Hookah 101
From Hookah Wiki
A hookah is a Middle Eastern water pipe used for smoking tobacco in which the smoke is pulled through the water in the base, through the hose and into the lungs. The tobacco is smoked through indirect heat from the charcoal that sits on top of the bowl. Known by many names such as narghile,shisha and nargilem. Shisha is the name of the pipe and not the tobacco
Contents |
Hookah Bowl
This is what the tobacco goes inside. The bowl is then covered in a screen or foil with holes poked through it. There are many different kind of bowls made from a variety of materials and in various styles. Please see our Hookah Bowls Guide for more specific information. Some bowls can be quite beautiful and are made with unique food safe glazes for a unique aesthetic quality. Tangiers bowls are the most well known bowls that make use of these interesting styles.
Hookah Stem
The stem is the main body of the hookah. It is the pipe that the bowl sits on top of and through which the smoke travels before it reaches the vase and water. This is also considered the main part of the hookah.
Number of Hoses
A hookah can have a single hose port or multiple and this will changed the smoking experience.
I have seen hookahs with up to 8 hose ports. I believe that a single hose port is all that you need and offers the best smoking experience.
There are two kinds of hose ports. The traditional port is only a tube that leads into the vase. When smoking from a multiple hose hookah with traditional hose ports you need to plug your hose when other hoses are being smoked from. Otherwise, fresh air is drawn back into the vase and the smoke quality will be reduced.
An auto seal hose port is one that has a ball bearing valve so that air can only be drawn out of the vase and is not drawn back. The valve is similar to the design of a purge valve. Auto seal ports are most often found on multiple hose hookahs. This helps to eliminate the need to plug the hose when not smoking. Each port having an auto seal valve means that the hookah can not be purged.
For more information read the Hookah Hose Guide.
Hookah Base
The base of the hookah is also known as a vase and is made, most commonly out of glass. The original base of the first hookahs were made from coconuts. Glass bottles were used eventually and that is where hookah got its original name. Shisha means glass and also bottle. There are also metal vases and the occasional clay vase. A base can be any vessel that is food safe, hold water and seals completely with the stem inserted into the mouth.
Hookahs can come in a variety of shapes and designs. There are different traditional shapes that vary from place to place. Syria sees many vases that are shallow and have a wide bottom. Egyptian vases are somewhat bell shaped and are the most common shape of hookah vase.
Essential Accessories
Charcoal Tongs
Used to manipulate the hot charcoal without burning your fingers. Good tongs with good grip are important so that you don't drop coals resulting in fire or personal injury. Easily forgotten as one of the most necessary accessories.
Extra Hose(s)
Having extra hoses is a good idea so that you can rotate them between bowls to avoid flavors mixing in ways that you don't want. Allowing the previously used hose to air out and dry out also helps to preserve the hose. It's best to hang the hose up so that it dries evenly.
Washable hoses can be cleaned between bowls to remove the previous flavor quickly and avoid ghosting but should still be dried so you have little droplets of water remaining in the hose.
When using traditional hoses it's a good idea to have one hose for the different styles of flavor because they can't be cleaned.
Cleaning Kit
A long, thin, bristled brush is used to clean the inside of the stem and remove the nasty gunk that builds up from the smoke and the dripping molasses.
A shorter and wider brush is used to scrub the inside of the vase. A line of residue can build up at the water line on the glass and needs to be scrubbed to remove it.
Some people use alcohol based cleaning solutions that have mildly abrasive additives to aid in the cleaning process.
It's also a good idea to get some extra long pipe cleaners to clean the purge valve and the hose ports.
Wind Covers
A wind cover is used to protect the coals from strong breezes and to help them not burn too fast. A wind cover is actually used most effectively to intensify the heat on the bowl so that you can use less coal and fine tune your heat management.
Hookah Brands
Chinese Hookahs
Mass produced and factory made. These vary greatly in quantity but are, in general, low quality and prone to rust.
Mya Saray
Mya hookahs are high quality Chinese hookahs. Makers of the most well known portable hookahs. The QT and the Bambino. Very cleanly made with consistent quality. Their construction and designs are greatly varied. The materials used vary just as much but cast brass is common among many of their pipes.
Iranian Hookahs
Egyptian Hookahs
Known for their large inner diameter stems and easy draw. The general construction of an Egyptian hookah is a straight inner stem surrounded by a hollow shell that is the actual visible aesthetic quality. There are countless variations and other styles but this is by far the most common.
Khalil Mamoon
Known for their beautiful and often copied style. High quality and hand made. Khalil Mamoon Hookahs come in a countless number of designs including various materials. The trimetal line is the most well known style that utilizes multiple kinds of metal. Considered by many to be the most high qualiy of the mass produced hookahs available.
Magdy Zidan
Magdy Zidan Hookahs are close competitor to Khalil Mamoon that is well respected for their very clean welds and good quality. Similar designs to Khalil Mamoon hookahs make it fairly easy to mistake them for each other. Some vendors and shops have mistakenly or intentionally sold MZ hookahs as KMs. Buyers commonly make the same mistake as well.
Turkish Hookahs
A rarely found style in the US, Turkish hookahs do not have a purge valve and use male fitting bowls that sit inside the top of the stem rather than over the stem like a standard Egyptian bowl. Usually constructed from brass. The most well known and sought after brand is known as Elmas meaning diamond in Turkish.
Syrian Hookahs
Syrian hookahs have a more restricted draw than Egyptian style hookahs which many people prefer. At one point known to be the most available type of hookah that utilized solid brass construction. There are a variety of brands but Nour and Nawras hookahs are the most well known in the United States. Syrian hookahs are commonly found with both male and female style stems.
