What comes to mind when you think of the word “percolator?” For me, the 1990s dance song “Percolator” by Cajmere starts playing in my brain, and I start chair dancing when I hear that word. Also known as “Coffee Pot,” this 90’s house music ballad was a club staple inspired by a coffee percolator, not the percolator bong found in most cannabis-friendly homes or on pothead wishlists.
What is a Percolator Bong?
Somewhat similar to a gravity bong or a traditional glass bong, a percolator bong is basically any water pipe that diffuses and cools the smoke before it is inhaled. Based on the percolating coffee pots of the past, perc bongs have airflow to allow the smoke to be chilled and filtered by passing through water prior to inhalation. They’re meant to be used with cannabis flower, so if you want to consume cannabis oils and other concentrates, you’ll likely need a certain attachment or a different rig altogether.
While they may look complicated, hitting a bong with a percolator is more manageable and smoother than puffing on one without a percolator filtering. If you want more tasty bong rips and less coughing your head off, a perc bong is your best bet for a water pipe.
What Does a Percolator Do In a Bong?
As you inhale from a percolator bong, the smoke is brought into the water and diffused. The more bubbles, the better, as the smoke gets diffused! This diffusion of bubbles creates the classic bong rip sound that has become a familiar reference in today’s cannabis culture. The bubbles created when bringing the smoke up through the water and percolator help to cool down the hit by increasing the surface area of the smoke.
Not only does the percolator cool off a potentially harsh hit, but it also filters out impurities in the smoke before they are inhaled. These impurities are present in all cannabis that is combusted, and they are what will typically make you cough when you toke. Impurities are also easily avoidable using a bong with a percolator.
One of the most fantastic things about percolators is that your bong doesn’t have to come with a percolator. If you want to try out the “percs” of a percolator bong without investing in one, you can get a percolator attachment that goes where your bong bowl piece attaches. Once you try a bong rip with ice cold water (maybe even some ice or snow if you are feeling extra fancy and the weather permits) and a percolator – you won’t want to go back to smoking your regular beaker bong without a perc ever again.
A big rip from a perc bong with ice-cold water feels cooling and soothing compared to hot and harsh. You may still cough because you are still inhaling smoke, but it will feel different than a cough from a regular pipe or joint.
Bongs, especially percolator bongs, are a great way to get super high without having to keep repacking a hitter or bowl. Cleaning a percolator bong will help you get the most out of your hits in terms of flavor and smoothness. This is a bit different from cleaning a dab rig, although they, too, can have percolator chambers. While I don’t personally smoke a perc bong every day, I do enjoy mixing things up with my consumption and sprinkling in a bong hit here and there to keep my body guessing.
Do you smoke percolator bongs? Hit me on social media, and let’s spark a conversation!
