Our devices are used to heat up dry herbs to a temperature, where active ingredients are released into an inhalable cloud. S&B devices offer a precise temperature control to avoid combustion of the plant material.
What are the benefits of using a STORZ & BICKEL device?
Our devices are a healthier alternative to combustion and smoking. Smoking burns plant material and produces toxic combustion byproducts which can be harmful when inhaled. S&B devices, on the other hand, usually use electronically controlled heaters to ensure an extraction of active ingredients below combustion temperatures. Since there is no combustion, the original structure of the plant material is not destroyed but stays intact. This makes it possible to extract active ingredients from the plant over several sessions. There are studies (conducted with the VOLCANO) showing that using S&B devices is even more efficient than combustion.
Furthermore, a device with full temperature control gives you the possibility to “experiment” with different temperature settings and find the temperature you are most comfortable with. At lower temperatures, our devices will deliver smooth clouds and make inhalation more comfortable and less harsh on the throat.
What makes STORZ & BICKEL devices special?
We have been one of the first companies in this field and have gathered a lot of consumer insights within the past 20 years. The founders of our company, Markus and Jürgen shared the mindset of our customers and understood what separates a good device from a not-so-good one. They have always been the first “customers” to try newly developed devices and judge their performance – and they have always had high standards.
Our guiding principle has always been to put the quality and functionality of the devices first. An S&B device is built to last and, more importantly, to satisfy.
For us, it’s all about the overall experience, from the comfort of a low draw resistance and the quality and purity of the clouds to an intuitive use and easy cleaning. Our products must deliver in every aspect and we don’t accept compromises.
Our first device, the VOLCANO CLASSIC has been on the market for 20 years and is still considered one of the best performers. Our portable devices, the MIGHTY and the CRAFTY revolutionized the marked when they were launched in 2014 and are still the benchmark for every new device entering the market.
But what exactly makes them so great?
The VOLCANO was the first device Markus Storz developed. Inspired by a heat gun, Markus developed a heating system using convection heating, meaning hot air. In the VOLCANO, a pump is used to blow hot air through the herbs in the Filling Chamber. The advantage of the convection heating is that the hot air will flow through the little gaps in between the ground herbs and heat up the material evenly and efficiently, giving you big clouds.
The pure convection heating in the VOLCANO delivers smooth, clean clouds and a pure taste. This is why the VOLCANO CLASSIC is loved by many – a balloon from the VOLCANO CLASSIC is in a class of its own.
The PLENTY, the MIGHTY(+) and the CRAFTY(+) use a combination of conduction and convection heating. Other than the VOLCANO, these are devices you pull air through with your lungs to create clouds. The downside of a pure convection heating is that it takes a few seconds until the herbs in the Filling Chamber are heated up and you would get little to no clouds from your first draw. A pure conduction heating, on the other hand, usually does not evaporate the plant material evenly.
As a consequence, you’d have to stir the herbs in the chamber every now and then and the vapor production is not as satisfying as with a convection heater. To solve this problem, Markus invented a patented heating technology which combined convection and conduction. The conduction heating makes sure that the Filling Chamber and the herbs are preheated, while the convection heating ensures an even and efficient dispersal.
It has always been a paramount design requirement to make inhalation as pleasant and smooth as possible. This is particularly important in the portable devices, which allow an airflow of up to 10l per minute. In the same time, it is equally challenging to realize a good airflow while keeping the device small.
A low draw resistance means that you can draw more air through the device within an inhalation. The bigger the airflow, the more efficient the heater must be, the more power is needed and the more efficient the cooling of the clouds must be. This also puts higher demands towards power and heat management of the device and affects material choices and the overall design.
We are a certified Medical Device Manufacturer following ISO 13485. Our household devices follow the same quality control processes as our medical devices. They are manufactured in Tuttlingen, Germany, a town with over 500 Medical Device Manufacturers. Accordingly, we have a great network of certified local suppliers. Around 85% of our suppliers are based in Germany and 20% are local suppliers based in or around Tuttlingen. The proximity facilitates quality controls and makes communication and interventions fast and easy.
Every single S&B device goes to a final testing, where we test temperature ranges, temperature control, the air pump in VOLCANOs and perform a high-voltage test. Furthermore, each device undergoes a “first-flow” where we pump hot air through the devices for a number of minutes to get rid of any manufacturing smell.
