HOOKAH COALS
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Hookah Charcoal
Hookah charcoals are fundamental to any shisha session, as they provide the consistent heat needed to fully unlock flavors and produce satisfying, dense clouds. While many types exist, coconut coals, derived from renewable coconut shells, remain a highly popular and recommended choice among enthusiasts. Their consistent heat output, extended burn time, and minimal ash production make them a superior option for a clean and enjoyable experience.
The market offers a wide array of excellent hookah charcoal brands, each with subtle differences in their manufacturing process that can affect heat intensity and burn duration. Whether you prefer flat, cubed, or small cubed shapes, choosing a reputable brand ensures you're getting a quality product that won't taint your shisha's flavor. Investing in good hookah charcoal is crucial for maximizing your session's potential.
At Hookah Vault, we offer a wide selection of premium hookah coals from renowned brands like Le Orange, CocoUrth, Coco Nara, Superior coco, Arka coals, Titanium coals, Tangiers coals, Shaman Hookah Coals, Qoco Turbo, and Three Kings. Our expert team carefully selects each brand, ensuring you receive only the highest quality hookah coals for an exceptional smoking experience.
How to Choose Hookah Coals
When selecting your hookah coals, it's wise to consider several key aspects: the type of coal, how long it burns, and its physical form.
Natural vs. Instant-Light Coals
Natural coals, frequently crafted from coconut shells, are often favored for their pure flavor profile, free from chemical additives. They offer a more extended burn time and produce less ash. In contrast, quick-light coals ignite rapidly with just a lighter, providing instant convenience. However, they might contain ignition chemicals that can subtly alter your shisha's taste.
Burn Duration and Heat Output
Think about how long you want your session to last. Natural coals provide a longer-lasting heat source, making them ideal for extended sessions. Quick-light coals, while convenient, have a shorter burn time. The actual shape of the coal also plays a role in how heat is distributed; for instance, cubes tend to offer more consistent and even heat than flat pieces.
Brand Reputation and Quality
Always seek out reputable brands known for using high-quality, natural materials. This commitment to quality ensures a cleaner, more enjoyable smoking experience, allowing the true flavors of your shisha to shine through without interference from the heat source.
Hookah Coal Types
Selecting the right type of hookah coal is vital, as they can greatly influence your overall smoking experience. With Hookah Vault, you don’t need to worry on what hookah coal you should use, here’s a guide on how to choose the right one!
- Flat Coals: These rectangular coals offer a shorter burn time, making them ideal for brief sessions. They are generally affordable and easy to use with hookah foil. However, they may not be suitable for all heat management systems.
Flat coals usually have consistent width and density, and quality that can vary depending on the brand. It regulates heat effectively and controls the weight on the foil to lower the risk of excessive tobacco burning. - Cubed Coals: Considered the gold standard, cubed coals offer consistent heat and a longer burn time. Their stable shape ensures even heating, making them ideal for various bowl sizes. Rotating the cubes during the session maximizes heat distribution and extends the smoking duration.
Cubed coals give the controlled heat requirement for many modern tobaccos, which have higher moisture content. Unlike other charcoal shapes, cubes can be managed by rotating them, resulting in a prolonged smoking session. With their reliability, ability to generate consistent heat, and convenient size for handling, cubed coals are expected to maintain their popularity as the go-to choice for shisha enthusiasts in the foreseeable future. - Small Cubed Coals: These offer a good balance of heat and burn time, while being lightweight and gentle on the foil. They are a great option for those seeking a longer session than flat coals but without the time commitment of larger cubes.
Its main feature and advantage?- being lightweight, they don't exert pressure on the foil, preventing it from sagging. This ensures the shisha tobacco doesn't get singed prematurely. Also, these coals don't impart their taste onto the heated tobacco, allowing the smoker to savor the full flavor of their chosen shisha blend.
- Silver Tab Coals: These Japanese bamboo-based coals provide a low to medium heat level, ideal for those seeking a more subtle smoking experience.
To light the Silver Tab Coal effectively, the best method is to use a pre-heated burner. Although they won't take as long as natural coconut coals to ignite, placing them on a pre-heated burner ensures a fast and even distribution of heat, typically taking 2-3 minutes at most. Take a closer look at these hookah coals and experience how they can elevate your setup, providing you with a lengthy and flavorful smoking session.
- Quick Light Coals: These convenient coals ignite quickly, making them ideal for those seeking a fast setup. However, they may not offer the same longevity or flavor neutrality as other options.
These coals are called "quick" because they light up fast and are convenient to use. However, they have some limitations. They may not last as long as other types of coals, and different brands might affect the flavor differently. So, depending on the brand you choose, you might notice some differences in taste when using these quick light coals.
Hookah Coal Prices
Hookah coal prices typically range from around $10 to $15 per kilogram, though this can fluctuate. When you're making a purchasing decision, several key factors beyond just the cost per kilo are important to consider. The brand's reputation for consistency and quality, the amount of ash it produces (less is usually better for a cleaner session), and its density, which affects burn time, are all crucial. Furthermore, the coal's shape—whether flat, cubed, or small cubed—impacts heat distribution and how well it integrates with your heat management system. Understanding these elements ensures you select the best coals for your preferred smoking experience.
Coals FAQs
The lighting method depends entirely on the type of coal you are using: Natural Coals or Quick-Light Coals.
- Natural Coals (Coconut): These cannot be lit with a standard lighter. They require a constant, high heat source. You must use an electric coil burner or an electric stove designed for this purpose.
- Quick-Light Coals: These can be lit with a standard lighter. When you light one, it will spark and smoke heavily for a minute. This is the chemical accelerant burning off. Do not use it yet. You must wait until the coal stops sparking and is completely covered in a layer of white-gray ash before placing it on your bowl.
You will need an electric coil burner (or an electric coil stove) to light natural coals properly.
- Place your natural coals directly on the electric coil.
- Turn the burner on to its highest setting.
- Wait for about 5-8 minutes. The bottoms of the coals should be glowing bright red.
- Using hookah tongs, carefully flip each coal over.
- Wait another 3-5 minutes until the coals are completely glowing red on all sides.
Do not use them if there are still black, unlit spots, as they will likely go out on your bowl.
Yes, but it highly depends on the type of stove you have.
- Electric Coil Stoves: Yes. It works very well on stoves with the raised, red-hot metal coils. This is what most electric hookah burners are based on.
- Glass/Flat-Top Stoves: It is strongly discouraged to light coals directly on a glass or flat-top stove. The intense, concentrated heat can leave permanent burn marks, stains, and can even cause the glass to crack, leading to a very expensive repair.
This is a very common problem, and it's almost always due to one of these three reasons:
- They were not lit properly. This is the #1 cause. If the coal has any black spots left on it, it means the center is not lit. A natural coal must be glowing red all the way through before you put it on the bowl.
- You are using poor-quality coals. Cheaper, off-brand coals often use bad binders or don't have enough combustible material, causing them to die out prematurely.
- There is not enough airflow. If your coals are ashing over and you don't manage them, the ash can suffocate the coal. This often happens with Heat Management Devices (HMDs). Try "ashing" them (tapping the ash off on the tray) or rotating them every 10-15 minutes to expose a new, hot side.
The consensus answer among almost all hookah enthusiasts is natural coconut coals.
They are considered the best for two main reasons:
- Clean Taste: They are made from 100% natural, compressed coconut shells and contain no chemical accelerants. This means they do not add any chemical taste or bad smell to your shisha.
- Long Burn Time: They burn 2-3 times longer than quick-light coals, providing a more stable, consistent heat for a much longer session (typically 45-60+ minutes).
Popular, high-quality coconut charcoal brands include Cocourth, Titanium, and Coconara.