When vaping with an e-cigarette, taste plays a much greater role than smoking a tobacco cigarette. Here the nicotine flash is often in the foreground. As a smoker, you choose a cigarette brand that tastes good enough to smoke regularly and over the long term. With the e-cigarette, on the other hand, the taste can be influenced by various components. The properties of the liquid, the temperature used, the correct setting of the airflow control and the quality of the cotton and the heating wire are decisive for finding the “sweet spot”, i.e. the perfect taste.
The best e-liquid with an intense taste
Getting started with vaping usually involves buying a complete starter set and trying out different liquids with different flavours, from banana to strong tobacco to woodruff or blue ice. Most of the time, you quickly find a so-called “daily vape”, a favourite liquid you keep in boxes at home. The intensity of the aroma is largely determined by the mixing ratio of the individual ingredients. A high percentage of VG causes more vapour cloud production but, at the same time, dilutes the flavour as it is tasteless. The aroma is transported much better with a higher PG content. Propylene glycol is also used in the food industry as a flavour carrier. The PG content should be 70-80% in ready-mixed liquids for a full taste. Such as with strawberries and coffee from Happy Liquid.
Mixing your own liquid here is better so you can determine the appropriate proportion of PG yourself. Like a good wine, the liquid taste also develops after mixing through the maturing period. There is no fixed rule for the exact ripening time. The joy is all the greater when you have found the ideal period for your mature aroma. Only with increasing experience will you realize that it is not just the liquid responsible for the perfect taste but also the atomizer head, the air supply, etc. Even if the liquid from the identical atomizer does not taste the same, you will always be able to notice subtle differences.
The right temperature setting unfolds the best aroma
Everyone starts small, and especially with the e-cigarette, it is recommended to take the first puffs in watt mode with 10-20 watts. Even with different wattages, there are already differences in taste with the same liquid. The principle is the same as with brewing beer, making coffee, etc.; the higher the force (temperature or wattage) acts on the substance, the faster or slower the taste unfolds. Therefore, each liquid has its ideal temperature and wattage, which needs to be found.
It’s best to start with low wattage or temperature numbers and gradually work your way up. You have to keep in mind that overheated liquid does not taste good. Furthermore, cotton can coke with very high wattage and a lack of liquid flow. If the liquid flow is not guaranteed (the cotton is not sufficiently soaked with liquid), it burns, creating a disgusting burnt and metallic taste. But this is more of an extreme case, which hardly ever occurs with the recommended use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. With a mod that allows exact wattage and temperature settings like the iStick Pico from Eleaf, you can experiment extensively and find the best setting for enjoyable vapour.
Less airflow means more vapour flavour
Another important adjustment screw is the airflow control, the amount of air supplied via the evaporator. Air slots in the evaporator are continuously opened for more air supply or closed for less air supply when vaping via a mechanism. The more air is supplied via the air inlets, the larger vapour clouds are created, but they are less aromatic. Smaller extra air creates fewer vapour clouds but a denser and more flavorful vapour.
As with the temperature, it is important to find the very personal, best setting here. This also depends on the type of evaporator. Is it a self-winding evaporator or a tank evaporator, is the tank very wide or narrow? You can only find the ideal setting through your own experience. So it’s best to start right away.
The heart of good taste
Everything that comes into contact with the liquid also influences the vapour aroma. The decisive factor is the nature of the heating wire or the material used for the alloy. A kanthal wire is installed in the most commercially available ready-to-use vaporizers. Kanthal is a mixed alloy of aluminium, iron and chromium; this wire is used in most commercially available finished vaporizers. Perfect for taking some tasty puffs in wattage mode on a medium strength. However, no Kanthal should be used in temperature mode because it is not designed for high temperatures.
Nickel, titanium and stainless steel windings are used here. Of course, each heating wire alloy has different properties and tastes that affect the vapour aroma. Exceptions are windings made of titanium, as they do not react even at high temperatures and do not give off any taste. If you have already found the material of your choice and are already thinking about creating your windings, then we have another hot tip for you: The thickness of the wire also influences the taste of the liquid. The following applies here: The thicker the wire, the more flavour is transferred to the vapour since the larger wire can hold more liquid.
Japanese cotton for concentrated liquid taste
For most vapers, cotton is the crucial element when it comes to optimal flavour when vaping. Real steam gourmets have long since said goodbye to the usual drugstore cotton wool. Windings with the popular cotton wool from Japan are already present in many atomizer heads. But for the best taste, you must go for it and thread your favourite imported Japanese cotton wool. Cotton from Japan has almost no such obtrusive “wadding” aftertaste and lets the liquid aroma come to the fore more.
In addition, it can be processed better and absorb more liquid than cotton from the local supermarket. The Koh Gen Do, Muji or Rayon is a well-known and popular cotton for wrapping. Depending on which cotton is used for the winding, you have to pay attention to how much cotton is used, whether it is tear-resistant and how high the liquid flow is. You can use cotton wool to get a lot of flavour power out of the steam device. You should not save on the right cotton wool, as it has the greatest effect on the perfect steam aroma.
The risk of the unpleasant coking of the cotton is also lower if you have already experimented a lot with temperatures and cotton. In modern vaporizers, the coil is installed at the bottom of the tank, and after the tank has been filled, the winding with the cotton is surrounded by liquid so that a lack of liquid can only occur when the tank is empty of blood.