◻️ Aluminium

The finishing touch to your bowl: aluminium foil

Aluminium foil is an essential accessory for your shisha, so it's best to always have a good supply. When we all first start in this world, we make the mistake of using kitchen aluminium foil that everyone has at home, and although it's a practice that can save us in a pinch, it is by no means the best method.

Except for shisha enthusiasts who are loyal to the kaloud, aluminium foil is a common element in shisha use. It functions as a surface to place the coals or our heat management device and serves a couple of crucial purposes: transmitting heat and preventing ash from entering the bowl. At first glance, aluminium foil might seem to have a somewhat basic function, but today it is the best material we have available to prepare our bowls.

In the market, there is a wide variety of manufacturers of aluminium foil specialized for shishas, as conventional aluminium foil does not have the necessary characteristics for optimal tensioning. For this reason, in this post, we are going to explain why shisha aluminium foil is so necessary and the wide variety of formats in which it is available.

Why can't I use the one from home?

“In the end, it's also aluminium foil, right?” It's quite logical that at first, you don't understand why you shouldn't use commercial aluminium foil, which is much cheaper and more accessible, but the explanation is as follows.

Conventional aluminium foil is quite thin, with a thickness of less than 15 microns in most versions on the market. This is what makes it so malleable and easy to use, but at the same time, it's a quality that can affect us when preparing our bowl. When we adjust the aluminium foil to the bowl, this is done to serve two functions: supporting the weight of the charcoals/heat management device and transmitting heat.

For this reason, when we prepare a bowl with homemade aluminium foil, it is very difficult to tension it on the bowl and make it perfect, without wrinkles, not to mention that being so thin, it can break very easily (and we all know how frustrating that is). However, with shisha aluminium foil, these things don't happen, thanks to the fact that it has a thickness of 40 microns: enough to easily support the weight we put on top of it, but still flexible.

Just take a look when you go to a lounge or a shisha gathering. As you can see, experienced shisha enthusiasts only use aluminium foil designed for shishas. This is not only done for convenience but also because, in addition to being much more elegant, it prevents phunnel-type bowls from getting clogged with the weight of the charcoals or the weight causing the aluminium foil to sag and make contact with the contents of the bowl. A few years ago, the market had not evolved enough to manufacture this type of product focused on shishas, but now that we have these conveniences, it makes no sense not to take the step.

Furthermore, if what concerns you is the price, forget about it! Shisha aluminium foil is a very cheap product and only brings us benefits. In the past, when there was no other option but to use commercial aluminium foil, you had to cut a large sheet and fold it into 4 parts to simulate an adequate thickness, so you lost a lot of aluminium foil. However, with shisha aluminium foil, just one strip is enough, and it has the exact diameter to fit your bowl.

If you do the math, the few cents you save by buying supermarket aluminium foil are not worth the comfort and practicality offered by the specialized shisha foil. This product completely transforms your way of making shishas, and once you get used to it, you won't be able to go back to regular aluminium foil.

Options in all types and sizes

At 1001 Cachimbas, we have a wide variety of cheap shisha aluminium foil, and although it may surprise you, this product can be found in different formats. The classic has always been a long roll, but in the shisha aluminium foil version, it is shorter to match the diameter of a bowl load.

However, different brands have released versions of aluminium foil in pre-cut formats. This type of product is highly recommended for catering and lounges, as it makes the job much easier and remains quite affordable. Even so, there are also versions of pre-cut and perforated aluminium foil, which is already the most convenient version available, but what about the satisfaction of making the holes with the poker?

Whether or not you enjoy poking holes in aluminium foil, take a look at our aluminium foil options and find yours in our store.

Shisha myths and curiosities

Okay, we've bought our roll of shisha aluminium foil and have a second one just in case, but how do you tension it properly? On our YouTube channel, we have a video where Pep shows us how, but we're going to tell you some other details you need to know.

There is a lot of urban legend about which side of the aluminium foil we should use to prepare our bowl, but the reality is that both the shiny side and the matte side absorb heat well. It doesn't matter which side you leave up because the result is practically the same, as long as you've tensioned it properly.

Did you know that depending on how you prepare the aluminium foil, you will have more or less restriction in your shisha? This may be logical to some, but for those of you who are just starting, you should know that although it's normal to make a lot of holes, if you make fewer holes in the aluminium foil, there will be more restriction because, obviously, less air gets in. This is a very important detail to consider in order to adapt each session to your personal preferences.