If you ask any long-term vaper what they like most about vaping, “flavor” is probably the response you’re most likely to hear. Getting nicotine without smoke is a great thing, and it’s obviously the thing that convinces people to make the switch. Making the switch to vaping often involves decreasing your daily nicotine intake, though, which means that you’ll come out the other side less addicted to nicotine than you were as a smoker. Although most smokers probably don’t start vaping with the goal of eventually eliminating their nicotine intake, that’s exactly what many people end up doing when they realize how easy it can be to dial down your nicotine consumption if you do it gradually.
So, if many people find themselves less addicted to nicotine once they’ve completed the switch to vaping, what is it that keeps them coming back? You guessed it; enjoying tasty e-liquid flavors is the thing that keeps long-term vapers excited. If you’re not a long-term vaper, though, it’s possible that you haven’t found the perfect e-liquid flavor for your taste yet. If something isn’t quite right about your vaping setup, it’s even possible that you’ve never experienced the amazing flavors that other vapers have raved about – and that’s the purpose of this article.
If your vape tastes bad, then you’re having the opposite of the experience that you should be having. Here’s what to do.
Try Replacing Your Coil or Pod
If your vape tastes bad, the most likely scenario is that the flavor has slowly degraded as you’ve used the device. The reason why that happens is because the coil “burns out” over time. The fact that the coil is producing a burned flavor, though, isn’t because the coil itself is actually burned – it’s because residue from your e-liquid has collected on the coil and is covering the heating surface. When the residue becomes sufficiently thick, the heat from your coil causes the residue to smolder when you vape. That’s the cause of the unpleasant flavor you’re experiencing. This is the point at which you need to replace your coil. If you’re new to vaping and haven’t done that yet, learn how to change your vape coil now.
If you find that your coils don’t last very long before they begin to give you a burned flavor, the most likely reason is because you’re using e-liquid that contains sucralose as a sweetener. When sucralose is heated, it doesn’t turn fully to a liquid vapor like the other ingredients in e-liquid. The vapor does carry a bit of the sucralose’s sweetness, but most of the sucralose in the e-liquid sticks to the coil and forms a layer of dark residue. Give unsweetened e-liquid a try if you’d like your coils to last longer.
Try a Different E-Liquid Flavor
There’s a reason why you’ll often see the phrase “taste is subjective” when reading reviews of various e-liquids online. It’s because – just like with food – it can be difficult to get any two people to agree on which flavors are the best. Just try getting a group of people to choose a favorite pizza brand – there might be a fight! We draw a parallel between e-liquid and pizza as a way to illustrate how differently two people can perceive the same flavors. The fact that a given e-liquid is one of the most popular vape juices on the market – and maybe it’s even a flavor that most of your friends enjoy – doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll feel the same way about it.
If you don’t enjoy the first e-liquid that you try – maybe you’ve even tried a few flavors and aren’t wild about any of them – you shouldn’t lose hope or conclude that vaping isn’t for you. The fact that taste is subjective is precisely why there are hundreds of different e-liquids on the market. There is definitely a vape juice out there for you; it’s just a matter of continually experimenting with different products until you find the one you like.
Try Using a Lower Nicotine Strength
When you reflect on the way that your e-liquid tastes, one of the things you might not consider is that nicotine contributes to the e-liquid’s overall flavor profile. Nicotine tastes a little like black pepper – and in an e-liquid with a high nicotine strength, the peppery flavor can overwhelm the vape juice’s other flavor components.
The way you perceive the intensity of the nicotine in an e-liquid depends on your individual nicotine requirements and on the vapor production of the vaping equipment you’re using. If the nicotine strength of your e-liquid is too high for your needs or for your vaping device, you’re going to find the peppery flavor unpleasant. You might also experience throat irritation when vaping. If the nicotine strength is right, on the other hand, you’ll find the vapor smooth and tasty. If that isn’t the experience you’re having, you should try a lower nicotine strength.
Try Reducing Your Device’s Wattage Setting
So far, we’ve explained how the condition of your device’s coil, the nicotine strength of your e-liquid and your own personal tastes can influence your perception of flavor when vaping and can affect the overall quality of your experience. The last thing that we’re going to discuss in this article is the configuration of your vaping hardware.
Do you use a vape pen or mod with adjustable wattage settings? One of the benefits of using a variable-wattage vaping device is that you can adjust your device’s configuration to produce a good experience with any vape tank. The drawback of owning a variable-wattage device, however, is that you might select a power level that’s too high. If that happens, you’ll have trouble enjoying your vaping experience because the heat from your tank’s atomizer coil will overwhelm the flavor of the e-liquid. It’s even possible to burn your coil’s cotton wick – ruining the coil permanently – by vaping with a power level that’s too high. If the sensation of intense heat is making your vape taste bad, try lowering your device’s wattage. Remember that it may also be necessary to replace your coil if the wick is burned.