A vaporizer is a device that heats up herbs and releases the active ingredients without producing smoke. This is healthier because it doesn’t involve burning the herb like a joint or bong does. It also produces less of an odor and no harsh smoke, so it’s easier to keep your vaporizer hidden in plain sight.
There are many distinct types of vaporizers out there, from desktop models to portable handheld vapes to pens, but this post will focus on two popular types: the dry herb vape, and the concentrate vape. Understanding these differences will help you pick which one might work best for you and your needs.
Dry herb vaporizer
Dry herb vaporizers are for people who want to use ground weed and nothing else. Most models will let you choose between different temperature settings, which will affect how much you get out of your weed. It’s recommended to start on a lower temperature and work your way up until you find what’s right for you.
To take the best out of your weed, It’s also recommended that you grind the it before putting it in the chamber. This will make sure that the heat is distributed evenly across the herb, so it heats up as quickly as possible. If you don’t grind it enough, it might not be evenly heated, and you get a sub-par hit.
If you like to do more than just smoke herb, vaporizers also work for other herbs and spices that don’t need to be heated up as much as weed. You can use them for things like mint leaves, lavender leaves, and even rosemary. Experiment with distinct types of herbs because different combinations will provide different effects.
Concentrate vaporizer
Concentrate vaporizers are primarily designed for people who want to vape oils, waxes, or shatters without having to burn a bowl first. However, you can also use a concentrate vaporizer to make your own dry herb blends that contain a mix of herbs and concentrates.
There are two main types of concentrate vaporizers: hot plate models and convection models. Hot plate models are the most common type of concentrate vaporizer because it doesn’t require the use of heat to activate the waxes, oils, and shatters. They plug into your computer via USB or wall plug so they’re very portable.
Convection models don’t need heat at all to function. They just draw air over the chamber (where you have your herb) to keep it cool. These models also heat up the air and herbs in a much quicker fashion than hot plate models, so they’re better for vaporizing concentrates.
Both types of concentrate vaporizers use the exact same methods to get the herb in the chamber. On a convection model, you just load up your chamber with your herbs and put it on top of a heating element. Then you either plug it into your computer or plug it into the wall, depending on which one you have.
Convection vaporizers usually come with a small non-dusting fan to blow air over the herb to keep that herb from getting too hot. Hot plate models usually come with a programmable heat source, so you just set the temperature and wait until it’s ready to go. You can also swap out the ceramic heating plate on some models if you want to change the way your herb is heated up.
Dry herb vaporizer models
There are three main types of dry herb vaporizers: conduction, convection, and hybrid. Conduction vapes use direct heat to heat up your herbs. Convection vapes don’t need any additional heating elements to cook your herb; the air itself is heated by a fan to get hot enough to vaporize the herb. Hybrid models combine the two and use both air and direct heat at the same time for a little of each. Make sure you read up on each type for more information on what they’re like and how well they work.
The Mighty Vaporizer is a conduction dry herb vaporizer. The Storz & Bickel Crafty is a convection model. The Arizer Air II is a conduction dry herb vape. The DaVinci Ascent is a convection dry herb vape. The Volcano is a hybrid dry herb vaporizer.
Dry herb vaporizer accessories
Dry herb vaporizers come with a few different accessories that you’ll want to have on hand to use your vape. A couple of the most important things you’ll need include:
A chamber attachment for loading the weed into your dry herb chamber
The chamber attachment usually has a scoop at the end to help you pack it in there tightly, so it heats evenly and efficiently. It also comes in different sizes, so make sure you get one that fits your vape exactly.
Baking or roasting screen
You can use this to roast your weed instead of using a grinder. It’s basically a double-sided grilling grate that lets you put your weed in the middle and then bake it directly in the oven. If you don’t have something like this, a screen from a window works just fine too.
Cleaning brush
Gives it a nice scrub so you avoid buildup and gunk that will get into your vapor and make it taste bad.
Filling aid
Grind up your weed, put it in this, then insert the filling aid into your chamber. Then push down on the other end and it will fill up your chamber quickly with minimal dusting.
Dry herb vaporizer reviews
The good news is that there are a lot of great dry herb vaporizers on the market and most of them are fully interchangeable with one another. If you’re looking for something more luxurious, you’ll want to check out something like the Arizer Solo or the Arizer Air II because they use glass chambers and will last forever if you take care of them.