Why should you burn in a new hookah Smokebox?

During the manufacturing process, residues such as oils form on the metal, which can release harmful fumes when first heated. Burning it in vaporises and thus removes these residues.

How does burning in a Smokebox work?

Place the Smokebox on a fireproof surface, position two glowing pieces of charcoal underneath it and two inside the Smokebox. Allow everything to glow through completely – ideally outdoors.

Can you place the Smokebox on the charcoal lighter to burn it in?

No, this is expressly advised against! The direct heat from the charcoal lighter can melt the metal of the Smokebox and damage both the HMD and the lighter.

Do stainless steel Smokeboxes need to be burned in as well?

Yes, regardless of the material – whether aluminium or stainless steel – all Smokeboxes should be burned in before first use in order to remove harmful residues.

Burning out your hookah smokebox: this is how it's done!

Portrait of Moritz Otten, author at Moze

Moritz Otten •Updated August 5, 2025 •2 min

Hookah smokebox with glowing charcoal on a fireproof surface while being burned out

Quick summary of the article

Smokeboxes should be burned out before their first use, whether made of aluminium or stainless steel.
Reason: production residues such as oils can release harmful vapours when heated.
Place the smokebox on a fireproof surface, two pieces of charcoal underneath and two inside.
Let it glow through completely, ideally outdoors and not on the charcoal burner!
Optional: burning out in a charcoal basket for extra safety.
Bottom line: little effort, big effect. It protects your health and ensures clean smoking enjoyment.

How do I burn out a smokebox?

You have surely heard before that you should burn out your hookah smokebox before its first use, right? If not, then now is the time and we will explain what burning out the smokebox or HMD is all about. After we have explained what it is good for, we give you a step-by-step guide with which you can easily do the process at home.

The reason why you should definitely burn out your smokebox

Hookah HMDs or smokeboxes are made of metal. The Kaloud Lotus or the extremely popular ONMO HMD are made of aluminium, while models like the Na Grani HMD or the AO HMD 912 are made of stainless steel. In general, pretty much all notable models are made of these two materials. When producing metal products, oils are usually used that make it possible to work the material. When the smokebox is now heated during a hookah session through direct contact with the charcoal, the oils evaporate and you breathe them in through your hookah. That is exactly the reason why it is so important that you burn out your smokebox before its first use.

Step-by-step guide: burning out your hookah HMD and letting production residues evaporate

After you have taken your smokebox out of the packaging, you might think there are no oils or other residues on the metal and that burning out is not really necessary. However, we recommend carrying out this process in any case, since the residues can also be present in a wafer-thin layer on the surface and are not necessarily visible to the naked eye. It applies here: better safe than sorry. So we would rather burn out the smokebox than take the risk of breathing in the toxic vapours that arise when the residues evaporate. And this is how burning out works:

Place the smokebox on a fireproof surface. Ideally outdoors on the paving stones.
Light four charcoal cubes on the hookah charcoal burner.
Place two of the lit hookah charcoal cubes under the hookah smokebox and two inside.
Simply let the charcoal glow through so that the HMD is brought up to maximum temperature.

Tip: If you want to be completely sure that nothing is ignited by the charcoal and that no sparks fly around in the wind, you can also burn out your HMD in a hookah charcoal basket! Here you proceed exactly as described before, just with the difference that you place the charcoal and the smokebox in the charcoal basket.

Warning: Some of our customers have had the idea of placing their new smokebox on the charcoal burner to burn it out. However, we strongly advise against this, because here the metal gets too hot and can melt! Then not only the smokebox but also the burner is ruined!

Our conclusion on burning out

Smoking hookah is harmful to your health, but we are nevertheless of the opinion that you should at least make sure not to breathe in any toxic vapours from the oils of the production residues. For this reason we consider burning out the smokebox essential and strongly advise every one of our customers to do it.

So that your next bowl does not taste burnt, your HMD also has to be cleaned properly after use. You can find out how to clean your hookah correctly in our Hookah Cleaning category.

FAQ: burning out your hookah smokebox

Why should you burn out a new hookah smokebox?

During the manufacturing process, residues such as oils form on the metal, which can release unpleasant or harmful vapours when heated for the first time. Burning out removes these residues.

How does burning out a smokebox work?

Place the smokebox on a fireproof surface, position two glowing pieces of charcoal underneath and two inside the smokebox. Let everything glow through completely, ideally outdoors or in a well-ventilated environment.

Can you place the smokebox on the charcoal burner to burn it out?

No, this is expressly advised against. The direct heat on the charcoal burner can damage or deform the metal of the smokebox and, in the worst case, also damage the burner itself.

Is a charcoal basket necessary when burning out?

A charcoal basket is not strictly necessary, but it offers additional protection against flying sparks and is a practical and safe solution, especially in windy weather.

Do stainless steel smokeboxes also have to be burned out?

Yes, regardless of the material, whether aluminium or stainless steel, new smokeboxes should be burned out before their first use to remove any possible production residues.