We’ve been incredibly lucky recently with Shenzhen Original Technology sending us a number of devices to review. Most recently, of course, was the Lambda Dual which gave you the choice between a heating blade or spike. Though we didn’t feel that interchangeable heating components would be that useful, the device itself is a solid workhorse of a device that will likely last a very long time.
Naturally, the next shiny that came along was the Lamda EH from the aforementioned Shenzhen Original Technology. So, what makes this device different?
Key Features
- OLED Screen
- 200-300°C Variable Temperature (392-572°F)
- 3200mAh Battery
- Auto-Cleaning
- USB-C Charging
- Variable heating time (3-6 minutes)
- Electromagnetic heating
As with the Lambda Dual, the Lambda EH is capable of heating up to ~40 HEETs on a single charge – though the obvious caveat with that claim is the temperature setting you use so you may not get the 40 sticks at higher temperature settings.
The Review
Being familiar with the Lambda series of devices from Shenzhen Original Technology, moving from the Dual to the EH was intuitive. The button layout, screen and overall feel of the device is familiar. The Lambda EH even clocks in at the weighty 95g – thanks, in large part, to the 3200mAh battery which gives plenty of power to chew through up to 40 HEETs (or your preferred stick of choice).
Starting a cycle is the same on the EH as it is on the Dual – press and hold the main button until the device vibrates then wait for ~20 seconds for a second vibration. Speaking of button presses:
- Press & hold for 2 seconds to start heating
- Use the + / – to adjust the temperature (they recommend 260, but I prefer 270, particularly
with Sienna HEETS) - 5 clicks of the fire button will switch to “time adjust” mode (use the + / – to adjust in 5
second increments, fire button to confirm) - 5 clicks, followed by another 5 clicks (not 10 consecutively) followed by either + or – to reset
the stick count - 8 clicks to start the auto-clean cycle (this lasts for 25 seconds, and the outer cap must be
taken off)
As with the Dual in the previous review and the CC before that, the chamber cap is magnetic making it easier to remove for cleaning but the magnets are strong enough to keep the cap firmly attached when the device is being carried around in a pocket or car console.
Now, the interesting feature mentioned above in the key features section that I haven’t covered yet is the electromagnetic heating. What exactly is it, and does it offer any tangible benefits?
Electromagnetic Heating
Well, the heating system in the Lambda EH is truly a “dual” system (unlike the aforementioned Dual, which is simply an interchangeable chamber) with a spike AND an outer coil. It’s probably easier to explain using an image:
Fancy stuff. But what benefit does it bring?
A normal heat-not-burn device has either a spike or a blade – as we are accustomed to. This pokes the centre of the HEET (or stick, whichever you prefer) and heats the tobacco plug from the inside out to the specified temperature. Normally you will see that some parts of the plug aren’t completely heated once a cycle is completed – this is most common on a spike rather than blade heating. The EH aims to address this by introducing heat from the outside of the stick so that the entirety of the tobacco plug is heated evenly. From my observations, there is significantly less overall charring of the tobacco using this system than I see from using a spike or blade (if I were to rank from least to most the three systems it would be the EH, Blade, Spike in terms of the amount of charring).
The next image shows a side by side comparison of the charring (and discoloration of the outer paper) between a HEET consumed by the Lambda EH (left) and one consumed by the Dual (right). Overall, the tobacco heated by the EH retains a more normal tobacco colour (there are, of course, darker areas around the area of the spike) but it is clear that the tobacco has been heated.
Whereas the tobacco heated by the Dual is significantly more flaky (it crumbles easily) and has a lot more charring around the area where the spike was inserted. The inside of the ‘paper’ is heavily discoloured.
Does this system lead to a different experience?
Yes and, at the same time, no. For one, as the tobacco is more evenly heated (which suggests that the spike operates at a lower temperature and in combination with the coil gives the overall target temperature set by the user) there is flavour from the tobacco for longer during the cycle. As noted in previous reviews, flavour from heat-not-burn products does tend to fall off at varying points – which, of course, does depend on the temperature setting used. At the recommended 260°C flavour fall-off didn’t really occur (at least for me) until the last 90 seconds of a cycle. It did vary slightly dependant on the HEET in use at the time (Turquoise tended to fall off earlier than the Sienna).
Aside from the increase in flavour duration, the overall experience is what I would expect from a heat-not-burn device. Nicely warmed tobacco.
Conclusion
Given the penchant of Shenzhen Original Technology to ‘think different’, the Lambda EH is definitely different with its electromagnetic heating system. It is good to see the usual features and solid build that I’ve come to expect from the Lambda team. The electromagnetic heating system is unique in that it extends the flavour profile of the chosen consumable stick (in my case, HEETS) by a small, variable margin compared with a more traditional spike or blade system.
Packed with the usual features, and carrying a bit of weight thanks to the 3200mAh battery, the Lambda EH is, yet another, solid offering from Shenzhen Original Technology. It remains to be seen if the heating system is a true revolution in the sector or if, like the Betamax, it is just a passing fad.
Time will tell.
