Is it easier to transition from analogs if using tobacco flovored juice, or fruit/dessert/etc flavors?

[DanFromRioRancho]

The title says it all -- while waiting for my gear I'm trying to develop strategies to ease the transition from analogs to vaping. I'm a 45-year smoker and want every advantage I can find.

I would appreciate feedback from any of the membership that have strong feelings on the issue to find out what worked for them on the tobacco-flavored vs. non-tobacco flavored juices, see if there's any rhyme or reason to the patterns that may (or may not) occur in the responses.

Many thanks,
Dan

 

[ShyDragon]

I had to have a tobacco flavor to switch. It took a while to find one that I liked and I was still pretty disappointed that it didn't taste anything like a cigarette. Trying to avoid cigarettes while puffing away on a fruity/dessert flavor just left me frustrated and craving the real thing even more.

 

[HyperRealist]

It didn't matter to me. I thought I needed tobacco but was soon vaping everything else. I smoked 3 PAD of analogs.

 

[prochobo]

I found the fruity and sweet flavors to help a lot. Sometimes I think I'm addicted to the flavors more than the nicotine. I now vape a tobacco flavored juice (555) for an all day vape since fruity juices tend to get old after a little while.

 

[Iron Molly]

In the beginning I did like a tobacco flavor, and since I smoked Marbs, USA Reds flavor was my fav. I quickly switched to mostly fruity vapes, but still used the "tobacco" flavor at certain times (first thing in the a.m., after dinner). To me, a good tobacco vape tastes like a freshly opened pack of cigs smells. I really don't want e-liquid that tastes like a burning analog. I still vape some RY4 from time to time now. My advice is to get some each of a tobacco vape and something more food flavored. I was a 30 year, pack and a half per day marb smoker, and was able to make the switch to e-cigs within about a week. I wasn't even trying to quit analogs, just trying to save money, and quitting analogs just happened.

 

[jerseyrob]

Welcome Dan ,,,I started on tobacco flavors. Then switched to sweeter, coffee, Etc flavors. Now I only really have 1 or 2 tobacco flavors . There are literally thousand's of flavors at are disposal. When I vaped tobacco for the first time it was great . Then I started with other then tabacco flavor(OTF) , and something like white chocolate and kona coffee there is just no comparison . But in all reality what ever keeps you of the analogs is a good day.

 

[KirstenGK]

I don't think any of them taste like a cig- which I am now thankful for. I use various tobacco flavors still, plus chocolate for fun- have not yet been interested in fruity or candy flavors. The first few days are hard- they were for both my husband and I- it wasn't hard due to nicotine withdrawal, though, or taste- it was about the ecig feeling different in your hand, futzing with charging, etc.

We both continued smoking analogs occasionally until we found the right set up for us- it was getting vivi nova tanks that ended analogs for us, not flavor Best of luck to you!

 

[Robin Mast3rs]

Smoked 20+ around 1 PAD. I have never tried any tobacco juice and don't want to. I like just about any beverage, dessert or fruit flavor. Don't like gum or nuts. It's really about finding flavors you enjoy and want to vape. If it doesn't taste good to you it doesn't matter what it is.

 

[juicejunky]

I think variety in flavors helps at the beginning, so you have something to change to when you are frustrated. I had a sample bottle of 24mg (strong for me) of FreedomSmokeUSA.com Wyatt Earp that had an aftertaste like a stale cigarette/ash tray that got me through the hard times of craving. I used it when I was overcome with wanting to cheat.

Turkish tobacco type flavors have the closest thing to a decent cigarette aftertaste to my taste buds. Don't overlook menthol flavors either even if you were never a menthol smoker, it's much better in ejuice than cigarettes.

Good luck with the transition and the new gear.

 

[VapingViking]

When I first started vaping back in 2009, I bought three different flavors together with my gear. The flavors were camel, coffee and vanilla. Being a camel smoker, I had high expectations to the camel juice. But it didn't taste anything like the real deal. And I didn't like the vanilla juice much either. But the coffee was a perfect match for me, and made the transition a breeze.

 

[Caridwen]

I did a board search for my brand of cigarette to see what was recommended a lot and ordered that in 12 & 24. Figured I can add or reduce nicotine if I needed to.

I stuck with that for quite awhile- it wasn't bad. Eventually I tried other flavors and found other non-tobacco flavors I like more. But that did get me off cigs.

 

[gthompson]

There really isn't any right or wrong with flavors. It depends on what you decide you like.

 

[Jer_me65]

Try a little but of everything that sounds good to you and I'm sure you will find something. In my limited experience tobacco flavors will not taste like actually smoking, the smell you get when opening a pack of tobacco is more or less what i taste. That doesn't mean that they are bad flavors, some are really good! Like walking into a fine cigar shop's humidor and taking a big drag on the whole thing. I've been vaping for about three weeks on mostly tobacco-ish flavors and it works but I've found myself thinking about the few fruit flavors I got in sample size that are long gone and how I plan to stock up on next order. Sometimes it is hard to find one you like especially with tobacco flavors I went through six different tobacco flavors that were highly regarded on this forum and I like only one of them. So spread it around in the flavor category with things you like and maybe a few that intrigue you.

 

[Baditude]

I had smoked Marlboro Menthols prior to e-cigs. I used an Ice Menthol from Smokeless Image. It didn't taste like the Marlboro Menthol, but was close enough to get me off the cigs pretty easy.

I didn't care for any of the sampler juices from SI, so I started getting samplers from other vendors, all of them primarily e-juice manufacturers. I figured that the majority of e-cig supply vendors focus more on the gear that they offer than juices because they make the majority of their money from the gear. On the other hand, if a strictly juice vendor doesn't make quality flavors, they won't be in business long.

I found that my favorites turned out to be coffee and fruit flavors.

 

[DanFromRioRancho]

Sounds like there is a general agreement; when you find something you like, it will do the trick. Might be tobacco for one person, fruit for another, chocolate for yet someone else.

Therefore, fiddle about with some samplers and try not to stress -- I'll know the right one when I hit it.

 

[Caridwen]

What kind of cigarettes did you smoke?

 

[Rickajho]

Hi

As you can already see from the replies there is absolutely no right answer to this one. lol

When I started I applied my "smoker's logic" to picking stuff. As a 2 PAD Pall Mall smoker I chose Dekang PalMal as one of my first liquids. That seemed to make sense - right? And I did like it and still use it on occasion. Early on, the idea of vaping something like orange soda just seemed too weird to me.

What it comes down to, in this order, is:

Getting hardware you like and getting it to work correctly.
Finding your personal correct nicotine level.
Then finding your couple few flavors you really like as all day vapes.

Now it may not necessarily happen in that order either. Different people find dealing with hardware easier. (Some times that depends on what hardware you pick.) And it won't help much if you have a good flavor, but are DYING for a cigarette because the nic level is too low for your needs. Then again, if the flavor is just unappealing... vaping won't happen so much at all.

Trust your own gut on the flavor matter. If you really can't see yourself vaping Cinnamon Danish at first (I couldn't) don't stress over it. Nothing wrong with starting with "tobacco" flavors at first. That's the only thing I used for my first 9 months. Any flavor you vape and find appealing is what you need. Vaping it at the right nicotine level is even better.

On those first orders stick with small sample size bottles of liquid. Pick some different flavors - sure. But also select a few different nicotine strengths and at least one in 100 PG and 100 VG to also figure out your likes and dislikes regarding the base used in liquids. Early on, be it a yucky flavor, the wrong nic level, or you find you don't like high PG or high VG, there is nothing worse than spending a boat load on large size bottles of stuff you don't like or can't vape.

 

[sgenn99]

I hate fruit and candy flavors for the most part, and I stick on the tobacco side of the flavor spectrum. Although trying to find something that tastes just like a cigarette is futile-nothing will duplicate the burning paper and other stuff. I did find a few flavors that satisfied my tastebuds, and I pretty much stick with them:

Casablanca from Backwoods Brew
Dk Tab from Mr Vape
Heavenly Tobacco from HHV

I also love BB's 555, 555 exotic, Hunter's Blend, and Malty Toffee.

Although none taste like a real cig, I get the kick I need @ 18mg, and I love the flavors-after a while, I discovered that I was enjoying the taste of those juices way more then I enjoyed smoking. Now, I am hooked on my habbit-vaping is way more satisfying all around.

I am not knocking fruit or candy, btw-whatever works for you. But please be careful around the young folk. We don't want kids hearing how yummy out e-cig is, and that it tastes just like Jolly Ranchers or Cinnamon.

 

[mostlyclassics]

DanFromRioRancho, rather than settle on just one juice flavor at first, it may be more beneficial if you have a bunch of contrasting flavors so you can switch around while you make the transition.

Vaping is not smoking: the only thing the two have in common is that both are nicotine delivery methods. So, if you only smoked one brand and configuration of cigarettes, that pattern almost certainly won't hold for vaping.

I've found that vaping is much more like pipe smoking. Back in the day, I'd usually have four or five different tobacco mixtures open that I'd rotate through from pipe to pipe during the day. My pipe tobacco cellar has easily 60 different mixtures in it. (Do I still smoke a pipe? Very seldom, maybe once every two or three months. But I'm hanging on to my cellar which I accumulated over many years -- some of those mixtures sealed in vacuum tins have become quite valuable and continue to rise in value.)

Similarly, I have about 35 different e-liquids. Much of the time I vape one of four different menthols (Dekang Triple Menthol, Gourmet Vapors Crystal Menthol double strength, Vaporrenu Menthol plus my own DIY), but I'll vary those throughout the day and evening with miscellaneous mint, fruit and soda pop flavors. Some flavors I reserve only for very special occasions, for example MadVape Key Lime Freeze, which is absolutely superlative with a good sippin' rum taken neat in a snifter. Certain chocolates are miracles when combined with single-malt Scotches, also taken neat or with a wee drappie of water. And so it goes . . .

Over the course of a single day and evening, I'll probably toke on eight to ten different flavors. Needless to say, I've acquired lots of hardware over the last couple of years!

 

[DanFromRioRancho]

What kind of cigarettes did you smoke?

Smoked regular Marlboro probably for 15 years, got hooked on Marlboro Menthol 100's and stuck with those up until about 6 years ago when I retired. Retired to New Mexico and live within easy driving distance of a (relatively) tax-free Indian Reservation cigarette outlet where I discovered a brand made by the Tuscarora Indian Nation called Smokin Joes -- tastes almost (but not really) like Marlboro, purportedly additive free, and $4.00 per pack