Chapter 2: What You Should Know Before Smoking a Hookah

Last updated on 20.02.2025 | Reading time approx. 09:27 min

In the previous chapter, we looked at what you need to know about the functions and components of a hookah. Now, let's move on to the practical part.

Let's assume you have everything you need to smoke a hookah and are ready to start. But before you begin, there are a few points you should consider to ensure an enjoyable first session!

2.1 Setting Up the Hookah

You're holding the box with your hookah, opening it, and ... all you see are individual parts. Before you can start, you need to assemble the whole thing first.

This is not a problem at all. In the chapter "Explaining the Basic Principle" and in the blog article "How Does a Hookah Work?", we explained the parts of a water pipe and familiarized ourselves with the terminology.

It's best to start with the glass base, insert the balls into the designated holes, and attach both the downstem and diffuser at the bottom, as well as the smoke column, charcoal tray, and bowl adapter on top of the base. Depending on the hookah design, a sleeve may be placed in between, and finally, you need to attach the appropriate seals over the bowl adapter and base.

Since some hookahs are easier to set up than others and we want you to be perfectly familiar with your hookah, we have created a step-by-step video guide for assembling all our hookahs. You will receive this guide as soon as you purchase one of our hookahs from the Moze online shop. But we also provide them here so you can compare the differences between our hookahs.

Here are the links to our hookah assembly guides:

• AMOTION Valve
• AMOTION Flash Bang
• AMOTION FUTR
• Moze Breeze Two
• Moze Breeze Pro
• Moze Varity
• Moze Sphere 2

2.2 Rinsing the Hookah Before Use

When you purchase industrially manufactured equipment that you put in your mouth, eat from, or drink from, it's generally a good idea to clean it before use. This also applies to a hookah, as you inhale smoke through it. With cheaper models, lubricants such as production oils may still be present on the metal parts. Even though this is not the case with our products, it is always advisable to remove such residues as a precaution. This prevents unwanted contaminants from affecting the taste of your hookah, ensuring you do not inhale harmful substances.

2.3 Burning Off the Hookah Smokebox

As mentioned in the previous chapter, cleaning new equipment is essential for good flavor and to avoid inhaling unwanted substances. This applies especially to the smokebox. Aluminum and stainless steel are processed using oil-based lubricants and coolants. Therefore, it is advisable to burn off a smokebox before its first use. This prevents the formation of harmful gases that you might inhale and ensures that your tobacco’s flavor remains pure.

2.4 Water Level in the Hookah

Once everything is properly cleaned, you can continue with the actual preparations for smoking. First, you should add water to your glass base. Each bowl has a different shape and thus a different capacity. Therefore, the amount of water you need can vary greatly.

It is essential to ensure that the downstem extends into the water so that the smoke is cooled as it passes through. The hookah's blow-off function will also only work if the downstem is submerged. As a rule of thumb, if you're using a diffuser, your downstem should be submerged about a pinky finger’s width into the water. If smoking without a diffuser, it should be at least the width of your thumb.

Finding the right water level might take some trial and error at first, but once you’ve determined the perfect amount, you can measure it using a scale or measuring cup for consistency. This way, you won’t have to guess every time you prepare your setup.

A special case is hookahs like our Amotion Roam. Due to their design, the water level is not visible. You can either find the perfect water level through trial and error or ask the manufacturer for guidance. For our Amotion Roam, we recommend filling it with 60–65 ml of water. Using significantly more water may result in water being drawn into the hose.

2.5 Packing the Hookah Phunnel

Flavor is all about the phunnel when smoking a hookah. The most critical part of enjoying a hookah is the way you pack the bowl. In this section, you’ll learn how to build your phunnel optimally to maximize flavor and smoke output.

2.5.1 Preparations

Before you start packing the bowl, it’s important to stir your hookah tobacco well. This helps distribute the molasses evenly, ensuring a consistent session. We recommend using proper tools and a phunnel mat to keep your workspace clean. Molasses can stain porous wooden surfaces permanently.

2.5.2 Different Phunnel Setups

There are several ways to pack a hookah phunnel, and you must ensure the bowl does not overheat. Signs of overheating include poor smoke output, a harsh taste, or an unpleasant scratchy sensation in your throat. If this happens, adjust the number and placement of your coals accordingly. Heat management is easiest with an aluminum HMD like the ONMO, whereas aluminum foil setups require more skill. Therefore, we recommend beginners invest in a high-quality phunnel and an ONMO HMD, as it offers the best price-to-performance ratio.

Classic Clay Phunnel

A multi-hole clay phunnel like the UPG is traditionally smoked with aluminum foil or a chimney attachment. Loosely fill your tobacco into the phunnel and distribute it evenly in the bowl. If you want to use foil, you can either use four layers of household aluminum foil or a layer of heavy-duty foil. Stretch the foil tightly over the phunnel and poke small holes in it. If you have a chimney attachment, you can use it instead of the foil, or you can place the attachment’s screen on top of the foil and then place the charcoal on it. This provides an extra layer of burn protection and prevents the charcoal from easily sliding off the edges.

Phunnel with Smokebox

Loosely distribute the tobacco around the central hole and use a pointed tool like a poker to evenly spread the tobacco flakes. Place your smokebox on the phunnel and position the charcoal inside. When preparing a phunnel, it's recommended to leave a small gap between the tobacco and the edges of the bowl.

Phunnel with Aluminum Foil

The hybrid of foil and phunnel works similarly to the previous setups. However, you need to make sure that when poking holes, you leave the center open. We want the hot air to flow over and through the tobacco. If you poke holes directly above the phunnel hole, the air won’t pass through the tobacco, which can negatively affect both smoke production and flavor.

Multi-Hole Phunnel with Smokebox

Loosely fill the tobacco and evenly distribute it in the phunnel using your tools. Make sure to leave some space between the tobacco and the smokebox. Place the smokebox on top, add the charcoal, and wait a moment for the heat to distribute evenly.

2.5.3 Tips for the Perfect Bowl Preparation

• Make sure the tobacco is evenly distributed in the phunnel with no empty spaces.
• If the tobacco is loosely packed and built high, you can achieve a long-lasting session with full flavor.
• If the tobacco is packed loosely and lower, the session will be shorter with a milder taste. This setup is easier for beginners to control heat management.
• If you want to reduce nicotine strength and tone down flavors like mint or ice, lightly press the tobacco down.
• Wipe the rim of your phunnel with a piece of paper towel after preparing the bowl to prevent excess tobacco from burning under the HMD, which could cause a harsh throat hit.

2.5.4 Bowl Preparation with Steam Paste

If you want to smoke steam paste, a phunnel is essential. Fill the paste up to half the height of the phunnel hole. You can also mix tobacco with steam paste to create different flavors.

2.5.5 Final Words

With these tips, you're well-equipped to build the perfect bowl. For a more detailed overview and illustrated instructions, check out our blog article How to Pack a Hookah Bowl. In the next section, we'll take a look at how to light your hookah charcoal.

2.6 Lighting Hookah Charcoal

We have looked at how to prepare the hookah and tobacco, now let's focus on charcoal. There are only a few but very important rules when it comes to hookah charcoal.

Do Not Use Self-Igniting Charcoal

Self-igniting charcoal is full of chemicals, which taste terrible and are likely even more harmful than smoking pure tobacco. The only reasonable use for self-igniting charcoal is to help ignite natural charcoal.

Use a Charcoal Burner

Charcoal burners are inexpensive and specifically designed to efficiently ignite natural charcoal. Hookah charcoal generates intense heat in a small area, so it's not advisable to light it on a stovetop.

Do Not Light Charcoal Indoors

Burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide, which can cause dizziness, nausea, unconsciousness, and in high concentrations, even death. Always ensure proper ventilation when lighting charcoal, preferably outside your home or in a different room from where you plan to smoke.

Only Use Fully Lit Charcoal

As mentioned before, burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide, which you can smell, taste, and is harmful when inhaled. Always make sure your charcoal is fully lit before placing it in your HMD or on your foil. The safest indicator that your charcoal is ready is a complete white ash layer covering the entire outer surface.

Tips for Lighting Hookah Natural Charcoal

• Since all objects that come into contact with charcoal during ignition or transport get very hot, always be cautious to avoid burns.
• Always place a fireproof surface under the burner to prevent fires if a charcoal piece falls off.
• Rotating the charcoal is essential to prevent one side from becoming significantly smaller than the other. Flip the charcoal after about 5 minutes to ensure even burning.
• Transport glowing hookah charcoal safely using a charcoal basket to avoid dropping charcoal on the floor, which could result in expensive repairs.
• If lighting charcoal indoors, always open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide from accumulating in the room. Failure to do so may cause headaches, nausea, or even fatal consequences in high concentrations.

That covers everything about lighting charcoal, and with that, we have completed all aspects of preparation. In the next chapter, we’ll dive into the smoking process and what to consider while enjoying your hookah.