I don't know anything about the ceramic coils either. But I've been using kanthal for probably 4 1/2 years. Lately I've been experimenting with 316L ss, in my mech mods, and I like it. I feel that it's smoother. I build it lower than kanthal, because the resistance increases more dramatically, as the coil is fired. If I build at .4 to .45 ohms with kanthal, I'll build at about .3 ohms with 316L.