Got a Caliburn and the flavour isn't quite right? Nine times out of ten it's the liquid, not the kit. I've lost count of how many people message us saying their Caliburn tastes rubbish, and it turns out they've filled it with 70/30 liquid or the wrong nic strength.
This applies to every Caliburn from the G3 through to the G4 Pro KOKO. They all use the same pod system, same wicking, same rules.
Nic Salts or Freebase?
Nic salts. Caliburn pods are built around them.
Salts absorb faster and the flavour comes through cleaner, especially at higher strengths. Try 20mg freebase in a Caliburn and the throat hit will overpower everything else. 20mg nic salt? Smooth enough that you're actually tasting the juice instead of wincing through the draw.
You can run freebase at lower strengths (3mg, 6mg) and it's perfectly fine. Some of our regulars do exactly that. But if you're switching from disposables or cigarettes and want that same quick hit, salts are what you want.
What VG/PG Ratio?
50/50, always. I've tested thicker liquids in these pods and the result is always the same - flavour drops off after a few puffs and you start getting dry hits because the wick can't keep up.
Caliburn mesh coils have small wicking holes. 70/30 or max VG just sits there instead of soaking through. On the other end, really thin high-PG liquid floods the coil and you get spitting and gurgling. 50/50 E-Liquid matches the wicking speed perfectly.
Worth knowing: if a nic salt bottle doesn't list the ratio, it's almost always 50/50. That's standard for UK salts.
Which Nicotine Strength?
20mg works for heavy smokers (15+ a day) and anyone coming off disposables. Strong throat hit, fast satisfaction. This is where most switchers start and it's the right call.
10mg suits moderate smokers or people who've been on 20mg and fancy dialling it back. I vape 10mg day to day and it's enough without being aggressive.
5mg is for light or social vapers. Barely any throat hit. Honestly, a lot of people who try 5mg after using disposables find it too weak and go back up to 10mg.
Don't force yourself to stick with a strength that isn't working. Feeling dizzy or nauseous on 20mg? That's your body telling you to drop down, not push through. 10mg is the safest starting point if you're genuinely unsure, and you can also have a read of our nicotine strength guide.
Caliburn G4 Waves vs Storm Mode
Only on the G4 and G4 Pro - G3 kits don't have this.
Storm fires at full power the whole puff. Warmer, more immediate flavour hit, chews through battery and liquid faster. Uwell markets it as the intense option and yeah, that's about right.
Waves ramps up more gradually. Cooler draw, smoother delivery, kinder on your battery. I've seen reviewers say they can barely tell the difference between the two modes, and honestly at lower wattages I'd agree. Where it gets noticeable is with bold fruity or menthol flavours on higher wattage - Storm punches the flavour at you straight away while Waves lets it build across the draw.
My advice: live in Waves for daily vaping and flip to Storm when you want a stronger hit. That's how I use it.
Getting Better Flavour from Your Caliburn
Prime your pods. Fill it, then leave it alone for 5 minutes. I know that's annoying when you've just bought a fresh pod and want to try it. But dry-firing a new coil ruins it. Five minutes of patience saves you from binning a pod after three puffs.
Keep the airflow tight with nic salts. Tighter draw concentrates the flavour. If you're on a 0.9Ω or 1.2Ω pod with salts, close that airflow down. Open airflow is for the 0.4Ω and 0.6Ω pods with freebase.
Top up the pod before it gets below a quarter full. Vaping on dregs gives you harsh, thin hits and burns the wick out faster than it should.
Know when a pod's done. Most Caliburn pods last a week or two. Sweet flavours kill them quicker - all that sugar gunks up the coil. Once the taste goes flat or slightly burnt, no amount of refilling will bring it back. Swap it.
What Flavours Work Well?
Bold, punchy flavours tend to land best. Fruits, menthols, anything with a strong primary note. The mesh coils are great at picking up those sharp top notes and delivering them cleanly.
Subtler stuff - custards, tobaccos, layered desserts - needs a bit more care. Drop the wattage, tighten the airflow, and give it time to breathe. High power on a delicate flavour just tastes like sweetener.
Browse our nic salt collection for the full range. Keep it 50/50 and you'll be sorted in any Caliburn kit.
