Who’s Bringing the Heat!?

Coco Nara and Charco Flare: Crazy over Coconut Coals!

In the world of modern hookah, it has become the norm to see companies selling natural coals made from coconut husks. Why? – These non-quick lighting coconut coals last longer, are naturally made, pack a lot of heat for a little package, and are generally better tasting or even preferably tasteless compared to their quick lighting coal counter parts.

Now, don’t get me wrong, quick light is super convenient, especially on the go! You can use a torch lighter to get them going and it makes switching out the coals for long sessions that much easier – which you will be thankful for since you will be changing them out almost twice as often as the naturals – also, they tend to be ashy and can compromise the flavor of your shisha.

Natural coals don’t use any accelerants so they don’t burn out as fast and end up saving you some dough in the long run as they can last anywhere from 45-60 minutes per coal. The downside is you need a heating element and about 5-10 minutes to spare to get them nice and fired up but you will be rewarded for your time with a less messy and more satisfying session.

There are many brands on the market to choose from and picking the right coals is in some regards paramount to your entire smoking experience, so we decided to go ahead and recommend a brand or two.

Coconut Coals

Probably the most well-known brand is Coco Nara. They had a stake in the process that started the conversion to coconut husks in the first place so they have been with the program since its inception. The Coco Nara coals have little to no flavor or smell and produce very little mess while lasting well over an hour. The heat tends to be evenly distributed and stays consistent so long as you don’t rush the heating process and make sure they are nice and hot before attempting to use them.

There is another brand that is also wildly popular for a truly unique design and they are Charco Flare. Charco Flare offers a specifically designed coal for popular heat management devices, this is the quarter circle type. They can be bought in a quarter circle size which allows four pieces to form a complete circle and fit nice and snug inside your HMD but I’ve come to think that three is plenty.

Like Coco Nara, the Charco Flare has very little odor and doesn’t alter the taste of your shisha and also requires a burner to light properly. It lasts easily an hour and produces lots of heat for lots of clouds leaving very little mess in its aftermath. Charco Flare also offers flats and large cubes. They have something for everyone!

But don’t take our word for it, shop SouthSmoke.com and try them for yourself.

Come see why we are crazy about coconut coals!