Tea vs. Tobacco in Heated Cigarettes

Heated tobacco products have been on the rise recently. They have contributed to many people dropping conventional cigarettes for good, and have managed to break into the mainstream almost as easily as their predecessors in just a couple of years. Despite their massive success, many people are still of the opinion that the experience of smoking heated cigarettes doesn’t even come close to the flavor, feeling, and satisfaction of having “real,” combustible smoke. 

Why is that, and how can it be changed so that smokers aren’t drawn back to the nasty, stinky habit that has caused millions of human deaths? The answer is quite simple, albeit a little counterintuitive: it’s the tobacco in heated cigarettes that’s the problem. You might get a bit confused when reading this; how can the main ingredient of traditional cigarettes make their heated alternative feel and taste worse? Keep reading to find out all about it, and how this problem can be solved! 

The Issue with Heated Tobacco

If you’re a smoker, then you’re more than well-aware of the fact that tobacco is a plant that lends itself to combustion exceptionally well. In fact, there are very few plants to be found in the natural world that can boast to have similar qualities, without compromising on either the flavor or smoking comfort. Although herbal cigarettes have been offered as a smoking alternative many times in the past, and even found a steady use case for themselves (actors use them on set instead of real tobacco), they are incomparably worse than the real thing, as far as everyday smoking is concerned. In other words, nothing comes close to the flavor profile, snappiness, and satisfaction when lighting up than real tobacco. 

The case is much different with heated tobacco. While many people get used to the differences in flavor, smoke, and overall experience just fine, a large portion of the smoking population is unable to make the switch to heated cigarettes because of how radically unfamiliar they feel. Just to illustrate this point, here are a few things people often compare the smell and flavor of heated tobacco products to: 

• Spoiled eggs, 
• Burnt popcorn, 
• Farts (yes, really), 
• Wet dog. 

Of course, these descriptions are highly subjective, and not everybody will have the same experience. Many people seem to be just fine with the differences, as long as their cigarette sticks grant them a similar smoking ritual and a nicotine dose. However, the volume of complaints proves that there is still a large issue with the heated tobacco experience that prevents many people from making the switch from the much more harmful, combustible cigarettes. 

Tobacco and Heating Don’t Mix Well

Although it is hard to top tobacco leaves when it comes to rolling them up into cigarettes and lighting up, the case is much different when it comes to heated products. Simply put, the tobacco leaf is not as well suited for heating as it is for burning. Throughout history, it has been solely consumed via combustion, with nothing to suggest that it would lend itself well to heating. 

There is no record of tobacco brews or potions in the 12,000-year history of the plant usage. Even the very first Native Americans who incorporated tobacco into their rituals figured out very quickly that it has no other viable use besides burning in pipes or creating smoking mixtures. 

Fast forward multiple millennia, and the first widespread instance of heating tobacco instead of burning it is met with significant criticism for its smell and flavor. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given its long history. 

Therefore, the solution to the problem of many smokers being unable to switch to heated cigarette sticks does not lie in the consumption method (heating), but rather in the main ingredient used to produce them. Creating a true, satisfying heated alternative to smoking requires using plant matter that can be easily flavored, and does not have its flavor profile radically altered when heated up. What better ingredient for that purpose than leaves with a long history of beating heated up to a delicious, calming effect? 

Tea: The Best Heated Alternative 

If you’ve ever tried smoking a herbal cigarette, or ripped apart tea bags and rolled them up into a cigarette as an edgy teenager, then you know that tea leaves, when combusted, are frankly quite disgusting. When smoked, tea turns into a bitter, unappealing mush that leaves a terrible aftertaste, much like tobacco when one tries to boil it into a drink. When it comes to heating, on the other hand, it has been the primary method of tea preparation ever since it was discovered thousands of years ago in ancient China.

While tea is primarily heated up in water, tea inhalations have been known to provide tangible health benefits to people when treating sinus infections and other respiratory system issues. Most of these are based around tea vapor being inhaled directly from a boiling hot pot of brewed leaves, but even when it is heated up in different ways (for example electronically, in a heated tobacco device), its fumes retain the same properties. We’re not out to claim that smoking tea cigarette sticks is good for your health, but it is certainly better than doing so with their tobacco counterparts. 

As a plant that has been known and loved for its smell, flavor, and effects when heated up, tea is the obvious choice for a heated alternative to puff away on. However, its proclivity for heating isn’t the only aspect that makes it a great ingredient for heated cigarette sticks. 

Flavor Infusion 

Although plenty of flavored heated tobacco products are available on the market nowadays, they all face the same problem: the strong, unmistakable taste of tobacco kills most of the flavoring outright. The only exception to this rule is menthol, but not everybody is a fan of a strong, minty aroma in their smokes. Those looking to have a bit of fun with their habit and try out a variety of flavors are therefore forced to turn to vaping, which, as you may already know, doesn’t even come close to the feeling of smoking an actual cigarette. 

Tobacco is a lot like coffee in this regard. Both these substances have a very rich, strong flavor that doesn’t lend itself well to combining with other flavors. You can add milk, cinnamon, and all sorts of syrups to your coffee, but the pungent aroma of coffee beans will remain the dominant force in your drink. 

It’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re looking for that sort of an experience, but it isn’t ideal if you want to experience the same effects with a different flavor, which leads many people to turn to other, potentially unhealthy alternatives. Caffeine seekers who don’t like the taste of coffee turn to energy drinks, whereas smokers who are tired of the all-too mild heated tobacco flavors use vape pens. 

Tea, on the other hand, is a great base for all sorts of flavor infusions. Not only does it not kill the taste of any flavoring you put into it, but it also enhances the experience by adding a herbal twist to any additional ingredient you throw into it, be it honey, fruit, or spices. 

This is another reason why we’ve opted to use premium tea leaves in our NEAFS cigarette sticks. We were able to create a range of flavors that are pungent enough to be easily discernible from each other, and yet mild enough to keep it from becoming an overly sweet, cotton candy-like substance you get when puffing on an electronic cigarette. As of right now, the flavors of our NEAFS sticks include: 

• Original (tobacco flavor), 
• Menthol, 
• Blueberry,
• Strawberry,
• Coffee, 
• Mojito. 

When creating these flavor combinations, we kept in mind the fact that most smokers are very used to the distinguishable taste of tobacco, and so all of our sticks contain a tobacco-flavored “base,” with the addition of subtle hints of other flavors. This combination allows NEAFS users to mix and match between a variety of different flavors, all the while retaining the aroma they are familiar with. 

The Bottom Line

The main issue with most heated tobacco products available out there is the fact that they continue to use tobacco as their main ingredient. As a substance that is simply not meant to be consumed that way, it ruins the flavor profile of heated cigarette sticks and discourages many from trying them out in the first place. 

Another problem is the ultra-strong aroma of tobacco, which overpowers the infusions used in most flavored heated tobacco sticks, with menthol being the only exception. This is why at NEAFS, we have chosen high-quality tea leaves as the main star of our products. Heating has been its primary preparation method for millennia. Additionally, it lends itself particularly well to flavorful infusions of all kinds, which allows us to design a variety of flavor choices that are not only distinguishable from one another, but also retain the familiar aroma of tobacco at the same time. If you want to join the tobacco-free smokers’ revolution, head over to NEAFS.com and order the NEAFS Bundle Special starter kit at a discounted price!