Anisha Riggs
Backflow incense burners are a popular way to fill your space with a gentle scent and a beautiful smoke display. The incense smoke flows in a downward direction, creating a mesmerizing waterfall effect. The process of lighting backflow incense is similar to lighting a stick of incense. You hold the incense cone with one hand or a pair of tweezers and light the pointy end with a match or lighter. Allow the flame to burn for a few seconds, then gently blow it out. The tip of the cone should be glowing, and smoke should be released from the bottom. Place the cone on a heat-safe surface, ensuring the hole at the bottom of the cone aligns with the hole on the seat of the burner. Backflow incense cones can be more challenging to light than machine-made versions, and they are difficult to put out and relight, so be careful not to burn yourself.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lighting | Hold the incense cone with one hand or with tweezers and light the pointy end with a match or lighter. |
| Allow the flame to ignite the tip for a few seconds before blowing it out. | |
| The tip should be glowing red and releasing smoke. | |
| Burn time | A backflow incense cone will burn out in 20-30 minutes, but the aroma can last up to a day. |
| Clean-up | Clean-up takes less than a minute. |
| Safety | Incense cones are tightly compressed, minimising the amount of ash scattering and the risk of fire. |
| Putting out | The best way to put out a cone that hasn't been fully burnt is to immerse it in water, but it cannot be reused. |
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What You'll Learn
How to hold the incense cone
To light a backflow incense cone, you must first ensure you are holding it correctly. Hold the incense cone with the pointed end facing upward and the flat, hollow end at the bottom. This positioning will ensure the hollow part will properly channel the smoke downward once it's lit.
When holding the cone, be very careful not to burn yourself. Use a lighter or match to light the pointed tip of the incense cone. Allow the tip to catch fire and burn for about 4-5 seconds, or until you see a steady flame. Let the flame burn for a few more moments (about 4mm of the tip should burn) to ensure the incense is fully ignited. This step is crucial to creating a steady, long-lasting ember that will produce continuous smoke.
Be sure to not overheat the cone by holding the flame to it for too long. Overheating the cone can cause it to burn too quickly, reducing the backflow effect and the overall burn time. Once the tip is lit and glowing, blow out the flame promptly. The tip of the incense cone should be glowing red and releasing fragrant smoke.
After a short while, the smoke will begin to travel throughout the backflow burner and create a pattern of smoke. The backflow effect takes a few minutes to start, so be patient. The air movement created by simply walking by can disrupt the smoke cascade, so be still.
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Lighting the incense cone
Lighting a backflow incense cone is a simple process, but it does differ from lighting a traditional incense cone. Firstly, you will need to hold the incense cone in your hand or use a pair of tweezers to grip it. Next, light the pointy end of the cone with a match or a lighter, as you would a candle wick.
It is important to let the flame ignite the tip of the cone for a few seconds. You may need to wait for up to 30 seconds to ensure the incense is properly lit. You should then gently blow out the flame. Check the tip of the incense cone to ensure it has been correctly lit. If you see a small, glowing ember, and smoke is beginning to emerge from the bottom, the incense is lit. If not, you may need to repeat the process.
Once the cone is glowing, you can place it on top of your burner. Ensure the hole at the bottom of the cone aligns with the hole on the seat of the burner, or the incense plume will be blocked. The aroma from a backflow incense cone can last up to a day, and the cone itself will burn out in 20-30 minutes.
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Blowing out the flame
The length of time you should allow the flame to burn before blowing it out can vary. Some sources suggest waiting just a second or two, while others recommend waiting for up to 30 seconds to ensure the incense is properly lit. It's important to keep an eye on the flame during this process. If you wait too long, the incense may burn too far down before you've even placed it on your burner.
Once you've blown out the flame, you should see a small glowing ember at the tip of the incense cone. This is a sign that the incense is burning correctly. If you don't see a glowing ember, you may have accidentally extinguished the incense completely. In this case, you'll need to start over from the beginning.
After blowing out the flame, it's time to place the incense cone on your burner. Make sure the hole at the bottom of the cone aligns with the hole on the seat of the burner. This is crucial, as it allows the smoke to flow downwards in the distinctive backflow style. If the holes are not aligned, the plume of smoke will be blocked.
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Placing the cone on the burner
When placing the cone on the burner, ensure the hole at the bottom of the cone aligns with the hole on the seat of the burner. This is important because if the holes don't align, the plume will be blocked, and the smoke will not flow downwards as intended.
To place the cone on the burner, carefully light the tip of the cone with a match or lighter, as you would a candle wick. Hold the cone with one hand or use tweezers to protect your hands from the flame. Allow the flame to ignite the tip of the cone for a few seconds—you may need to wait for up to 30 seconds to ensure it properly lights up. Then, gently blow out the flame.
If you're unsure whether the cone is lit, check the tip. If you see a small glowing ember, and smoke starts coming out of the bottom, the cone is correctly lit. If not, you may have accidentally extinguished the cone, and you'll need to repeat the steps above.
Once the cone is glowing, place it on top of the burner on a heat-safe surface. The tip of the cone should be glowing red and releasing fragrant smoke. The cone will burn out in 20 to 30 minutes, but the aroma can last up to a day.
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How to put out the cone
When you want to put out a backflow incense cone, it is recommended that you follow the below steps:
Firstly, it is important to note that backflow incense cones burn more quickly than traditional cones due to their hollow structure. Therefore, you should monitor the cone as it burns to ensure it doesn't extinguish prematurely and never leave it unattended for long periods. Compared to putting out incense sticks, it is harder to put out a backflow incense cone.
If you need to extinguish the cone before it burns out completely, you can gently blow on the glowing ember. This may cause the ember to extinguish, but be careful not to scatter the ash or blow the cone out of alignment. Alternatively, you can use a miniature candle snuffer, such as a small tube formed out of aluminium foil, to extinguish the cone.
If the cone is still difficult to extinguish or you need to put it out quickly, you can dip the tip of the cone in water as a last resort. However, this method will ruin the rest of the cone, making it unusable for future burning. Therefore, only use this method if you don't plan to relight the cone.
Once the cone has stopped smoking, place it in a fire-safe holder, such as a Chinese incense burner, or simply leave it on a heat-resistant surface to cool. Ensure the cone has fully burned and the burner has cooled before handling the ash. Even after burning, embers may remain hot, so allow adequate time to cool.
Finally, gently tap or brush the ash from the burner into a heat-resistant container or a trash bin.
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Frequently asked questions
Backflow incense burners are used to relieve stress and fatigue. They create impressive and mesmerizing smoke displays by pulling smoke downwards into the burner, creating a smoke stream that looks like a flowing waterfall.
Lighting backflow incense is similar to lighting a stick of incense. Hold the incense cone with one hand or with some tweezers and light the pointy end with a match or lighter. Allow the flame to ignite the tip of the cone for a few seconds before gently blowing it out. The tip of the cone should be glowing red and releasing smoke.
This could be anywhere from one to thirty seconds. Check the tip of the incense cone. If you see a small glowing ember and smoke, the incense has been correctly lit. If not, leave the incense for a minute and check again. If there is still no glowing ember, you have accidentally extinguished the incense and will need to start again.
Place the incense into the holder, ensuring that the hole at the bottom of the incense cone aligns with the hole on the seat of the burner.
Unlike stick incense, once lit, it is difficult to put out a backflow incense cone and save it for later use. The best way to extinguish an incense cone that has not been fully burnt is to immerse it in a cup of water. However, note that once you do this, the cone cannot be reused.
