Ins and Outs of Hookah Charcoals:

Have you just bought a Hookah? Not sure what coals are the best to use? Or are you an avid smoker that’s just looking for the best charcoal options? You've certainly come to the right place!

Smokin Js was the first pipe & Tobacco store in SW Washington to carry hookahs and hookah accessories. Buying charcoals can be confusing because of the different options. We carry the best brands of charcoals in each type category, and this article should help you understand and choose which one is best for you.

Smokin Js carries two different kinds of hookah charcoal: Quick Light and Stove Top Charcoal. If you want quick, easy, simple and convenient then Quick Light charcoals are for you. If you're the hookah connoisseur or just someone who wants the best things in life, then the Stove Top charcoals are for you. We carry a complete selection of these hookah charcoals at each Smokin Js location and are always ready to help you with your decision.



Quick Light Charcoal:

These charcoals are ideal for hookah smokers that want to be able to set up and smoke the hookah with minimal start-up time. By far the most popular and convenient charcoal to use. Quick Lights are great for the new hookah smoker or an outdoor hookah session. Quick Light charcoals are enormously popular due to their high quality and ease of use. Needing only a match or lighter, these coals can be ready for use in under a minute. The Down side to quick lights is quality. Lighting these charcoals will give off an unpleasant smell and smoke so they should always be lit in a well ventilated area or outside. Once lit, the charcoal burns without much noticeable odor or taste; however the heat they give off is not as consistent as a Stove Top charcoal and may leave an ashy mess.

Quick Light charcoals sell for as low as $2.49 for a roll of 10, and they come in different sizes. The smaller Quick Light coals burn for 30-45 minutes. The larger Quick Light coals burn for 1-1.5 hours.

If sacrificing convenience for functionality isn’t an issue for you, and you would prefer the best hookah smoking experience, the Stove Top charcoals might be right for you.



Stove Top Charcoals:

CocoNara Charcoals: One of the best charcoals available for hookah lovers. CocoNara Charcoals are 100% natural made from coconut shell. They burn up to 3x longer than any other charcoal and leave less than 5% in ash. CocoNara Charcoals are easy to light, clean-burning, odorless, and tasteless. Because CocoNara Charcoals are made from coconut shells they are economical & environmentally friendly; not a single tree was cut to make this product!
$6.99 box of 16 charcoal
$24.99 box of 108 charcoal

Al-Ajdad Charcoals: Natural hookah charcoals made in Jordan. These charcoals are “fingered,” meaning they are all of a uniform, triangular shape that can be easily be broken down into smaller pieces for the perfect hookah bowl. Odorless and clean burning, each Al-Ajdad 1000g bag will net you about 50 smoking sessions. Al-Ajdad is one of the BEST "bang for your buck" box of charcoals Smokin Js sells.
$9.99 1000g bag of charcoal

Exotica Charcoals: Exotica is a superior quality charcoal. The Exotica Charcoal not only offers a revolutionary square shape to prevent the coal from rolling off the bowl, but it also promises, "NO odor, NO taste, NO messy ash, NO breakage when heated." Each Exotica Charcoal finger lasts at least 1 hour! It's not a quick-lighting charcoal, so you'll need a constant heat source like a stove and some patience while you wait for it to get started, but your patience will be well rewarded with one of the best smoking sessions you've ever had!
$9.99 1000g box of charcoal



Lighting Stove Top Charcoal:

Lighting the stove top charcoal can be accomplished several different ways. Direct flame is the quickest and easiest way to light any hookah charcoal. Grills, gas stoves, or torches are all quick and convenient. If you plan on using a gas stove, place the charcoal over the direct flame of the burner. If there are dark areas that have not become hot, return the coal to the fire until the charcoal is fully hot and white. You can also heat the coal directly on the coils of an electric stove. This method is obviously slower than direct fire, but only by a couple of minutes. There is no popping of embers flying around or a stinky sulfur smell like the Quick Lights produce. Stove Top Charcoals are the best choice for a hookah connoisseur or someone interested in eliminating all chemicals from the hookah experience.

Thank You for shopping Smoking Js where we strive for excellence and satisfaction. Please contact any of our three stores with any questions. Vancouver - 360-693-7010 ... Longview - 360-693-7010

Centralia - 360-807-8279

Vaporizer Options: Choosing a Vaporizer Right for You

It is only natural for smokers to gravitate to Vaporizers. Vaporizing is the healthiest way to smoke. A typical Vaporizer, when used correctly, eliminates 99% of the carcinogenicity from the smoking process. Deciding you want a Vaporizer is easy; figuring out which one is right for you can be overwhelming, but we make it easy at Smokin Js.  We have the best Vaporizers in each type category.

The first thing to think about is where you would like to vaporize. Do you want a Vaporizer for your home? Do you want a portable Vaporizer? This question is the first to answer and possibly the most important. We break our Vaporizers into these two categories:

FOR HOME:

So now you know you want a Vaporizer, and you want one for your house. There are only a few options left to help you decide. Do you want a Vaporizer that fills a bag? Do you want a digital Vaporizer? Some people really like bags; the user can pass it amongst friends easily or set it down and pick it up later without the hassle of going through the vaporization process. Some people think a bag is a silly accessory that only adds frustration and future expense to the process. Some people really like to see the digital temperature read out on the Vaporizer. Some people prefer a manual temperature control. The following is a list of “at home” Vaporizers, a reasonable price quote, and their individual features and drawbacks.

Vapor Tower Deluxe: This is the most affordable high quality “at home” Vaporizer on the market at $169. It has a lifetime warranty. It uses a glass on glass whip connection so that you can use it “hands free”. It has a manual temperature control. Cheaper vapor boxes break down quickly and require the user to hold the glass connection in place. The Vapor Tower also uses physics to its advantage; heat rises, and the vertical glass on glass connection infuses that scientific fact into the vaporization process.

Vapir One 5.0: This is the most affordable high quality digital Vaporizer on the market at $189. Customers new to vaporization gravitate towards the Vapir One 5.0 because it is so versatile. This model fills a bag or draws directly from the unit. It has a digital read-out and controls. The most unique feature of the Vapir One 5.0 is the herb discs that the model uses. Each model comes with several herb discs. You can pre-fill these herb discs so that when one herb disc is spent, you can quickly & easily pop a new one in it and continue vaporizing.

Extreme Q Vaporizer: On price, function, and quality, the Extreme Q is the best digital Vaporizer on the market. Common retail price is $369. The Extreme Q fills a bag or draws directly from the unit. It is made in Canada and comes with a lifetime warranty. This is one of the more versatile Vaporizers on the market because it has so many options and features. One of the best & unique features that users find extremely handy is the remote control feature. One customer said that he thought it was a silly feature, but he quickly found that the remote control became his favorite feature of the Extreme Q.

Herbal Aire H2.1: Smokin Js considers this model to be the best Vaporizer on the market in terms of price, function, and quality. These units sell for around $299. They are made in Canada and come with a two year warranty. The Herbal Aire H2.1 fills a bag or draws directly from the unit. The Herbal Aire is the only Vaporizer on the market that does not require the user to grind their herb before use. The Herbal Aire actually works better without grinding the material. This model has so many more heat jets than a normal Vaporizer, it has been found to be more efficient and easier to use. This model is not digital; it comes with a simple manual temperature control. The one drawback to the Herbal Aire is that it fills a bag slower than its comparable counterparts. If patience isn’t your thing, you can buy an accessory pump for the Herbal Aire H2.1 that actually allows you to fill multiple bags at the same time in less time than the original unit fills one bag.

PORTABLE:

So now you know you want a Vaporizer, and you want a portable unit. There are four high quality models available ranging from simple and inexpensive to complicated and moderately priced.

Vapor Genie: Only $69, this model is the most inexpensive high quality Vaporizer on the market. The largest drawback to this Vaporizer is the fact that the user still needs a lighter. The herb chamber is below a ceramic stone. The user holds the lighter close enough to the ceramic stone to heat it to vaporization temperatures, and yet far enough away that the user doesn’t taste and inhale the butane from the lighter. Some would say this model is not truly a Vaporizer, others would say they love it and you can’t beat the price.

Vape-Or-Smoke: This model is one of the most unique Vaporizers on the market. At $129 it is an affordable high quality entry level model for vaporization. The Vape-Or-Smoke gets its name from the fact that the user can either vaporize or burn the material. It uses a torch lighter within the unit that when set on low, it heats the herb chamber just below the burning temperature. The number one feature of the Vape-Or-Smoke for many customers is the one handed ease of use with the unit. The manufacturer claims, and Smokin Js has verified, this unit is a favorite among motorcycle riders, snowboarders, and the handicapped.

Vapir NO2: At $189, this fully portable Vaporizer is affordable. The unit comes with a 1 year warranty. The NO2 uses a rechargeable battery as its power source. One added feature is that the user can use the power cord not only to recharge the battery, but to also power the unit. The NO2 is digital with an LCD temperature display to give you complete control of the vaporization experience.

Iolite: This model is the most technologically advanced Vaporizer to hit the market in years.  It uses James Bond Spy Technology:)  The model is the most compact Vaporizer on the market, and usually sells for $229. The Iolite actually uses butane gas as the power source for the Vaporizer. It doesn’t burn the gas like a lighter, but instead it converts the gas into a power source and leaches water as a byproduct. Customers have recounted stories of using the Iolite in hospitals and grocery stores. This model comes with a 2 year warranty. Iolite recommend owners to use the highest quality butane available. Smokin Js sells and recommends Vector butane filtered 5 times.

If you have any questions regarding Vaporizers, call Briana at 360-423-1090 or Jeff at 360-693-7010. They will be happy to help you with your decision.