Guide: Getting the best throat hit

There is a lot of debate over how to get the best throat hit. There is even some debate over the actual definition of a throat hit.

For me, a throat hit is the rough, but fuller, sensation in the back of my throat when I inhale the vapor. It’s the difference between feeling like I inhaled ‘smoke’ versus feeling like I’m just inhaling air. An overly strong throat hit is also what can cause people to cough…when vaping and when smoking.

Getting a good throat hit is an essential part of the vaping experience for many people.

Voltage

The growing market of high powered e-cigarettes is proof that voltage is the primary factor in determining the strength of a throat hit.
The more voltage, the more vapor is produced. In addition, the vapor often feels hotter.

Lung inhalation

The easiest and possibly the most effective way to get a good throat hit is to change your inhalation technique.
First, experiment a bit to figure out the difference between a mouth inhalation versus a lung inhalation. The mouth inhalation is what you would use if you want to fill your mouth with vapor. The lung inhalation feels more like you are directly sucking the vapor into your lungs.
The lung inhalation adds dramatically to the throat hit and satisfying sensation of vaping.

The more vapor, the better the throat hit

This is the guiding force behind several popular modded devices and DIY mods. The mini Pipe (Lady Pipe) is a good example as well.
The mini Pipe uses the same atomizer as the penstyle, but has more vapor production because it has a bigger/strong battery. The screwdriver is another good example of an atomizer from another device powered up by a stronger battery.
More vapor also means more nicotine and a higher eliquid usage rate.

Use a USB passthrough to power your vaping device

It’s the same idea as the prior point. A USB passthrough supplies the atomizer with more voltage (amps?), resulting in more vapor production
In addition, unlike batteries, USB passthroughs always provide a consistent power source. With batteries, vapor production drops off as it loses power and needs to be recharged.

Higher nicotine content (?)

There are conflicting reports, but many people will agree that eliquids with higher nicotine content typically result in a better throat hit.
This is not always true. There are eliquids with low nicotine content that have satisfying throat hits.

Add menthol crystals

The throat hit of a menthol is different from what most people would consider a throat hit.
Fans of the menthol kick will definitely enjoy the increased sensations that result from dissolving some menthol crystals in their eliquid.
Menthol crystals are easy to find online and on eBay. You only need a few crystals to add a satisfying methol kick.

Add alcohol (ethanol) to the eliquid

Many commercial eliquids are partially composed of ethanol, according to one of the suppliers on www.e-cigarette-forum.com.
I’ve tested this on numerous occasions, but my results are inconsistent, so I can’t say for sure whether it helps or not.
It’s easy to add some ethanol to your mix by adding Everclear (95% ethanol). This is widely found in the States and fairly cheap as well. Some people have used spirits with lower alcohol content (i.e. vodka), but since they tend to include much more water and other compounds, it’s not recommended.
The scientific basis is a bit unclear, but some people speculate that the lower boiling vaporization temperature of ethanol makes for a better throat hit.

Use the drip technique

Rather than using a cartridge, directly drip a drop or two of eliquid onto the atomizer. Wait a few seconds to let it soak into the atomizer coil before vaping. For the penstyle (DSE801) and DSE901, I typically ignore the mouth pieces and suck directly on the atomizer itself.
Dripping seems to supply the atomizer with more eliquid at a time compared to a cartridge. I tend to get much more vapor, which means a stronger throat hit.

Spice it up and add capsaicin (?)

I have not tested this, but I have read posts supporting the idea of adding hot pepper extracts to the eliquid.
Capsaicin is the compound that makes peppers so spicy. It’s also the compound in Mace.
I think it’s rather questionable to add capsaicin to the eliquid, but maybe some adventurous DIY’ers are willing to give it a try.