Long Story Short - They take too long to light, and make the smoke taste like wood -
I tried these, and loved them - Very very messy, but very clean smoke and even heating - - - 3 and a windcover will light anything - - - I'm off inconsistent natural coals and these are for me!
Absolutely terrible - They burn out too quickly, leave loads of ashes, make a huge mess - And God help you if they start rolling around - My carpets have some pretty nasty burns thanks to these guys falling off while I wasn't paying attention - DO NOT BUY
Pros: -Cheap Cons: -Produce a ton of ash - -Don't last long - -Make your hookah smell and taste like a campfire -
I've tried several different brands but I have always liked these the best. With Hookah, we slow down. It's a patient enjoyment so the lighting time for any coal has never been an issue for me but I would say for those who would like a quicker lighting that these arn't too bad but the fastest seems to be with the quick lights. These have always lit well on my electric stove with the burner on high. I rotate the coal on the burner until the whole piece is red. These don't leave a bad taste like some brands do. The only draw back I can think of is that they can be a little messy but it's worth it for a quality smoke. When it comes to a Hookah Smoker's preferences though, it's really quite individual so I recommend trying out the many products out there to see what suites you. These coals are a good choice in my opinion.
I figured this product is cheap enough to try, so I put in one with my previous order. It lights much faster than coco nara (2-3 minutes on the stove does the trick), and breaks into the size you want pretty easily. However, it does smell a bit. Like... fart. It's not a strong bad smell that makes some coals (notably most noname quicklites) completely unusable, but I'm going to stick with my regular coals and use these if/when I run out and don't have a new supply yet. In short: cheap enough to use, but you get what you pay for.
I smoke hookah since I was living in Brazil around 1999. 10 years passed and I have to say this kind of coal is the best out there, it can take a little longer to light, but is healthier and last longer then instant ones with chemicals.
These were the first natural coals I tried, and I was dissatisfied. As others mentioned, they take way too long to light. Leaving them on an electric stove element on high was the only easy way to light them. And once lit, they burned very quickly and usually not hot enough for a good smoke. My quick-lights are better.
This style of coal is sold almost exclusively in my town and they provide sub-par smoking. I much prefer instant lights to these, even with the sparking, taste and longevity. They are a pain to light and can smolder out quickly. The Al Ajdad coals taint the taste of shisha, are prone to breaking, and occasionally the bags are little more then charred sticks. There are better coals out there, that retain more functionality and provide better taste.
These coals are definitely the best I've ever had! They smell a little odd when being first lit, but it's not a bad smell. But once they are fully lit they have absolutely no smell and no taste. They burn nice and hot so I always get a consistent smoke. They all come in full solid pieces, that are round and ridged for breaking. You get a TON in one bag and you can use them all! I recommend lighting on a stove top, and the only down side might be the round shape. They tend to roll off. I recommend getting a large wind screen. All in all....AMAZING!!
These coals are ok for very patient people. When I use them, I find it takes a painfully long time to get them lit when there's no stove at hand. They also burn very quickly and produce alot of ash. The taste it puts on the shisha will remind someone of the smell of kingsford charcoal briquettes used at BBQ's. I would recommend this coal, but I definitely prefer the golden 40 mm coals overall.
These are by far better tasting than any quick lights. They don't fall apart and all you have to do is throw them on the stove top for 3 minutes.
The best coals I have ever used. Japanese coals suck. Quick light coals suck harder (and those chemicals hurt my throat when I do a lot of smoking). Other coals are in weird shapes that don't sit nicely on the bowl or just won't connect with it enough to heat it. These coals are a perfect cylindrical heat source. They are the best ever.
the quicklites work much better than these. they smell when you light them up, and they put a terrible taste on the shisha
I like these coals a lot because you can just throw these on a little electric heater and don't have to worry about turning them over while heating unlike lemon or olive wood. They also break apart very nicely.
