What Do You Need to Smoke Hookah?
By Amir / April 29, 2024
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Hookah Beginner’s Guide
New to Hookah? Your new interest may have been piqued by a trip to a local hookah lounge or a hookah session with friends. Now, you want it to be a hobby of your own! Where do I start? Where can I buy a hookah? What is the best hookah to buy? Several questions a beginner to hookah may be asking themselves when learning to smoke hookah.
While advice from shisha experts at your local lounge is a good place to start, preferences always differ. Many enthusiasts will direct you to the latest and greatest hookah products because that is what they want or currently smoke. You may not need the high end, performance hookahs and hookah accessories to start. We aim to direct you to something more simple and basic. A reliable first hookah setup that will smoke great, let you decide if hookah is something you really want to dive into and give room for upgrades later on if you decide necessary. Directly from the team at SouthSmoke.com with decades of experience in the hookah industry. Always feel free to give them a call with any questions.
Buying a Hookah for the First Time
When looking for your first hookah, the options can be overwhelming. So many brands and styles that the list is endless. We suggest starting with a small to medium size hookah that is budget friendly but also reliable and matches your style. Taller hookahs tend to cost more and have no real benefit. Those expensive, high end hookahs look pretty but also don’t improve your hookah session much. Most hookahs from Khalil Mamoon Hookah or Mya Hookah would be a great start. Check out the Khalil Mamoon Mini Namja Star or Mya Saray QT. Both quality hookahs at a great price that will last you forever. They come with basic hookah accessories like a hookah hose, Egyptian style hookah bowl, grommets and charcoal tongs. That takes care of a lot of your needs right away.Essential Hookah Supplies & Hookah Accessories
Before we dive into the details of each hookah accessory and why they are needed, here is a quick checklist. Think of it as your hookah shopping list next time you log into SouthSmoke.com!- Hookah Foil
- Charcoal
- Hookah Bowl
- Hookah Hose
- Flavored Shisha Tobacco
- Hookah Cleaning Supplies
Hookah Foil
Hookah foil is a must when setting up your hookah so you better have it on your list when purchasing your first hookah. You can use generic kitchen aluminum foil. It helps if it’s the heavy duty style or use several layers. Most hookah smokers will buy specialty hookah foil as it is already shaped for your hookah bowl and sometimes comes pre-punched. Tightly cover your shisha packed bowl and if it isn’t already punched, use a toothpick, pin or hookah foil poker to poke a number of small holes. Keep them small and spread them out for best heat transfer from your hookah coals. With more experience and a larger budget you can eventually move to hookah heat management devices. A relatively new device to the hookah world that allows for more customizable heat distribution.
Natural Hookah Charcoal vs. Quick Lights
Next, you’ll need hookah charcoal to heat up your shisha! Two categories of shisha charcoal with very different benefits. We recommend sticking with natural coconut hookah charcoal over quicklight charcoal for several reasons. First and foremost, natural charcoal will allow a better overall hookah session as it does not affect the taste of your shisha. Although the light up times may be a bit longer for natural hookah coals, they last longer and are much cleaner. Quicklight hookah charcoals have their place in hookah. If coals need to be lit quickly or you don’t have a proper heat source to light coconut coals, quicklights can be lit with just a lighter. You can read about all of the differences here: Natural Hookah Charcoal vs. Quick Light Hookah Charcoal. Choose charcoals from great brands like CocoVapor, Three Kings, CocoUrth and CocoNara at SouthSmoke.com.
Hookah Coal Burner
While you look for hookah charcoal, you’d better purchase a coal burner as well. It’s recommended to pick up and electric coil burner with 1100w of power to best light your natural hookah charcoal. Set your coals directly on the coils until they are fully lit. Once half of the coal is glowing red, flip them over to get both sides. The full charcoal should be glowing before setting on your hookah bowl. You can buy and electric coal burner at your local hardware store or pick up the Vapor Coal Burner while you’re at SouthSmoke!
The Right Hookah Bowl for You
Now that you have a complete hookah setup, you can look into upgrading some of the parts for a session. One of the first things enthusiasts upgrade is the hookah bowl or hookah head. The more modern blonde leaf shisha tobaccos that we recommended tend to be juicier and contain more molasses or flavoring. For that reason, we suggest upgrading to a phunnel bowl to contain that juice. This is a relatively cheap upgrade with bowls from $3.99 to $12. Check out the Utopia Bowl from Vapor Hookahs and read about all of the shapes and sizes of hookah bowls here: Hookah 101: Finding the Right Hookah Bowl for You.
Upgrade Your Hookah Hose
Another immediate upgrade would be your hookah hose. The hoses that come with classic hookahs like the Khalil Mamoon or Mya Hookah are usually traditional and do not clean well. Over time these hoses rust and the lining on the inside begins to deteriorate. You can learn more here: Hookah 101: Get the Right Hookah Hose. Pick up a silicone hookah hose when possible. Easier to wash and flavors will not ghost in the hose. Depending on your style, you may like the Carbon Hose from Vapor.