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Every shisha enthusiast, including beginners, is familiar with quick lights. These are readily available and easy to use. Many quick light charcoals are also considerably cheaper than natural charcoal. Before we delve into the difference between quick light and natural charcoal, it is necessary to draw a distinction with coal. Many people refer to quick light and natural charcoal as quick light coal and natural coal respectively. What you use with your shisha is not coal. It is charcoal. We can get into that discussion at another time.
Quick Light vs. Natural Charcoal: Compositions
There are many types of charcoal. The most widely available type is natural or common charcoal. This is usually made from coal or wood, peat or petroleum. A distinct type of common or natural charcoal is made from coconut shell.
The other types of charcoal are sugar charcoal, activated charcoal, lump charcoal, white charcoal, black charcoal, ogatan, pillow shaped briquettes, sawdust briquettes and extruded charcoal. Sugar charcoal is made from carbonization of sugar. Activated charcoal is derived from common charcoal through controlled treatment and manufacturing. Lump charcoal is derived from hardwoods. Ogatan is derived from hardened sawdust. Pillow shaped briquettes are derived from sawdust and wood byproducts. There may be many binders and additives. Sawdust briquettes are made from charcoal derived from compressed sawdust. Extruded charcoal is derived from carbonized wood or raw ground wood.
Quick light charcoal can be made from one or multiple sources of charcoal. There may be some natural sources too. However, quick lights always have some chemicals, binders and additives, among other materials. The very fact that this type of charcoal lights up quickly is due to a flammable agent, which could be sulfur or benzene. There may be more than one such component to make the charcoal easier and quicker to light.
Natural charcoal does not have any chemical, hazardous additive or binder. This also means that natural charcoal will not light up as quickly as the quick light versions. You will have to be patient and the natural charcoal should be exposed to a flame or fire for a considerable period of time to start burning.
Quick Light vs. Natural Charcoal: Pros and Cons
Quick light takes a few seconds to start burning. All you need is a source of fire, something as simple as a matchstick or a small lighter. You do not need a sustained and substantial source of fire. Natural charcoal takes a few minutes to start burning. Depending on the quality, it may take anywhere from two to six minutes to be properly lit.
Given the ease with which you can start a session using quick light, it may be your default choice when you are on the move or when you do not have sufficient time at your disposal. If you have a source of sustained and substantial flame or fire and you have enough time for a relaxed session, then you should go for natural charcoal.
There is a more serious difference between quick light and natural charcoal. The former is not healthy. Sulfur, benzene or any other such chemical that aids the quick lighting up of the charcoal produces hazardous smoke. Inhaling this smoke is not healthy. Natural charcoal has no such issue. If you are using natural charcoal made from coconut shells, then there is nothing harmful in the smoke and you are not inhaling anything hazardous.
Quick light also loses to natural charcoal when it comes to the quality of flavor, because it has odor and the smoke is ashy. It also produces much less heat. You will experience the perfect flavor of a certain hookah if you use natural charcoal. This is not obvious to those who have never tried natural charcoal. They may have the impression that their smoking experience is what the shisha flavor is supposed to offer. Switch to natural charcoal for once and you will realize the difference. The flavor is cleaner, clearer and much more pleasurable with natural charcoal. This is true regardless of the brand of shisha or the specific type of flavor you try. This is also one reason why those who switch to natural charcoal do not revert to using quick light.
Natural charcoal also lasts longer. Two pieces and you can last an hour. Quick light charcoal rarely lasts half an hour. You will need a fresh set of discs or briquettes to continue your session up to forty five minutes or an hour.
Quick Light vs. Natural Charcoal: Compositions
There are many types of charcoal. The most widely available type is natural or common charcoal. This is usually made from coal or wood, peat or petroleum. A distinct type of common or natural charcoal is made from coconut shell.
The other types of charcoal are sugar charcoal, activated charcoal, lump charcoal, white charcoal, black charcoal, ogatan, pillow shaped briquettes, sawdust briquettes and extruded charcoal. Sugar charcoal is made from carbonization of sugar. Activated charcoal is derived from common charcoal through controlled treatment and manufacturing. Lump charcoal is derived from hardwoods. Ogatan is derived from hardened sawdust. Pillow shaped briquettes are derived from sawdust and wood byproducts. There may be many binders and additives. Sawdust briquettes are made from charcoal derived from compressed sawdust. Extruded charcoal is derived from carbonized wood or raw ground wood.
Quick light charcoal can be made from one or multiple sources of charcoal. There may be some natural sources too. However, quick lights always have some chemicals, binders and additives, among other materials. The very fact that this type of charcoal lights up quickly is due to a flammable agent, which could be sulfur or benzene. There may be more than one such component to make the charcoal easier and quicker to light.
Natural charcoal does not have any chemical, hazardous additive or binder. This also means that natural charcoal will not light up as quickly as the quick light versions. You will have to be patient and the natural charcoal should be exposed to a flame or fire for a considerable period of time to start burning.
Quick Light vs. Natural Charcoal: Pros and Cons
Quick light takes a few seconds to start burning. All you need is a source of fire, something as simple as a matchstick or a small lighter. You do not need a sustained and substantial source of fire. Natural charcoal takes a few minutes to start burning. Depending on the quality, it may take anywhere from two to six minutes to be properly lit.
Given the ease with which you can start a session using quick light, it may be your default choice when you are on the move or when you do not have sufficient time at your disposal. If you have a source of sustained and substantial flame or fire and you have enough time for a relaxed session, then you should go for natural charcoal.
There is a more serious difference between quick light and natural charcoal. The former is not healthy. Sulfur, benzene or any other such chemical that aids the quick lighting up of the charcoal produces hazardous smoke. Inhaling this smoke is not healthy. Natural charcoal has no such issue. If you are using natural charcoal made from coconut shells, then there is nothing harmful in the smoke and you are not inhaling anything hazardous.
Quick light also loses to natural charcoal when it comes to the quality of flavor, because it has odor and the smoke is ashy. It also produces much less heat. You will experience the perfect flavor of a certain hookah if you use natural charcoal. This is not obvious to those who have never tried natural charcoal. They may have the impression that their smoking experience is what the shisha flavor is supposed to offer. Switch to natural charcoal for once and you will realize the difference. The flavor is cleaner, clearer and much more pleasurable with natural charcoal. This is true regardless of the brand of shisha or the specific type of flavor you try. This is also one reason why those who switch to natural charcoal do not revert to using quick light.
Natural charcoal also lasts longer. Two pieces and you can last an hour. Quick light charcoal rarely lasts half an hour. You will need a fresh set of discs or briquettes to continue your session up to forty five minutes or an hour.
