Today there are a few types of hookah charcoal with different pros and cons. Which charcoal is the best? First, we should understand that coals give heat to the shisha. While being warmed up tobacco leaf reveals it’s strength and taste. The core factors you should pay attention to are:
- Composition
- Amount of ash
- Ignition time
- Burning time
All сharcoals for hookah are conditionally divided into two large groups:
Natural
The burning time is quite long and there’s not much ash from it depending on the brand. Natural charcoal doesn’t have harmful effects on health, but it needs to be fully ignited. The indicator is it’s color. When the cubes are fully red, they are ready to be put into the heat manager or on foil.
The "natural" category includes three varieties.
- Charcoal is the final substance that is formed when trees or branches burn down. At the production stage, all resin components are removed. Such charcoal stores the heat longer than any other varieties of charcoals.
- Coconut charcoal when coconut shells are used for manufacturing. Ignition is carried out on a conventional stove or gas burner. It is necessary to replace such coals 30 minutes after the start of burning. The taste qualities of tobacco remain absolutely unchanged.
- The third kind of natural coals is not so popular – such coals are made on the basis of the olive seeds, lemon or exotic trees. They’re in less demand due to the need for frequent changing of the charcoal.
Chemical
The ignition is instantaneous. This product is made from woody charcoal with the addition of saltpeter or dry alcohol. Such charcoal is often sold in the form of tablets but sometimes there are other forms too.
The advantage of this type is the ability to quickly get the result. Usually they are ready in only 1-2 minutes. It’s easy to use this type because all you need is a lighter. But the sparkling from it can be dangerous for flammable items.
However the tablet burns much faster than woody and coconut analogues. In addition chemical components added to the composition emit a specific smell and harm your health. Try to avoid using self-igniting coals, especially those in which saltpeter is added.