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Last updated on 18.11.2025 | Reading time approx. 06:00 min
If you’ve been part of the hookah community for a while and have been smoking hookah tobacco regularly in recent years, there’s one number you probably couldn’t avoid: 25 g.
Due to a legally mandated regulation introduced by the Federal Ministry of Finance under Finance Minister Christian Lindner, hookah tobacco was only allowed to be produced and sold in this one tin size.
The aim was to reduce tax evasion in hookah lounges. For years, many lounge operators had bought large containers of hookah tobacco and then resold them to guests in portion sizes. This meant that the tax authorities lost out on a lot of money.
To prevent this, lounges were only allowed to use 25 g tins. And to ensure that this rule could not be misused in future, this upper limit was also applied to every private hookah smoker. Official hookah tobacco producers were therefore no longer permitted to manufacture standard sizes above 25 g.
The impact of these small packages was a real challenge for both retailers and consumers. The hookah scene was flooded with tiny tins that were anything but practical for regular hookah fans. Anyone who wanted to enjoy a nice evening with friends suddenly had to buy lots of small tins, pay significantly more – and generate a huge amount of packaging waste. Tobacco manufacturers had to convert their entire production, the variety of products shrank, and many popular flavours even disappeared from the market for a while because the effort simply didn’t pay off.
Contrary to the intended outcome of the Ministry of Finance, tax revenues actually fell further. The regulation led to a flourishing black market and other creative ideas to circumvent the 25 g rule.
In the end, nobody benefited from the law. The considerable loss of tax revenue ultimately led to the abolition of the 25 g rule for private customers in July 2024. Lounges still have to use these small tins – but for regular consumers, the market has finally reopened since then.
The law came into force on 1 July 2022 and significantly reduced the fun for many hookah lovers. The idea of regulating hookah lounges was understandable, but penalising all private consumers along with them was more than questionable.
For over two years, only 25 g packs were allowed to be sold. Anyone who smoked frequently had a much higher effort and had to pay more on top of that. In addition, production became much more complex. During this period, some manufacturers scaled back or even paused production because the effort simply wasn’t worth it.
Since July 2024, things have fortunately changed again. The regulation has been relaxed for the retail sector. Private customers can once again buy hookah tobacco in larger containers, which is not only cheaper but also much more practical. This has really set the industry in motion and has also curbed the black market somewhat.
200 g tins are still the most popular size.
With the return of larger tobacco packs, one hookah tobacco size in particular has become extremely popular: 200 grams. And that’s no coincidence, because this size is the perfect compromise for many hookah smokers.
You get enough tobacco to enjoy many relaxed sessions without the quality suffering because the tobacco gets old, loses aroma or dries out – which is a very real issue with hookah tobacco.
In our article Can hookah tobacco expire? And if so, how long does it last?
we explain everything you need to know about the shelf life and storage of hookah tobacco.
What’s more, 200 g tins are more attractive in terms of price. The cost per gram is significantly lower than for smaller packs, and many manufacturers – including Must H, stral, 187 Strassenbande, Al Fakher and Holster – have long since brought their most popular flavours back in this size.
One of the most important questions is of course: How does the value of hookah tobacco compare across different packaging sizes – which size is the cheapest per gram?
Let’s do a direct comparison of hookah tobacco price per gram:
| Packaging size | Average price | Price per 200 g (extrapolated) | Price per gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 g (Virginia) | approx. €4.00 | €32.00 | €0.16 |
| 25 g (Burley) | €4.99 | €39.92 | €0.1996 |
| 200 g (pipe tobacco) | €18.00 | €18.00 | €0.09 |
| 1 kg (pipe tobacco) | €75.00 | €15.00 | €0.075 |
| 1 kg (Virginia) | €104.90 | €20.98 | €0.1049 |
| 200 g (Virginia) | €27.90 | €27.90 | €0.1395 |
| 200 g (Burley) | €35.90 | €35.90 | €0.1795 |
The result is clear: the 200 g tin offers the best balance between price, quantity and practicality.
Despite the new flexibility, “smaller” tins have by no means disappeared – and for good reasons. Especially for high-quality tobacco such as Dark Blends, prices are often significantly higher than for classic Virginia tobacco. While you might pay €25–30 for a 200 g tin of Virginia, a comparable Dark Blend of the same size quickly costs €35–40 or more.
A good example is stral Basil Barry, which costs around €27.90 in a 200 g tin – while Must H Pinkman at the same weight costs around €35.90. Of course, you think twice before buying a whole tin without knowing whether you’ll like the flavour. For this reason, many manufacturers offer their Dark Blend flavours in smaller sizes such as 50 g, 100 g or 125 g. This allows you to test them in peace before investing.
These “trial sizes” have now become a fixed part of the range – especially for Russian brands such as Blackburn, Darkside or Must H.
To make things easier for you, we’ve summarised the currently common packaging sizes – based on the situation after the abolition of the 25 g rule in July 2024:
20/25 g Legally prescribed for hookah lounges when they serve tobacco to guests. There are still remaining stocks in retail, but this size is no longer common for private use.
50 g Used to be the smallest trial size from Must H for private customers. Demand, however, was rather low, so there are only a few remaining tins of this size left.
65–75 g and 110 g These somewhat unusual sizes emerged during the 25 g era and were used for dry base / pipe tobacco. Dry base tobacco was not subject to the 25 g rule because, legally, it did not meet the criteria of hookah tobacco but those of pipe tobacco. To prepare the tobacco for a hookah, you had to mix it with glycerine. Legally, this was a grey area, and sales have dropped sharply by now, which is why this category is slowly disappearing from shops. The flavours you can still find with us are therefore just remaining stock.
100 g Particularly common for Darkside or Blackburn – ideal for testing without having to dig too deep into your wallet.
120 g This size is used for the ready-made mixes from Shakes by Darkside – perfect for anyone who doesn’t feel like mixing their own flavours.
125 g Also part of the Must H range – a solid trial size for high-quality Dark Blend varieties.
150 g At Revolution Tobacco you’ll find handcrafted, natural tobacco in this quantity – more for connoisseurs.
200 g The current gold standard – almost every manufacturer is once again offering their tobacco in this size. It provides the best combination of price, quantity and shelf life.
500 g to 1 kg These really large tins are only available for true classics that are constantly being packed into bowls: for example Adalya Love 66, 187 I Love Hamburg, Al Fakher The Double Crunch or Nameless Black Nana. You get the best price per gram here, but of course you also need to go through the corresponding amount.
Prices are subject to change. The figures here are averages and may vary depending on the brand and future price increases.
The result is clear: the price advantage of the 200 g tin is enormous. You save almost half compared to buying eight individual 25 g packs – clear added value for loyal customers.
The last few years have not been easy for hookah fans. The 25 g rule complicated a lot of things that are actually supposed to be fun – from selection and prices through to storage. But since mid-2024, the tide has turned: larger tins are back, and with them the full variety of flavours. This also includes flavours that had temporarily disappeared. Whether you prefer classic Virginia tobacco or powerful Dark Blends – you finally have the freedom to choose again.
The 200 g tin has clearly established itself as the favourite – but smaller sizes also have their place. Especially when you’re still experimenting and don’t want to spend a small fortune straight away.
It feels great to have full freedom of choice again, and we are delighted to finally be able to offer larger tins once more, as they provide many benefits for our customers and for us. Our in-house stral hookah tobacco is also available in the popular 200 g tin, as in our opinion it offers the best compromise in every respect when it comes to freshness, quantity and price.
Nowadays there are hardly any 25 g packs left for trying out different tobacco flavours such as peach, forest fruits, cranberry or menthol. Brands like True Passion are particularly popular here. Anyone who wants to smoke hookah regularly tends to order larger 200 g units. This way you save money with every order and get a fresh delivery with full flavour.
Fortunately, this is now a thing of the past. The 25 g regulation was part of the 2022 law and has not been part of the tobacco tax in Germany since 2024. It was intended to simplify tax collection and curb the black market, as each pack required its own tax stamp. The former ban on larger units had a major impact on supply, demand and pricing – and the effects can still be felt today.
Both formats are now largely obsolete. At the time when they were relevant, the 200 g hookah tobacco tin (two-component) at around €0.09 per gram was significantly cheaper than the 25 g pack, which cost around €0.16 per gram.
Depending on bowl size and packing style, a 25 g pack will give you one to a maximum of three hookah bowls. For common phunnel bowls, it’s usually one to two sessions. Taking a closer look at cut and moisture helps you find the ideal amount for your setup.
After mixing, the tobacco should rest in the sealed tin for a few hours, ideally for up to a day. The resting time influences flavour, smoke production and intensity – always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
25 g packs and two-component tobacco are now rare, as the 25 g rule has been abolished and two-component tobacco occupies a legal grey area. For beginners, 25 g sizes were practical to test many flavours efficiently. Two-component tobacco was around 40–50% cheaper, but everyone knew that this solution wasn’t entirely legitimate.
Flavours with mint and fruity, berry notes such as blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, watermelon or grape – often combined with mint – were particularly popular. Sour flavours like passion fruit, lime or lemon were also in high demand. Trial sizes offered brands like Maridan or True Passion the advantage of a lower barrier to entry, helping them win many new fans.
