Introducing the Newly Released GURU Vaporizer by Grizzly Originals

Sponsored by Grizzly Originals

The GURU from Grizzly Originals is a digital temperature controlled portable vaporizer that can provide up to 2 hours of usage on a single charge. Designed in Canada and manufactured in China, the GURU vaporizer was created to be one of the few portable vaporizers that is compatible with dry herbs, extracts, and e-liquids alike.

In fact, according to the Grizzly Originals website, “the GURU is the first vaporizer in the world to combine a traditional dry herb vape with the functionality to connect with 510 threaded liquid and wax atomizers.” No additional attachment purchases necessary, the GURU comes pre-packaged with everything you need to start vaping your favorite dried herbs, waxes, and/or oils.

With a ceramic herb chamber and an all glass mouthpiece system, the team at Grizzly Originals wanted the GURU to avoid a lot of the flavor issues commonly associated with vaporizers constructed using cheap materials like plastic/wood — and I think they accomplished this task with flying colors.

What’s Included w/ the Guru Vaporizer

The GURU vaporizer from Grizzly Originals comes with the following (as standard items):

• 1 x Guru Base Unit (Battery w/ Digital Display)
• 1 x Dry Herb Ceramic Heater
• 1 x Glass Mouthpiece
• 1 x E-Cartridge Adapter
• 1 x Ceramic Disc Wax Atomizer
• 1 x Stainless Steel and Glass Liquid Tank
• 1 x DC Charger
• 5 x Cleaning Wipes
• 1 x Cleaning Brush
• 1 x Silicone Tipped Vaporizer Tool
• 2 x Grizzly Guru Stickers
• 1 x Quick Start Guide

Using the GURU Vaporizer with Dry Herbs

I really like to vaporize dry herbs with the GURU. When the unit is set at the proper temperatures, the vapor quality tends to be outstanding while staying cool on the throat. Not only do you get full control over the temperature using the plus/minus buttons on the front of the GURU’s battery, but you can even change the temperature of the device in the middle of a session — a nifty feature that not all vaporizers come equipped with.

Setting the GURU to 360°F resulted in a very flavorful draw with barely any visible vapor. You really get to taste the terpenes from the plant at this temperature. When increasing the temperature of the GURU’s herb chamber by just 15 degrees (~375°F degrees), the vapor becomes much more dense with a more subdued taste than observed at lower temperatures. After taking 5 long draws (~10 seconds per draw), I recommend you continue to increase the temperature of the GURU to 385°F using the buttons on the front of the unit.

This technique of raising temperatures every few hits will allow you to get the best bang for your buck. Not only does it allow you to consume cannabinoids and terpenoids that have varying boiling points at different temperatures, but it also ensures you finish off any unheated herb that remains in the chamber as you near the end of your session. You’ll know when the herb is spent when the GURU stops producing vapor you can see (even at higher temperatures). You’ll also notice the flavor of the vapor begins to have a burnt popcorn taste if you over-heat your herbs so be mindful of the length of your vape session and total hit count to avoid any combustion of plant matter.

For those that are lazy or in a hurry, you can actually avoid grinding your dry herbs altogether when using the GURU vaporizer. Simply pick any amount smaller than .25 grams and shove it into the herb chamber. You can achieve this task by removing the glass mouthpiece (which pops off with a little force) and filling the herb chamber to the top (so that the herb is flush with the white ceramic cover). Ground material is still preferred over unground bud as it helps to avoid any wasted product that can’t be reached by the heat. It’s really not a big issue with the GURU since the herb chamber will typically get hot enough to vaporize whatever you put in its chamber.

Because the unit implements a ceramic dry herb chamber that heats up (in addition to the hot air using convection heating) the GURU is considered to use hybrid heating that implements both conduction and convection heating. In my experience, the vapor quality (without the optional glass bubbler extension piece) is comparable to (or even better than) the new G Pen Elite and it’s all-ceramic heater/chamber design. However, when using the provided glass bubbler, I found the GURU was capable of producing much cooler vapor that was similar to the Cloud EVO (a quality desktop vaporizer with a higher retail price than the GURU). As such, I recommend patients suffering from asthma, COPD or other pesky breathing conditions, consider adding the glass bubbler extension piece to your order if you are worried about vapor being too hot — even if it is a bit pricey.

The GURU vaporizer is built to include an automatic shut-off feature that is set to activate after the unit has been running for 5 minutes. Don’t worry if you get too medicated to remember to turn off the vape, Grizzly Originals has your back.

510 Thread Compatible for Vaping Concentrates/E-Liquids

One of the reasons why the GURU vaporizer is bound to grow in popularity, regardless of the vast competition in the niche, is the simple fact that the GURU implements a design that is 510 thread compatible. Not only does this make the GURU capable of vaporizing both concentrates (including wax, shatter, oil, etc.) and e-liquids (typically tobacco substitutes), it also cuts down on the potential learning curve of the unit as many vaporists are already familiar with how 510 vaporizers work. Additionally, it also allows the GURU to be used with other cartridges/mouthpieces that are also 510 thread compatible; this includes most modern pen vaporizers although it will depend on the manufacturer.

Using the included concentrate/e-liquid attachment is a simple and straight-forward process. The GURU comes with two (2) different atomizers (one for dry herbs and one for concentrates/e-liquids). The larger atomizer with air holes and an open glass top is designed for dry herbs whereas the the smaller atomizer with a screw-on top is designed for concentrates/e-liquids. To get the GURU ready to vape concentrates/e-liquids, you need to slide on the smaller atomizer by aligning the nubs from the provided atomizer and the battery. Push the atomizer into place while keeping it flush with the battery and lock it into place with the help of the tab on the back of the vape.

Now that you have installed the proper atomizer in place, you will notice that the GURU is missing its concentrate chamber and mouthpiece. Now is the time to grab the desired concentrate or e-liquid attachment/chamber and screw it into place. The provided concentrate attachment is all-black and the e-liquid attachment is clear/see-through. Once the attachment piece is screwed into place, you need to fill your chamber with your desired concentrate or e-liquid by twisting off/on the mouthpiece.

If you are using the GURU with concentrates, I would recommend using only about 1 dabs worth for every 3-5 draws (grain of rice size). You can put more concentrate in the chamber (as much as you can fit), but I found this makes the concentrate begin to lose its flavor quicker as it will heat up each time you take a draw. This causes the volatile terpenes/flavonoids found in cannabis extracts to degrade as they are exposed to high levels of heat. One of the nice features I came across when using the GURU for concentrates is that the chamber comes pre-built with a ceramic “donut” that covers the coils that heat up when in use. What this does is protect your concentrate from directly touching the heat source and provides a more flavorful hit each and every draw.

I haven’t used the GURU to vaporize e-liquids as I don’t personally vape e-liquids on a daily basis. Having said that, everything I’ve learned about this unit thus far points to the fact that it should perform similar to most other 510 thread compatible vape pens on the market currently.

The Good

• The GURU’s all glass and ceramic air pathway generates non-toxic vapor that is thick and flavorful
• Digital display makes the GURU easy to use — control temperature / voltage levels with ease
• Virtually no heat up time for concentrates / e-liquids; short heat up time for dry herbs (<45 seconds)
• The GURU battery is lightweight and durable making the base unit easy to carry / put in your pocket
• The battery life (~2 hours of run time) is great for a portable vaporizer at this price point — I only need to charge my unit once a week, even with heavy use (since the avg. session is just ~3-4 minutes)
• Cleaning the GURU is simple and straight-forward with its “pop-off top” concept/design
• Transitioning between dry herb, concentrate, and e-liquid attachments is a fast and painless process
• The GURU’s low retail price ($195 from the manufacturer) makes it one of the most versatile portable vapes under $200

The Bad

• The push-to-lock mouthpiece system makes it fairly difficult to lock the glass mouthpiece into place properly without a lot of practice / muscle strength
• The design of the GURU’s exterior could be significantly improved by using materials other than plastic
• There is a minor bug in which the display/screen output shows the wrong temperature for a split second when attempting to lower/increase temperatures during a session and although this is by no means a deal breaker, it is something that I want the manufacturers to look into and provide an update for in future releases
• The GURU requires the power button to be tapped 3 times simultaneously (fast) to turn the unit on/off rather than a simple one-touch feature that most people are accustomed to
• The battery indicator on the display is not as reliable as I would have hoped — my unit indicated it had a little less than 40% of the battery bar remaining when it died mid-use
• The way the atomizers (for dry herbs, concentrates, and e-liquids) connect to the battery is great for saving time but also leaves room for user error — I could definitely see how the “connection nubs” may get broken/bent from continued use
• The GURU comes with a glass bubbler extension piece as an *optional* add-on during checkout, however the downside of this is that the GURU becomes top-heavy (the base is only ~8 ounces) and could lead to increased odds of broken glass if the unit is ever tipped/knocked over

Final Thoughts

For those looking to make the transition from smoking to vaporizing, the GURU vaporizer may be worth looking into. Not only does the GURU come equipped with parts to vape dry herbs, concentrates, and e-liquids, but it also houses an all-ceramic/glass vapor pathway. It even has an affordable price tag (listed under $200). All of these features, combined with the fact that this unit has a digital display with variable temperature settings, make the GURU one of the most versatile portable vaporizers on the market today.