In a hookah water pipe, smoldering coals are used to slowly burn a mixture of tobacco, molasses, fruit, and flavoring. The thick, flavorful smoke that results is drawn into a base filled with water, cooling and filtering it before being inhaled by the smoker. While the quality of your hookah and the type of tobacco you use both greatly affect the experience, a properly prepared hookah will enhance the flavor, consistency, and longevity of each session. This brief guide will teach you the basics of setting up and lighting a hookah, as well as a few advanced tips for getting the best out of your tobacco.

Always start with a clean hookah. It’s okay to smoke a couple rounds without rinsing it out, but thoroughly cleaning the head, stem, and base between sessions will ensure a smoother and sweeter taste. If necessary, specialty brushes and cleaning solutions are available for cleaning out your hookah.

The traditional (and most common) liquid used in the base is clean, cold water. If you’re looking for a more exotic setup, some smokers mix wine, spirits, fruit juice, soda, or even milk into the base water. If you are new to hookah, it’s best to keep it simple; different bases will change the texture and flavor of the smoke in dramatic ways. The proper water level when filling the base varies with your particular style of hookah. Too much water will pull liquid up into your hoses, and too little water will result in no bubbles and a raw smoke. Try adjusting the amount of water in the base until the end of the stem is fully submerged but bubbles passing through do not splash the top of the base.

Once the base is filled, it’s time to assemble the hookah. Install the stem and tray, making sure the pieces are tightly fitted; hookahs with rubber gaskets or seals tend to smoke better than ones with metal threading alone. Hose fittings with small valves in them allow multiple smokers to enjoy a hookah with the need for each person to plug their hose while the other smokes.

Now that the hookah is put together, pack the burner head with some fresh hookah tobacco. It’s always a good idea to stir up the tobacco ahead of time–the molasses and flavoring tends to settle at the bottom of the container. The mixture should be visibly wet but flaky and loose. If the tobacco is too dry, it will smoke harshly and quickly. Place a small amount into the head and agitate it so air can pass through evenly, leaving a quarter-inch gap between the tobacco and top of the burner to avoid scorching the mixture with the coals.

Cover the burner with some aluminum foil. There are precut squares of foil available, but any brand of cooking foil works equally well. Gently cover the burner with the foil, wrapping it tightly so the top surface is flat and taught. Traditionally the shiny side of the foil faces down, primarily for aesthetic reasons.

Holding the burner firmly in one hand, poke holes into the top of the foil. This step has a crucial impact on the taste of the smoke: if the holes are too big, ash and embers from the coals will fall down onto the tobacco and scorch it. Rather than making a few large holes, a good approach is to perforate the foil with many small holes. A thumb tack, safety pin, or knife tip is perfect for this task.

Before lighting the coals, plug in your hoses and make sure the hookah is all set. Once the coals are on the hookah, it becomes a fire hazard and must be treated carefully. After the hoses are plugged in, see if you are getting proper air flow and bubbles. If air doesn’t pass easily through the hose, check that the holes in the tobacco burner are not clogged and that the tobacco isn’t packed to hard.

The most common type of hookah coal is a quick-lighting, water-soluble variety also used for burning incense. Older, more traditional types of charcoal are harder to use and take longer to light, but some argue that they produce a slightly cleaner taste. For the sake of convenience and safety, we recommend sticking with the quick-lighting kind. Using your tongs, light one or two pieces of charcoal and let them burn until they stop sparking and smoking. The smoke coming off the coals when they are first lit is foul-tasting and harmful, so avoid inhaling it. Place them on top of the burner one at a time, spacing them evenly over the foil.

Now comes the moment you’ve been waiting for: smoke that hookah!

There are a few different things you can place between your hookah tobacco and your lit coals. Generally a screen or aluminum foil will be used. The idea of either is to keep the heat source from touching the hot coals. When the coals actually touch the tobacco, you will get a harsh smoke caused by the burning of the tobacco and molasses. The idea is to basically vaporize the hookah tobacco. This then releases the nicotine and the tasty essences contained in the tobacco, molasses and fruit or flavoring mixed in.

A screen is a good choice for hookah because it can be reused and is great if you travel with the hookah a lot. It’s easier to use than foil: simply place the screen on the tobacco burner, and place the lit coals on top. The downside to the screen is that embers and ash can more easily fall through the larger holes of a screen. The embers and ash can scorch the tobacco and cause a harsh burnt taste.

The aluminum foil is the more practical approach. With foil you have the ability to select the size and amount of holes. The idea of the holes is to move hot air through the tobacco. So it’s generally to have the holes closer to the coals. With the holes closer, the hookah tobacco will burn quicker with more smoke and a more intense flavor. This will make the bowl get harsher quicker, but will be a thicker smoke. With more holes farther away from the coals, a lighter and longer smoke will result. It’s best to keep the holes as small as possible. Ash from the coals easily falls through the larger holes.