💊 What are dosing capsules?
Dosing capsules are small, refillable cups, usually food-grade aluminum, that hold a single serving of ground herb. Instead of packing your vaporizer's chamber loose each time, you drop a pre-filled capsule into the oven, close the lid, and go. When you're done, you swap in a fresh one. No grinder, no spills, no fiddling in public.
They were popularized by Storz & Bickel for the Mighty and Crafty, and the design has become a standard across portable dry-herb vaporizers. The official capsules and high-quality alternatives are interchangeable. What matters is that they're heat-stable, food-grade metal sized to the 1.4 cm³ chamber.
🔌 Which devices do they fit?
The same capsule fits every modern Storz & Bickel device. The key difference: portables hold the capsule directly, while the desktop units need an adapter.
| Device | Capsule fits? | Adapter needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Mighty / Mighty+ | Yes | No, drops straight in |
| Crafty / Crafty+ | Yes | No, drops straight in |
| Venty | Yes | No, drops straight in |
| Volcano (desktop) | Yes | Yes, Dosing Capsule Adapter |
| Plenty (desktop) | Yes | Yes, Filling Chamber Adapter |
✍️ How to fill a dosing capsule (step-by-step)
Grind your herb
A medium-fine, even grind gives the best airflow and extraction. Too fine and it packs tight; too coarse and it vapes unevenly.
Open the capsule
Twist or pop the lid off. The deeper cup is the base you'll fill; the shallow side is the screened lid.
Fill to just below the rim
Aim for about 0.1 to 0.15 g, enough to fill the cup without mounding over the edge. See the fill guide below.
Tamp lightly, don't crush
Press gently with a fingertip or tamping tool so the herb sits level. You want contact, not a compressed puck that chokes airflow.
Snap the lid shut & load it
Close the capsule, drop it into your Mighty or Crafty chamber, close the device, and you're ready to vape.
How much herb, and what grind?
Storz & Bickel rates each capsule at roughly 0.1 g of ground herb. In real-world use most people comfortably fit 0.13 to 0.15 g with a medium grind. The sweet spot is a capsule that's full but not overpacked. Herb should reach just under the rim so the lid closes without compressing it.
(weak vapor, herb rattles)
(full, lid closes easily)
(restricted airflow)
Loading capsules in the Mighty vs the Crafty
Both portables take the capsule the same way, drop it in the filling chamber and close the lid, but there are small handling differences:
- Mighty / Mighty+: Larger body and longer battery life make it the workhorse for capsule sessions. The chamber is easy to access; the capsule sits flush and the cooling unit clicks back over it.
- Crafty / Crafty+: More compact, so the chamber is a little snugger. Use the filling-chamber tool or a gentle push to seat the capsule, then close. Draw a touch slower than the Mighty for the best flavor.
Neither portable needs an adapter. That's only for the desktop Volcano and Plenty.
Batch-filling: the honest take
The real magic of capsules is batching: pre-fill a week's worth on a Sunday and every session afterward is a 5-second swap. There are two ways to do it, and most guides oversell the fancy one.
A filling set lets you line up many capsules in a tray, spread ground herb across them, and cap them in one pass. It looks efficient, but in practice it's fiddly: herb scatters between the cups, you still go back to top each one off, and you've got a tray to clean afterward.
However you fill them, the pocket-sized magazine (caddy) holds 8 filled capsules, so you can carry a full day's sessions without carrying herb or a grinder.
Stock up: 40 Food-Grade Dosing Capsules
Reusable aluminum capsules sized for the Mighty, Crafty & more. Batch-fill a month of sessions at once.
Shop the 40-pack →How to clean & reuse your capsules
Capsules are reusable for dozens of cycles. Caring for them keeps flavor clean and airflow open.
Let it cool, then empty
Tip out the spent herb (an "already-be-duck" / ABV stash jar is handy, so don't toss it).
Brush out residue
Use the cleaning brush to clear loose particles from the cup and the screened lid.
Isopropyl soak (when sticky)
Every few weeks, soak capsules in 91%+ isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes to dissolve resin.
Rinse & dry fully
Rinse under warm water and let them dry completely before refilling. No alcohol smell, no moisture.
Capsules vs loose herb: which is better?
| Factor | Dosing capsules | Loose-packing the chamber |
|---|---|---|
| Dose consistency | Precise & repeatable | Varies each pack |
| On-the-go use | Pre-load, no grinder needed | Need herb + grinder + steady hands |
| Mess & cleanup | Contained, chamber stays clean | Resin builds in the oven faster |
| Prep time per session | ~5 sec swap (if pre-filled) | 30 to 60 sec each time |
| Capacity per load | ~0.1 to 0.15 g | Slightly more if packed full |
| Up-front cost | Small one-time buy | None |
For home sessions where you don't mind packing, loose herb is fine. The moment you want portability, consistent dosing, or a chamber that stays clean longer, capsules win easily.
🤔 Are dosing capsules worth it?
If you vape anywhere other than your couch, yes. The combination of pre-loading, precise dosing, and a cleaner chamber pays for a pack of capsules many times over. Heavy and microdose users get the most benefit: batch-fill once, grab-and-go all week, and keep every session identical. The only people who can skip them are strict home users who enjoy the ritual of packing fresh each time.
Frequently asked questions
How much herb does a Mighty dosing capsule hold?
Can you reuse dosing capsules?
Do you need an adapter to use capsules in the Mighty or Crafty?
Do capsules affect vapor quality or flavor?
Can you use concentrates in dosing capsules?
How long do dosing capsules last?
What are they made of, and are they safe?
Ready to upgrade your sessions?
40 reusable, food-grade dosing capsules for your Mighty & Crafty. On sale now.
Get yours →