of the whole setup. Once you've smoked with a proper cigar ashtray that holds your stick at the right angle, stays put through the whole session and cleans up in five minutes flat, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with anything less...

PPS: Next time we're getting into cigar cutters - specifically how to clean and maintain them properly so they keep delivering the clean, precise cut your premium cigars deserve.... Stay tuned!!