An answer to the question in the title of your post is a six-part illustrated guide to e-cigs that some guy put together back in September. You'll find it in the ECF Library (along with other helpful posts).
Two caveats: 1) It's pretty
long (although some have said that it does hold your interest) ... 2) Since
vaping is so new and rapidly evolving, that guide is already somewhat out of date (especially references to suppliers, USA-made e-liquid, and "mods").
As for the issues you raise in the first paragraph of your post: ECF is a well regulated and moderated forum. Suppliers have their own forums within ECF and are prohibited from touting their wares in other sections. And the suppliers who participate here are the good guys; you won't find the overpriced scams here.
The rest of us (the e-cig users) as a group are pretty knowledgeable and very helpful. The worst thing I can say about us is that we tend to be opinionated: "The e-cig model, voltage, e-liquid, and nicotine level that I use and love must be the best for everyone."
I suspect that all of us feel that way, but many of us do restrain ourselves.
So take the accuracy or wisdom of the advice and recommendations you receive here with a grain of salt (only a small grain), but trust the honesty and good intentions of 99% of it.
As for your second paragraph: I recommend that a new vapor start with either:
- The eGO (e.g., from Janty, Happy Vaper, or Heaven Gifts) aka Tornado (from Totally Wicked) for $80. If that's too steep, get the Joye 510 for around $40: it uses the same atomizer, but the battery needs to be recharged more frequently. A great many suppliers carry the 510, e.g., those eGO/Tornado suppliers, as well as Cignot, Rocky Mountain Vapor, NHaler, MadVapes, Awesome Vapor, ElectoNicStix, etc. That atomizer generates tons of vapor and the batteries of the two models are exceptionally reliable (a well-implemented manual switch).
- The Kr8 two-component model (also around $40 for a starter kit) is very simple to use and maintain: you just screw a prefilled cartomizer onto a charged battery and vape. It has strong throat hit, flavor, and battery life and good (albeit not outstanding) vapor production.
Some of the suppliers who carry it are Vapor4Life, NHaler, LiteCigUSA, VaporKings, VaporNine, LeCig, CigEasy, Good Prophets and Puresmoker. [Those are just the ones I've dealt with.]
There are many other good models you'll read about in that guide and throughout ECF.
Welcome to vaping and to ECF!
