Shii manual: how to use the electric hookah properly

Nils Große •Updated October 1, 2026 •11 min

The Shii is sitting in front of you, the box is open, and now what? In this manual we walk you through putting the Shii together, packing a pod, starting a session and cleaning the device afterwards, step by step.

A quick word on the idea behind it: the Shii is an all-in-one hookah, a complete setup in a single device, with no charcoal and no charcoal burner. How an electric hookah differs from classic models in general is explained in our guide to the electric hookah.

What the Shii's tech can do and why it is built the way it is, you can read in the overview Shii electric hookah 2026: everything you need to know. But this article is purely about practice.

What is in the box

Before you get going, take a quick look in the small drawer at the bottom of the box. That is where all the accessories are:

• Shii with Battery S: the device itself plus a battery you can swap at any time.
• Two stainless steel pods: identical in design to the XKAH pods, just with Shii branding.
• Hose with adapter and two-part mouthpiece: silicone at the bottom for your hand, stainless steel on top.
• USB-C cable: around 3 m long, for corded use.
• Pod tongs and fork tool: for taking out the hot pod and spreading the tobacco.
• Spare balls: in glass and in plastic, whichever you prefer.
• Dust cover: with a cut-out for the carry handle.

What is missing is a power adapter. For corded use you need a certified USB-C power adapter with Power Delivery and 65 W. More on that further down.

Setting up the Shii: the easy setup

Setting up the Shii is quite different from a classic hookah. A classic one consists of a base, a stem, a hookah bowl and a hookah hose. Before the session you poke lots of small holes into foil or put on a smokebox, and wait until the charcoal is fully glowing before you can put it on. With the Shii all of that is gone. The heating element takes over the job of the charcoal, and instead of a bowl you use pods.

The following steps apply to both colour variants of the Shii, technically they are identical. The balls in the downstem come pre-installed, so you do not have to fit them yourself. Extra balls are included in the box, though, so you can swap them to suit your preference.

1. Add water: Twist off the bottom part with a quarter turn and fill in water until the level sits halfway between the two lines in the viewing window. The lower line is the minimum, the upper one the maximum. So instead of aiming for 1 to 2 cm of downstem depth like on a classic hookah, you simply go by the lines here.
2. Close the base: Put the bottom part back on and twist it tight. The rubberised underside of the Shii keeps it from sliding around on the table.
3. Screw the mouthpiece together: Screw the handle and the stainless steel tube together. At the end of the hose the mouthpiece holds magnetically and rotates freely, which keeps your hose from twisting when you pass it on.
4. Connect the hose: Attach the hose adapter at the back of the device until the magnetic connection clicks in.
5. Check the battery: Press the small button on the battery at the back. Four LEDs show you the charge level.

Removing and fitting the heating element

The heating element comes off the body via the bayonet lock, you just turn it anticlockwise. The pod then goes into the body. To put it back on, either line up the pins or set the orange line on the lock symbol and tighten it with a quarter turn. If it does not fit, the line is probably sitting on the "open" marking, so just set it down once more in a different position.

Packing a Shii pod

Depending on the hookah tobacco, brand and moisture, a Shii pod takes around 10 to 12 g. Unlike a classic bowl, which you fill to about two thirds, you go by weight here. For accessories you need a mixing bowl, a precision scale and the fork tool.

If you have packed an XKAH pod before, you already know the principle. The pods are identical in design, so you can also use existing XKAH pods for your Shii.

For the next round: With the spare pod 2-pack you can pack the next session in advance while the first pod is still preheating.

shii shii Ersatz-Pod 2er-Pack Shisha View product

1. Mix the tobacco: Mix the tobacco well in the mixing bowl. For a mix of several flavours, add the dark component and stir everything thoroughly, or layer the tobacco in the pod to bring out different flavours one after the other. For mixing, take one to two grams more than you need so you are not short at the end.
2. Weigh the pod: Put the empty pod on the scale and tare it.
3. Add the first half: Put half of your tobacco into the pod first and spread it evenly with the back tip of the fork tool, so the mesh no longer shows through the tobacco.
4. Top it up: Add the rest of the tobacco loosely on top and spread it lightly, without pressing it down. In our test we ended up at 11.5 g.
5. Close it: Put the lid on the pod.

Inserting the pod correctly

1. Open: Turn the heating element anticlockwise to take it off.
2. Insert: Put the pod in so that you can read the Shii logo. Then it is the right way round, just like the pods in the XKAH and the XKAH Lite.
3. Close: Put the heating element back on and turn it tight.

Using the Shii: switching on, preheating, temperature

If you already own an XKAH, you will feel at home right away, the button logic is practically the same. Everything runs through the round button at the front and the encoder ring on top, which you use to set mode and temperature.

1. Switch on: Press the front button five times briefly. The device starts up and the light ring comes on. Now you choose how to preheat.
2. Choose the preheat mode: Turn the encoder ring to AUTO if you want to start in automatic mode, or to a fixed temperature. For a normal preheat, stay at 310 °C or below. The aggressive preheat only starts if you turn the ring all the way to 315 °C.
3. Start the preheat: Hold the front button for about two seconds until the Shii beeps. As long as the light ring is pulsing, it is still preheating. That takes around eight to ten minutes.
4. Start smoking: When the Shii beeps again and the light ring stays lit, the preheat is done. Now you can take the first draw.

Adjusting the heat during the session

Turn the encoder ring away from AUTO and the Shii leaves automatic mode, so you control the heat yourself. The light ring shows you the level: the higher the temperature, the darker it gets, from a warm yellow up to red. In our test a fruity dark mix ran best between 280 and 290 °C. If you want to go back, simply turn the ring to AUTO again. The automatic mode keeps calculating in the background and picks up where it would have been without your detour.

A small bonus for long conversations: according to the manufacturer, the Shii cools down a little if nobody draws for ten to fifteen minutes. That way the first draw after a break does not taste burnt.

Thanks to the built-in diffuser, the Shii is pleasantly quiet, so it works for a movie night on the sofa as well. To clear the smoke, blow briefly into the hose and the smoke flows out like a waterfall all around the base onto the table. The balls rattle audibly while you do it, that is normal.

During the session: silent mode, battery and cable

The most important moves during a session go through the front button and the battery at the back.

• Silent mode on and off: Press the front button four times. A beep confirms that silent mode is on. Press four times again to switch it off.
• Check the battery level: The button on the battery also works in the middle of a session.
• Swap the battery: Hold the device with one hand, flip up the small handle on the battery and pull it out. Simply slide the new battery back in, it holds magnetically. You have about three minutes for this, the Shii remembers where you were in the session in the meantime.
• Switch to corded use: Start the Shii first with a battery inserted that still has at least 10 to 15 percent charge. Only once it has started up do you connect the USB-C cable at the back.
• Charge your phone: You can also charge your phone through the USB-C port at the back during the session.
• Put the hose down: Flip up the carry handle on top and use it as a holder for hose and mouthpiece. To move the Shii, just carry it by the handle.

For long evenings: The Battery L has more capacity than the Battery S and can be swapped during use just the same. It comes in Ink Black and Silk Gray.

shii shii Battery L - Ink Black View product

Ending a Shii session

A session runs for 50 minutes, after that the Shii switches off the heating. If the tobacco still has something to give, simply start a new session and skip the preheat.

If you want to stop earlier, you end the session the same way you started the Shii: with five short presses on the front button. The Shii then slowly shuts down until the light ring goes off. Let the device cool down before you start cleaning.

Cleaning the Shii

Clean the base after every session. You clean the heating element with isopropyl alcohol, the base and the main body with water. For accessories you need isopropyl alcohol, paper towels, the pod tongs, a sponge and optionally a brush plus a base cleaner like Rocket Cleaner.

For the base: Our Rocket Cleaner loosens limescale and residue in the base, afterwards just rinse it out with clear water.

Moze Moze Rocket Cleaner Hookah Cleaner View product

Heating element

If you know the XKAH's heating tech and have cleaned one before, you know the routine. On the Shii it is hardly any different.

1. Take it apart: Pull off the hose and twist off the heating element.
2. Remove the pod: Take the pod out with the tongs, especially if it is still hot or you are not sure.
3. Pre-clean: Wipe off any thick molasses residue dry first.
4. Clean the heating plate: Fold a towel several times so you can get into the gaps, and put a little isopropyl alcohol on it. Clean the heating plate in circular motions and leave out the pins and the silicone rings. Isopropyl alcohol can damage that material.
5. Wipe dry: Wipe everything dry afterwards. Never leave the heating element upside down to dry, otherwise molasses residue can settle behind the heating plate.

If the heating plate discolours over time, that is completely normal and nothing to worry about.

Base and main body

You do not need isopropyl alcohol for these parts, it would only attack the material. The easiest way is to work with running water.

1. Battery out: Take the battery out before any water comes into play. A good moment to charge it straight away for the next session.
2. Base: Twist off the bottom part and pour out the water. Thanks to the wide opening you can easily get in with a sponge. If needed, rinse with Rocket Cleaner and dry the base.
3. Silicone pod holder: The silicone part in the top section that the pod sits in is deliberately tight so the airflow stays sealed. Loosen it with slow, circular movements. Dab off any molasses residue first, then clean it with water and dry it.
4. Stem and downstem: Hold the top section at an angle while rinsing to protect the electronics. Only let a little water run through the stem at low pressure, so nothing gets into the battery compartment. Alternatively, use a brush and make sure you neither touch nor wet the contacts.
5. Dry: The most important point comes last. Check with a towel that there is no moisture left, especially on the contacts. Only then put the top section back on, and the Shii is ready for the next session.

Typical beginner mistakes with the Shii

Most problems in the first few sessions have a simple cause. Before you start turning the temperature, go through these points:

• Pod the wrong way round: If you cannot read the Shii logo, the pod is upside down in the heating element.
• Pod packed too tightly: The top layer only goes on loosely. Pressed-down tobacco lets less air through and costs you flavour.
• 315 °C by accident: Turn the ring all the way to the right when starting and you end up in the aggressive preheat. That is way too much for Virginia.
• Empty battery on the cable: Without 10 to 15 percent charge left, the Shii will not start up even with the cable connected.
• A different hose: A standard hookah hose will not hold on the adapter. Use the Shii hose.
• Damp contacts: If you put the top section back on too soon after rinsing, you risk a defect. Better wipe it dry once more.

Author

Nils Große

Nils has been part of the team since 2022 and, as a copywriter and designer, turns well-founded hookah knowledge from the community and team into content that is clear, easy to understand and enjoyable to read.

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