The Plenty: A new vaporizer

Plenty is the name of the latest vaporizer from Storz & Bickel. Most people should be familiar with their long-running Volcano. I was able to test the Plenty for a week and report on my impressions below.

Before the release, the hope for a mobile device was quite high. Therefore, I was initially a little disappointed when we had to unpack to find that the device is handy small, but just not really mobile: The Plenty remains (like the Volcano) dependent on the socket. But the Plenty is a handheld device - so the complete vaporizer is held in the hand and with an extension cord, the mobility can be easily extended.

The device, which is surrounded with heat-resistant plastic, consists of a main part with an integrated heating block that is only 15 cm long. Attached to this is a handle that allows the Plenty to be held comfortably in the hand. The filling chamber with the cooling coil and mouthpiece is attached on top. When not in use, the Plenty lies flat on the table, is 6 cm high, 33 cm long and just under 20 cm wide at the handle.

A special feature of the Plenty is the switch integrated into the handle. Other vaporizers (Volcano) start heating again when the temperature drops below a certain level. In this respect, the Plenty is really cleverly designed: Only when the switch on the handle is activated - i.e. the device is held in the hand - does the Plenty heat up to the selected temperature again. If it lies on the table for a longer period of time, it cools down completely without constantly heating up again. So it is not tragic if the device is forgotten overnight because fatigue was stronger…

Unlike the Volcano, the Plenty has a filling quantity that should not be undercut. Since the steam material is at a right angle both when the device is not in use and during the steaming process, the material would slide down if the filling quantity is too low, which could lead to a suboptimal steaming result. After a few passes, however, the correct filling quantity can be easily estimated.

The desired temperature can be selected via a rotary control. After switching on, the device heats up to the desired temperature and also indicates this via indicator lamp. Once the temperature is reached, the heating process is terminated and the lamp goes out. The actual vaporize is not too spectacular: The Plenty is taken in the hand and inhaled at the mouthpiece. The vapor is created only 18 cm from the mouth and is cooled surprisingly strong in the stainless steel coil, it tastes pleasantly fresh and is rich in flavor. The vapor is steamed off evenly and is only slightly browned even after numerous inhalations.

As a long-time Volcano user, I was quite skeptical about the Plenty at first. However, as is often the case, this was more my reaction to something new and has less to do with the device itself. Indeed, when Plenty and Volcano are compared objectively, the differences are there, but the desired vapor experience is pretty much guaranteed with both.

The Volcano relies on a balloon to collect the vapor. While this has the advantage that the balloon is mobile, meaning it can either be easily passed around a table or taken to specific locations (bathtub, balcony, etc.). But the balloon also brings the disadvantage that the vapor in it does not retain its freshness for too long and, in addition, the balloon must be renewed regularly so as not to affect the taste. So if you mostly steam in a fixed place (e.g. at a table), the Plenty is good for one to two people. As soon as three or more people want to steam together or if the vapor should be completely mobile for a short time, the Volcano is probably the better choice.

Another difference is the noise: The Plenty is completely silent, whereas the Volcano hums when filling the balloon and the balloon itself crackles - there are said to be people who find this annoying.

Finally, when comparing prices, the Plenty is a whopping 150 euros cheaper than the Volcano at 250 euros, which means that most newcomers to vapor are more likely to choose the Plenty.