What size units of shisha tobacco are there?

Nils Große •Updated 21.08.2026 •8 min

The history of the 25-gram rule – and why it's now (thankfully) history

If you've been part of the shisha community for a while and have been smoking hookah tobacco regularly over recent years, you've probably come across one number: 25g.

Due to a legally mandated regulation introduced by the Federal Ministry of Finance under Finance Minister Christian Lindner, shisha tobacco was required to be produced and sold exclusively in this tin size.

The aim was to curb tax evasion in shisha cafés. Many shisha bar operators had for years been purchasing large quantities of shisha tobacco and then selling it on to customers in individual portions. This meant the tax authorities were losing a significant amount of revenue.

To prevent this, bars were only permitted to use 25-gram tins. And to ensure that further abuse of this rule would be ruled out in future, this upper limit also came into force for every private shisha smoker. Official shisha tobacco producers were therefore no longer permitted to manufacture standard sizes above 25g.

What was the outcome of this regulation?

The impact of the small packaging was a real challenge for retailers and consumers alike. The shisha industry was flooded with tiny packets that were anything but practical for regular shisha enthusiasts. Anyone who wanted to enjoy a nice evening with friends suddenly had to buy lots of small tins, pay significantly more for the privilege – and generate a huge amount of packaging waste in the process. Tobacco manufacturers had to overhaul their entire production, the range shrank, and many popular varieties even disappeared from the market temporarily, because the effort simply wasn't worth it.

Contrary to the Federal Ministry of Finance's desired outcome, tax revenues actually fell even further. Because the regulation caused both the black market and other creative workarounds to circumvent the 25-gram rule to flourish.

In the end, nobody benefited from the law. The considerable loss in tax revenue ultimately led to the 25-gram rule for private individuals being lifted again in July 2024. Bars must continue to use these small tins – but for the regular end consumer, the market has finally been opened up again.

The 25-gram rule – and what changed back then

The law came into effect on 1 July 2022 and significantly took the fun out of things for many shisha enthusiasts. The idea of regulating shisha bars was understandable, but penalising all private consumers in the process was more than questionable.

For over two years, only 25-gram packets were permitted to be sold. Anyone who smoked a lot faced considerably more hassle and had to pay more on top of it. On top of that came significantly higher production costs. Some manufacturers scaled back or even paused their production during this period, because the effort simply wasn't worthwhile.

Since July 2024, thankfully, things look different again. The regulation was relaxed for the retail sector. Private customers are now once again permitted to buy shisha tobacco in larger quantities, which is not only cheaper but also far more practical. And that has really got the industry moving again – and also put a bit of a dent in the black market.

Why 200g tins are the most popular again

With the return of larger tobacco packaging, one shisha tobacco size is enjoying particular popularity: 200 grams. And that's no coincidence – this size is the perfect compromise for many shisha smokers.

You get enough tobacco to enjoy many relaxed sessions without the quality suffering because it gets old, loses its aroma, or dries out – which can genuinely be an issue with shisha tobacco.

In our article: Can shisha tobacco expire? If so, how long does it keep? we explain everything you need to know about the shelf life and storage of shisha tobacco.

On top of that, 200-gram tins are more attractively priced. The cost per gram is significantly lower than with smaller packets, and many manufacturers – including Must H, stral, 187 Strassenbande, Al Fakher, and Holster – have long since brought their most popular varieties back to market in this size.

What the 2026 tobacco tax does to the price of a tin

If you feel like the same tin costs a little more every year, that is not your memory playing tricks. Waterpipe tobacco is taxed twice in Germany. Once like pipe tobacco, and then an additional tax is added on top. That additional tax has been rising in fixed steps since 2022, and the next step arrived on 1 January 2026. Under Section 2 of the German Tobacco Duty Act it now stands at €23.00 per kilogram, up from €21.00.

For a 200g tin that works out at €4.60 for the additional tax alone. On top of that comes the pipe tobacco duty of €15.66 per kilogram plus 13.13 percent of the retail price. On a tin costing €29.90, roughly €11.70 in tobacco duty and just under €4.80 in VAT go to the state. More than half the price is tax before anyone has earned a cent on the tobacco itself.

You can see it directly on the price tag. Our in-house stral tobacco sat at €27.90 for a 200g tin for a long time and now costs €29.90. For Dark Blends, 200 grams runs between €34.90 and €37.90 depending on the brand.

Bye bye 200 grams: What changes on 1 September 2026

Four brands in our range are changing their pack sizes. Blackburn, Sebero and Jent move to 100 grams from 1 September 2026, Must H to 125 grams. The 200g tin is being dropped for these four brands. The manufacturers cite higher sourcing and production costs.

On the price tag that looks like a reduction at first, because the number there is smaller than before. That is exactly the point. The tin halves, the price does not: at Blackburn, 200 grams for €35.90 becomes 100 grams for €24.90. Per 100 grams you therefore pay €24.90 instead of €17.95.

Scale the new prices up to 200 grams and the scale of it becomes visible:

So for the same amount of tobacco you pay between just under €10 and just under €14 more. Blackburn and Jent are hit hardest at roughly 39 percent more per gram, Sebero at 37 percent and Must H at 26 percent. While stocks last, you can still get the 200g tins of these brands from us at the old price.

Shrinkflation: When the tin shrinks instead of the price rising

Shrinkflation is the technical term for this. It describes a price increase that runs through the pack size rather than the price tag. The word is a blend of "shrink" and "inflation". In the strictest sense it means the same price for less content.

That is exactly what Darkside is doing. The new Xperience line comes in the same tin and at the same price as the familiar Darkside Shake, namely €24.99. What it holds, though, is 100 grams instead of 120. So the price stays put while 20 grams go missing. Measured by quantity the tobacco has become more expensive anyway: €24.99 per 100 grams instead of €20.82, a surcharge of roughly 20 percent.

Across the four brands switching on 1 September the effect is considerably larger, even though it hides better. At Blackburn, Sebero and Jent the tin halves while the price only falls by about a third. Per 100 grams that puts Blackburn at €24.90 instead of €17.95, an increase of almost 39 percent. The number on the price tag is still smaller than before.

That is why this kind of switch works so well. A 39 percent increase on the familiar 200g tin would sting, and everyone would notice it straight away. A halved tin at a lower price looks like a better deal at first glance, and if you only check the price of the tin, you may well notice nothing of the increase at all.

Part of the reason lies in the tax stamp. With tobacco, the retail price is tied to the packaging, and a retailer is not allowed to undercut it. We explain how that works in Why is shisha tobacco never discounted?. A new, smaller pack size is therefore the more comfortable route for manufacturers than an open price increase on the familiar tin.

Your best defence is to scale the price up to 100 or 200 grams before you order. Then you are comparing like with like, whatever tin size happens to be on the market.

Cost analysis: Which pack size is the best value for money?

One of the most important questions is of course: which packaging size gives you the best price per gram? Here is the direct price-per-gram comparison using prices from our shop as of 21 August 2026:

The direction is clear: the bigger the pack, the less you pay per gram. The 200g tin remains the best compromise between price, quantity and everyday practicality, and the 1kg tin beats it again on price per gram. The small packs move the other way: from 1 September 2026, the 100g tin at €0.249 per gram is the most expensive way to buy tobacco.

Shisha tobacco sales: Small tins, big impact – why special sizes exist too

Despite the new freedom, "smaller" tins have by no means disappeared – and for good reason. With premium tobacco such as Dark Blends, prices are often significantly higher than with classic Virginia tobacco. While you pay around €27 to €30 for a 200g tin of Virginia, a comparable Dark Blend can easily set you back €35 to €38.

A good example is stral basil barry, which costs €29.90 in a 200g tin, while Must H Pinkman in the same size costs €37.90. Understandably, you think twice about buying a whole tin before knowing whether you'll even like the flavour. For this reason, many manufacturers also offer their Dark Blend varieties in 100g or 125g. That way you can try them out at your leisure before committing.

These "taster sizes" have since become a fixed part of the range – especially with Russian brands like Blackburn, Darkside, and Must H. The German Musthave Tabak, for example, does not offer these.

That is exactly the argument the manufacturers are now using for the switch on 1 September 2026. The difference is that the small tin will no longer be a taster size alongside the large one, it will be the only option. If you already know a variety and smoke it regularly, you lose the cheaper way to buy it.

Which shisha tobacco sizes are currently available?

To give you a clear overview, we've summarised the currently common packaging sizes as of August 2026:

20/25g Legally required for shisha bars when serving tobacco to guests. For private customers the size has all but disappeared. Under 25g, our shop now only carries nicotine-free tobacco substitutes such as Hookahsqueeze.

50g Was the smallest taster size for private customers, but demand stayed low. We no longer sell the size individually, only in the stral taster pack of six tins.

65 to 75g and 110g These unusual sizes emerged during the 25g regulation period and were used for Dry Base, meaning pipe tobacco. Dry Base was not subject to the 25g rule because legally it counted as pipe tobacco rather than shisha tobacco. To make it ready to smoke, you had to moisten it with glycerine yourself. That was a legal grey area, and once the 25g rule fell away there was no reason for it any more. The category has now been phased out with us completely, so you will not find Dry Base in our shop.

100g Until now the common taster size with Darkside and Blackburn, currently between €15.90 and €19.99. From 1 September 2026 it becomes the only size at Blackburn, Sebero and Jent, and will then cost €23.90 to €24.90.

120g This size is available in the ready-made mixes from Shakes by Darkside for €24.99. Handy for anyone who doesn't want to bother with their own blends. Watch out when comparing: the new Darkside Xperience line costs the same but holds only 100 grams.

125g The taster size from Must H, currently €23.90 to €25.90. From 1 September 2026 it replaces the 200g tin there and will cost €29.90.

150gRevolution Tobacco offers handcrafted, natural tobacco in this quantity for €29.90. The Dark line from 187 Strassenbande also comes in 150g for €27.90.

180g A new in-between size that arrived with us via the Snoop Dogg line from Al Fakher. At €27.90 for 180 grams, €0.155 per gram is a surprisingly good rate.

200g Still the most important size. Almost every manufacturer offers their tobacco here, and on the balance of price, quantity and shelf life it is hard to beat. At Blackburn, Sebero, Jent and Must H, however, it disappears on 1 September 2026.

1kg These really large tins are only available for true classics that people keep coming back to. For example Al Fakher The Double Crunch at €109.90, Adalya Love 66 at €109.90 or Nameless Black Nana at €119.99. Here you get the best price per gram, but you also need the consumption to match. We no longer carry the once common 500g tin.

All prices are guide values from our shop as of 21 August 2026. They may vary depending on brand, variety and future tax or manufacturer price increases.

The bottom line is that the price advantage of the large tin is still enormous. 200 grams in one tin costs you around 28 percent less than the same amount in two 100g tins. That advantage is exactly what disappears at Blackburn, Sebero, Jent and Must H on 1 September 2026.

Conclusion: Shisha fans rejoice – finally, choice again!

The last few years haven't been easy for shisha enthusiasts. The 25-gram rule complicated a lot of things that should simply be enjoyable – from the range on offer to prices and storage. But since mid-2024, the tide has turned: larger tins are back, and with them the full variety of flavours. Including varieties that had temporarily vanished from shelves entirely. Whether you're into classic Virginia tobaccos or prefer bold Dark Blends – you finally have the freedom to choose again.

The 200g tin has established itself as the clear favourite – but smaller sizes have their place too. Especially when you want to try your way through different options without spending a small fortune.

It's wonderful to have free choice again, and we're delighted to be able to offer larger tins once more, as these offer many advantages for our customers and for us. We also offer our in-house stral shisha tobacco in the popular 200g tin, as in our opinion it represents the best all-round compromise between freshness, quantity, and price.

2026, however, is pulling in the other direction. Tobacco duty went up at the turn of the year, and from 1 September four brands are saying goodbye to the 200g tin. This time it is not a new legal requirement like back then, it is a decision by the manufacturers. For you it comes out the same either way: more tins on the shelf and a higher price per gram.

There is not much you can do about it, but what there is helps. Look at the price per gram rather than the price per tin, and if you are sure you like a variety, it is worth taking the 200g version while it is still around.

Author

Nils Große

Nils has been part of the team since 2022 and, as a copywriter and designer, turns well-founded hookah knowledge from the community and team into content that is clear, easy to understand and enjoyable to read.

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