Electronic Smoking - A COMPLETE Beginners Guide!

[KittyBurn]

Without feeling too advertisey, this is something i just wrote for my new site: www.esmoking101.com! Anyway if you are not put off by that obvious website plug, feel free to check this out I think it will be helpful!

WHAT DO I NEED TO START?

This was my first question when I first saw the E-Cigarettes. It seems there are a whole bunch of sites out there with all sorts of brands and models. Which one is good for me? Well let me break it down by price, model, upkeep and accessories.

Some important things to know before continuing:

There are three parts to an electronic cigarette,

1. A cartridge(holds the nicotine or juice/liquid)

2. An Atomizer(makes the smoke)

3. A battery(usually the longer part of the e-cigarette to make the atomizer heat up)

PRICE DIFFERENCE:

The # 1 thing I noticed was price differences. Why were some sites 150$ and some 50$? The real reason is because some sites take advantage of those who have not seen anything other than word of mouth or a news broadcast about these things and thing, hell 150$ must be a good price and it is “on sale!”

So don’t get fooled!

Anything above 60$ is usually a rip off. You can usually get them shipped for below 75 dollars with some refills of nicotine to boot!

WHERE TO BUY:

I did some research and narrowed down my searches to the following sites:

• Puresmoker.com – Wonderful guy named Steve runs this and is very helpful with all your questions and needs .His prices are extremely competitive.

• JantyUSA.com – Very helpful customer service and large selection of flavored nicotine liquids. Great warranty options and return policies.

• NJOY.com – Great starter package for the person who wants to get a cigarette as close to real as possible, with helpful instructions, and overnight shipping options. As well a 30 day return policy and 1 year warranty option.

These are in order from cheapest prices to most expensive.

Ok so now you know where to buy them…

WHICH ONE DO I WANT?

If you are like me, an ex smoker, than you know you probably want a cigarette that is as close to the real thing as possible, in looks and size. You have two options here! (keep this in mind, none of these are the same size as a cigarette and are all closer to a WIDE cigarette at a 100 length. Their weight is also variable, however I will go into the details of which are lighter and longer etc as we go.

Cigarette Look Alike: AKA THE MINIFOGGER

BRANDS:

NPRO NJOY – npro.com

This E-Cigarette looks like a wide camel 100. It weighs about the same as a pair of scissors. (ya know the plastic handle ones that slide through wrapping paper really well) They call these mini foggers.

This cigarette while more expensive, BECAUSE of the site and maker, not because of quality, is covered by a 1 year warranty. This means if the atomizer or battery dies for whatever reason you can send it back for a replacement. This is nice for those who do not want to venture into buying spare parts and carrying them around with them. HOWEVER, if you HAVE to send it back you will be without a nicotine replacement for a few days, if this sounds ok to you than this is a great option. Another option if you bought from this manufacturer is to buy spare parts from PURESMOKER.com(NJOY doesn’t sell spare atomizers). The parts for his brand called the “Peewee” are the same as the NJOY NPRO. This sounds like a great time to talk about the PEEWEE.

PEEWEE – puresmoker.com

This cigarette is the exact same model as the NPRO NJOY, without the warranty. So if you want to have the same product as above for 20 dollars cheaper, and buy replacement parts from the site etc, this is a great option for you.

• THE PARTS:

The battery life with two batteries will last you a day if you were a pack a day smoker. You will just need to keep on charging while the other is in use. They do last about 3 hours with smoke breaks every 30 min.

The nicotine cartridges last for about 3 – 5 cigarettes at best from what I have seen. Most sites say they last more, but I am a pretty wussy smoker and do not pull hard and by the 4th or 5th cigarette equivalent I am not getting the hit I need off them and need to replace them. With smaller models like this the cartridge has less space for the liquid so they need to be refilled more often or replaced. If you are looking to replace the cartridges at a dollar a pop, you are looking at, with the above specs, 5 dollars per day for 20 cigarettes worth. This is almost the equivalent of buying regular cigarettes. So this is not the best monetary, but obviously if you are replacing it and money isn’t the issue then this may be fine by you.

The cartridges can be bought prefilled from PURESMOKER.COM for the peewee for both the NPRO NJOY and the PEEWEE.(DO NOT BUY FROM NPRO.com THEY OVERCHARGE, BY A SERIOUS AMOUNT) If the color is not to your liking(he only sells black right now) the cartridge itself has two parts, the plastic outside and the holder inside with the nicotine and cotton swab. You can easily push that out and put it in an orange one on your e-cigarette so not to mess up the appearance.

If you choose to refill your cartridge instead of replace them you may need some better tools, such as a 5 ml syringe to push the liquid into the smaller cartridge at the bottom. This may be problematic if you are in an office situation and pulling out a syringe may set off alarms. The positive is you can PREFILL a couple cartridges at home and bring them to work with you. (You can buy “ejuice/liquid”, aka nicotine liquid, from puresmoker.com and jantyusa.com. I will get into this further in the latter accessories section.)

Dripping is another method to refill your cigarette where you drop 2 drops of a nicotine liquid on your atomizer and smoke it, which last about one cigarettes worth. This however is kinda ridiculous for an ex-smoker like me so I do not recommend this option. Also good luck getting on a plane with your bottle of liquid in your pocket.

CONCLUSION:

The great part about these smaller cigarettes is they are easy to carry around in your pocket and they do not draw as much attention in the smoker crowd, although personally I have yet to NOT be asked a million questions while smoking an e-cigarette in general. So if you do not mind spending a little extra if not the same as regular smoking money on cartridges, filling your cartridges yourself, or even dripping onto the atomizer, then this will work out well for you!

[KittyBurn]

SMALL but not a look alike

Jantyusa.com sells an e-cigarette called the Janty Mini Fogger. I have not tried it myself but I have heard it heats the smoke nicely and produces a lot of vapor and has an easy pull. After trying some Janty products this is definitely on my list of things to try because it is slightly smaller(height and width) and lighter than the e-cigarettes mention above, making it fit in your hand a little better. The only difference is it is black with a blue LED and blue squiggle line painted on it, so there is really no mistaking this as a regular cigarette. What I have found though is after smoking in-front of my smoking buddies, they don’t care what color or shape/size your e-cigarette is, they are just amazed you are blowing out smoke from an electric cigarette. I do not know enough about this product to really review it, however I do know Janty product seem to produce warmer fog and more of it, as well they feel nice in the hand and are well weighted. So if you don’t care about realism, this may be the way to go, and hopefully I can give you a more in depth look into this mini fogger later on.

Slightly Larger Versions

Now if you do not need it to be super small and prefer to change the cartridge less or refill your e-cigarette less, or even charge the battery less there are quite a few options available to you. I will discuss the specific route I took and just mention the others briefly.

There is currently one brand that is the MOST popular called the DSE901. It is about the length of a highlighter. It is said to have a great pull, very smooth vapor, and holds the equivalent of 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine liquid. The battery life is also about 5 hours of use, which is great!

You can also get this is black with a blue/red/pink/green LED. Or you can get it in white with an orange cartridge end and a red LED. So it is a bit longer but it will look like, FROM A DISTANCE, a real cigarette. The difference here is the mouthpiece is rectangular like an old style cigarette holder for movie stars or women.

This is usually the e-cigarette people get as a secondary or after they have decided it looking close to a real cigarette isn’t as important anymore, and want it to be less of a hassle and less upkeep.

These can be purchased from PURESMOKER.com.

Now I decided to not go this route because a new Product called the Janty Dura was released. I will be doing a video review of this product below.

The Janty DURA is slightly smaller than the DSE901 height wise. It also has a rounded mouth piece instead of a rectangular one. It only comes in black with a blue LED and a gold seal in the middle. It actually fits in the hand very nicely and the size difference doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would after getting the mini fogger NJOY NPRO.

This fogger has often been referred to as the DSE901 competition. It has a new atomizer technology and cool addons, such as a battery powered portable charger.

To be continued…

(VIDEO REVIEW SOON as I just received this model today and need a little more time with it to give it a full break down)

UPKEEP and ACCESSORIES

As you can see the e-cigarettes are a little complex to start out. They require refills, part replacement, and maintenance. However if you think of the time you spend going to the store for smokes or activities related, you spend about the same amount of time with either. The difference is you need to learn how to do it all unlike a cigarette and a lighter. So read over this document and I think you will be good to go. It is really quite simple. Liquid, Battery, Cartridge, Atomizer, Charger, and you are good to go.

Liquids

E-Cigarette liquids are composed of:

• “PG or propylene glycol is an organic compound (a diol alcohol), usually a faintly sweet, odorless, and colorless clear viscous liquid that is hygroscopic and miscible with water and acetone. Propylene glycol is recognized as generally safe by the Food and Drug Administration. It is used in food coloring, and flavoring, as an additive to keep food, medicines and cosmetics moist, and in machines that simulate smoke. Propylene glycol functions to provide the vapor mist that looks like smoke and to suspend flavor”
  

  Nicotine

  
  

  “an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco,[1][2] with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves. It functions as an antiherbivore chemical with particular specificity to insects; therefore nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past, and currently nicotine analogs such as imidacloprid continue to be widely used.”

  • OTHER
    

  “Unfortunately there is still not too much information on all the ingredients used in the juices from all the companies. So this one is still a little shady.”

  REFILLING:

  Are you nervous about buying liquid nicotine? Think perhaps the ones that are prefilled are better because you may over fill your own and possibly give yourself nicotine poisoning? Think again!

  Refilling is about the easiest of the easiest parts of an e-cigarette. Sure it is a routine and something you will need to do if you choose this path, but it is the same as scrounging for change or looking for the lighter for your regular cigarette. It probably takes less time too. Not to mention the money saved.

  You have two options, you can buy empty cartridges for your e-cigarette and fill them with a Liquid of your choice or you can use your prefilled cartridges and top them off when needed. Either way you need the Liquid. Some people like to buy syringes to break up the cotton like swab a bit to hold more liquid and fill it from the bottom up. This is not a bad method but you do not need to do this if you just drip the liquid into the cotton until it doesn’t seem like it is absorbing anymore. Worst case scenarios is if you fill it too much it will drip a little and can get in your mouth for the first few pulls, but nothing fatal.

  There are a bunch of youtube videos that will show you how to refill using a syringe and just using the bottle itself if you still have questions.

  Where to buy:

  The best place I have found for liquids is JantyUSA.com they have a very wide selection of flavors and helpful descriptions. They also come in nice dropper bottles that you can use to fill the cartridges without the need for a syringe.

  I have also heard that johnsoncreeksmokejuice.com is a good place for liquids and they have all the materials you would need, such as liquid, syringes, and tweezers. I have not tried it yet so I cannot speak first hand but something to note is their liquid comes in two types, one WITH the polyglycol and one without. So if that chemical doesn’t float your boat there is an alternative.

  Cartridges

  These are the holders for the liquid nicotine. On smaller models they are usually the mouthpiece as well, which is nice because it can be replaced easily. Some sites such as puresmoker.com sell these for about 75cents each and depending on the e-cigarette you buy can last from 5 cigarettes to a pack and a half.

  These can also be bought without liquid in them and refilled manually and re-used.

  You can also clean these by pulling out the cotton, rinsing, and then drying.

  Batteries

  Pretty self explanatory. Battery life differs depending on cigarette brand. The minifoggers usually last for about 3 hours use and the larger the e-cigarette usually the longer the battery.

  Atomizers

  This is the heart of the e-cigarette. This part heats up and converts the liquid into vaporizes nicotine. These can be cleaned and/or replaced. They have a tendency to die after time. So they will eventually have to be cleaned. Some side effects of a dirty atomizer or one that needs replacement is a burnt smell/taste when smoked with, less vapor being created, or not producing enough heat to make any vapor.

  HOW TO CLEAN:

  Do not use boiling water, it can damage the atomizer.

  The quick change in temperature of the different parts van give in some brands problems of fitting.

  The chrome ring at the end of the tube can come lose with risk of broken wires and a dead atomizer.

  For the cigarette models only clean the atomizer part in this way.

  1 - Let the warm water flow in the atomizer an turn it upside down. repeat this several times.

  2 - In the meanwhile fill a cup with the warm water and drop the atomizer in the cup. leave it there for half an hour

  3 - then go to step 1 again. do this cycle 3 times.

  4 - if it is OK the water stays clean with no smell.

  5 - then shake the water out the atomizer en put the atomizer on a warm place to dry. (very gentle blow excess water out can help a little)

  6 - only when you are really sure it is dry put some drops (6 -8) of Liquid in the atomizer.

  You Must do this, before placing battery or trying to smoke!!!

  If you start smoking a really clean and dry atomizer, the heating wire inside will overheat and the atomizer will die!

  SO after putting the drops of Liquid on the atomizer wait for a few minutes for the atomizer mesh to soak the Liquid.

  Now enjoy you're NEW atomizer.

  Remark: Every atomizer is filled with some Liquid before leaving the factory to prevent overheating a dry atomizer.

  Remark 2: If You really want to clean a Cigar, Cigarillo or Pipe atomizer you can dot it in the same way, BUT in this atomizers is some electronics and a microchip. So for this types leaving it to dry before placing the battery is even more important.

  Also always start these types with some drops of liquid, and wait a while before you start smoking.

  If you do not have a bottle of Liquid, you can extract some from a cartridge.

  TAKEN FROM ECIGFORUM.com http://ecigforum.com/index.php?topic=96.15

  CONCLUSION

  E-Cigarettes are still not completely tested for safety but just looking at the way they work versus smoking, they seem like a hell of a better option if you were to continue smoking. They may also be a great way to quit, but that depends on you just as it would if you went on the patch or took medication. For me I wanted the social part back without the cancer. This provides that for the time being. The clinical results are still awaiting release; you can check http://www.e-cig.org/ for details. It is interesting to note the results will be from New Zealand and they just allowed the e-cig for use there. So maybe they know something we don’t ? Hope this was helpful! Good luck!

  F.A.Q.

  Q. Does it feel/taste different than a real cigarette?

  A. The Smoke you inhale is vaper so it feels slightly different but the taste and sensation, especially using the Janty Dura, is very similar to smoke, as it is warm and fills your lungs the same. You can get special flavors as well to simulate your cigarette, but obviously it will never be 100% the same. Which is probably good!

  Q. Why is it probably good!?!?!?!

  A. Well for a number of reasons. The vapor doesn’t taint your breath and your g/f or b/f will not be angry with you. It doesn’t ruing the taste of food or stop you from smelling the world!

  Q. Hmm well do I still wake up with smoker phlegm?

  A. The simple answer is no. When you smoke with an e-cigarette you do not feel like a smoker when you wake up, and any smoker will tell you, it is not fun to have to take a shower to clear your throat in the morning.

  Q. Do you pull the same as a regular cigarette?

  A. It seems from my experience so far, you do not pull the same, you take slightly longer drags, but it doesn’t bother me as much because it is not as HOT as a regular cigarette, which is why we take smaller drags to begin with. You will actually learn techniques as you smoke to fill your mouth or lungs(however you smoke) the way that fits you. I find as I pull it into my mouth, because of the flavored liquids and it being vapor and not smoke I can feel when my mouth is full and it is a pleasant sensation as it fills my mouth and transfer to my lungs and back out again. If anything the blow out is a little lacking due to it distilling through the process.

  Q. How do I bring my E-Cigarette on a trip with me? Won’t the batteries run out?

  A. As with anything electronic the batteries may run out. However there are multiple charging apparatus available such as USB, WALL CONNECTOR, PORTABLE BATTERY POWERED(jantyusa.com), and CAR CHARGERS available.

  Q. Do I need to have more than one e-cigarette?

  A. This really depends on you. As with all electronics, malfunctions can happen. Can you be ok for a few days waiting for replacement parts or warranties to be fulfilled? If not I suggest a second one, however you can also just carry replacement parts with you as well or have them on hand so you never find yourself in a bad state of withdrawal and the need to go back to regular cigarettes. Either you can look to the place you purchased your e-cigarette for backup parts or go to puresmoker.com and get them there.

  Q. Ok, but what parts should I have extras of?

  A. You should have a backup atomizer, battery, and charger. If any of these die you would be SOL. Some things to consider is having extra e-cigarette nicotine liquid with you or cartridges as well to last until your next shipment can arrive.

  Q. Does the liquid drip out of the e-cigarette?

  A. Every now and again, especially if you refill yourself, your e-liquid may drip into your mouth through the pull hole. This is very rare however and not fatal. What is important to note though, is the cartridge on e-cigarettes is not completely sealed, at least on minifoggers and the DSE901 or DURA series. What this means is when you are putting the cartridge on liquid sometimes drips out of the seal onto your fingers. This isn’t really a deal breaker but it can be annoying if you don’t want your fingers to smell. Sometimes the liquid can be sticky too, so it is best to wipe it down after refilling or changing cartridges. But even then some liquid can come out. This may be a surprise for smokers when they make the switch. Not a big deal though, you can still have it in your pocket without worrying about wet pants.

  Q. What does it mean to have 2 or 4 air holes?

  A. All the e-cigarettes have holes that allow you to suck air through them, some have 4 and some have 2 and some have 1. This can make an easier pull and put less strain on the atomizer. It can also decrease amount of vapor depending on brand.

  Q. How do I know when I am done smoking? It doesn’t burn down so…

  A. Well this is an interesting one, first if you smoke real cigarettes you know you sometimes toss a half done smoke cause your body says ok, I’m done. Same with these!(except the throwing part) Your body is pretty smart and will know when you have had your “fix”. I find standing next to a smoker and gauging it off them helps as well, some e-cigarettes have a built in LED to tell you if you smoked more than 12 times in a minute. So you have some checksums. While not the best method and this could probably be improved, your body definitely knows and you start to get used to how much you need to smoke to be well off. You may get a little bit of a head rush in the beginning.

  Q. Big or small?

  A. I think it is nice to have both for different situations, but honestly it depends on if you want more upkeep or less. Larger requires less time refilling or replacing cartridges and charging batteries. And even though you think they are larger it doesn’t feel large in your hand and not even close to a PEN if you stick with the cigarette style ones.

  Q. Can I just buy the e-cigarette and some cartridges and be done with it?

  A. As you can see the e-cigarettes are a little complex to start out. They require refills, part replacement, and maintenance. However if you think of the time you spend going to the store for smokes or activities related, you spend about the same amount of time with either. The difference is you need to learn how to do it all unlike a cigarette and a lighter. So read over this document and I think you will be good to go. It is really quite simple. Liquid, Battery, Cartridge, Atomizer, Charger, and you are good to go.

  Q. Are there different flavors?

  A. Yes. You can check out sites like Jantyusa.com and Johnsoncreeksmokejuice.com for flavors like chocolate, menthol, Marlboro, etc.

  Q. Can I smoke this in places normally marked for non-smoking?

  A. Because this only emits a vapor without smell, you can technically smoke it anywhere, but it really depends on those around you. It would be smart to check with store owners or managers before smoking these in normally sanctioned non smoking areas.

  Q. Do real smokers make fun of you when you bring this out to the smoking spots?

  A. Ha this was a huge concern of mine. When I brought it out I was expecting people to not accept it, instead I have referred about 10 people so far to sites where they can buy these. I actually got a bit of a head rush the first day from having to show how it worked so many times. And now people are used to me with it and even with my new Dura with blue LED people are fine with it. It is actually the talk of the office at the moment. HENCE THE GIANT write up! ?

  Q. But now I have a zippo for no reason? Do I just whip it out of my pocket and smoke?

  A. Ok first off the zippo will still be good for when you need to light that special ladies smoke. And I’m grabbing this from “DisMan” on the forum ecigforum.com, in regards to just whipping it out:

  “I find that keeping the pieces apart is the best way. Not for technical reasons though. When regularly smoking, you have to open the box, grab a smoke, reach in your pocket and grab your lighter, light up, put the pack and lighter back.

  With the components separated, you get some of that "habit" satisfied by having to assemble the e-cig before smoking.”

  Q. Where is a good place to find out more information about e-smoking?

  A. A great place is the community. There are lots of e-smokers out there like you and me and a few forums that facilitate it as well. I recommend: http://e-cigarette-forum.com (currently propagating a new DNS) and http://ecigforum.com. I was able to make a lot of my first decisions and learn a lot more tricks and tips this way. Be careful though it can CONSUME YOU!

  I have now opened a website where I will be updating information like this ( no this isn't an advertisement, just got kinda e excited lol.) So here is the site:

  www.ESmoking101.com

[Royce]

WOW great article for those who are curious about Esmoking, thanks KittyBurn

[Christopher]

I have edited the above post slightly and stickied this topic.

[ecigreviewguy]

This is a great beginners article on how to get started with your electronic cigarette, couldn't have said it better myself! But there is one US company missing from the list of suppliers. Smokeless Delite is a fairly new company that has reasonable prices and great customer service! Hopefully they will add them to the list, but you can check them out here: http://www.smokelessdelite.com/

[PoppaC]

This is great info... I've been telling everyone about it.... Very descriptive... Thanks

[Guest AGS]

wow great info indeed!

@ ecigreview, that site you posted has some insane prices, 89 bucks for a mini? HOLY CRAP!

[Sean]

Wow! That's one heck of a post!

Lots of great info though.

Thanks for posting all the info. Kittyburn!!!

[Genet1c]

Thanx for all the info, should help every1 out

$89 is INSANE

Still nowhere near smoking everywheres ridicoulous prices though