Chapter 3: What You Should Consider When Smoking a Hookah

Last updated on 20.02.2025 | Reading time approx. 03:51 min

Now the time has finally come, you've prepared everything, the charcoal is glowing, and your first hookah session can begin! To fully enjoy your first phunnel, you should keep the following points in mind.

3.1 Ventilation and Hydration

Especially beginners often forget to take a relaxed breath between puffs, which helps prevent unpleasant side effects such as headaches. Your body needs sufficient oxygen to function properly, so make sure to ventilate the room well. Ideally, you should smoke outdoors to avoid unwanted side effects. Also, remember to drink enough water while smoking to prevent dehydration and dizziness.

3.2 Nicotine Shock

Another common mistake, especially among beginners, is starting with a tobacco that is too strong. Nicotine is a highly addictive neurotoxin, and if your body is not accustomed to high nicotine levels, it can overstimulate your nervous system.

Nausea, blurred vision, disorientation, headaches, trembling, dizziness, sweating—these are symptoms of nicotine shock and resemble those of heavy alcohol consumption. You can counteract this unpleasant phenomenon by eating properly before a hookah session, drinking enough during the session, and, in case of a nicotine rush, consuming sugary drinks. Another important point is choosing the right tobacco. In our shop, you can filter hookah tobacco by nicotine strength, ensuring that you only see varieties suitable for you.

3.3 Heat Management for the Hookah: How to Smoke Perfectly

Heat management is one of the most important factors for a successful hookah session. The right temperature not only affects the flavor but also the smoke production.

The goal of perfect heat management is to generate enough heat to vaporize the maximum amount of molasses without burning the carrier material (the tobacco). If the tobacco burns, your phunnel will taste bad and become unpleasantly harsh. Here are some tips to regulate heat optimally.

3.3.1 Choosing the Right Charcoal

Select high-quality hookah charcoal that burns well and distributes heat evenly. Natural charcoal is the only real option, as it does not alter the taste and burns for a long time.

3.3.2 Using the Right Heat Management Device

For beginners, we highly recommend investing in an ONMO HMD. The ONMO is the perfect heat management device for beginners because its aluminum construction does not heat up as much as a stainless steel HMD. Managing heat with aluminum foil or a chimney attachment is much more tedious and complicated, and the risk of burning the tobacco is extremely high.

3.3.3 Waiting and Observing

At the beginning, it is advisable to place two pieces of charcoal inside the HMD and position a third one at an angle on the edge between the charcoal and the rim of the HMD. Now, give your hookah some time to heat up. Wait about 3 minutes before taking the first puff, then check every 30 seconds to see if the tobacco has properly heated. With a phunnel, this process is faster compared to a multi-hole bowl. Once the tobacco is hot, remove the third piece of charcoal from the HMD and place it back into the charcoal holder. During your session, pay close attention to how the tobacco reacts.

If the smoke becomes too hot, bitter, or starts to scratch your throat, it's a sign that you should reduce the heat. If the smoke and flavor become weak, it may be time to increase the heat slightly.

3.3.4 Regulating Heat with the HMD

Using a heat management device allows for better heat control compared to a chimney attachment or aluminum foil. Adjust the number and positioning of charcoal pieces to fine-tune the heat and experiment a little to find the perfect heat level for your needs.

3.3.5 Gaining Experience

Heat management is a matter of experience. Different types of tobacco react differently to high temperatures. Therefore, you should experiment a bit to find out which tobacco works best at which temperature in your setup. Over time, you'll develop a good sense of how to manage heat for your favorite tobacco.
With these tips, you can optimize heat management for your hookah and enjoy a rich and flavorful smoking experience.
That covers everything about heat management from our side. In the next section, we will explain the blow-off function of a hookah.

3.4 What Functions Does the Blow-Off Have?

A blow-off not only looks incredibly stylish but also serves two important functions: First, it ensures that stale air or old smoke is expelled from the hookah. Cold, stale smoke often takes on musty or bitter flavors. To keep your smoking experience fresh, simply use the blow-off function of your hookah. Secondly, the blow-off prevents excessive pressure from building up inside the glass base, which could increase the draw resistance. Many modern hookahs, such as the Moze Varity or the Moze Breeze Pro, allow you to customize the blow-off, so you can adjust it to your personal preference.

That wraps up everything about smoking a hookah, bringing us to the end of Chapter 3. In the final chapter, we will discuss what to consider after a hookah session.