​Vape Tastes Burnt? Here’s What to Do

Flavour is perhaps the biggest difference between smoking and vaping. The most obvious flavour difference has to do with the fact that vape juice comes in many different flavours, whilst cigarettes can only ever taste like tobacco. The other big difference, though, stems from the fact that vaping doesn’t involve combustion. Cigarette smoke is extremely irritating to the throat – so irritating, in fact, that tobacco often includes additives such as pH modifiers and menthol, which is now banned in the UK. When you vape, on the other hand, the fact that you’re not inhaling smoke should mean that the only flavours you ever taste are smooth and delicious.

In other words, if your vape tastes burnt, something is definitely wrong. The good news, though, is that the problem is easy to fix as long as you understand the cause. Depending on the type of vape you’re using and how you’re using it, there are several reasons why you might experience a burnt flavour – and we’ll cover all of them in this article.

Disposable Vape Tastes Burnt After a Few Days? Your Device Is Probably Out of E-Liquid

If you’ve been using a disposable vape for a while with no issues – and it suddenly begins to taste burnt every time you use it – it’s time to replace the device.

The first thing to consider if you’re dealing with a burnt vape is the type of device you’re using. We’ll begin with disposable vapes. Although disposable vapes are incredibly convenient and user friendly, they do have a drawback in that most devices are opaque and don’t give you a way to see how much e-liquid is left. With a disposable vape, the only way to know that you’re running out of e-liquid is by paying attention to the device’s flavour. When a disposable vape’s vapor production and flavour quality drop sharply, the device is almost out of e-liquid. When the wick in a disposable vape is completely dry, it’ll produce a burnt flavour with every puff.

New Disposable Vape Tastes Burnt? You’re Probably Vaping Too Quickly

If a new disposable vape tastes burnt – and the burnt flavour appears intermittently – you need to wait a little longer between puffs.

Since a device that you’ve just started using should have plenty of e-liquid left, there’s no reason for a new disposable vape to taste burnt. If you do experience this issue, there’s a good chance that you aren’t using the device correctly. When you puff on a disposable vape, you vaporize some of the e-liquid held in a fabric wick that’s wrapped around the device’s heating coil. After each puff, the wick needs a few seconds to replenish itself. If you puff on a disposable vape rapidly without ever pausing for the wick to absorb more e-liquid, you’ll get a harsh “burnt hit” because the wick will still be dry.

Cigalike or Pod System Tastes Burnt? It’s Probably Time for a New Cartridge or Pod

If you get a burnt flavour every time you use a pod system or cigalike, you should discard the cartridge or pod and begin using a new one.

If you’re using a vaping device with a pre-filled cartridge or pod, you’ll need to replace the cartridge or pod when it runs out of e-liquid. With a pod system, it’s easy to tell when the pod is out of vape juice because almost all vape pods are transparent. With cigalikes, it’s not so easy because the cartridges are usually opaque. You can tell when a cartridge is nearly out of e-liquid, though, because the flavour quality and vapour production will drop sharply. Whether you’re using a cigalike or a pod system, you’ll get a very harsh burnt flavour when the cartridge or pod is completely empty.

Are you using a pod system with refillable pods? If your device produces a burnt flavour with every puff even though the pod isn’t out of e-liquid, it’s time to begin using a new pod.

Vape Tastes Burnt with a New Coil? You Probably Didn’t Prime the Coil

Your vape will taste burnt with a new coil if the coil’s wick isn’t completely saturated. If the wick is damaged from repeated dry vaping, the burnt flavour will be permanent.

Does your vape taste burnt even though you’ve just installed a new coil? In this case, it’s likely that you didn’t prime the coil properly when installing it. To prime a vape coil, place several drops of e-liquid on the coil’s wick through the openings on the top and side of the coil. Assemble and fill the tank as normal, but don’t start vaping until you’ve waited several minutes for the coil’s wick to become completely wet.

If you’re using a refillable pod system with a built-in coil, there’s no way to access the coil’s wick directly. In this case, you should wait a bit longer before vaping after you’ve filled a new pod for the first time.

Most vape coils have cotton wicks, and cotton will burn if it’s subjected to intense heat. If you’ve experienced a severe dry hit with a new coil that hasn’t been primed properly – and the burnt flavour persists after you’ve given the wick plenty of time to absorb the e-liquid – it’s likely that the wick is damaged. Since there’s no way to fix burnt cotton, replacing the coil is the only thing you can do in this case.

Vape Tastes Burnt Gradually Over Days of Vaping? You Probably Need a New Coil

An old coil will produce a burnt flavour if it’s overdue for replacement.

If you use a vaping device with a replaceable coil, replacing the coil will be a regular part of your vaping routine. A vape coil will produce an acceptable flavour for anywhere from a few days to several weeks. When the flavour quality declines, though, it’s time for a new coil.

All types of e-liquid leave residue on a vape coil. When a coil has been in use for a long time, the layer of residue will become very thick – and that point, the coil will produce a burnt flavour. The more heavily sweetened your e-liquid is, the faster residue will form on your coil’s surface. If you want your vape coils to last as long as they can, you should consider avoiding sweetened e-liquid.