MiniVap Vaporizer Review

Developed by Hermes Medical of San Sebastian, Spain, the MiniVap is a hybrid desktop and portable vaporizer made using high grade materials.  In 2011 the miniVap underwent an  evaluation from with Bedrocan MGC (University of Leiden, The Netherlands), where it was  found to use materials which are temperature resistant and suitable for vaping loose leaf products as well as cannabis concentrates.  After unboxing the MiniVap, the first thing that I noticed was  its sleek design. Boasting  a brushed aluminum shell, the MiniVap is both stylish as well as sturdy, and it definitely doesn’t look out of place on a desk full of high tech gadgets. The MiniVap  employs a modular design made up of four modules (which can be attached  and detached  by twisting them together); the main unit, the battery, the  desktop power supply, and the bowl cover/mouthpiece. I find the modular design to be a big  plus as it keeps the unit compact  both while in storage and in use. The loose leaf bowl is fairly large, and  there’s also a concentrates pad which can be used for hash and oils.  Although the MiniVap  doesn’t have a digital temperature gauge, it does have four temperature settings (indicated via an LED light on the front of the unit) which cover  several popular temperature settings including:

• Blue 190 ºC (374 ºF)
• Pink 200 ºC (392 ºF)
• Green 210 ºC (410 ºF)
• Red 225 ºC (437 ºF)

After loading my bowl with some freshly ground herb, I  used the buttons on the side of my unit to set the temperature to  190C by choosing the blue setting. The MiniVap only heats up when you take a puff, so you can vary the amount of vapor produced depending on how long you inhale for.  The unit heats up very fast, and after finishing a bowl of loose leaf, I was quite surprised at how pure and tasty the vapor was (especially on the lower temperature settings), and the heating element design  definitely does a good job at producing large clouds of vapor when on the  higher settings.  Aside from using loose leaf,  I also tested the concentrates pad with some BHO as well as bubblehash and discovered that the  red setting works the best for concentrates. However, since the MiniVap doesn’t reach  high enough temperatures, don’t expect to be able to take dab style hits like you can using  something like the VapeXNail.

Although the Minivap produces tasty vapor (and a lot of it while using loose leaf!), one  downside that I noticed was that I find the vapor tends be hotter and drier than the average  desktop vape, and this can be irritating if you vape on a routine  basis (like me!). However, you  can alleviate this problem by attaching a bong to the end of your MiniVap’s silicone mouthpiece as this will cool the vapor significantly (I  do this with most of my vaporizers anyways!).  Cleaning the MiniVap is a straightforward process, simply wipe the unit down  from time to time and clean out the vapor path using some  rubbing alcohol and a few pipe cleaners.

Aside from the mains power attachment, there’s also the option to use the included lithium ion battery for times when you’d like to use your  MiniVap while  you’re out and about.  Although the unit is technically portable,  attaching the battery makes the unit large and definitely not as portable as other portable vapes on the market.  However, this is a non-issue if you plan on primarily using your MiniVap at home or  don’t mind bringing  a carrying case along with you (the MiniVap is great for picnics and barbecues where you don’t need to be discreet but want the convenience of having no cords!). Charging the battery takes a few hours going from totally empty and can be done using the included base plate.  When you have the battery attached, the LED on the rear of the MiniVap will glow one of the following colors to indicate charge level (it’ll glow green continuously when connect to AC power), and I’ve found that they’ve been pretty accurate during my testing:

• Green:  up to 180 minutes
• Orange: 60-90 minutes
• Red: 30 minutes or less

Overall, I’ve been happy with the  MiniVap, and has  great vapor production as well as an  inert vapor path which produces some great tasting hits. Furthermore, the MiniVap is certainly  one of the most stylish  desktop vaporizers on the market, and I’ve had several friends comment on how compact and nice it looks sitting on my computer desk. You also have the added benefit of being able to use it on the go as well, but if portability is a key factor  then I recommend taking a look at a more compact  portable vape instead.

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