Reviewing
Incense
Holders,
and
Sticks
Cones
By Andrea Sipcic
If you’re new to the world of burning incense, the options available can seem overwhelming. For me, that was definitely the case. Even if you’re not new to it, you may find that there are some options available that you may not know about or didn’t consider trying because of the comfort you’ve developed with what you’ve been using for so long. One way or the other, it’s nice to have options and get to know what we may like and what may work best for us. As with most things, despite the feedback offered, it’s always best to try things out for ourselves and see what we like. The following are a few of the different options to consider. (Please note the safety importance of burning incense in a more open, non-obstructed area, especially with the open burners that don’t have any type of enclosure.)
Boat Burners/Ash Catchers These are the most common holders for stick incense. They are basically a long, flat piece of wood (or aluminum, ceramic, glass or stone) that curves up at the end, which has the hole to put the stick into. With this being so open and without any enclosures, the smoke emitted from the sticks is quite concentrated. Although it is the simplest and smallest, I have found it to be the messiest, with ashes that fall outside of the catcher. It can be a good choice for travel and small spaces.
Box Burners This is a long, coffin shaped incense burner typically made of wood. The incense stick is placed and burns inside of the box, with all the ashes contained inside as well. There are small holes on the top cover from which the smoke comes out of, making the smoke emitted less concentrated and dense. Remember to empty the ashes out frequently, not allowing it to get too accumulated.
