Bakhoor Burner

Electric or charcoal: which bakhoor burner should you buy?

Most bakhoor burner Pakistan searches come down to this one question, and it matters more than the price does.

A non electric bakhoor burner is the traditional method. You light a piece of charcoal, let it ash over, and place the bakhoor on top. It gives the fullest, richest smoke, it costs the least, and it is what most homes here have always used. The trade is that it needs charcoal, it takes a few minutes to get going, and it produces real smoke, so it wants an open window or a courtyard. You will see the same thing listed as a bakhoor burner non electric or simply a coal burner; they all mean this type.

An electric burner plugs into a socket and heats a small plate. No coal, no flame, far less smoke. It is a little gentler in the scent it gives, but you can leave it running in a closed room, in a bedroom, or in a shop, and it is the safer choice if there are children about. It costs more up front and nothing after that, since there is no charcoal to keep buying.

Put simply: for the deepest smoke and the lowest price, take charcoal. For convenience and safety indoors, take electric. Plenty of homes end up with one of each, a charcoal burner for guests and Jummah and an electric one for daily use.

What it is called, and what it is for

Bakhoor is spelled several ways here, so a bukhoor burner is the same product under a different transliteration. It is also called an oud burner, because oud is what most people burn in one, and locally it is often just described as a bakhoor jalane wala. None of those names tells you anything about the burner itself. What matters is only whether it runs on charcoal or on electricity, and how well it is built.

The two ranges

The burners sit in two collections, so the quickest route is to go straight to the type you have decided on.

• Non electric bakhoor burner, from Rs.1,350: two stainless steel charcoal burners, the Non-Electric Bakhoor Burner and the Bakhoor Burner. Both are the classic open-bowl shape, and both are the cheapest way into burning bakhoor properly.
• Electric bakhoor burner: five metal burners, including a gold finish and, at the top of the range, the Luxury and Premium models.

The difference between the electric models is finish and build rather than how they work. All of them heat the same way and all are ready in about thirty seconds.

Bakhoor burner price in Pakistan

Our burners run from Rs.1,350 to Rs.4,050. The non electric bakhoor burner price in Pakistan starts at the bottom of that range, and the electric models occupy the upper half, with the premium finishes at the top. That gap is worth thinking about rather than simply taking the cheaper option. A charcoal burner is less than half the price, but you keep buying charcoal for as long as you own it. An electric burner costs more once and nothing afterwards, so over a year or two of regular use the running cost evens out.

The other thing to weigh is where you will use it. A burner that lives in a closed bedroom or on a shop counter really needs to be electric, because charcoal smoke in an unventilated room becomes unpleasant quickly. A burner for a drawing room, a courtyard or a majlis can happily be charcoal.

How to use a bakhoor burner

With a charcoal burner, hold a coal disc with tongs and light one edge until it sparks across. Let it sit in the burner until it is covered in grey ash, which takes three or four minutes, then place two or three chips of bakhoor on top. Do not use more than that. Bakhoor is concentrated and a small amount scents a whole room. Carry the burner slowly through the house, or leave it in one place and let the scent travel.

With an electric burner, switch it on, give it half a minute to warm, and put the chips straight onto the plate. There is no coal and no waiting for ash. Turn it off when the scent starts to fade, usually after fifteen or twenty minutes, and let the plate cool before you clean it.

In both cases a burner is worth passing through clothes and curtains rather than leaving in a corner. The scent holds on fabric far longer than it does in the air, which is the whole reason bakhoor is burned before guests arrive rather than during.

Using one safely at home

A charcoal burner gets genuinely hot underneath, so it needs a tile, a metal tray or a stone surface, never a table cloth or a plastic mat. Keep it out of reach of children while it is lit and for a while after, because steel holds heat long after the coal has died. Do not use one in a small closed room without a window open. Never leave a lit coal unattended, and let the ash go cold before you empty it.

An electric burner is the safer option on all of these counts, but it still gets hot at the plate and should be unplugged when you are finished rather than left switched on.

What to burn in it

The burner is only half of it. What you put on top decides how it smells. Our bakhoor collection covers the fragrance itself, and the two we make are Bakhoor Majlis, a warm oud blend for guest sittings, and Bakhoor Sultan, the richer of the two. Both are also listed on the bukhoor wood page.

If you would rather wear a scent than burn one, the same oud character comes as an oil in our oud attar range. Many people keep both, burning bakhoor for the house and wearing attar themselves.

Buying a burner from us

Orders reach most of Pakistan in four to five working days and cash on delivery is available nationwide. If you are in Lahore you are welcome to come and see the burners at our shop in Bahria Orchard on Raiwind Road, which is the easiest way to judge the size and weight of one before buying. Anything that arrives damaged or is not what you expected can be exchanged within 15 days. If you are ordering from abroad, send us a WhatsApp message first and we will sort the shipping out with you.

Common questions about bakhoor burners

What is the bakhoor burner price in Pakistan?

Ours start at Rs.1,350 for a stainless steel charcoal burner and reach Rs.4,050 for the premium electric models, with the standard electric burners in between at Rs.3,510.

Is an electric or a non electric bakhoor burner better?

Neither is better outright. Charcoal gives a fuller smoke and costs less to buy. Electric is cleaner, safer indoors and cheaper to run. Choose by where you will use it.

Do I need charcoal for an electric burner?

No. An electric burner heats a plate directly, so there is no charcoal, no flame and very little smoke.

How much bakhoor should I put on at once?

Two or three small chips. Bakhoor is concentrated and more than that will overwhelm a room rather than scent it.

Can I use a bakhoor burner in a bedroom?

An electric one, yes. A charcoal one is better kept to a room with a window open, because of the smoke.

How long does the scent last?

Fifteen to twenty minutes of burning will scent a room for several hours, and considerably longer on curtains, carpets and clothes.