Elite II

The G Pen Elite II is the brand's flagship: a full-ceramic heating chamber, combined convection and conduction heating and a temperature range that runs from 93 to 221 degrees — wider than on almost every portable vaporiser. Added to that are a high-resolution TFT colour display, a draw-activated convection boost and a zirconium dioxide mouthpiece with a spiral air path. The 2100 mAh battery is full in an hour and a half. For the trade it is the article you put at the end of the advisory chain: anyone who lands here has already asked the questions and only wants them confirmed.

Features

• Dual heating system of convection and conduction with a full-ceramic chamber — fast as conduction, clean as convection
• Temperature range from 93 to 221 degrees, adjustable to the degree — wider than on almost every competitor, from the most volatile aromas to full extraction
• Draw-activated convection boost technology pushes power in exactly when you draw, so the vapour is built in the draw rather than between draws
• High-resolution TFT colour display with a configurable settings menu, readable from two metres away
• Session length, heating method and haptic feedback individually configurable — set it up once, never touch it again
• Patented clean-air inlet as a built-in carb, ergonomically at the thumb grip, the air comes from outside and not through the housing
• Zirconium dioxide mouthpiece with a spiral air path cools the vapour, every centimetre of path cools
• Integrated pick tool makes packing and cleaning easier, always on the device — a tool you have to look for does not get used
• 2100 mAh battery with USB-C fast charging, full in an hour and a half, so comfortably full overnight
• Up to one hour of operating time per charge — convection costs power, so that is a good figure
• Wi-Fi connection for updates and settings, without any need for an app
• Housing of durable zinc alloy with the air inlet cast into it — more valuable in the hand than the price suggests
• Silicone sleeve, carrying case and packing tool included — nothing needs buying to start
• Designed for dry herbs, developed in the USA, with a correspondingly good spare parts situation

Who is the Elite II for?

For customers who want to set things precisely and are willing to work their way in. The Elite II has more adjustments than any other G Pen device: temperature to the degree, heating method, session length and feedback are all configurable. In the trade it is the article for customers who already know what convection means and are asking about the next step. Anyone who only wants to switch on and draw is better served by the Dash+ — that note saves both sides a return. In our experience the Elite II sells almost exclusively through conversation and hardly at all through the display.

93 to 221 degrees

The range starts lower than on almost every portable vaporiser. At 93 degrees hardly any visible vapour forms, but the most volatile aromas are preserved — a range otherwise reserved for desktop devices. Upwards the scale reaches 221 degrees and thus full extraction. Most customers work between 185 and 205 degrees, but the span is the argument against devices with three fixed steps. For the trade the reach downwards is at the same time an argument with customers who so far only knew desktop units.

The full-ceramic chamber

Ceramic is flavour-neutral, holds the heat evenly and takes on no aromas from the previous load. On the Elite II the chamber is entirely ceramic rather than merely coated, which is what makes the difference over the years — coated chambers lose their coating, full ceramic does not. It is more sensitive to hard knocks, but in its third year it tastes as it did on day one. Treat the chamber gently and do not drop the device and the flavour stays the same for years.

The draw-activated boost

The electronics detect the draw and switch in the convection element for as long as you draw. Between draws the device runs more calmly, which spares the material and eases the battery. For the customer that means constant vapour density across the whole session rather than a strong first draw and weak ones after. That is the technical core of the device and can be demonstrated in the shop on the third draw. For selling it pays to take three draws in a row and compare the vapour density.

The clean-air inlet

The air inlet is cast into the zinc housing and sits exactly where the thumb rests when holding it. It acts as a built-in carb: covered, vapour builds up; released, it comes through in one go. Anyone coming from a bong knows the behaviour and needs no explanation. At the same time the device draws its air from outside and not through the housing, which keeps the flavour clean. Anyone holding the device for the first time finds the inlet without having to look for it.

Zirconium dioxide mouthpiece

Zirconium dioxide conducts heat poorly, which is intended here: the vapour cools along the spiral path and the mouthpiece stays touchable. The spiral lengthens the distance in a small space. Replacements are available individually and belong on the shelf, because mouthpieces are the first thing to wear on a device that gets passed around. Anyone using the device in company is better off keeping a second mouthpiece on hand.

Display and configuration

The high-resolution TFT colour display shows every value and guides you through a settings menu in which session length, heating method and haptic feedback can be defined. Set it up once and you need never touch it again. Anyone who likes to experiment has more possibilities here than on any other G Pen. Both groups of customers get along with the same device. For the trade that means a device which serves both types and therefore rarely comes back.

Battery and fast charging

2100 milliampere-hours deliver up to an hour of operating time and are full again over USB-C in an hour and a half. For a device that regulates to the degree and switches convection in, an hour is a good figure — convection costs power. Anyone using the Elite II daily charges it every evening without thinking about it. Anyone travelling a lot should nevertheless carry a power bank, because the battery cannot be swapped.

Cleaning and wear

The integrated pick tool sits on the device and cannot be mislaid — it serves for packing as well as for scraping out. The ceramic chamber is brushed out while still warm; residue dissolves in isopropyl alcohol. Wear occurs on screens, seals and the mouthpiece, all available individually. Clean regularly and draw resistance and flavour stay constant. A cleaning kit therefore belongs in every order with an Elite II and costs almost nothing at wholesale.

Elite II or Dash+?

The Elite II offers the full-ceramic chamber, the wide temperature range from 93 degrees, the TFT display and the draw-activated boost. The Dash+ has the titanium chamber, a simpler colour display and the larger battery at a considerably lower price. Anyone wanting full control takes the Elite II; anyone looking for a solid everyday device, the Dash+. The two are priced far apart, so the decision comes down to ambition rather than to the brand.

How to use it

1. Take off the mouthpiece and fill the ceramic chamber loosely.
2. Switch the device on and select the temperature to the degree.
3. Set session length and heating method in the menu if you wish.
4. Let it heat, then draw — the boost switches itself in.
5. Cover the air inlet with your thumb and release it for the full draw.