This photo is from Hookah-Shisha.com

Male Fitting Tips

These tips have a long and slender conic shape that allows for the tip to be easily inserted and removed from the hose. Male fitting tips, commonly have a round knob on the end that is smooth and comfortable. There are also ergonimically shaped tips that have a wide and flat opening. These are commonly referred to as coco-tips, as that is also a name brand of  mouth pieces that are of this specific shape. The one major downfall to these tips is that they are very restrictive. They are made to fit inside hoses of the smallest and largest diameters. Since they are made to fit inside of a small hose, the end of the tip has to be made even smaller than the smallest hoses, to ensure that the tip will fit. This draw back can be easily combated by your choice of a sword, shank, or pocket knife. First, remove the tip from the plastic wrapper that it should be wrapped in. Second, place the tip into the hose tip and mark the depth with your fingernail. While still holding your finger nail in place, remove the mouth tip from the hose and cut the tip about a centimeter or two below your fingernail. Since the mouth piece is a cone, the extra length being removed opens up the diameter of the mouth tip and increases flow.

Female Fitting Tips

Tips of this nature seem to be more common in the lounges that I have been too. They don’t require any cutting and have a larger diameter in every aspect. Usually, the largest end of the tip is forced over the tip of the hookah hose and a supper tight seal is created from the pressure of the hose being forced up into the bottom of the mouth tip. It should be noted, that if you push the hose tip into one of these really hard the pressure causes these tips to be difficult to then remove. As long as you don’t Hulk Smash the thing or have hyperhidrosis of the hands you will be fine. I prefer these tips when using large gauge or luxury style hookah hoses. Although these “female fitting” mouth tips don’t usually fit over the large acrylic hose tip, they usually fit inside the wide gauge of the hose similar to the male fitting tips.

Don’t Get Sick and Die. Buy Them.

You can literally buy these just about anywhere that sells hookah related equipment. In the interest of saving you time here are some place to pick some up;

HookahJohn.com has all of the tips that are discussed. It should be said that the “coco tips” he sells come loose in a big bag and are not individually wrapped.

http://hookahjohn.com/Hookah-Miscellaneous-Necessities_c20.htm

These aren’t cheap but the form and function are unmatched

http://www.dirtcheaphookahs.com/kanara-hookah-female-mouth-tips-p-875.html

Conclusion

There is no excuse for not taking the proper precautions against illness while enjoying your shisha. These hygienic mouth tips can be purchased for pennies a piece and are readily available to consumers. For just a few dollars, you can help keep your friends and community safe from the spread of communicable diseases with these simple, cheap, and sometimes stylish attachments.

I contacted the maker of the Hookah Home, Jesse DePinto, telling him that I would like to review his product. He suggested that if I wrote an article about his product, and gave him my feedback, all I had to do was pay for shipping and the piece would be free.

Here is a sneak peek at the soon to be, newest legitimate addition to the world of hookah accessories. Designed by a 22 year old student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Hookah Homes are a simple, adjustable, and decorative way to keep nearly any sized hookah pipe from taking a nose dive. Eight pieces of mahogany stained Acai wood all fit together with no glue or hardware.  Just some simple physics and basic principles make this design possible.

Within five minutes, you can protect your hookah from a yank of the hose or a solid bump from the guy no one likes. The Hookah Home comes with one page(6 steps) of very simple instructions and after the first couple of times setting it up, all of it becomes a breeze. When constructing the dwelling for the first time, you will notice that there are pieces marked with white dots. These dots are guides for orientation and the rest is self explanatory.

How It Works

The base holds the three vertical slats in place while the top tier holds the slats in a position forcing them to flex, creating outward pressure. This outward force coupled with small notches in the slats makes for a way to secure the top tier that will end up holding the hookah stable. The collar is a circular piece of wood shaped like a doughnut. This doughnut is placed on the top tier and turned to fit the hookah for stabilization. This all works because the hole in the collar and top tier align off center of the unit. So, when the collar is turned, the collar and the top tier’s holes create an ellipse that synchs down on the hookah. Once the ellipse is synched around the hookah, two pins hold the collar in place and prevent it from moving.

What Does It Do

As it stands now, the Hookah Home will not hold your hookah so still that the coals will not fall off. The device can only lock on to a base of a hookah (when using a 10 inch or 12 inch base). Since it only holds the base in place, the stem is susceptible to wobble at the junction of stem and base. Even with the glass base of your hookah locked into place a decent bump to the stem or tray will cause the stem to shift and possibly dump your coals.

What it will do is keep your hookah from all out falling over. When locked in to the Hookah Home, a pipe can be pulled and released from about a 30 degree angle and still be able to recover on its own. A quick yank of the hose, that may have once tipped the coals off the bowl, could be absorbed by the Hookah Home. Smoking outside will be a lot easier because the Hookah Home creates stability on grass, gravel, and uneven decking.

Bonus Points

The top tier of the piece is a perfectly convenient place to rest or hang coal tongs. When your session is over, you can wrap the hose around the stem of the hookah and rest the handle on the elevated platform. No more does your tip need to drag through dust bunnies after being insufficiently wrapped around the stem and handle left to hang.

In Conclusion

Despite the possible need for minor technical changes, the design is classy and functional. It will secure your hookah in a stained acai enclosure and prevent your setup from totally tipping over. Coal burns are in no way a thing of the past. This device is simply a preventative measure and not guaranteed protection. The Hookah Home is an accessory that will make smoking on gravel, grass, boulders, logs, cars, river banks, and beaches very possible in your near future.

When and Where:

The only place that I know of that will be selling Hookah Homes is HookahJohn.com. Jesse says that they will be arriving to HJ’s doorstep in May. Jesse would like the suggested retail price to be about $40. Time will tell what it actually ends up being.

Shortly after I received the bowl, for reasons unknown to me, John decided to release the product to the market for test run. The bowl has sold so well it is safe to say that this product will be a fixture at HookahJohn.com.

Playing off of his HJ mini Alien Bowl, he has created a HJ Flying Saucer Bowl (FSB). The design is a hybrid of the Alien’s small saucer shape and the familiar concept of a vortex, which is similar the the widely available Sahara Smoke Vortex bowl. Although, I think I have read somewhere that Eric, of Tangiers Tobacco, claims to have created the first vortex bowl years ago. Like most of Eric’s Creations, it was supposedly sent to the trash for reason unknown to me.

It is very easy to see the concept behind the FSB. The center spire protrudes just above the crest of the bowl and instead of one giant hole going down the center (like a phunnel) the spire has four rectangular holes on its sides. Once you get over the uneasiness of seeing the middle of your bowl with a bulging lump surrounded by pleated foil, foiling and packing the FSB are just about the same as the Alien and will yield about the same results.

I can’t tell you how durable this thing is. I’m not going to throw this bowl down the hallway just to tell you how went. The only reference I can give you is that it is made of the same material that the Mini Aliens are made out of and seems to be constructed to about the same specifications. Its not a sissy bowl, but it might break if you slip up just once.

How it works

I have come to believe that the FSB is heating the tobacco in a different way than the old phunnels. A phunnel bowl absorbs heat from the coals that are set on the edge of the bowl. That heat is coming from the outside (walls) and going in (the center spire). The FSB is doing exactly the opposite and providing fantastic heat distribution. By setting the coals on top of the spire, the spire is drawing heat to the center of the bowl and distributing it outward.

On an Alien Phunnel bowl, the shallowest part of the bowl is the outer rim. That has always been the point of contact for the coals and subsequently the hottest part of the bowl. With this new design the deepest part of the bowl, the part with the most tobacco, has become the hottest point in the bowl. As the heat is drawn out to the shallow edges, it dissipates and creates a cooler climate for the thinly spread tobacco.

The new raised spire does way with the old days of occasional air lock (when the foil hits the spire “locking it up”). The new height also lets the smoker “dial in” coal temp. For a cooler smoke, set the coals on top of the spire. If the coals are dying down, just move them down the slope so the coals will be closer to the tobacco providing more efficient heat application.

BEWARE!

The raised spire leaves the foil with a very noticeable slant. If you are an oober klutz and/or you bump the hookah, you will be losing your deposit on your apartment. The steep grade of the bowl is unforgiving.  I already burned a hole in my floor. To offset this drawback, us rectangular or cube shaped coals and keep them fresh so as not to lose their edges and take a dive. Although the grade of the foil leaves your floors and hardwoods susceptible to mini flaming avalanches, I have found that the flying saucer bowl is worthy of being in every enthusiast clay collection. Implementing a foil crown will give you the security you desire and the bowl will yield the flavor your looking for.

Conclusion

Although the Flying Saucer bowl is not a revolutionary product and will not replace the HJ mini alien bowl, this newly designed hookah bowl has made smoking heat sensitive tobacco a breeze. If tobacco is packed and treated just like it would be in the HJ Mini Alien Bowl the Flying Saucer bowl will match or beat the flavor results every time.  I have found that clouds are not always as impressive in this bowl, but that may be because of the bowl’s tendency to remain cool.

This Tangiers Tobacco was purchased out of pocket for $16.95 from HookahJohn.com. It can be found at many online retailers.

Rating

Flavor: 5.0/5, Smoke, 5/5, Resilience: 4/5, Longevity: 3.5/5

• The flavor is medium.
• The smoke is nice and thick.
• It will burn, but slowly.
• The flavor dies as time goes

Cut & Composition

This tobacco has a medium choppy cut. There is a moderate amount of thick and sticky juice.

Price & Quantities Available

· 250g – 9.99 HookahSet.com

· 3 X 250g – $41.99 Hookah-Shisha.com ($13.99)

· 5 X 250g – $69.95 HookahJohn.com ($13.99)

The Experience

Everyone I have shared this flavor with has really enjoyed it. I have smoked hundreds of grams of this tobacco in the past and always find myself enjoying it just as I did the first time. Typical to Tangiers tobacco, it is a low heat tobacco and will burn if you are not thoughtful of your heat. The flavor will die as time goes by. Lastly, since this is part of the Lucid line, it is a washed tobacco and does not need to be acclimated.

The Flavor

Two puffs into a session and you will find yourself reminiscing about times when you were a kid sitting pool side with a fist full of blue Sour Punch Straws and a can of Surge. The flavor is almost identical to those flavor packed tubes of punchy sour goodness. Being that this is a washed tobacco that contains little nicotine, this is another tobacco that should be in everyone’s stash.

The Insight

This is Tangiers Tobacco at its best. This is a unique flavor to the tobacco market that is a great break from the monotony of fruits and spices. Though, it should be said that its sweetness may be too forceful for some.

Who Should Try This Flavor

Smokers that are looking for something new to add to their usual line up will enjoy this flavor just as much as the Starbuzz addict looking for their new fix. People that enjoy flavors with a sour punch or sweet airy draw will fall head over heal for this truly great flavor.

The fact is that Tangiers Tobacco makes a line called “Noir” that also goes by the name “OG Tangiers”. This is an unwashed tobacco that has full bodied flavors and a buzz that will sneak up from behind and clock you in the face if you don’t take it slow or you’re not used to it. The nicotine levels in the tobacco actually change the chemistry of the tobacco calling for some TLC to get the desired smoke.

What The Heck is Acclimation

Acclimation is simply the process of letting the tobacco adopt the humidity levels of the local atmosphere. The owner of Tangiers, Eric Huffman has always told people to acclimate the unwashed tobacco after they receive it.  This is done so that the optimum balance of mando flavor and those sought after thunder clouds can be achieved. If the tobacco is not acclimated properly the shisha will smell like barbecue sauce and yield thin clouds clouds that are very harsh and nearly impossible to enjoy. Keep in mind though, this is doesn’t relate to most of the big name tobacco out there. For now, this is a process that is pretty much exclusive to the Tangiers brand.

The “420″ Acclimation Method

Since the tobacco is processed and packaged in San Diego where, for the most part the climate is dry, the smoker was told to treat the tobacco with the “420″ method. This is done to get the tobacco’s chemistry in order for the best smoking session. The “420″ method consist of emptying the vacuumed sealed bag in to a shallow air tight container. The tobacco is to be left out for four hours while stirring every hour. Then, after the initial four hour period, the container is to be sealed for 20 more hours. All of this is done because the humidity in San Diego is most likely not similar to that of where the smoker lives. I’m no chemist and I can’t really explain why this works, but who really cares… (more here)

The Low Down

Here is the whole point I’m making. There is a new, simpler, quicker technique that, so far, has seen success (by myself and others) to instantly acclimate Tangiers Noir Tobacco. Before removing the tobacco from the sealed bag, massage the bag for 4-5 minutes. This completely mixes the tobacco in its “San Diego” climate controlled bag. Then, empty the tobacco in to your shallow air tight container, and let it sit for another 5-10 minutes.

I did this last night with Noir Guava and it worked perfectly. This process is still under discussion and testing, so each flavor may react differently and as of now, no one can guarantee that it will work every time for every person on every continent. And, if it doesn’t work out the first time, just fall back on the tried and true “420″ method. No harm, no foul.

This Hookafina Electric Lotus tobacco was purchased from Al- Tarboush Deli in St. Louis Missouri. It can also be found on many online retails sites for about $17-$18.

Rating

Flavor: 2.0/5, Smoke, 4.5/5, Resilience: 4/5, Longevity: 5/5

• The only reason I gave Flavor a 2 and not a 1 is because there is a floral taste to it.
• The smoke is big and light.
• It will burn, but slowly.
• Flavor last the entire session

Cut & Composition

This tobacco has a medium cut and its sopping wet with an exorbitant amount of light, oily, syrup.

Price & Quantities Available

• 50g – $4.99 TexasHookah.com
• 10 X 50g – $39.50 TheHookah.com
• 250g – $16.49 Hookah-Shisha.com
• kilo – $59.50 TheHookah.com

The Experience

I tried multiple setups when smoking this tobacco in an effort find a tolerable way to  way to smoke it. When packed in an HJ mini alien phunnel bowl the flavor was so strong and so sweet it made my lungs feel like I was huffing paint. Packing the tobacco in a Sahara Smoke Vortex bowl just lets the juices run to the bottom of the bowl leaving the top to char and the bottom still wet. I settled on folding a paper towel over the tobacco to soak up some (not all) the juices. Then I packed it to a medium density in an alien bowl with two Chronic Hookah nats on top. I found that if you light three coals and start with two, the third coal can be added in about 30 minutes into the session to maintain a suitable level of heat. Although I soaked up some of the syrup, the flavor did last throughout the entire session.

The Flavor

Electric Lotus should be renamed Little Girl’s first perfume. If you could take the drip tray from a Slushy machine and pour it over some tobacco and then sprinkle it with sugar and pollen… you would have this stuff. The flavor is as vague as the name is. There is a noticeable generic “flower” flavor but other than that there are no distinguishable fruits or spices in this flavor.

The Insight

I suspect that most people won’t be able to tolerate more than about 30 minutes of this flavor. Though with some treatment (like sopping up, and throwing away some of the syrup before packing the bowl) you may find something you enjoy. But it definitely wasn’t for me.

Who Should Try This Flavor

It’s hard to imagine who would enjoy this flavor. Big fans of floral flavors may enjoy it. But if floral flavors are your forte there are probably other offerings out there that you will enjoy a lot more. If you’re going to give it a try, be sure to get a sample size first.

This Tangiers Noir Grapefruit flavor was purchased out of pocket from HookahJohn.com. Tangiers Noir tobacco is available for $14.95 in a 250g bag from HookahJohn.com. No matter how a product is obtained HookahReport will always report back an honest unbiased opinion.

Rating

Based on: Flavor: 3.5/5, Smoke, 4.5/5, Resilience: 2.5/5, Longevity: 3/5

Cut & Composition

Tangiers Noir Grapefruit is a medium cut, moist tobacco with very few small stems, lending itself to the typical Tangiers characteristics.

Price & Quantities Available

Prices from HookahJohn.com

• 250g – $14.95
• 250g – $14.31 in a 3 pack
• 250g – $11.99 in a Madness 5 pack

The Experience

This review was done using a new HJ mini alien phunnel and two Chronic Hookah Natural coals. I found this to be a skittish flavor that is hard to get right. This flavor produced typical Tangiers mando clouds that lasted throughout the entire two hour session, even when the flavor began to die down. The most disappointing aspect of this flavor is its tendency for the fruit flavor to take a back seat to an ashy flavor.

The Flavor

The flavor is light, airy, and easy to overheat. The grapefruit flavor is spot on to its name though; there is a nice citrus flavor backed with a bitter flavor that you would expect from an actual grapefruit. If the tobacco can be smoked successfully, it could be a very pleasant smoke on a hot, muggy day. Since the flavor is not heavy and thick like you might expect from Tangiers it might just become a summer smoke for the more experienced hookah enthusiasts.

The Insight

This grapefruit is a cowardly flavor that is hard to bring clouds and flavor to a proper balance. While keeping the heat low seems to be an insurmountable task for some that are new to Tangiers, this flavor is so touchy that it will generate an ash taste without becoming harsh or burning. I have found that keeping the coals to the edge of the bowl while circulating them constantly is the only defense from sending the session into a dizzying spiral of blahh.

EDIT: This shisha is better suited for a HJ Flying Saucer Bowl since the heat can be kept low.

Who Should Try This Flavor

Tangiers’ rendition of Grapefruit is a delightful light smoke that could be enjoyed by many people. People that tend to lean towards citrus flavors will like this flavor as well as those that may be the neighborhood mixologist. Tangiers Grapefruit should be left to those more equipped to handle the frustrations that arise while experimenting with Tangiers Noir.

Full Disclosure

This Social Smoke flavor was purchased out of pocket. Regardless, we always make every effort to review honestly regardless of what means were used to acquire the product. Social Smoke tobacco is available for $18.95 in a 250g tin directly from Social Smoke.

Rating

***½~ (3.5/5)

Based on: Flavor: 3.5/5, Smoke, 4.5/5, Resilience: 4/5, Longevity:3/5

Cut & Composition

Social Smoke Ginger Bread is a medium cut, slimy tobacco with a few small stems, none of which have been found disruptive to the packing process.

Price & Quantities Available

• 100g – $8.99
• 250g – $18.59
• 1kg – $62.00

The Experience

Gingerbread wastes no time getting started. The richest flavor and smoke are available within a few draws with adequate heat. The smoke is fairly impressive in the thickness department. The flavor is distinct, but not overwhelming. Overheating the tobacco will destroy the flavor producing an unpleasant burnt taste that the bowl will not recover from once heat is reduced, so watch your heat carefully. The session lasted about an hour and thirty minutes before the flavor and smoke began to die out quickly.

The Flavor

Gingerbread is somewhat true to its name. It does have a spicy ginger flavor, but it lacks the distinct sweetness of the cookie. That’s not to say it’s unpleasant. In fact, it’s quite nice. But it comes across as more of an almost tangy, spice flavor than a sweet Christmas-themed one.

The Insight

I’ve very much enjoyed Social Smoke’s Gingerbread. Though I’d hoped embody a Christmas-y nostalgia in hookah-smoke form. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. I’d suspect Gingerbread would make a great mixing ingredient in other flavors—perhaps mixed with cola flavors to make a kind of ginger ale ensemble. Though given this is a seasonal flavor, it’s unlikely I’ll have a chance to test that theory out.

Who Should Try This Flavor

I think it’s all about the spice fans here. If you love spicy mixes, like cardamom and cinnamon, you’ll probably really enjoy this one. If you’re hoping for something to smoke while opening gifts on Christmas morning, you might want to check out Tonic’s Cinnamon Roll or Social Smoke’s Cinnamon Spice.

As a preface to the description of his alien phunnel just to make sure everyone is on the same page with the details, John writes:

“Before I start the description I want everyone to know that without Eric Hoffman of Tangiers this product would not be available anywhere. He is the true inventor of the Phunnel bowl from its design to the quality of materials used”

John has made many changes on the Alien’s design over its life time. None of the design elements have changed much between batches, until now. John has taken what was once a good bowl and has designed a great bowl. This bowl is one that any serious hookah smoker would be proud to own.

The most noticeable difference is the change in color schemes. John has added six new colors to the lineup but the one in question for this review is the “Blue Surf”. The color looks artful and worn. The variations of color depth and swirling texture are a beautiful deviation from the original.

When observing the structure of the bowl as compared to my “True Red” alien (purchased almost two years ago), the bowl is much sleeker and more stream lined. The diameter of the bowl remains unchanged but the depth of the bowl has been increased noticeably. With the greater depth, come steeper angled walls, bringing along sharper edges that seem to grab onto the foil when being applied. This sharper edge may or may not be appealing to you depending on how your skills are at foiling a bowl. Although I have not tried to test durability, I could imagine the bowl breaking if it were to be dropped or knocked off a counter top.

While the overall shape has been slimmed down, the inner diameter of the neck has also been made a bit smaller. In this picture, a dollar bill has been rolled up to the diameter of the neck and placed down and in the bowl so as to protrude out. This was done to continue that diameter up and out so it can be more easily photographed.

Something that I have found a bit displeasing is the lopsided angle at which the crest of the bowl slants. As with all hand made goods, there will be variations and yours may not have this issue. The bowl that I received slants to one side by a few degrees, and if the foil is not pulled absolutely tight, the foil will get sucked onto the spire.

Overall this bowl performs far better than John’s 60 minute claim and is a spectacular shisha bowl. Since the original phunnel bowls were created to smoke Tangiers, I have been testing this bowl with multiple flavors of Tangiers tobacco. By using Eric’s packing methods outlined in one of John’s YouTube videos, and Chronic Hookah Natural coals, I have achieved multiple two hour long sessions. The smaller gauge neck did not make a noticeable difference during my sessions and the slimmer design still conducted enough heat for a long enjoyable session.

In Conclusion

If you’re a fan of the original phunnel bowls, you will not be disappointed with this one. But keep in mind, because of subtle adjustments to the shape and design, as well as variations in craftsmanship, you might need to adjust your packing and foiling technique. So should you upgrade? Maybe. It’s going to be a matter of preference. If you find your current Alien Phunnel bowl wanting, you might find this updated version to be a mark improvement. But if you’re quite satisfied with your current Alien Phunnel bowl, you might want to wait until a drunken party guest knocks your bowl off the table.

In addition to the new packaging, the revised recipes make significant improvements to the smoking experience. Upon opening the package, the first thing you’ll likely notice is that the tobacco is significantly more moist. Upon breaking it up, you’ll also find that the tobacco is cut longer and there even appears to be a bit more of it. The actual look and feel of the tobacco is a bit more like Hookah-Hookah’s alternative brand, Ayam Zaman.

Hookah-Hookah claims the new tobacco “has been reformulated with Better Ingredients, to deliver Richer Taste, Thicker Clouds and a Stronger Buzz.” Sahara Smoke was kind enough to send some new flavors (which will be reviewed in coming days and weeks), as well as some older flavors that we’ve already reviewed. Initial experiences suggest all of these are true, with the exception of perhaps the delivering a “stronger buzz”. However, any seasoned smoker will have difficulty picking up on a change to the buzz intensity.

The most notable change, however, is the longevity of the smoke. Where Sahara Smoke tobacco has historically been somewhat fickle in how long a single bowl will last, the new formula seems to deliver a more consistent, longer experience.

The price of Hookah-Hookah tobacco has also been increased from $14.95 for a 250g jar, to $19.95 for a 250g jar.