Ice or milk in a hookah: what it really does

A few ice cubes in the base, or a splash of milk instead: anyone who smokes shisha for a while hears these tips sooner or later. But what does ice in a hookah really do, and what happens to your base and hose when you put milk in it?

Below you read what ice does and does not do, what to watch with the glass and the water level, and why we advise against milk, soda and alcohol. Want to make the base look better? Have a look at the base coloring. Smoking cooler also works with an ice hose.

What goes in the base of a hookah?

The base of a hookah simply takes cold water. You fill it until the downstem, the tube that hangs in the base, sits 1 to 2 centimeters under water. With every draw the smoke bubbles through that water and reaches your mouth through the hose. How to set up the rest of a hookah is explained in shisha for beginners.

Anything extra you put in the base changes something about that water: how cold it is, what color it has or how it foams. That is what this article is about.

What does ice in a hookah do?

Ice makes the water in the base colder. Because the smoke bubbles through that cold water, it cools down a little and feels cooler in your mouth. That is all ice does. It does not give you more smoke, and it does not make the smoke any cleaner.

Why people put ice in their shisha

Cold smoke feels less hot, and on a warm summer evening many people find that more pleasant. That is why so many people search for ice in shisha or ice cubes in a shisha. It works as long as the water is cold. Once the ice has melted and the water warms up, you notice less and less difference.

Cooler is not healthier

Ice does not make a hookah any healthier. According to the Dutch Trimbos Institute, it is a misconception that the water in a hookah filters harmful substances out of the smoke. And because the water dampens the heat of the smoke, people often inhale more deeply. With ice the smoke gets a bit cooler still, so the same applies here.

Ice takes up space

When you put ice in the base, the water rises. Floating ice pushes it up right away, and ice that sticks out above the water raises the level as it melts. So put the ice in first and then top up until the downstem sits 1 to 2 centimeters under water. Too much water makes the draw heavy, as explained in this guide to why a hookah draws heavy.

Which ice to put in the base

Not all ice is equally handy. It mostly comes down to the size and how much you put in.

Small cubes or crushed ice

The neck of a hookah base is narrow. Large ice cubes from a bag often do not fit through it, or get stuck halfway. Small cubes or crushed ice go in more easily. A handful is enough: the base should mostly hold water, not a pile of ice. Also leave room around the downstem, so the smoke can bubble freely.

Reusable ice cubes

If you do not want meltwater in your base, reusable ice cubes are an option. You put the Amy Deluxe Ice Cubes in the freezer beforehand and then add them to the water in the base. They add no meltwater, and afterwards you rinse them and they go back in the freezer. They do take up space, so here too you only top up once the cubes are in. Also check that they fit through the neck of your base.

Glass and cold: how to keep your base in one piece

A glass hookah base handles cold water and ice just fine. What glass handles badly is a quick switch from very hot to very cold. So do not rinse the base with hot water right before you add ice.

Never in the freezer with water

Never put the base in the freezer with water in it, not even briefly. Water expands when it freezes, and that can crack the glass. If your base already has a crack or is broken, you need a replacement hookah base. They are available per brand and model.

Condensation: a cold base gets wet

A base with ice water gets wet on the outside. That is not a leak: it is moisture from the air settling on the cold glass. The warmer and more humid the room, the more of it. So put the base on a coaster, and hold it firmly when you move it, because wet glass is slippery. A Khalil Mamoon silicone base guard around the foot gives grip and absorbs a knock.

Milk in a hookah: why we advise against it

Anyone searching for milk in a hookah often reads that milk makes the smoke softer or thicker. We cannot back that up. What is certain: milk foams, turns sour quickly and is hard to get out of your hookah. That is why we advise against it.

Foam all the way into your hose

With every draw the smoke bubbles through the liquid in the base. Milk forms foam doing that, just like in a milk frother. That foam can reach the hose port and the hose. A hose you cannot wash is then hard to get fresh again. A washable silicone hose at least rinses out well.

Sour and sticky

Milk spoils quickly outside the fridge. After a session in a base at room temperature it starts to smell sour, and the residue sticks to the glass, the downstem and any diffuser. The longer it sits, the harder the cleaning gets.

Used milk anyway? Clean everything right away

Empty the base right after the session and rinse it with warm water, not boiling water. Run a base brush through the base and a long brush through the downstem. The Swan cleaning brush has a flexible neck that bends along the curve of the base. All brushes and cleaners are in the cleaning supplies.

Soda, juice or alcohol in the base

We advise against those too. Sugar sticks inside the base and the downstem, and carbonation foams just like milk. Alcohol evaporates more easily than water, so part of it comes along with the smoke. Cold water, with ice if you like, is enough.

Colored water: coloring and light instead of milk

If you want your base to look different, use something made for that. Hookah base coloring only changes the color of the water. And with an LED coaster underneath, every bubble lights up when you draw.

Coloring: drops or powder

For the Tsar Water Coloring Agent you need about 15 drops per liter of water according to the manufacturer, and a bottle holds 50 ml. The XSchischa Sparkle powders give glittering particles that move as the water bubbles; you use a level teaspoon of those. The XSchischa Neon Glow only lights up under UV light, a so-called blacklight. Under a regular lamp you do not see that effect.

LED light under the base

You put an LED coaster under the base. The light shines up through the water and colors the bubbles with every draw. The coasters from Amy Deluxe (7 cm wide) and Dum (8 cm) are both 2.8 cm high, waterproof and come with a remote control. The light itself needs 3 AAA batteries, which are not included. Your base does need a flat bottom. You find them in the coasters and LED lighting.

Color and ice together

You can simply combine coloring, ice and LED light. If you are hosting a night with friends, it is an easy way to dress up the table. What else you need is in organizing a shisha night.

Cooler without ice in the base: through the hose

If you want cold smoke without keeping an eye on the water level, cool the smoke right before your mouth. An ice bazooka or ICE mouthpiece sits between your hose and your mouth and has a cooling element you put in the freezer. The water in the base then simply stays as it is.

Two ways: bazooka or mouthpiece

An ice bazooka is a silicone or plastic tube with a cooling core inside. The Smokah ICE mouthpiece is made of aluminum, with a cooling element inside and a foam grip. According to the manufacturers, an ice bazooka needs half an hour to an hour in the freezer, and the Smokah mouthpiece 20 to 30 minutes. How long an ice bazooka stays cold and how to clean it is explained in this guide to the ice bazooka. With us you find them in the ice hoses.

Everything for in and around the base at ShishaTabak

At ShishaTabak you find everything for in and around your hookah base: ice hoses and ice bazookas, base coloring from Tsar and XSchischa, LED coasters, replacement hookah bases and cleaning supplies such as base brushes and cleaner.

Ordered before 18:00, delivered the next working day (NL), and from 89.99 euros we ship for free (NL). We also ship to Belgium and the rest of Europe.