XL E-Nano

Almost all of the mess on an XL lives in the glass. The XL stem carries a bowl about 50 percent larger than the one on the OG, so more material sits packed against the stainless screen at the hot end, and the XL's wider heater core catches whatever falls through while you load or stir. The wooden body itself stays fairly clean, which matters, because it is the one part that must never meet a solvent.

1. Wipe the wood and leave it at that: Epickai's guide says the unit needs only light cleaning, meaning a damp cloth on the outside. Never use anything containing alcohol or citrus on the body, as it damages the natural finish on the walnut, cherry or maple. Keep the cloth barely damp around the vent ring and where the wood meets the enlarged aluminium base.

2. Pull the stem apart before soaking: XL stems are heavy wall borosilicate with a glow in the dark silicone heat guard. Twist gently and separate the components rather than forcing them, and slide the guard off so it stays out of the alcohol.

3. Soak the glass in isopropyl: Epickai specifies 91 percent or higher, roughly 30 minutes in a small container, then a cotton swab or pipe cleaner over the inside and a toothpick for baked on spots. Rinse, then allow one to two hours to dry completely. The manual rules out household cleaning products because they leave residue. Stems are due every few uses.

4. Clear or replace the screen: On the standard XL stem, a stainless screen cap sits inside the hot end and is what stops your load dropping into the heater. Push it out with a chopstick, a pencil eraser or the E-Pick while the stem is already apart. XL screens are their own size, so basket screens, Scooby screens and caps sold for the OG will not fit. The XL Glass Screen Stem has a honeycomb screen fused into the glass instead, so there is nothing to remove, and the Ice Stem's soda glass balls simply soak with the rest.

5. Clean the heater dry: Compressed air first, then a Q-tip only lightly wetted with alcohol, worked inside the core alone. Nothing should be wet enough to run down onto the wood. The ceramic heater is covered for life, while glass is not covered at all.

Never leave a hot stem sitting on the core, and tilt the unit towards you when loading so debris falls forward rather than into the port. The XL water pipe adapter takes the same isopropyl soak, though its silicone joint is better off with soap and warm water.