A smokebox works similarly to the conventional methods, but the heat regulation is much less complicated and easier. HMDs are usually made of stainless steel or aluminum and are shaped like a kind of bowl. By placing the charcoal in this "charcoal tray", it is heated evenly by the charcoal and thus ensures even heating of the tobacco. This eliminates the need for annoying rearrangement of the charcoal. In addition, the trays have additional grooves/spacers inside, which ensure that the drawn air can also flow through below the coal. This ensures that the charcoal does not go out when it is placed on top, but air can flow all around. On the bottom, many HMDs have either nubs or bars, which serve to be able to establish a light contact with the tobacco without the entire surface of the HMD touching the tobacco. This ensures even heating of the tobacco and still provides a decent draft.
Often you hear that a smokebox is not suitable for beginners. We disagree and tell you why! We have written detailed instructions for the correct hookah bowl construction, with which it is easy even for beginners to do nothing wrong in the hookah bowl construction. This way, you as a beginner will get to know the hookah with full flavor right from the start, because the flavor of a shisha head with HMD differs significantly in the intensity of the flavor from the, often recommended for beginners, setup of clay bowl and chimney attachment.
The advantages of the smokebox are many. The first is that the taste and smoke development are significantly more intense than with a classic setup with chimney attachment. In addition, the heat is transferred very evenly to the bowl and the handling is relatively simple. Should the bowl ever get a little too hot, you can simply take a coal down. Sure, you could do that with a classic fireplace attachment, but it is with a fireplace attachment so that the heat is no longer evenly distributed. This is still the case with the HMD due to the different design. This also leads to the fact that the tobacco is heated evenly and thus burns evenly.
Furthermore, smokeboxes are extremely durable. They do get a little dirty over time, but this is not a cause for concern, as the functionality remains fully intact. Compared to smoking with aluminum foil, there is significantly less waste, since a new foil does not have to be used for each bowl, which can no longer be used after the bowl.
But besides all these advantages, there are also disadvantages that you should take into account. Regular cleaning of the HMD is necessary so that it does not have a negative impact on the taste. The purchase costs of some attachments should not be underestimated. An attachment can cost up to 60€. Furthermore, the coating of the attachment does not remain intact forever due to cleaning. Constant scratching leaves its mark, so scratches cannot be avoided - fortunately, this does not affect the performance, but only has an optical impact.
Cleaning should therefore not be neglected, so that the performance is consistent. With good handling, the Smokebox can be your faithful companion for several years. And those who have once enjoyed a hookah session with Smokebox will gladly accept the cleaning effort to experience the taste sensation again!
We have also written a post about smokebox cleaning. This guide will help you to maintain your smokebox gently.
Meanwhile, there are quite a few smokeboxes on the market and all work similarly well, but there are always manufacturers that are mentioned particularly often and are especially popular with hookah smokers. These include, among others, the Kaloud Lotus 1+, the Na Grani HMD, the AO HMD and, probably the most frequently mentioned, ONMO HMD. The Kaloud Lotus 1+ was the first really good smokebox to hit the market. In terms of performance, durability and optics, this was on a very high level and not to be compared with the cheaper models. In addition, there is a wide range of colors: from black to silver to fancy colors like green and purple. Therefore, this smokebox was the undisputed king on the throne.
With the release of the ONMO HMD, a new contender to the throne of aluminum smokeboxes has come into play. This is not inferior to the Kaloud in terms of performance in any point, but even overtakes it. However, the drawbacks here are that no lid is included - even if it is used in the rarest of cases - and so far it is only available in the silver color variant. Apart from that, there is an additional and much more important advantage of the ONMO HMD: the price. Namely, the popular model costs only 24.90€, which is less than half the price of the Kaloud Lotus 1+, which is usually 64.90€. It is probably for this very reason that it has risen to become the best-seller in the smokebox category! If you want to convince yourself of the incredible performance, take a look at our extensive range of smokeboxes and find your performance booster for your next hookah session!
Yes, it does not matter. Basically, all HMD models are suitable for any tobacco. It does not matter whether it is Virginia or Burley base tobacco. The brand of the hookah tobacco is just as unimportant. So you can smoke everything from Adalya, Holster to Darkside in one bowl with HMD attachment! By the way, here you can buy hookah tobacco from different brands! We have a large selection of tobacco for you in the store.
It is true that nowadays almost all bowls for hookahs are developed for a smoke box and thus also fit. This means that the bowls usually have a diameter of 7.5 cm at the tobacco depot. In our Hookah Online Shop assortment, all hookah bowls are designed for smoke boxes. This means you have a free choice here and can color coordinate your bowl with your hookah! In our Hookah Bowl + HMD Bundle category, we also offer sets of smokebox and hookah bowl, so you can even save a few euros when buying a set!
