Quasar Raas 2, Explained: Why We Switched to Thermal Heads

A shisha session lives or dies on heat. Too little and the smoke is thin; too much and the tobacco scorches and the flavour goes bitter within minutes. For years the answer was foil, coals and a master who knows exactly when to move them. This month we changed the equipment: the lounge now runs on Quasar hookahs and Quasar Raas 2 thermal heads. Here is what that means, and why we chose it.

Who is Quasar?

Quasar is a French brand that designs hookahs and heat systems, built around one obsession: precise, repeatable heat. The name comes from the astronomical quasar, the brightest object in the universe, and the design language follows: clean lines, glass and metal, nothing decorative that does not do a job.

The brand made its reputation with its heads and heat-management systems before launching full hookahs. Its thermal bowls, which combine borosilicate glass with an integrated heat-management device, took several years of research to bring to market and have since become a reference among demanding smokers. The industry noticed: Quasar won best accessory at ShishaMesse, the international hookah trade fair in Frankfurt, in 2024, and its hookah was named best hookah of 2026 at the same fair this May.

How a thermal head works

A classic setup puts tobacco in a clay bowl, foil on top, coals on the foil. The coals touch the surface that touches the tobacco, so the heat is intense and uneven; the master manages it by moving and rotating the coals, and by timing.

The Quasar Raas 2 separates the two. The tobacco sits in a glass bowl with a single central draw; above it, a metal chamber holds the coals. Heat radiates down evenly through the whole surface of the tobacco instead of hitting hot spots, and an adjustable vent lets the master raise or lower the temperature without touching the coals at all.

The practical effects:

• Even heat, so the tobacco releases flavour steadily instead of scorching in one spot.
• Control, because a small adjustment to the chamber changes the whole session, and the master can dial it to your taste: lighter for a fresh blend, hotter for a dark tobacco.
• Stability over time. A Raas 2 holds 15 to 20 g of tobacco and runs for around ninety minutes; the heat curve stays flat rather than peaking and fading.
• Cleaner taste. Because nothing burns, the finish is smooth even on strong tobaccos like Darkside.

Why it matters at Maison Almaz

Our shisha is built on masters, not machines: Emil, Daniel and Playa pack every bowl by hand and come back to the table through the session. The Quasar setup does not replace that; it gives them a more precise instrument. A Darkside Premium bowl that used to need constant attention now holds its heat between visits. The Almaz Tasting, three heats over ninety minutes, benefits most: each heat can be set to its journey, from the cool SEVER opening to the deep NOCH finish, without the coals fighting the plan.

It also makes the daytime session better. The two-for-one offer on Standard shisha runs from 10 AM to 5 PM, when the terrace is bright and a bowl is expected to last through lunch; a stable head is exactly what a long, easy afternoon needs.

What stays the same

The tobaccos: Union Hookah for Standard (285K), Darkside for Premium (350K). The rituals: the Almaz Tasting in Standard (500K) and Premium (700K). The offers, every day. And the rule that shisha is served to guests aged 18 and over, in the lounge and on the terrace.

Try it

The best way to understand a thermal head is to smoke one next to what you are used to. Ask your master to set a Raas 2 for you, tell him what you usually drink and how strong you like it, and let the heat do the rest. Reserve a table or message us on WhatsApp; the lounge is open until 3 AM and, from 25 October, around the clock.

For the tobacco side of the choice, read Union Hookah vs Darkside and how to choose a shisha flavour.