🌡️ Why vape temperature matters
Dry herb vaporizers do not burn your flower. They heat it until its active compounds evaporate into vapor, while the plant material itself stays unburnt. Temperature decides how fast each compound comes off. The lighter, more volatile terpenes evaporate first, and the cannabinoids need more heat to come off in quantity. A 2023 study on vapor pressure and vaping found that terpenes, especially the lighter monoterpenes, are mostly inhaled before the cannabinoids. Vape shops call this selective vaporization. In practice it works like a dimmer, not an on/off switch, and it is the whole reason temperature control exists.
Lower temperatures give more flavor, lighter vapor and less extracted per draw. Higher temperatures give thicker vapor and pull more cannabinoids per draw, which usually means a stronger effect. The catch is a tradeoff: the cooler you go, the better the flavor and the thinner the clouds. The hotter you go, the bigger the hit and the more you give up in taste and smoothness.
📊 The three temperature zones
You can think of every dry herb vaporizer as having three broad zones. Knowing where you are on this gradient tells you what to expect.
- Low, 160 to 180 C (320 to 356 F): The flavor zone. Vapor is thin, cool and full of terpene character, and each draw extracts less. The effect is usually described as lighter and clearer. Good for tasting a strain or a small dose.
- Medium, 180 to 195 C (356 to 383 F): The balance zone. Visible vapor, solid potency and good flavor at the same time. All three Storz & Bickel portables start at 180 C out of the box, and this is a sensible default if you are not sure where to begin.
- High, 195 to 210 C (383 to 410 F): The cloud zone. Dense vapor, the most extraction per draw, and an effect usually described as heavier. Flavor fades and the vapor gets warmer.
🎯 Best temperature for every effect
No controlled study has matched specific effects to specific vaporizer temperatures, so treat the descriptions below as reported experience, not pharmacology. Your strain, how much is in the chamber and your tolerance will change the result more than a few degrees will. Use these as starting points and adjust to taste.
Lighter / daytime. Often described as clearer and more functional. A sensible daytime starting point.
Balanced. The all-rounder. Fuller vapor with plenty of flavor left.
Heavier. Denser, warmer vapor and more extracted per draw. Some people save it for the evening.
Finishing the bowl. The top of the Storz & Bickel range. Useful for pulling what is left at the end of a session.
Small dose, most flavor. Thin vapor, strong terpene taste, less extracted per draw.
The pattern people describe is that the effect feels heavier as you climb the scale. Part of that is simple dose: more heat evaporates more cannabinoids from the same bowl. The popular idea that a particular compound switches on at a particular temperature, for example "CBN for sleep above 205 C", is not supported by the chemistry or by clinical research, as the boiling point section below explains.
⚖️ Flavor vs clouds vs effect
You cannot max out everything at once. Every temperature choice trades one quality for another, and understanding the trade is what turns a guess into a decision.
- Chasing flavor? Go low, 160 to 180 C. The most volatile terpenes evaporate first, so the early, cooler draws carry the most taste. The cost is thin, nearly invisible vapor and a milder effect.
- Chasing clouds? Go high, 195 C and up. Dense visible vapor needs heat. The cost is muted flavor, a warmer draw, and terpenes used up sooner.
- Chasing a stronger or lighter effect? Stronger means higher, and you accept warmer vapor and less flavor with it. Lighter means lower, and you accept thinner clouds.
The good news: you do not have to choose just once per session. Stepping up the temperature over a single bowl lets you front-load flavor and finish with potency. More on that below.
🧪 Cannabinoid and terpene boiling points
Many vaping charts say THC boils at 157 C (315 F). That number has a real origin, but it is a vacuum figure: early chemists distilled THC at 157 C under a pressure of about 0.05 Torr, a tiny fraction of normal air pressure. At normal pressure THC boils far higher. A 2025 lab study measured about 245 C (473 F), and other published estimates are above 400 C. Either way it is above anything a Storz & Bickel portable reaches.
So how does a vaporizer at 180 C deliver THC? Compounds evaporate well below their boiling points, and they evaporate faster as the temperature rises. In the 2016 lab test, four electric vaporizers set to 210 C released roughly 55 to 83% of the THC in the sample. The table below gives the boiling points at normal pressure next to the figures you will often see copied online.
| Compound | Boiling point at normal pressure | Figure often copied online |
|---|---|---|
| THC | about 245 C / 473 F (measured, 2025); some estimates above 400 C | 157 C (a vacuum figure) |
| THCV | about 378 C / 712 F (measured, 2025) | 220 C |
| CBD | about 464 C / 867 F (calculated) | 160 to 180 C |
| Alpha-pinene | 155 C / 311 F | 155 C |
| Myrcene | 168 C / 334 F | about 167 C |
| Limonene | 176 C / 349 F | 176 C |
| Terpinolene | 185 C / 365 F | about 185 C |
| Linalool | 198 C / 388 F | 198 C |
| Beta-caryophyllene | about 263 C / 505 F | 119 to 130 C (reduced-pressure figures) |
| Alpha-humulene | about 276 C / 529 F | about 100 to 107 C (reduced-pressure figures) |
🔧 Device-specific settings
The principles above apply to any dry herb vaporizer. On the current Storz & Bickel portables the numbers are simple: according to Storz & Bickel's support pages, all three run from 40 to 210 C (104 to 410 F) and start at a factory base temperature of 180 C (356 F).
| Device | Factory base temp | Boost presets | How you adjust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty+ | 180 C / 356 F | Booster +15 C, Superbooster +30 C over base | +/- buttons and display, 1 degree steps |
| Crafty+ | 180 C / 356 F | Booster 195 C, Superbooster 210 C | S&B Web App (optional) |
| Venty | 180 C / 356 F | Booster +15 C, Superbooster +30 C over base | +/- buttons, or Web App for custom boosts |
- Mighty+: Starts at 180 C. Adjust in 1 degree steps with the +/- buttons. Double-click the power button for the Booster (+15 C) or triple-click for the Superbooster (+30 C); both drop back to your base temperature after 90 seconds. No app needed or available.
- Crafty+: One button and three presets out of the box: 180, 195 and 210 C. The S&B Web App is optional. It lets you set any base temperature from 40 to 210 C and shift the two boost levels together.
- Venty: Starts at 180 C, with the same +15 and +30 C Booster and Superbooster steps. Adjust on the device with +/-, or set custom boost values in the Web App. Storz & Bickel quotes a 20-second heat-up and adjustable airflow up to 20 L/min.
🪜 Session stepping technique
A good way to use a single bowl is to start low and climb in stages. This follows the order compounds evaporate in: the most volatile terpenes come off early, and more heat pulls more of the heavier compounds later. Here is a simple routine.
Start in the flavor zone
Begin around 175 to 180 C. The first few draws are the tastiest you will get, with bright terpenes and a light effect.
Step up to the balance zone
When vapor and flavor start to thin, bump to about 190 to 195 C. More comes off per draw and the effect builds.
Finish in the high zone
For the last draws, climb to about 205 to 210 C. This pulls out what your lower steps left behind.
Know when it is spent
When the vapor turns wispy and the herb looks dark brown, the bowl is done. Empty it, save the leftover ABV if you like, and reload.
One bowl, flavor first and a fuller extraction by the end. Stepping is a simple habit for getting more out of both your flower and your device.
Make every temperature repeatable
Consistent dosing is what lets a preset like 185 C feel the same every session. 40 reusable, food-grade dosing capsules for your Mighty, Crafty & Venty.
Shop the 40-pack →❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the best temperature for a dry herb vaporizer?
What temperature should I vape THC at?
What is the default temperature on a Mighty vaporizer?
What is the default temperature on a Crafty vaporizer?
Does a higher temperature mean stronger effects?
What is the best temperature for sleep?
What temperature loses flavor and terpenes?
Is high-temperature vaping dangerous?
Sources: Storz & Bickel support pages for the Mighty+, Crafty+ and Venty temperature settings; Eyal et al., Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2023; Turovsky et al., Journal of Cannabis Research, 2025; Lanz et al., PLoS One, 2016; Abrams et al., Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2007; Corroon, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2021. Effects by temperature are based on user reports, not controlled studies.
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