A lot of memories flooded back to me when I landed at Terminal 1 at Cairo International Airport.  Had it really been 6 years since my last pilgrimage to the place that later inspired the original HoboHookah?  Would I even recognize this dynamic and crazy city and this country that had opened my mind to so many things?

Well, Cairo is still Cairo, that’s for sure.  While this trip lacked the frequent trips to the ubiquitous Shisha Cafes, which had been a main touchstone for me, my astute eyes did glean what has changed in hookah etiquette in the place that popularized the pipe in the Middle East and abroad.

But first, what’s new in Egypt?

1) Cairo International’s International Arrivals terminal is now really nice and surprisingly efficient and friendly.  Back in 2004, it was an intimidating arrival to an otherwise kind, albeit hectic, city.

2) The visa is brand new.  While its still $15 or 15Euros (make sure you have a $20 spot of hard currency with your passport when you arrive), the two postal stamps have been replaced with a full page, hologramed sticker, that looks official. PRO-TIP: When you arrive, go straight to the Bank of Misr stand and purchase your visa, then go stand in the customs line.  You’ll need a passport, the visa, and the customs form in order to gain entry.

3) More good news at CAI is that if you fly in using Egypt Air, you’ll land at Terminal 3, which is brand new and beautiful.

4) The cell phone network seems as good as anywhere in the world, which is a huge change.  If you have a smart phone, call up your provider and get an international data plan for the time you are there.  They’ll still charge you an arm and a leg for phone calls, but unlimited data is about $30 extra.  Definitely worth it.  Egypt has several providers with great 3G coverage and you’ll see most of the Cairene elite holding new model BlackBerries and iPhones.

5) Cairo now has flashing road signs and some stop lights.  Traffic is still crazy though.

6) Metered cabs: Gone are the days of hopping into 70’s model black and white Peugeot fire traps where you have to negotiate fiercely for sensible cab fares.  The new all white cabs have air conditioning and meters that make getting around in Cairo much more comfortable and friendly.

Those are the big things.  Overall they are great pluses for the traveler.  Now is a great time to see the pyramids.

Now on to shisha. Shisha is still served nearly everywhere, from Italian Restaurants to haute Nile side cafes.  One big thing I noticed off the bat were the hoses.  When you order a shisha in Egypt, the pipe comes out with a disposable hose that’s fresh and clean.  This is a great move to keep shisha smoking sanitary and flavors crisp.  Other new and old notes for smoking hookah in Egypt:

1)  It’s customary in Egypt to have your own shisha.  In the west, mostly due to cost and taxes levied on shisha cafes, hookah pipes are usually shared at cafes.  In Egypt, expect to order your own.  Shisha is still inexpensive, and when in Cairo, be Cairene.

2) Tip the coal man.  When your smoke is getting light, signal the coal man and ask for “Wilah (or fire in Arabic)”.  At the end of session, tip the coal man at least 1EGP.  If its a group, its nice to tip 3-5EGP if the coal man has been giving you good service.  This is in addition to any other service charges or tips you leave for drinks or food (generous tipping in Cairo is an additional 10%, but service charge is included on most bills, so additional tips aren’t necessary especially if the service was poor).

3) Tea is still the main drink of choice while smoking shisha.  Its still mostly Lipton yellow tag served with a bowl of sugar.  Try the “Chai Na’na”, which is lipton with mint.  Its awesome.

4) Word from my Cairo friends is that Tornado’s in Medan Aswan is now sketchy and the shisha there is no longer top of class.  If you are looking for a good place, try Sequoia on the Nile.  Its pricey, but it has great reviews for both shisha and food (there is even great, safe Sushi which has the rep of being the best in Egypt).  Expect a 100EGP (about $20) minimum there, so make sure you come looking for food as well.

5) There is now an Airport Mall at CAI, which has two cafe’s that both serve shisha attached.  If your plane gets delayed or you get to the airport early, just walk across the street of Terminals 1 and 2 and pass the time away.

6) If you are feeling spry, have packed your HoboHookah, and don’t want to leave your gate, all terminals at CAI have smoking sections.  We’d love to see a pic of a HoboHero in there smoking a HoboHookah out of a water bottle (no liquor bottles, respect the culture!) to pass the time away and enjoy a few longing stares.

7) The trendy cafes now serve Al Fakher instead of Nakhla.  Not sure if this is a plus, but if you can ask if the flavor is “Shisha Fakher” as the brand is known in Egypt.

That’s it.  Ill post a cheeky follow up next week on how to play the Middle East’s favorite card game, Tarneeb, but till then, keep living the dream.

PS Dahab is still awesome as ever. Its worth going to Egypt just to soak that place in.

Just When Everyone Thinks They’ve Seen All Your Hookah Has to Offer…

… you can pull out this Power Move with your vase.

Especially while pimping the HoboHookah, we get this question a lot: Can you put alcohol in your vase? Well sure…we mostly like to drink our alcohol, but you can always smoke out of it. We have also seen specific “hookah juices,” but that business died quickly.

So, what is good in the vase? Well read on Party Pioneers, we give you 6 of the best, most obscure hookah vase additives:

1) Coffee

Coffee is an amazing liquid to throw in your vase. We got this idea while we were in Cairo, at a little bourgie cafe called Tornado’s in Mohandeseen. We were enamored by their cappuccino “Tornado” hookah. It just tasted amazing. Exactly like being at a coffee roaster. Eventually we found out the secret: They added coffee to the vase, and plain old Nakhla shisha to the head.

How to:

1) Get enough coffee for the vase (usually about 2 large cups to less depending on your hookah’s vase), and throw it in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours. Or use that pot you forgot to drink in the morning. You can cut the coffee with up to 50% water, but more coffee the better.

2) Pack a bowl of either Nakhla or Tangiers Cappuccino/Cocoa (or Starbuzz, if that’s your jam) flavored hookah tobacco.

3) Light it up.

Quality of Smoke: 9/10

2) Red Wine

Red Wine is our favorite alcohol to smoke out of, mostly because you can buy it cheap in the quantities you need for hookah smoking. With Red Wine, the smoke will take on a little bit of grape flavor and produce much denser smoke. Its also a great “wow” factor for your next hookah get together.

How to:

1) We recommend getting some Carlo Rossi, preferably their Sangria concoction, which should be easy to find and cheap. If you have time available, chill the wine, and fill the vase. Presto. For you HoboHookah owners out there, we recommend buying the big, gallon jug, drinking it down halfway and then just pop the HoboHookah on there. The Carlo jug makes a great hookah for Party Pioneers, impossible for a jackal to tip it over.

2) Pick your favorite fruit flavored tobacco: Lemons, Oranges , Grapes all work the best, and pack your bowl. Mix them together to make Sangria Hookah Tobacco.

3) Light it up.

Quality of Smoke: 7/10

3) Milk

Okay, we get it: Adding milk to your hookah vase and then smoking through it is weird, right? Wrong. Milk is a great addition because it will work with just about any flavor and give you a dense, creamy smoke. Plus its pretty cheap. There are two things you need to know though: Milk will bubble up. If you have a short hookah, the bubbles could get into your hookah and into the hose. Then its game over. The other thing: Milk has a tendency to go rancid, so right after your smoke clean your hookah as thoroughly as possible. Milk works great with the Hobo because of the long down stem and easy cleaning.

1) Get skim milk, to prevent bubbling and to limit the milky flavor. Make sure its nicely chilled as well and not expired. Fill your vase. In addition, you may cut the milk with water, to prevent the bubbling effect.

2) Add any tobacco you’d like. It should just add a mild milky note, but most of all, produce a thicker smoke.

3) Light it up.

4) Clean out your hookah, thoroughly with hot soap and water. Even the hose.

Quality of Smoke: 7/10

4) Tonic Water

Tonic Water? Why would that be good? Well, the trick with tonic water is that is contains quinine, which has a florescent property to it. Ever notice how at clubs every drink looks like it is, except for Gin and Tonics? Well under black lights quinine will produce the bluish glow. This is a great way to light up your hookah, and get everyone one’s eye’s buzzing. But pay attention, is easier said than done:

1) Get about a 1-2litres of tonic water. Tonic Water is carbonated, which is not cool to smoke out of. You need to first open the bottles, and let them sit out: shaking and using a straw to blow bubbles through them every so often to release as much of the carbonation as possible. The goal is to have tonic water that doesn’t fizz at all. If it does fizz, you will not be able to smoke out of it.

2) Get a hookah with a very clear vase. The glass can’t be frosted or otherwise colored. The black light needs to be able to get into the bottle to fluoresce the tonic water. For HoboHookah owners, the 1.75 of plain Absolut Vodka is the best vase. Empty the bottle/vase and throw in the tonic water. You can cut it with up to 50% water, but the more tonic water there is, the better the effect.

3) Organize a few black lights near the hookah smoking area. If you have a glass table, throw a couple under there, and setup the hookah. That should get your bottle nice and blue when the lights go out.

4) Get some really powerful hookah tobacco. Anything too subtle will be eclipsed by the flavor of the tonic water. Try mint, grape, lemon or peach. These flavors are usually very pronounced, and you shouldn’t be able to taste the tonic.

5) Light it up. If there is a little carbonation still there, the first hits will be rough. But it will smooth out after that.

Quality of Smoke: 6/10, with a high coolness factor.

5) Beer

The blood of the gods, and a cheeky hookah addition as well. Whether or not you match the beer to your hookah flavor, adding it to your vase will give you additional depth and deliciousness to your session.

How to:

1) Depending on your vase, you’ll need 2 – 4 beers. Pop those suckers open, and give them a few minutes to release some carbonation. If you don’t do this, your first several hits will make you feel like you took soda up your nose. It is intense, and not very enjoyable. Fruity beers work best.

2) Add the beer to your vase and get your session going with a similar, powerful fruit flavor. The beer will bubble up considerably, so be sure those bubbles don’t get up to your hose port and in your hose.

Quality of Smoke: 6/10 with some variance based on your beer selection

6) Fruit Juices

Sure, it’s obvious, but it’s also delicious.

How to:

1) For best results, pick your favorite fruit juice with minimal or zero pulp and add it to your vase. Stronger juices provide stronger flavor for your shisha, and often last longer. You can cut it with water if you choose, but the fullest flavor comes from using all juice.

2) Try mixing and matching flavors to find your favorite combos.

Quality of Smoke: 8/10

And that’s what’s in our hookah vase. Remember to not drink the liquid after you smoke it, no matter how good it may smell. 

That was nice. We’ll keep on bringing the hookah tips, you stay classy Party Pioneers.

Update from Sean, a scholar and a HoboHero:

I’ve done a lot of experimentation with various liquids in the base of my hookah–And I almost always cut it with water. I’ll very often add lemon or lime juice to the water for some extra flavor, if I have any orange/grapefruit juice in the fridge I’ll toss that in too. I tend to go for more of a citrus trend….

I’ve also had tremendous smokes with a cheap pina colada mix (similar to using milk, but a bit thicker), and coconut flavored shisha. This you probably do want to water down a bit, seeing as how its much thicker than milk and can make for extra bubbles and a difficult pull. Similarly, I’ve tried a bit of rum in the base, with double apple shisha, and Some whiskey with starbuzz cola. A personal favorite is milk and Bailey’s with Starbuzz Irish Creme

Another quick way to add some flavor is with organic extracts. Some of my favorites are mint, orange, almond, and vanilla. You have to be very careful with these because if you add more than a few drops, the taste is overwhelming.

I have a few friends who will add powdered concentrate to their water (kool-aid, tang, etc) and seem to enjoy it, but I’ve always been partial to actual juice.

If you really want to go the extra mile, for a fantastic smoke, take top-shelf gin, steep it in ginger root (or ginger tea), not too hot, so the alcohol doesn’t burn out, cool it, and use a high quality citrus mint or lemon mint shisha. You get a nice buzz from the booze, and the taste is incredible.

I have not, however, ever tried red wine or beer. I’ll look into it soon, thanks for the pointers.

PS: Seeing as how lemon juice and milk are the most available kitchen items to spice up your smoking experience, at some point it may cross your mind to combine the two. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but what i consider to be my most rookie mistake seemed like a great idea at the time. The milk curdled instantly, and everybody got chunky milk lodged in the hose that no amount of cleaning could clear up. Terrible experience for everybody involved. As a freshman in college, I’d done a few stupider things, but not many.

Haha, good tips Sean! We’ll be sure to keep our milk and lemon juice in separate vases.

(Disclaimer: Understand that milk CAN and WILL go rancid if not cleaned out of your hookah promptly after use. Also, that quinine has some undesirably traits, that may cause health problems. Read up here. Just be smart. We are absolved of all responsibility for your actions and the contents of this article do not constitute a recommendation for what you should or shouldn’t do.)

NOTE: You can view previous Hookah Handbook installments here:

• Part 1 An Introduction to Hookah Pipes
• Part 2 How to Set Up Your First Hookah Smoking Session
• Part 3 How to Clean Your Hookah
• Part 4 Troubleshooting Your Hookah Rig
• Part 5: Buying Hookahs Online VS at a Local Store
• Part 6: How to Pack and Use a Phunnel Bowl
• Part 7: A Round Up of Shisha Brand Reviews
• Part 8: A Round Up of Hookah Pipe Brand Reviews
• Part 9: How to Manage the Heat and Coals on Your Hookah
• Part 10: How to Choose Your Hookah Bowl

There are way too many hookah bowls on the market and that means one thing…

… confusion. Because just like the pipes, many of these bowls are unnamed and unbranded, so if it’s your first time buying the bowl, you’re never really sure if it’ll work on your shisha pipe.

Today, we’re going to help you cut through that clutter, because for most purposes you only need to know about 3 bowls:

• Modern (also known as “mod”) style bowls
• Phunnel bowls
• and Egyptian bowls.

Mod and Egyptian bowls work with any type of shisha tobacco, from utility tobaccos like Nakhla up to the premium brands of Starbuzz and Tangiers, and will last up to an hour (2 or 3 coals) of smoking. The Phunnel bowl is a different animal, so it gets its own section right here.

Egyptian Hookah Bowls

These are the clay bowls used on hookahs all over Egypt and much of the Middle East. They’re made of brown clay and one of the cheapest options.

Both the shallow Egyptian bowl and the “small sized” standard Egyptian bowl hold around 15 grams of tobacco, making these good for short or solo smoke sessions, but not suitable for sharing with your friends. They’re best used with 33 mm coals and in very calm conditions, as they are more susceptible to over-heating. Unless you prefer 20 – 25 minute sessions, these bowls aren’t worth the time.

The “large sized” standard Egyptian bowl holds about 25 grams, which makes for a more versatile bowl. If you’re dead set on owning an Egyptian bowl, this would be the one to get.

Verdict: If you’re actually buying a new bowl, I’d stay away from these and instead get a…

Modern Hookah Bowl

The Mod bowl is the new style that came from the rise in “Modern Style” hookahs. With a standard design, better color options, and larger size (25 grams of shisha), these are our favorite bowls. They work with most hookahs on the market, and come standard with the HoboNargile and HoboHookah. They can also be used with any kind of shisha tobacco.

Mod bowls are also available with an attached wind cover. The cover and screen on these can get extremely hot, so be careful when you’re adjusting the coals or packing it up. If you use your hookah out doors often, a better option is investing in a better wind cover.

Verdict: The mod bowl is your best choice for almost all occasions.

Inhale Tower Bowl

The Inhale Tower is similar to the Phunnel bowl. It holds 70 – 80 grams of tobacco.

Verdict: The phunnel is the king of large bowls designed for high grade tobacco. Get a funnel bowl instead.

Multi-Head Hookah Bowl

The multi-head bowls are more novel than useful; they use a load of shisha and coal, but are very difficult to manage. A better option is getting a medium or large Phunnel bowl and mixing flavors in there.

Verdict: Stay away, unless you’re buying it as a hood ornament.

Phunnel Bowl

The Phunnel bowl works with Egyptian and Modern hookahs, including the HoboHookah and HoboNargile. For in depth instruction on this puppy, read this.

Verdict: see article.

Conclusion

There are many other bowls beyond these listed here, but the truth is these are the few that matter. I honestly don’t know why other shops – who claim their customers are their #1 priority – would force you to choose from 20+ bowls when the differences are so slim. To me, all that creates is unnecessary confusion… and makes it more likely you pick a bowl that doesn’t work with your pipe.

Now that you know the bowls here, there just isn’t that much difference between most other bowls.

Here at the HoboHQ, we use the Mod Bowl 99% of the time, but keep a medium and large funnel in the cabinet for parties and other occasions where the hookah will be rocking for hours at a time.

One of the best parts of the HoboNargile is figuring out what kind of bottle to pair with the most portable hookah pipe on the market.

“Hey guys, a couple more questions, my HoboNargile should be here Monday and I am very excited, unfortunately I’m not sure what I am going to use as the vase yet. I have a couple liquor bottles, but they are tall and narrow I don’t think they would be very stable, so I am thinking about going to the liquor store this weekend and seeing what I can get, but I wanted to get your opinion, what kind of bottles work best, or any brands specifically? Another idea I had was to order a half gallon of one gallon glass jug, do you think the HoboNargile would work well with either of those?” – Eric R.

Great questions Eric.  If you are going the liquor store route, its best to go for a 1.75L bottle if you can.  We are very partial to the Hpnotiq liquor (top left picture) as the bottle is tear drop shaped. which goes great with the minimalist aesthetics of the HoboNargile as well as has a wide base, which is great for a high activity smoking sessions (also looks great paired with a hookah tray).  Other good sturdy bottles include 1.75l varieties of Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker (which also has a handle for easy transport).

As for the glass jug idea: We smoked out of a 5-gallon wine cask (bottom left) and that was awesome.  The HoboNargile stem may be a little short for that now, but we’ll have new longer stems for sale soon at HoboHookah.com, that will work great with a cask of that size.  Just make sure that the mouth is less the an inch wide or no more than 2-inches wide.  If its between 1.5-2inches in diameter, the HoboNargile grommet fits inside to form a seal.

I hope that helps!  No flavor reviews this week, but still check out the Hookah Happy Hour and go through the archives, lots of good videos in there.

We’ve collected a lot of great pics from around the world via our Facebook page.  Definitely worth checking out, like the gem from Deejay to the left.

We asked Deejay for his recommendations on bottle choice and here is what he had to say:

“I like to use a Voss water bottle the 20oz. or the bigger one we I have it on the side of my book bag to ride my bike with it or walk around”

That’s a good call Deejay.  The water bottle is a solid choice when on the go.  Its durable and less conspicuous than a liquor bottle.  You’ll have the best chances setting up on an outdoor patio with a water bottle than anything else out there.

We have gotten a lot of email concerning buying a second HoboNargile hose.  We are in the process of getting them to our warehouse and they should be on the site in early July.  Definitely sign up on the email list for the moment they are available.

This week on the Hobocans Happy Hour we have a review of Tangier’s Kashmir Peach.  Enjoy! 

Managing your heat comes down to understanding 2 environments: indoor, calm sessions and outdoor, windier sessions. Let’s break it down for each.

Indoor Coal Management

In an indoor session using a standard mod or Egyptian bowl, start your session with one full 3 Kings or Starlight coal. These are quick light coals so you can light with an oven burner or lighter. Don’t inhale while it’s sparking – it will taste like shite. Once lit, give it a minute or 2 to really heat up, otherwise you’ll pull and get little smoke.

After 15 or 20 minutes, your smoke will thin out as that first coal dies. When this happens, rest your 2nd coal partially on the 1st, while leaving most of it over a new, un-smoked section of your bowl. Wait for it to spark up and continue. (If the flavor gets hot, remove the remnants of the first coal, so no more tiny pieces fall under the tin foil and burn the shisha.)

Adding the third coal is trickier. Depending on your shisha brand, you may be able to add a full third coal, but if you find that gets too hot – add just half a coal instead.

(To break the coal in half, place it upside down on a hard surface and push done with your palm to break the coal into 2 or 3 pieces.) Be sure to again place the coal over an untarnished part of your foil–this way the coal is directly over the freshest portion of your bowl’s shisha. Tangiers and Starbuzz are best for taking a full 3 coals.

Some time during that third coal, your bowl will die out. Pack a new one and keep the party pumping, baby!

Outdoor Coal Management

When smoking outdoors, you’ll want a wind cover or a crown. This minimizes the wind hitting your coal, preventing it from getting too hot, and also minimizes the amount of ash flying into your drink.

Begin your bowl just as you do indoors, with a full coal protected by the crown or wind cover.

As that coal dies, instead of adding a full coal, add half coals instead. Because there is more wind outdoors, the coal will burn hotter than normal, so using a half coal will better protect your shisha from burning too quickly.

Your bowl will not last as long outdoors due to this increased heat, so if you get through 2.5 coals, consider that a victory.

Will the hookah bowls with built-in wind covers work?

Be careful when using the bowls with built-in wind covers. They aren’t very good at blocking wind (the holes on the cover are too big) and the steel cover portion gets REALLY seriously hot. For best (and easiest) results, I recommend using a standard wind cover or a crown.

NOTE: You can view previous Hookah Handbook installments here:

• Part 1 An Introduction to Hookah Pipes
• Part 2 How to Set Up Your First Hookah Smoking Session
• Part 3 How to Clean Your Hookah
• Part 4 Troubleshooting Your Hookah Rig
• Part 5: Buying Hookahs Online VS at a Local Store
• Part 6: How to Pack and Use a Phunnel Bowl
• Part 7: A Round Up of Shisha Brand Reviews
• Part 8: A Round Up of Hookah Pipe Brand Reviews

Most Hookah Pipes are Mysteriously Unbranded, But that Didn’t Stop Us…

… from getting to the bottom of who you can (and can’t) trust.

Initially, most hookah pipes were produced by hand in the Middle East and Egypt and then imported to the West. At the time, there were very few (if any) brand name hookahs.

Recently, however (especially in the West), there has been an active movement to brand all hookahs, finally making comparison shopping far easier for the average hookah smoker.

Here are some of the most popular brands of hookah pipes and their reputation:

Khalil Mamoon

Khalil Mamoon: These are well-made Egyptian pipes. Khalil Mamoon is a family operated business based in Cairo that is now managed by the second generation of the family. They have a traditional Egyptian look, are hand made and use quality metal, like stainless steel and brass, in their construction.

Given that they are hand made, a small portion of Khalil pipes have seal issues. That said, they are still the top brand for hookah connoisseurs who enjoy the traditional look of hookahs while still having relatively high quality standards. Most of their pipes are large, and can come in multiple hose configurations. The glass is also sturdy as compared to most Chinese and other Middle Eastern hookahs.

MYA

MYA: Was one of the first Western hookah brands. Based in the Czech Republic, originally the company focused on producing Bohemian crystal. The original MYA Hookahs used the Bohemian Crystal as their vase for their hookah pipes. These hookahs are widely regarded as some of the best hookahs of their time and were of exceptional quality in both vase and stem.

Most recently, MYA has moved their hookah operations to China and no longer use Bohemian Crystal as their vase. While still very popular for their small QT and Pumpkin style pipes, overall hookah connoisseurs have moved away from choosing MYA for quality concerns.

Hobocans

Hobocans: Is a boutique manufacturer of the HoboHookah and HoboNargile. These are well-engineered, portable hookahs that can fit on most bottle types and vases. They are known for their durability, warranty (a first in the industry) and easy packing for use during travel, at parties or on outdoors smoking patios. They are based in Jersey City, NJ and most of their manufacturing is in China.

Modern / Generic Hookahs

Modern Generic Hookahs: The US has designed and outsourced many hookah types to China. These pipes typically are not branded, so it is hard to compare quality. Chinese hookahs can offer the advantage of tight quality controls, high quality materials and modern styling, however, many generic Chinese hookahs are made to be inexpensive and thus have a weak durability and longevity. It is recommended to be confident in the shop you are buying a Chinese hookah at, and to avoid the lowest cost models.

Al Fakher and Starbuzz

Al Fakher and Starbuzz: These traditionally tobacco brands, have purchased and rebranded hookah from the Middle East and China for sales in the US. While these pipes are usually of high quality, they sometimes have a brand premium on top of the price.

That’s it, dear Hero.

I remember my first trip into a shop to gaze at the array of hookahs. It was all so… confusing. Is this hookah $50 more because it’s 6 inches taller? Does that actually improve the quality? How do I replace the vase if it breaks? OH, I need to bring in the stem to find a vase that fits? That seems awful obtuse.

Well, now you should be safe as long as you…

• Arm yourself with this guide and
• Load your headphones with a healthy dose of Boston’s greatest hits.

I can’t promise you the world, but this sure would’ve been helpful when I was just getting started…

Of course, you could always just skip the hassle and go with the only pipe backed by a full 100% 30 day “no questions asked” guarantee. (Alas, my opinion may be slightly biased on that front.) People sure seem to like it though.

NOTE: You can view previous Hookah Handbook installments here:

• Part 1 An Introduction to Hookah Pipes
• Part 2 How to Set Up Your First Hookah Smoking Session
• Part 3 How to Clean Your Hookah
• Part 4 Troubleshooting Your Hookah Rig
• Part 5: Buying Hookahs Online VS at a Local Store
• Part 6: How to Pack and Use a Phunnel Bowl
• Part 7: A Round Up of Shisha Brand Reviews

Thanks to malbones for the sweet pic from Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), outside of La Paz, Bolivia.

This weekend we hit one of our favorite outdoors spots with the HoboNargile: Stone Street in downtown Manhattan.

Stone Street features many great venues for food and outdoor merriment including Ulysses (great bar with good seafood), Adrienne’s Pizza Bar (great wood-oven Italian food), and The Creperie (Crepes on Williams St).

The great thing about Stone Street in the summer is the block party like feel of dozens of picnic tables outdoors in one of the most scenic areas in Manhattan.  There is even Wifi to boot, for those who want to rock out a little work in the great outdoors.

We got there around 2pm on a beautiful Saturday and set up our hookah on an old school nalgene bottle.  Stone Street is smoking pipe friendly and is a great pairing with the food and drink options on the street.  Its a good idea to get there early, even on those warm nights, Stone Street packs up the tables after 11pm.

Definitely worth checking out next time you are in the neighborhood.  With that weekend update, no week would be complete with out a Hobocans Happy Hour.  Check out that too for our review of Tangiers Watermelon.

NOTE: You can view previous Hookah Handbook installments here:

• Part 1 An Introduction to Hookah Pipes
• Part 2 How to Set Up Your First Hookah Smoking Session
• Part 3 How to Clean Your Hookah
• Part 4 Troubleshooting Your Hookah Rig
• Part 5: Buying Hookahs Online VS at a Local Store

The Phunnel bowl (also called the “funnel bowl”) is a slightly different beast than your standard mod bowl. It takes a little more effort, but comes with great reward.

First thing to know: Make sure you’re using a juicy tobacco. The Phunnel is made specifically for Tangiers brand hookah tobacco, however, brands like Starbuzz will smoke fine as well. Conversely, more “oily” style tobacco’s like classic Nakhla or Al Waha tend to be difficult to smoke out of this bowl.

To pack a Phunnel bowl:

Take a clean Phunnel bowl, and layer in the tobacco around the center nipple.

Compress the hookah tobacco down as tightly as you can. Repeat adding tobacco and compressing it until the tobacco is evenly packed throughout the trough of the bowl and is at roughly the same height as the nipple.

Once the tobacco is packed tightly and to the level of the nipple, place a minimum 6-inch square piece of foil across the top. Press it down and pull at the sides of the foil to make it glassy on the surface. The foil should be extremely tight at the surface.

Next, poke holes across the surface of the bowl evenly. Do NOT poke the holes in circles. Go from one side to the other.

Place coal evenly on two sides of the bowl. We recommend a 40 mm quick light; break it in half and place a piece on each side of the bowl. Alternatively you can use 33 mm, in the same fashion, although you may want to add another half if the smoke is light. Continue adding half coals as the smoke weakens.

A quick note on different Phunnel bowls: Stay away from knockoffs. They break much easier and have an awkward sized bottom opening that won’t work with many hookahs (including most Egyptians and the HoboHookah/HoboNargile). There are three normal sizes of the Phunnel bowl:

• Small: 25-40 grams of tobacco. Will smoke 1-2 hours. Great for a quick single serving and for conserving tobacco, but not as easy to manage the heat on.
• Medium: 60-80 grams of tobacco. Will smoke for 2 – 3+ hours. Great middle range bowl, with good longevity, but not too long that you get sick of the flavor. Easy to pack and manage heat on.
• Large: 100-125 grams of tobacco. Will smoke for 4+ hours. These things work well for parties, but really cook through the tobacco, so beware! You should own a Medium bowl before getting a large one, as it is a rare occasion that you will actually need a 4-5 hour bowl.

And that’s the Phunnel bowl for you. If you’re scoring higher quality shishas, it is absolutely worth the investment. We’ve had best results with Tangiers and Starbuzz shishas.

Thanks for all of the positive emails and twitter shout outs (like the pic to the left by @Versakyle) these days!  Its been great hearing some more feedback.  Here are some questions that we’ve gotten that might help the whole HoboHookah community:

Catherine from the UK writes, “Are there any suppliers in the UK for this product or is my only option to get one shipped?”

We are working on getting the HoboNargile into the UK.  We are currently in deep talks with a major distributor out there and we expect our hookah to be available for UK and EU citizens alike sometime this summer.

Jack writes, “Are there any different colors of the hobonargile still in production?”

Currently only the black models are in production (we have a red and blue prototypes but they are not being manufactured right now).  We can’t say when we’ll get other colors, but its on the horizon!

Kevin writes, “Hi, I just got my new Hobo Hookah. I was wondering where I can get the screw on hoses? And if you’re going to have a black ash tray for under the bowl?”

You can get hoses that screw right on to the HoboNargile over at HoboHookah.com.  We have hookah trays that will work, but only in silver, sorry!  Black trays are a great idea though, we’ll look into it.

Also, we have been getting a lot of email concerning the HoboNargile in Brazil!  Due to customs restrictions, all HoboNargiles sold in Brazil need to be bought at HoboHookah.com.br.  Speaking of the HoboNargile in Brazil, check out this sweet hookah party vid those guys shot down there.  Keep living the dream HH Brazil!

In other news, the Hookah Handbook is live!  Sign-up on the top or right of the blog to start receiving some good info as well as a cheeky discount for HoboHookah.com.  Make sure to pass it on to any friends who may be in need of some hookah help.  And with that, we have another video up over at the Hobocans Happy Hour, Tangiers Grapefruit consider yourself reviewed.