Most customers buying their first vaporizer leave the default temperature without a second thought. Yet it's one of the settings that changes the experience the most, in taste as well as intensity.
Low temperatures: 160 to 180°C
At these temperatures you mainly release the most volatile terpenes, which give the freshest taste, closest to fresh flower. The vapour is light and barely visible – good for daytime use when you want to stay discreet and clear-headed.
Medium temperatures: 180 to 200°C
This is the range I most often recommend to beginners, because it offers a good balance between taste and intensity. The vapour becomes denser without being unpleasant, and the flower starts to change colour slightly on the surface.
High temperatures: above 200°C
Above this threshold you extract more compounds but lose aromatic finesse; the vapour gets heavier and closer to light combustion. Some customers enjoy this intensity at the end of a session, once the lower temperatures have given everything.
"I always vaporized on full, thinking it was more effective. Since I lowered it to 175°C to start, I've rediscovered a taste I'd completely forgotten in my favourite flower."
A simple method to try at home
Many devices let you do several passes at increasing temperatures on the same load, starting low and going up gradually. It's the most complete way to make the most of the whole flower without wasting anything, and it lets you really feel the difference between each step.
If your device doesn't let you set the temperature precisely, come and talk about it in the shop – some recent models, like the Storz & Bickel Venty, really make a difference here.
