Philip Morris uses a whole network of IQOS dealers to sell this device. Therefore to continue, I had to fill out a form on their website so they would lend it to me for a week so I could try it out and see for myself. IQOS partner then proceeded to give me a one-hour long lecture where he explained everything. I paid small price for 6 packs of HEETS and was ready to go.
IQOS is composed of several parts. The Charger that is as big as a standard pack of cigarettes, that you have to carry with you because it contains Holder in which you insert HEETS, that is a label of shortened cigarettes designed for IQOS. In the nice looking box you'll also find cleaning sticks and micro USB charging cable. You can read about how it works in our article What is IQOS and how does non-burning smoking work.
Many things to do before the first smoke
In the beginning, there were many things to do first. It took around 2 - 3 hours to charge the Charger. Then put the Holder in the Charger and wait for another 4 minutes. Take out Holder, insert HEETS in it, hold the button on the Holder for a few seconds and then wait some more until the cigarette is finally heated enough and ready to be smoked. As easy as flying a plane.
Thankfully, you'll get used to it real quick and then it becomes very similar to pulling out a cigarette.
First smoke
Here it is - your first strong puff. You can feel the slightly warm smoke in your mouth, there's lots of it, and it kind of tastes as if you were smoking hay. You might cough a little. There is no burning going on in IQOS but it heats the glycerine contained in tobacco to approximately 660°F which then releases steam that carries nicotine. Once you breathe out, there is almost no smoke to be seen and there is no odour.
But you have courage, you need to do something for your wellbeing. You'll try a much softer puff the second time. And the third time. You may soon begin to understand how this interesting device, created by the conventional maker of Marlboro, purportedly worth $3 billion, is smoked correctly. The puffs must be somewhat soft and you should take breaks in order for the hot smoke to cool down in the filter with special cooling embeds. You've got exactly 6 minutes to smoke the cigarette, during which you'll be able to puff almost 12-14 times. That's precisely like a classic cigarette. At that point, the Holder vibrates and you've got another 30 seconds to say goodbye to the 0,2$ cigarette and that's it.
What's up with the taste? Is it good?
My whole life I've been smoking menthol cigarettes so I have a slight advantage compared to the usual cigarette smoker. The menthol-ish taste is very common. And as in a classic menthol cigarette, it overpowers what you could call bad taste. So I'd say it tastes good, but it's just different than classic cigarettes. It smells somehow funny, imagine walking around bakers store where someone forgot to open the furnace at the right time and now all the bread is burned, really mildly yet you can still smell it. The burned tar smell is gone, though. Also, no ash. After you finish your smoke, you pull out this heated stick, a bit black in the middle and just put it in a crystal clear ashtray. After a while, the odour is no longer to be smelled. What do HEETS contain exactly?
You might cough after it. For me, it went for as long as 3 days straight. For others, it can be even longer. But it isn't this horrible morning cigarette cough. I think the cough might be because your lungs are getting cleaned. And in a week, there is no cough and you are really excited to have another HEETS, even though it tasted strange at first. Now you don't even remember. If you are here, at this point, try smoking a classic cigarette. I have. And it tasted just as disgusting as the first cigarette in my life before I got used to it. Maybe even worse. And the smell... Well, try it.
IQOS , compared to other electronic cigarettes, really is worth the money invested in it.
After a week of testing, I bought IQOS including free 10 packs of HEETS. It's been now a few weeks. I've found some disadvantages and read about more in our Facebook group. I'll make sure to let you know about them in upcoming articles.
But the conclusion for me is obvious. If you are willing to get over the beginning investment and learn a thing or two you'll see to be satisfied. You'll feel much better and won't smell like cigarettes.