Edit January 17, 2012:  This sale has come to a close. Thanks for everyone’s support, and be on the lookout for more promotions soon! Happy Smoking!

Howdy Hookah Friends! It’s about that time for the winter break to end and classes to start for all of our college student friends, so we decided to do a little spring semester “back-to-school” promotion! Following the popularity of the Nammor Mystique Old School Hookah we offered a few months ago for Black Friday, we’re now offering a similar deal on 3 more Nammor Hookahs – From now until the end of the day on Monday, January 16th the Nammor Bondi Ice Hookah, the Nammor Cleopatra Hookah, and the Nammor Nile Hookah will come with an upgrade to a Mystique Ice Hose Tip and a black Vortex Hookah Bowl (the Bondi Ice will also come with a Heba Diffuser) - all at 25% off the retail price. Hooray!

Also, our 2 brands of hookah charcoal (both natural and quick-light) are 15% off! Gaia Natural Coconut Hookah Charcoals are clean-burning, long-lasting, smooth, and have received almost unanimous positive feedback.  Alternatively if you enjoy the convenience and ease of quick-lighting charcoal, pick up a single roll, half box, full box, or 3 box super pack of  Ignite Quick-Lighting Coals at the same discount.

Also, in addition to getting a free 16-piece box of Gaia Coals on any order over $30, we’ve now added the option of getting 2 rolls of Ignite quick-Lighting Charcoals instead. Weather you’re a fan of quick-light hookah charcoals or simply want to try them out of curiosity, we invite you to pick up a couple rolls on us on your next order over $30. Click here to get the coupon code!

These deals will be going on all this week, and will end at 12:00 Midnight on Friday, January 16th. Happy Smoking!

Howdy Hookah Friends, we hope everyone had a fantastic New Year! 2012 is officially underway, and boy do we have a lot of exciting things planned! As the hookah industry continues to grow and gain popularity, more and more new innovative and creative hookah accessories, shisha tobacco brands, and awesome-smoking hookah pipes will be introduced, and we will try our darndest to be the first ones to have them available in our store. Here’s to an awesome year ahead of us!

Just for fun, here we present the top 10 new hookah and shisha products that were introduced in 2011, ordered according to a combination of sales figures, customer feedback, and popularity. Enjoy!

Note: The customer review count on these products were tallied on January 1st, 2012 and may change as time goes on.

10. Fantasia Air Flow Charcoals (100% positive reviews) – Utilizing a unique “v” shape that allows oxygen to flow underneath the coal and thus keeping it stoked, the Air-Flow Charcoals from the makers of Fantasia Hookah Tobacco do not need to be ashed or rotated. The positive feedback we’ve received puts them on the number 10 spot on this list!

9. Econo Mya Thunder Hookah (100% positive reviews) – Owners of the Econo Mya Thunder Hookah comment favorably on its sleek and modern look, sturdy glass base, and the huge smoke clouds it produces. This hookah is perfect for a beginner and possesses the quality Mya Saray is known for.

8. Mya Freeze Hookah Hose (100% positive reviews) – This innovative hookah hose from Mya Saray “Changes everything you thought you knew about hookah smoking” according to one reviewer. Utilizing a frozen replaceable “icicle” inside the handle, the Mya Freeze Hookah Hose has quite a wide draw and produces think, chilled smoke clouds.

7. Khalil Mamoon Double Pear Tall Hookah (91% positive reviews) – These 42 inch tall monster hookahs come from the famous Egyptian hookah manufacturer Khlil Mamoon and are available in 5 colors (green, black, red, blue, and yellow). The authentic hand-made appearance and wide draw makes these hookah pipes a favorite amongst aficionados that value traditional Egyptian craftsmanship.

6. Hookafina Shisha Tobacco (100% positive reviews) -The number 6 spot on this list is a “pleasant surprise” according to many reviewers! With over 35 delicious flavors to choose from and a unique packaging design, Hookafina Shisha Tobacco is a “must try” for any hookah fan!

5. Gaia Natural Coconut Hookah Charcoals (100% positive reviews) – Smooth, long-lasting and odorless, Gaia Coals are the newest natural coconut coals to hit the hookah market and are quickly converting hookah fans to be their “go to” natural coals. While only currently available in a 16-piece box, a larger size will be available very soon!

4. Tonic Washable Hookah Hose (100% positive reviews) – These fully washable hookah hoses from the makers of Tonic Hookah Tobacco are a great value (only $10 each) and possess an impressive pull. With 12 colors to select from (which all glow under a black light!), these hookah hoses are fun and affordable.

3. Starbuzz Bold Hookah Tobacco (100% positive reviews) – This new line from Starbuzz was introduced last June and has been garnering fans ever since! Customers frequently comment on its rich and flavorful smoke quality with one reviewer calling it “the best of the Starbuzz line.” While only 4 flavors are currently available, 3 more will be released in the very near future (Skull, Tropicool, and Cosmo Power).

2. Hookah Flip Inverted Hookah Bowl (96% positive reviews) – This novel way to smoke shisha tobacco was a sleeper hit once the good reviews started pouring in. Utilizing the simple fact that hot air rises, the Hookah Flip continues to convert skeptics with the long-lasting and smooth smoke that it produces!

1. Mystique Hookah Ice Hose Tip (97% positive reviews) – The number 1 spot on this list goes to what is quite possibly the most popular hookah accessory ever to first grace the likes of upscale hookah lounges, and since its introduction earlier this year to our store, the Mystique Ice Hose Tip has been allowing both hookah experts and novices alike to experience the coolest, smoothest smoke imaginable!

Howdy Hookah Friends! We at Hookah-shisha.com want to make sure that when you place an order that’s intended as a holiday gift, it gets to you on time. Here is this year’s holiday shipping schedule for domestic orders (shipping to the contiguous 48 United States) so you can accurately time your delivery:

UPS Ground Orders:

Please refer to the UPS ground map below for the shipping times, which are based on your geographic distance from Austin, TX.  Since UPS Ground orders ship out within 1-2 business days, and because UPS does not deliver on weekends, any UPS Ground orders placed after Thursday, December 15th need to be timed accordingly based on your location. Please note that the day a package ships out does not count as a shipping day.

Please note that while UPS is consistently accurate with the shipping time frames below, UPS Ground delivery times are not guaranteed.  An increase in package volume as well as unforeseen circumstances such as bad road conditions or other natural disasters may delay a Ground order.  Only air packages (UPS 3 day, 2 day, and Next day) provide guaranteed delivery dates.  If you are concerned about the timing of your order, we encourage you to select a faster shipping method.

UPS 3 Day Orders: Orders shipped via UPS 3 day need to be placed on or before Monday, December 19th to arrive by the 23rd. UPS will not be delivering 3 day packages on Saturday, December 24th.

UPS 2 Day Orders need to be placed on or before Tuesday, December 20th to arrive by the 23rd. If you order on the 22nd via 2 day air and want it delivered on Saturday the 24th, please call us prior to or immediately after placing your order so a Saturday delivery can be arranged (additional shipping charges will apply).

 UPS Next Day Orders need to be placed on or before Wednesday, December 21st to arrive by the 23rd. A Saturday delivery for orders placed via next day air may also be requested for an additional fee. Please call us to arrange this if desired.

UPS will be closed on December 25th and 26th and will resume deliveries and pickups starting on Tuesday, December 27th.

Please contact us with any specific questions regarding shipping times.  Have a Happy Holidays, and of course Happy Smoking!

Edit 11/29/11: The 2011 Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale has come to a close.  Check back for more holiday specials soon!   Thanks to all of our supporters, and Happy Smoking!

Howdy Hookah Friends! It’s the beginning of the holiday season which means it’s time for our annual Black Friday Sale, and you know there’s no waiting in lines or fighting crowds to shop at this store! For the next 4 days we’re taking 20% off ALL brands of Hookah Tobacco! And yes, this includes tobacco and charcoal Super Packs! From Al Amir to Zaghoul and everything in between, starting now and ending on Monday, November 28th at Midnight Central Time, every brand of hookah tobacco is 20% off the listed price – plus some additional savings on our signature hookah coals and a special hookah package! Hooray!

Facebook Fans: Take 10% off of all other (non-sale) items in our store!

Fans of ours on Facebook – get a coupon code to take 10% off all other non-sale items in our store! All you have to do to get this coupon code is head over to our Facebook page (click the button below) and hit the “like” button. If you’re already a fan of ours on Facebook, the coupon code will already be visible! Every item that isn’t marked down from the list price is eligible for this discount. This coupon code expires at the same time as the Black Friday Sale (Monday, November 28th at Midnight) so don’t delay!

Mystique Old School Nammor Hookah – The “Ultimate Cloud Machine” is 40% off!

Look no further for the ultimate in hookah-smoking perfection! We’ve assembled the smoothest, coolest, and most awesome smoking hookah possible, and it can be yours for 40% off the list price!  A Nammor Old School Hookah (complete with Nammor Hookah Hose and a Heba Diffuser), with a black Vortex Bowl and a Mystique Ice Hose Tip!  This special hookah package will only be  available during the Black Friday weekend, so pick one up while it lasts!

20% off Gaia and Ignite Hookah Charcoal!

The 2011 Black Friday Sale lasts for only 4 days and will end at Midnight on Monday, November 28th. As always, Happy Holidays and Happy Smoking!

The process by which wood (or sawdust, coconut shells, bone meal, even dried buffalo dung!) is converted into charcoal is called carbonization. Essentially, wood is primarily hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. Carbonization removes the hydrogen and oxygen (and trace impurities), leaving only the purified carbon. If burned in an open flame, the carbon would go up with the other elements, so charcoal is produced in environments of restricted oxygen. Typically, the wood (or other material) is loaded into a container, or in more traditional methods, simply buried under carefully arranged logs and soil, and a fire started within. Once the fire is going strongly, the main chimney is sealed up, leaving only selected vent holes which regulate the flow of oxygen into the burn.

The primary physics behind a hookah bowl involves drawing very hot air from around the coals through the shisha, vaporizing the sugars and oils into smoke, which is what makes the Hookah Flip Bowl so particularly efficient – hot air rises! Burned bowls will result from excessive heat – either too much charcoal, or charcoal which has sat so long in one spot on the shisha that it begins to cook and burn the shisha from the radiant heat. Minimizing contact with the bowl, as seen in the design of the new Fantasia Hookah Coals, also maximizes the flow of hot air while minimizing the proximity of the heat-emitting coal. Happy smokin!

Howdy Hookah Friends! After announcing the HOOKAH HALOWEEN costume contest on Facebook two weeks ago, we were blown away by the amount of creativity and awesomeness that our fans put into their Hookah Halloween costumes! After tallying all the votes from our hookah-shisha.com team, here we present the winners in the three categories (Most Creative, Scariest, and Funniest) as well as some honorable mentions for some personal favorites of our staff. Thanks again to everyone who participated! Enjoy, and Happy Smoking!

You can view all of the entries and larger sized pictures here on our Facebook page!

Most Original/Creative Costume:

Oscar “zipper face” R.  and his Mya QT costume. Holy cow!

By the way, that bowl takes 84 Kilos of shisha to fill.

Scariest Costume:

Marco “I bet you thought you were sleeping tonight” R. Seriously, what is the deal with creepy clowns?

Look on the bright side, now this guy only needs single hose hookahs after he murdered all his friends!

Funniest Costume:

Kate “his blood smells like cologne” M.

Somehow, I think the meme would be better with guys in drag.

Honorable Mentions:

Jeff  ”happy little trees” J.

I’m gonna invite some friends over to watch my Bob Ross DVDs.

Maham “crazy eyes” K.

I really hope your eyebrows don’t do that shape naturally!

Naveed “iHookah” J.

Can I get this app in the Android Market, too?

Marshall  ”You will live in happiness too” W.

Oompa Loompa Hookah-dee-doo, I’ve got another bowl loaded for you!

CJ “Ascent of Hookah Man” B.

TIL: Maslow’s Hierarchy lists hookahs as a basic need.

Anthony “The King” C.

Hey, I have that shirt… GET OUT OF MY CLOSET!!

Amanda G.

Never go up against a hookah smoker when DEATH is on the line!

“Ghillie” Matt S.

Why did this guy send us a picture of a hookah in a shrub? I don’t get it. OH! WAIT!

James R.

Nagini’s new gig now that the movies are done.

Lee W.

Ebony and Ivory, living in perfect harmony!

Geoff “don’t forget to bring a towel” S.

I hope that’s tobacco in that hookah bowl, Towlie!

Hieu T.

Ninja vanish!

Al Rahim “The human hookah” J.

The fact that he’s standing in a bucket of water is a nice touch!

“Epic” Fernando S.

No… No… It’s not true! That’s impossible! (This one is animated too!)

All the new Nammor models will have tracks on them. Not really.

I’ve heard this story before. More times than you would believe. You just ordered a new Mya Hookah and you are pumped. The UPS tracking page shows that it’s being delivered today. Soon enough your awesome new hookah and maybe a couple of new flavors of Romman Shisha Tobacco or Al Tawareg Shisha Tobacco will be in your hands. The moment finally comes, the box arrives. You tear it open and what do you find inside??? A locked hard case with your hookah inside of it.

The best thing to do right now is NOT PANIC. Here are a couple of tips for you, the safety conscious hookah connoisseur, on how to get your case open and the combination set, the right way.

First things first, let’s get this baby open. By default, all cases with a combination lock will have their passwords set to 000. To open the case, make sure it is set to 000 and slide the button next to the lock towards the numbers until you see the lock pop open. Depending on the specific case you have, you may have one lock, or you may have two.

Your case may have a red plastic tab running through the number rollers on your combination lock, if your case has this plastic part on there, do not remove it until you have the case unlocked and open. The plastic tab is there to allow you to set your own combination. To set the combination follow these steps.

1) Open the lock and remove the red plastic tab.

2) With the lock open, push the button towards the numbers and hold it in place.

3) With the button held in place, move the number rollers to your desired combination.

4) Release the button and your combination has been set!

With these tips in hand, tackling your hookah’s new hard carrying case will be a breeze. If you have any questions on this or anything else hookah related feel free to contact our resident hookah ninjas in customer service who will be happy to help you out.

Everyone has that friend that can blow massive hookah smoke rings and makes it look easy, and I know some of you have tried with unimpressive results. In this post I hope to give you a quick science lesson and provide proper hookah smoke ring instructions so you can puff like the pros!

First, let’s talk science. What exactly is going on when hookah smoke rings form? Smoke rings are an atomic dance. The air we breathe is, to put it simply, an invisible floating “soup” of atoms, with nitrogen and oxygen composing about 99% of the soup. Hookah Smoke is composed of atoms as well (particulate matter), mostly water vapor and other uncombusted hydrocarbons. When hookah smoke molecules are propelled through the soup in a circular shape, they interact with the air molecules, creating a vortex in which the outer molecules of the smoke ring are dragged backwards while the inner molecules are dragged forwards. This concept is demonstrated visually in the below animation. The black dots represent air molecules and the red dots represent smoke molecules.

Source

So how do you make the perfect hookah smoke ring? The first and most crucial step is to perfect your “o” face. You have to shape your lips into the closest you can possibly come to a perfect circle. Yes, this takes practice and yes, you will look silly doing it. I recommend using a mirror. There are several ways to achieve this, and every expert “smoke ringer” has their own method. Some purse their lips forward making a “duck face,” and some open their jaw up wide with their lips covering their teeth. You can experiment with different methods, but just remember that the inner rim of your lips must be circular.

Now comes the tricky part, and that’s getting the “bursts” of air through your lips. There are various means for doing this, so based on an informal survey of our staff here are the 3 most popular methods:

1. The “Zoolander Cough”: You’re not going to need your tongue for this, so get it out of the way by pressing it to the bottom of your mouth. You’ll want to take a deep drag off of your hookah hose, then open your throat and try to make your mouth as cavernous as possible. Slowly (and I mean slowly) exhale until just your mouth is filled with dense smoke. Next, you’ll want to stop continuously exhaling, make your “o” face, then produce the tiniest utterance with your throat – almost as if you’re whispering the shortest monosyllabic word possible (“a”, “oh”, “eh”). You’ll want to maintain a sort of exhalation equilibrium: just the right sized “burst” of air. Too much air will cause the ring to collapse; not enough air will produce a non-ring. This is the hardest method, and this takes a lot of practice.

2. The “Pop and Lock”: This method is more muscle control than breath control. Follow the same steps as above until your mouth is as cavernous as possible and filled with dense smoke. Make your “o” face and then pop your jaw forward while simultaneously using your tongue as a springboard, mechanically producing a short burst of air. This is a little easier than the first method, however each successive ring will be less dense than the previous due to a dwindling supply of smoke in your mouth. Again, this takes some practice to perfect.

3. The “Tap”: This is the easiest method and won’t produce any record-breaking rings, but if you do it correctly you can make a succession of small smoke rings that look really neat. Simply fill your mouth with smoke, make your “o” face, and tap your cheek with your index finger while pushing air out of your mouth with your jaw (don’t exhale).

So do you think you’re a pro at blowing hookah smoke rings? Earlier this week we asked our Facebook fans to post their best hookah smoke rings in one of our photography contests, and I’m proud to present the winners. These guys are talented!

1st Place – Jon M.

2nd Place – Hieu T.

3rd Place – Marley M.

Honorable Mention:  Lucas S.

How do you make the perfect smoke ring? Please leave us your tips and suggestions in the comments. Thanks, and Happy smoking!

This is a question that comes up again and again, why does my hookah taste bad? There are a couple of different culprits that could be leading to a bad tasting hookah bowl. In this blog I’ll lay out a couple things that could be causing this problem and a few things you can do to prevent/fix bad bowl syndrome.

The first thing to look at is your hookah itself. Be honest with yourself, when was the last time you cleaned your hookah? If the answer is anything greater than “the last time I smoked” chances are your hookah could use a cleaning. Routine maintenance is the easiest way to ensure you never have to deal with a bad bowl. If it’s been a while, not to worry, a good cleaning can take care of a lot of the lingering smells and residues that may be causing you to not enjoy your bowl as much as you should.

First things first, clean that dirty hookah! If you aren’t sure of the best method for cleaning out a hookah, take a look at our handy Hookah Cleaning Guide.

If your bowl still tastes bad after a good cleaning then it is time to start looking at your bowl packing and heat management techniques. If you need a refresher course on proper bowl loading techniques, look no further than our Hookah Bowl Loading Guide.

Now you have a clean hookah and a properly loaded bowl, on to your hookah coals. This is a key step in your quest for a great tasting hookah bowl. Make sure that you are letting your coals get fully lit before using them. Smoking a bowl with partially lit coals will give you a bad tasting bowl almost 100% of the time. Whether you are using Natural Hookah Coals or Quick Light Hookah Coals, you must allow enough time for the coals to be fully lit before using them. When I say fully lit, what I mean is that the coals should be completely covered in a layer of ash. When you use partially lit coals not only will your bowl of shisha not be receiving the proper amount of heat, but you will be inhaling the fumes caused by the coals initial combustion phase. This is especially true of Quick Light Coals since they are coated in an accelerant that speeds along the lighting process.

Here we are, you’ve followed all of my steps, you have a clean hookah, a well loaded bowl, and a pile of fully lit coals ready to go, and yet you still have a bad tasting bowl. At this point, the culprit is clear. Look down into your hand and see thine enemy, your hookah hose. Most hoses on the market are not washable and over time they will get a little funky. Unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done for a funky hose unless it’s a washable model. If yours is washable, wash that sucker out. If not, I’d recommend replacing the hose. This might be the perfect time to upgrade to a washable hose, such as a Nammor Hookah Hose.

With these tips at your disposal you should never have to deal with a bad tasting bowl ever again. Happy Smoking!

One of the questions we are most frequently asked is, “what kind of hookah should I get?” or “what is the best hookah?” There really isn’t right answer to this question but there are several wrong answers, depending on the person. So to best avoid disappointment, please allow me to point out a few of my personal favorite hookahs:

I smoke hookah every day at work; I keep an Egyptian Furat Hookah on my desk for flavor sampling because it is small, conspicuous, and the washable hose is super easy to clean. The Furat is my “9-5er” and a terrific hookah on a budget – the best hookah on the market for under $40 in my opinion. We also have a Mya Threepio Hookah in our office for meetings and group sessions. This hookah we nicknamed “Evel Knievel” because no matter how many times it gets knocked down, it still kicks ass! As a hookah designed for rowdy occasions, it can be converted to accommodate four hoses at once.

At home I have a Nammor Old School Hookah which is almost solely used for entertaining, and as such it is referred to as the “Party Hookah.” The Old School is perfect for parties due to its size, stability, and unique rotating action. By allowing the base to swivel, the hose is passed much easier and eliminates a large majority of hookah related accidents because it is no longer necessary to move the hookah when passing the hose.

The hookah I give most often as a gift is the Nammor Cleopatra Hookah. It has a classic design with a welded-on hose adapter making for an extremely wide opening at the hose port. With the Cleopatra Hookah you receive a Nammor Hookah Hose, which of course is washable and has the widest bore on the market. The awesome airflow, the classic look, and the famous hose make the Cleopatra Hookah my personal favorite, truly earning the title “Queen of the Nile.”

For people that are not confirmed hookah enthusiasts yet, I give the Mya Bambino Hookah. The Bambino is small but powerful, comes with a great case so it is convenient to travel with, and is, in fact, the best-selling hookah for around $60. It’s perfect for taking to friend’s hoses for gatherings large and small. The Bambino is “the Traveler.”

But if none of these hookahs are up to snuff for you, the one I can recommend is the Mya Gyro Hookah. The construction and attention to detail in design truly make it one of those one-of-a-kind, traffic stopping hookahs. If you are looking for a centerpiece for any room of your house, or really just want to blow away all your friends, this is the hookah for you. The Mya Gyro is sure to provide the appropriate “shock and awe,” which is my nickname for this gem.

Hookahs can be an important expression of your personality or they can be something you keep in a closet and pull out only special occasions. Either way if this list did not bring you any closer to making a decision please contact us or we will be happy to offer more tailored service. As always, Happy Smoking!