As a new user, understanding which parts of the hookah go where and how to assemble your hookah is a fun and exciting part of the shisha experience. However, it can be highly frustrating too! It’s imperative to get it right to optimize your shisha smoking experience and increase your hookah’s longevity for future smoking sessions.
If you’re new to using shisha, don’t worry. The experts at Euphoria have you covered! We’ve put together this helpful guide to ensure you understand the ins and outs of shisha to make your experience interesting and enjoyable
Set Up and Parts
First things first, you need to prepare the shish. Always start with a clean hookah (more on that later). If your hookah is clean, add enough fresh water to submerge your hookah’s down stem about ½ inch into the water. This is a good rule of thumb, as it provides you with a smooth and airy smoke for an optimum shisha experience.
Next, you want to start to assemble the hookah. Place the shaft of the hookah onto the bottom base and follow that up by placing the hose grommet and hose into the hookah’s hose port. Lastly, slide on the coal tray and bowl (with bowl grommet) and get ready to smoke!
It is essential always to carry your hookah by its base because it has the potential to fall apart quickly. The only thing keeping the stem and the base fitting together is the rubber grommet.
Adding the Tobacco
Separate your shisha tobacco, removing any unwanted stems and breaking up large chunks. Some people choose to cut their tobacco up, but this isn’t necessary and is based on personal preference. To pack a traditional bowl of shisha, pinch your shisha and loosely pack the bowl starting on the outer perimeter, working your way in. With a wide range of shisha to choose from, we recommend trying new flavors to see what you like best.
Foil, Coals, Light!
After you’ve packed the perfect bowl, tightly wrap the foil around the bowl. There are specialty foils created for this, but you can utilize standard aluminum foil in desperate situations. Next, you’ll punch evenly dispersed holes around the foil using a straight or safety pin.
Pick your coals and light them up. Quick light options simply utilize a lighter, though you may also heat coals more slowly if you prefer. Typically people opt for two coals and do a side stack or a side-by-side stack that’s placed directly onto the foil. Now that you’ve officially completed your assembly, you’re ready to enjoy the shisha smoking experience!
Disassembly
After an enjoyable smoke session, it is important to properly disassemble and clean the hookah. Start by breaking it down slowly. Remove the hose from the hookah and include any small hose and bowl rubber grommets. Additionally, take off the coal tray and the bowl.
Continue to break down the hookah, separating everything you put together in preparation for your hookah. As you remove the bowl, grommets, ball bearing, etc., you’ll want to place them in a medium-sized bowl for cleaning (and so you won’t lose these small pieces. Now, you’re ready to clean!
Cleaning the Shisha
An often overlooked step, it’s very important to clean your shisha between your smoke sessions. Cleaning your hookah ensures you have removed any old water and unwanted residue to create a more pleasurable experience when you are ready to smoke again. Additionally, by adequately cleaning the hookah, you remove any chance of becoming ill from any potential mold or bacteria build-up.
Start the cleaning process by ensuring you have all of the important cleaning supplies on hand. Ideally, you’ll want a brush for your base and another one for your stem. You can use any cleaning solution you prefer but there are products on the market that come pre-mixed and ready to use. However, if you choose to use a more natural approach, warm water, baking soda, and vinegar are also a great option for cleaning your hookah between sessions.
Steps for cleaning your hookah base:
- Place warm water and your cleaning solution into the bowl with the smaller parts to soak while you work on the rest
- Rinse out the base with warm water and then add your cleaning solution
- Give the base a gentle swish to really mix in the solution, dump and rinse
- Fill your base with a little more clean water and use your base brush to get it clean
- After the final rinse, you can set the base aside to let it dry
Stems for cleaning your hookah stem:
- Place warm clean water in your stem
- Give your stem light swish and let the water drain
- Use the stem brush with cleaning solution to remove any residue
- After the final rinse, you can set the base aside to let it dry
For the hose it’s important to understand whether or not you can wash it (as some materials may rust if you do). If you can’t wash it, just shake it to help remove any excess moisture. Wrap it up by rinsing off the smaller parts and grommets that were sitting in the cleaning solution. And voila, you’re officially clean and ready for your next hookah session!
Euphoria UAE
Still a bit confused on how to set up your hookah? The experts at Euphoria UAE are here to help. We have everything you will need ranging from complete hookah sets and bundle packs for beginners, to unique accessories, and party packages for groups. Party packages make it easy, we come and set up your entire shisha experience. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy yourself! Additionally, if you need any hands-on assistance learning how to assemble your hookah or questions about how to create the perfect shisha, we can help with that too!
Reach out to a member of our team to learn more.