I’ve done a few hookah related articles in the last two years and today I will be officially reviewing the Khalil Mamoon World Cup hookah. I recently received a Khalil Mamoon World Cup hookah from the folks over at SouthSmoke. Khalil Mamoon is an Egyptian brand and they have been making quality hand-made Hookah/Shisha’s for decades now. Khalil Mamoon hookahs are more traditional in style and are known for their superior draw and the purging characteristics. In the hookah world, Khalil Mamoon is a common house hold brand much like Maytag is in the appliances world. The “World Cup” hookah is named after the World Cup trophy as you can see in the design of this smoking device. This particular hookah is also referred to as an Ice Chamber hookah because the chamber at the very top can be filled with ice which helps in cooling the smoke that travels from the bowl at the very top all the way down the stem into the glass vase.
Owners of the Khalil Mamoon hookah will also notice that the devices contain minor cosmetic flaws, mainly visible unpolished welds because they are handmade pipes. This brand of hookah is generally constructed out of brass, copper, or stainless steel. They are known for their durability when well looked after. The Khalil Mamoon World Cup from SouthSmoke comes with a traditional Egyptian clay bowl, a Khalil Mamoon leather wrapped hose, tongs, and a cleaning brush for the stem and one for the hose.
Breaking Down the Khalil Mamoon World Cup Hookah
Clay Bowl/Charcoal Screen
The entire hookah came very well packaged from SouthSmoke and thankfully no breakage occurred during the shipping process. The very top piece of the hookah is the clay bowl. Some hookahs feature ceramic bowls while others are made of clay. Clay apparently distributes heat from the charcoal more equally. I have to admit, the bowl is a bit rough around the edges and the clay bowl I received does have an area on the rim that is a bit sharp (can be seen in image) which tends to rip the aluminum foil. The hookah also includes a charcoal screen (metal disc with holes) which you can use to place charcoals on top of instead of the popular method of using aluminum foil. I have tried both methods and I would highly recommend using aluminum foil because I find that the molasses burns too fast with the charcoal screen which results in a harsh smoking experience. If you are good with heat management of the charcoals (which I am not), the charcoal screen will work just fine. Aluminum foil is also better for cleaning up as it’s one less accessory to wash. I wish the clay bowl was a bit deeper so I could use more molasses.
The Ash Tray
Unlike my previous hookah, this ash tray actually serves a purpose of catching ashes that fall. Not much I can say about an ash tray. It’s pretty strong and it can’t be bent easily. It has the the branding stamped into it in English and Arabic along with some artwork (hookahs images). My biggest complaint about the tray I got in the mail is that it doesn’t sit perfectly flush on top of the ice chamber. No big deal but I don’t like looking at it when I know they could have done a better job in making sure it fit well.
Fancy Stem
The center piece, the stem, is really nice on this Khalil Mamoon World Cup hookah. It’s aesthetically pleasing with various stamped artwork and the ice chamber is a real eye catcher. The relatively large gauge of the down stem allows for a very easy draw without having to exercise your diaphragm much.
The Glass Base/Vase
It may look large but the hookah base is surprisingly light in weight. I don’t care all that much for the artwork on the base but it still manages to look pretty nice. When you have a smoking session, make sure to put some ice in the base to help cool the smoke before it reaches your mouth.
Khalil Mamoon Pro Hose
After the stem, the hose on the Khalil Mamoon World Cup hookah is probably the nicest piece. It has a wide body gauge and the draws are very easy. The quality of the hose is really good and I also like the relatively long handle. Only thing that is annoying about the pro hose is that it is non-washable.
Cleaning Brushes
The brush is used to clean the hose because the hose is non-washable. It’s recommended that you use the brush after each use to get rid of any buildup as well as remove as much flavor as possible. If you smoke grape molasses and then smoke watermelon the next time without cleaning the stem or hose, you will be getting hints of grape in your next smoke session. Some people won’t mind but some of those serious hookah smokers are very picky about such details. As a matter of fact, I have friend who has three different hookahs for three specific flavors and you will never find him mixing and matching. Hookah smoking is serious business to some.
Mya Freeze Hose
Another hose that I got in the mail which is not part of the Khalil Mamoon World Cup hookah was the Mya Freeze Hose. It’s about three-inches longer than the Khalil Mamoon hose and it has two features I really like. The first thing I like about the hose is that it can be washed. This is good because I can wash out any residue of molasses that may be in the hose as well as washing out previous flavors I may have smoked. The second feature on this hose has to do with the name of the hose. It’s called the “freeze hose” because the plastic tip of the hose can be unscrewed where you are able to insert an ice packet. The ice packet is supposed to help cool the smoke right before it hits your mouth. The freeze hose comes with two ice packets which are able to stay frozen for approximately 20-25 minutes. It doesn’t work as great as I was expecting but it does make a slight difference.
The Khalil Mamoon World Cup hookah is a must have for any shisha smoker whether you are a newbie or an experienced smoker. It looks great and most importantly, the smoking sessions are amazing. You can get this Khalil Mamoon hookah for $109 at South Smoke as well as other great hookahs, accessories, and flavored molasses.
