Chapter 1: How Does a Hookah Work

Last updated on 02/20/2025 | Reading time approx. 08:54min

Before we dive in, we would like to place a small disclaimer here. Smoking is inherently harmful, and in our blog article: "How Harmful Is Hookah Smoking?" we go into detail on this topic and explain the difference between cigarettes vs. hookah.

Since smoking is undoubtedly harmful, the German legislature has decided that the consumption of tobacco products and tobacco substitute products is only permitted from the age of 18. You can find more information on this in the blog post: "At What Age Can You Smoke Hookah?".

Therefore, we would like to emphasize here: Please do not start smoking before your 18th birthday. Now that we have clarified that, we can get started. In the following section, we will discuss the basic principle of a hookah.

1.1 The Basic Principle Explained

Have you ever wondered how a hookah actually works? The principle is quite simple: The heated charcoal causes the tobacco in the phunnel to vaporize. The smoke that is produced is drawn through the downstem into the glass base and the bowl by the vacuum you create in your lungs. There, the smoke is cooled by the water before you inhale it through the hose and mouthpiece. Since the tobacco is not actually burned but rather "smolders" and the smoke is cooled by the water in the glass base, smoking a hookah is much more pleasant and gentler than other forms of tobacco consumption.

In our next chapter, you will learn how to find the right hookah for you.

1.2 Which Hookah Is Right for Me?

If you are looking for your first or perhaps even your next hookah, there are a few basic points you should consider when making your decision, starting with the size of the hookah, the material, and the functionality. One of the most important questions you should ask yourself first is: Where do you want to use your hookah? There are various models that could be perfect for you depending on your intended use.

1.2.1 Size and Purpose of a Hookah

Let's be honest, in many areas, it is assumed that bigger is synonymous with better. The truth, however, is that the size of a hookah has little influence on its smoking behavior. And if you think about it logically, the opposite is actually the case. The smoke has to travel less distance in a small hookah and mixes with less air in the pipe, so you should even get denser smoke when smoking with a small hookah. In reality, however, this difference is almost imperceptible. Nevertheless, it is important for us to debunk this myth. With hookahs, bigger does not mean better.

You should base your decision on the size of your hookah more on how much space you have available and how and where you want to use it. If the hookah should take up as little space as possible and perhaps even travel with you regularly, a travel hookah like the Amotion Roam is the best pick for you.

If your hookah should have all the functions of a large hookah but not disturb you on your desk or while binge-watching on the couch table, a small hookah is the best choice. Medium and large hookahs, on the other hand, are perfect if you have more space available, want your pipe to stand on the floor while smoking, or if you want to smoke with several people together.

1.2.2 What Materials Should a Hookah Be Made Of?

The materials also play an important role in choosing a hookah. Stainless steel models are particularly robust, easy to clean, and extremely durable, while aluminum models are lighter but can tarnish over time. Most hookahs are made from one of these two materials. For the glass base, pom is often used, which is naturally not as hard as metal but still durable and quite robust.
Our hookahs are made of stainless steel wherever the pipe could come into contact with smoke, to prevent your hookah from absorbing flavors.

From other manufacturers, there are hookahs that are made entirely of glass or even from other materials such as copper. Many of these materials require a lot of maintenance, so you should inform yourself in advance about how to clean a specific hookah. Ultimately, of course, you have to decide whether you prefer a certain look over another and whether you are willing to make certain compromises in handling or maintenance.

1.2.3 What Features Does Your Hookah Need?

When it comes to features, there are many differences. Both between manufacturers and between the different hookahs of a single manufacturer, these differences can be very significant.

The basic function of any hookah is the draw; it's best to try out for yourself which type of draw you prefer. If you like a very open draw, for example, you will appreciate many of our pipes. If you prefer a more traditional feel when smoking, you should also look for such pipes. Another standard feature is the ability to vent a pipe (blow-off), so you can blow stale smoke out of your pipe.

For a few years now, there have been pipes with interchangeable blow-offs, removable diffusers, detachable downstems, and/or detachable smoke columns, as well as hookahs with a different number of hose connections. In addition, there are also very rare features like the Push-to-Purge system of our Moze Breeze Pro, with which you can cool down an overheated phunnel.

Many of these features are more or less gimmicks that don't add much to the two basic functions of a hookah but do bring variety and can also be practical. It's best to inform yourself in advance about what makes sense for you, because at the end of the day, you have to decide for yourself which features are important to you and which you can do without.

1.2.4 Push Bowl or Screw Bowl?

A not unimportant factor of a hookah is its bowl. A bowl influences the stability of a hookah, its handling, and also the appearance of your pipe is significantly influenced by it. Depending on whether you choose a push or screw system, you have many different options available. Screw systems are usually much more limited in their choice, but they are 100% airtight, which can sometimes be the case with push bowls depending on the condition of the seal, glass base, and neck diameter. For such cases, we have various products in our range, such as the Moze Perfect Fit seal sets.

So much for choosing your hookah. In the next step, we will look at which accessories you should definitely get from the start and which are rather optional.

1.3 What Else Do I Need to Start Smoking Hookah?

In the previous chapter: “Which Hookah Is Right for Me?” we broke down some points that should help you choose a hookah. If you are still undecided and have not yet looked at this chapter, you should definitely do so.

As with any hobby, there is also a huge selection of accessories when it comes to hookahs. But what do you really need to start smoking hookah?

For the basic function, you need:

• Tobacco, or something to smoke
• Phunnel with good heat conduction properties in which you place your tobacco
• Hookah charcoal to vaporize the tobacco
• Charcoal lighter to ignite the charcoal
• HMD, to place the charcoal in
• Charcoal tongs, to grip the charcoal

and depending on the scope of delivery of your hookah, a mouthpiece and a hose.

Another not unimportant hookah accessory is a charcoal tray, as it is possible to carry charcoal with tongs from the lighter, across the apartment, to the HMD or to carry the HMD with the charcoal around, but you risk fire damage from falling burning charcoal in your apartment. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you purchase a charcoal tray.

1.4 What Other Accessories Are There That Are Not Absolutely Necessary but Nice to Have?

Of course, apart from the absolutely necessary accessories, there are also various nice-to-have accessories that only become necessary when you smoke hookah regularly, want to take your enjoyment to the next level, or simply want to invest a little more money in your hobby. These include, for example, all kinds of mats and coasters, phunnel building tools, molasses catchers, tobacco jars, wind or heat shields, and phunnel plugs.

1.5.1 What You Should Know About Hookah Tobacco.

Let's come to the heart and favorite topic of all hookah enthusiasts, hookah tobacco. Even if we simplify it a bit now, we basically distinguish between two main categories: Virginia and Burley tobacco or Dark Blend tobacco.

Virginia tobacco is characterized by a low nicotine content and a sweet, almost subtle tobacco flavor, while the nicotine strength of Dark Blend or Burley tobacco covers a medium to strong nicotine spectrum. In addition, Burley tobacco has a much more pronounced spicy tobacco note than its light counterpart.

Especially beginners should inform themselves about how strong a tobacco is before buying. Otherwise, they risk a nicotine shock, which can have unpleasant consequences for them. A small guide on how to estimate the strength of a tobacco can be found in our shop. On our Hookah Tobacco page, we offer you various filter options with which you can filter tobacco varieties, for example, by nicotine strength or flavors. This way, you can only display tobacco varieties that are of interest to you.

1.5.2 How Do I Find the Right Hookah Tobacco for Me?

Taste is a very individual matter. Just as with food, the same applies to hookah tobacco: What makes one person grimace in disgust is a delight for another, and vice versa. Depending on whether you prefer it sweet, sour, fruity, savory, floral, refreshing, subtle, or puristic, there is a vast array of tobacco varieties that all differ from each other. And even if several manufacturers take the same flavor as a model, the resulting tobacco varieties can go in completely different directions.

If you have no idea about hookah tobacco, it is advisable to first see what the majority of the hookah community likes. In our newsletter, for example, we always present the top 10 tobacco varieties of the last month at the beginning of the month to provide inspiration and guidance.

But we are also happy to help you find the perfect tobacco for you elsewhere. For example, in blog articles like: Best Hookah Tobacco Varieties or Hookaze Pro-Picks we present many tobacco varieties that we think are particularly delicious.

Another supportive measure on our part is sample packs. In our shop, you will find sample packs compiled by us on different topics. For example, a beginner's pack for Russian Dark Blend, a collection of the most popular varieties from Holster, or a pack with the most popular fruity varieties from Blackburn Tobacco.

FAQ: How does a hookah work?