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What is a Dry Herb Vaporizer?
As a general recap, a vaporizer is a device that produces vapor instead of the traditional smoke associated with consuming dry herb or herb derivatives (like wax or oil). Generally, all vaporizers are going to have a mouthpiece, a battery, and a heating chamber – in this case where the dry herb is going to go. Vaporizers charge much like a regular cell phone charger and can keep a charge for around a couple hours depending on the intensity of use.
What Is A Dry Herb Vaporizer?Dry herb vaporizers are just one of the three main types of vaporizers available on the open market. Generally speaking, dry herb vaporizers tend to contain the battery, heating chamber, and mouthpiece arranged from bottom to top. Importantly, the chamber itself often has a small filter or screen where the dry herb is supposed to go. Vaporizers, while powerful, generally have a smaller capacity than the average bowl or bong but the ‘burn’ is much smoother, cleaner, andless uneven (if packed correctly).
In case grinding the dry herb has never been much of a priority, it is best to grind dry herb for a vaporizer. This will help avoid uneven burning and allow the heat to transfer among the ground matter much more easily. Again, this isn’t a requirement but will make the operation of the vaporizer much smoother. In addition, take care to avoid overheating the vaporizer. While this is generally good advice for all vapes this can be especially true to maintain a good flavor profile and avoid having to replace anything. The entire point of a dry herb vaporizer is to avoid the smokey, burnt taste that using a bong or bowl would produce.
Lastly, make sure to regularly maintain the dry herb vaporizer. Pay particular attention to the heating chamber and mouthpiece to avoid allowing any gunk to build up. Especially when the dry herb hasn’t been vaporized all the way it can be rather messy to let it all collect in the chamber. This will also ruin the flavor profile and lead to a less enjoyable vape sesh.
Types of Dry Herb Vaporizers
Vaporizers have a tremendous amount of diversity. Explore the various categories below to get an idea of the different classifications of dry herb vaporizer and even some popular brands within each category.
Desktop Vaporizers
These are based on the older models of a vaporizer. Before the technology became ubiquitous with portability the market was full of desktop vaporizers that would utilize a tube or a bag to inhale the vapor produced. The Arizer Extreme Q is an excellent example of an old idea combined with a powerful, modern punch. The Arizer comes with a remote control that allows the savvy owner to control the temperature from across the room – avoiding having to get off the couch until the vaporizer temperature is just right. Another notable feature is the ability to vaporize dry herb, wax, or oil. There is no limit to where the Arizer Extreme Q can take vapers from beginners to the most seasoned veteran. Keep in mind, being a desktop (dry herb) vaporizer means that this model is not easily portable nor is it discrete. However, this is the ultimate vaporizer replacement for larger pieces like bongs, bubblers, or rigs. Great for parties or larger vape seshes.
Portable Vaporizers
Portable vaporizers tend to be more common. These are easier to travel with and are well-known for their discretion. Particularly, people tend to enjoy these type of vaporizers for more personal use or when discretion is an absolute must. Not to mention that the ability to easily travel with it anywhere certainly helps with marketability. This category makes up the bulk of the vaporizers on the market and in use today. Examples can include the Yocan Evolve, AGO vaporizer, Titan 1 and 2, E-CLIPSE Vaporizer, and the Yocan iShred (for those currently without a grinder). Again, these are the most common vaporizers around and represent a wide variety of dry herb vaporizers each with different specifications, prices, levels of complexity, and so on. When thinking about a portable vaporizer remember to keep this in mind and to check out the individual specifications rather than relying on a categorical description or expectation.
Combustion Vaporizers
Combustion vaporizers are closer to the traditional method of smoking dry herb. These vaporizers do produce smoke, albeit not nearly as much, and so might be a bit harsher, slightly rougher on the throat than a convection vaporizer (described below). All in all, these vaporizers use the intense, direct heat of the vape battery to burn the dry herb in the heating chamber. These dry herb vapes can sometimes require additional vigilance in regards to maintenance as there will be ash inside the chamber instead of vaped herb (a dirtier difference). All in all, the smoke is certainly not worse than a bong or bowl and there is no difference in terms of effectiveness. Choosing between the two is largely a matter of preference. In terms of well-known combustion vapes, the AGO or Yocan Evolve are rather reliable and well-priced. The Steamcloud Mini 2.0 is another popular option given the popularity of Steamcloud products – especially when this particular vape has a 3-in-1 capability as well (discussed in greater detail below).
Convection Vaporizers
convection vaporizers, on the other hand, are more closely aligned with what one imagines a vaporizer to be. They are smoother due to the convection method of vaporizing the dry herb that is employed. Imagine that the vape is heating the dry herb similarly to a convection oven – the hot air is distributed within the chamber and (hopefully) evenly heats the dry herb to a temperature that begins to vaporize the molecules. As such, most convection vapes are much smoother and have less of a kick than combustion vapes. Not to mention, they can be a little less messy given the lack of ash that is produced. Vaped dry herb is not as staining or dirty. Popular examples are the Titan 1 and 2, the E-CLIPSE dry herb vaporizer or a Flowermate Mini. Convection vaporizers can, on average, be a little more complex and costly than their combustion counterparts but this is not always the case. Convection is certainly the healthier option of the two.
3-in-1 Vaporizers
3-in-1 vaporizers are best for those that just can’t seem to make up their mind OR for people who prefer to engage in more than just dry herb vaping. The ability to swap out an oil cartridge for a threaded dry herb attachment to a wax coil is remarkably fun. Not to mention that it can often be difficult to go cold turkey or completely avoid other herb derivatives after getting used to them. While these are often a little more expensive than a typical dry herb vaporizer, the savings truly come in the form of avoiding purchasing two or three vaporizers. Not to mention that one well-crafted vape can remove the need to carry around a blowtorch and rig AS WELL AS a bong or bubbler (and is smoother than all 3). All in all, a 3-in-1 vaporizer can provide the best of all worlds to beginner and veteran vapers alike.
What Are The Benefits of a Dry Herb Vaporizer?
Ease of Use
Many people are afraid that they will be unable to truly understand and grasp the full potential of their vape. This is just patently false. As mentioned before, vaporizers are, at their core, simply a battery, a mouthpiece, and a heating chamber. There are no complex cleaning instructions – don’t get the battery or heating chamber wet – and there are no complicated powering on/off or charging instructions – simply press the button ‘X’ times or plug it into the battery and an outlet. Particularly for dry herb vaporizers, there is almost no difference in maintenance or cleaning complexity nor is there a big difference in user difficulty. All told, dry herb vaporizers often make the entire process much easier. Not to mention everything is self-contained and not made of fragile glass. Just stick the vape pen in a pocket and go.
Healthier Alternative to Smoking
This can depend on whether or not someone has a convection or a combustion vape but both are generally going to be better than smoking a regular pipe, bong, or bowl. There is no butane residue from a lighter and no worries about contamination from cleaning chemicals. Vaporizers are much easier on the lungs and throat and produce a better flavor all at the same time. Don’t neglect to think a little bit about the future when deciding to purchase a vape.
Discreet
most importantly is the discretion that a dry herb vaporizer can afford. Keep in mind that the average vape pen is going to be much smaller and compact than the average bowl and definitely more mobile and discreet than the average bong or bubbler. Not to mention that there isn’t an issue with smell when compared to conventional methods of using dry herb – the vapor is much lighter and less pungent than smoke ever is. Even combustion dry herb vaporizers are not nearly as offensive to the nose as a bowl is. In addition, there is no flame or the sound of a lighter being ignited (think of the ‘click clicking’ while struggling to light dry herb on a windier day. If keeping a low profile is of the utmost priority, there is no better answer than purchasing a (dry herb) vaporizer.
Cleaning a Dry Herb Vaporizer
Cleaning a dry herb vaporizer is not difficult at all. Essentially, just remember that because a vaporizer needs to run on electricity try to keep the battery and heating chamber free from moisture and water. That being said, simply rubbing down the inside of the chamber and, if possible mouthpiece, will keep gunk from building inside the vaporizer. Not to mention, heating the chamber up to ‘burn’ off any excess buildup is recommended before going in and wiping away the leftover grime. That way, the majority of nasty buildup has essentially been cooked off.
Unlike a bowl or bong, vaporizers don’t have any of the nasty resin mess to cope with. While this is true, this doesn’t mean that a regular maintenance routine should be ignored. Remember that when cleaning the mouthpiece and any filters to remove them from the battery and heating chamber. This is because the mouthpiece and screen can be washed with hot water, vinegar and salt, 420 cleaning solution, or whatever other remedy was applied to a regular pipe or bowl. Again, a regular schedule is recommended for all cleaning because this will result in the least amount of effort being put in during each cleaning. BUT, if that is something impossible to arrange, make sure to give a thorough cleaning when it becomes harder to pull on the mouthpiece or it seems there is a clog.
Where to Buy a Dry Herb Vaporizer
There are a ton of places to get a dry herb vaporizer. Particularly now that vaporizers have become so popular over the years. Generally, any smoke shop is going to have a couple of vapes lying around. The best way to get the most bang for your buck is to go online and check out the tremendous variety of brands, types, sizes, and specifications to match anyone’ s preferences. Specifically, vapevetstore.com has an insane selection of dry herb vaporizers and accessories available and, most importantly, all orders shipped in the USA are shipped 100% FREE!
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