New to vaping or just tired of nodding along when someone mentions ohms and coils? This one is for you.
Here is something nobody tells you when you first get into vaping — there is a whole vocabulary that comes with it. And if you do not already know it, conversations in vape shops or online communities can feel like everyone is speaking a different language.
The good news is it is not actually that complicated. Once someone takes the time to explain it properly, everything clicks pretty quickly. So let us do that.
1. E-Liquid
Think of e-liquid as the fuel. It is the liquid that goes into your device and gets turned into vapour when you inhale. You might also hear it called vape juice — same thing.
It is made from a few simple ingredients: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavouring, and usually nicotine. The way those ingredients are mixed together affects everything — how much vapour you get, how strong the throat hit is, and how the flavour comes through.
If you are buying in the UK, nicotine-containing e-liquids come in bottles no bigger than 10ml and cannot exceed 20mg nicotine strength — that is the law. Larger bottles are available but they come without nicotine and are designed for you to add a nicotine shot yourself. Those are called shortfills.
2. Coil
The coil is the part of your vape that actually does the heating. It is a small piece of resistance wire wrapped into a spiral shape and it sits inside your tank or pod. When you activate the device, electricity runs through the coil, it heats up, and the e-liquid that has soaked into the surrounding material gets turned into vapour.
Coils do not last forever. When yours starts to taste burnt or metallic, that is your cue to swap it out. How long one lasts depends on how often you vape and what liquid you use — anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks is pretty normal.
Most modern devices use what is called a mesh coil — a flat mesh sheet instead of a wire spiral. They heat more evenly, tend to last longer, and generally give you better flavour. If a device mentions mesh coils, that is a good sign.
3. Wick
The wick works hand in hand with the coil. It is usually made from organic cotton and its job is to soak up e-liquid and hold it right next to the coil so there is always something to vaporise.
The reason this matters is chain vaping — taking puff after puff without any pause. If you do that, the coil heats up faster than the wick can re-absorb liquid, and you end up burning dry cotton instead of e-liquid. That is where that unpleasant burnt taste comes from. Giving it a few seconds between puffs solves the problem entirely.
4. PG and VG
Every e-liquid is built on two base ingredients — PG and VG. PG is propylene glycol. VG is vegetable glycerin. The ratio between them changes how the liquid behaves quite significantly.
PG is thinner and carries flavour really well. It also produces that noticeable sensation at the back of your throat — the throat hit. VG is thicker and produces bigger, denser clouds. It also feels smoother going down.
A 50/50 split is a solid starting point for most devices and most people. If you want bigger clouds, go higher VG. If you want a stronger throat hit and better flavour clarity, lean toward higher PG. Most pod kits work best with a 50/50 or higher PG liquid.
5. Nicotine Salt
Nicotine salt is just a different form of nicotine — and it makes a noticeable difference to how vaping feels, especially at higher strengths.
Standard nicotine — sometimes called freebase nicotine — can feel quite harsh at higher concentrations. Nicotine salt uses a slightly tweaked formulation that allows higher nicotine levels to be vaped smoothly without that harshness. That is why most prefilled pod kits and compact devices use it.
A 20mg nicotine salt liquid feels smooth and genuinely satisfying in a way that the same strength freebase nicotine simply would not. For anyone switching from cigarettes it tends to be the more comfortable and effective option because it mimics how quickly the body absorbs nicotine from a cigarette. In the UK, 20mg is the legal maximum — and it is by far the most popular choice.
6. MTL and DTL
These two terms describe completely different ways of actually inhaling vapour — and they suit different devices, different liquids, and different people.
MTL stands for mouth-to-lung. You draw the vapour into your mouth first, pause for a moment, then inhale it into your lungs. If you have ever smoked a cigarette, that is exactly how you did it. It feels natural, it is discreet, it uses less power, and it produces less vapour. Almost every pod kit is designed for this style.
DTL stands for direct-to-lung. You inhale straight into the lungs in one continuous draw — no pause in the mouth. It produces significantly more vapour and is associated with bigger devices, lower nicotine strengths, and the kind of large clouds you might see in vaping videos.
If you are new to vaping or switching from cigarettes, MTL is almost certainly going to feel more comfortable and familiar. Start there.
7. Pod Kit
A pod kit is the most popular type of vape device right now — and for good reason. It is compact, simple, and does not require any technical knowledge to use. No complicated settings, no wattage adjustments. You just click a pod in, charge the device via USB-C, and you are good to go.
There are two types of pods. Prefilled pods come already loaded with e-liquid. You use them until they run out, then replace them. Refillable pods have a small port where you pour in your own e-liquid of choice.
Some devices push this concept even further. The Avomi FLIQ 4-in-1 for example lets you load four different prefilled pods into the same device and switch between flavours whenever you want. It is the closest thing to having multiple vapes in one.
8. Ohms
Ohms measure the electrical resistance of a coil. You will see it written on pods and coils as something like 0.8Ω or 1.2Ω.
Here is what it means in plain terms. Lower ohms means less resistance, which means the coil heats up faster, runs hotter, and produces more vapour. Higher ohms means more resistance, a cooler vape, less power used, and a tighter draw that feels closer to a cigarette.
If you are using a pod kit you probably do not need to think about this too much — the pod that comes with the device is already matched to work properly with it. But knowing what the number means helps you understand why two different devices can feel so different from each other.
9. Throat Hit
Throat hit is that physical sensation you feel at the back of your throat when you inhale. If you have ever smoked, you will know exactly what it refers to — that slight catch or kick as the smoke or vapour goes down.
For a lot of people switching from cigarettes, getting the throat hit right is actually one of the most important parts of making the switch stick. The brain associates that sensation with nicotine delivery and a vape that does not replicate it can feel unsatisfying even if the nicotine level is technically right.
Several things affect it. Higher nicotine strength increases it. Higher PG content increases it. Certain flavours like menthol and citrus naturally enhance it. Nicotine salt at 20mg in a pod kit tends to give you a smooth but noticeable throat hit that most people find genuinely satisfying.
10. Stealth Vaping
Stealth vaping simply means vaping in a way that produces as little visible vapour as possible — usually out of consideration for the people around you or the environment you are in.
It involves taking a slow, gentle draw, holding the vapour briefly before exhaling, and using a lower-powered device with a higher PG liquid. Those two things together significantly reduce how much visible vapour you produce.
One thing worth saying clearly though — stealth vaping is not a workaround for places where vaping is not allowed. Airports, restaurants, offices, enclosed public spaces — the rules exist for good reason and minimising the visible cloud does not change that. Stealth vaping is about being considerate where vaping is permitted, not sneaking it in where it is not.
Now You Speak the Language
Once these ten terms make sense, everything else in the vaping world starts to fall into place. You read product descriptions differently. You understand why one device feels different from another. You can make informed choices rather than just picking something off a shelf and hoping for the best.
Bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you need a reminder. And if there is a term you keep hearing that is not on this list, drop it in the comments — we will cover it in the next one.
Quick Reference — The 10 Terms
- E-Liquid – The flavoured liquid that gets vaporised in your device
- Coil – The heating element that turns liquid into vapour
- Wick – The cotton that soaks up liquid and feeds the coil
- PG and VG – The two base ingredients that make up e-liquid
- Nicotine Salt – A smoother form of nicotine suited to pod kits
- MTL and DTL – Two different styles of inhaling vapour
- Pod Kit – A compact device using replaceable or refillable pods
- Ohms – The resistance rating of a coil
- Throat Hit – The physical sensation felt when inhaling vapour
- Stealth Vaping – Vaping discreetly to minimise visible vapour
Written for informational purposes. Always purchase vaping products from a reputable UK retailer. 18+ only. Please vape responsibly.
Browse our full range of pod kits and e-liquids at www.nemohomes.co.uk