Here we will keep a running list of the best e-liquid companies to buy from. I will list them in order of preference, so this list will be updated both with suppliers and the order in which they appear. Understand that I have not tried all e-liquids out there, and I have only tried a couple of flavors from some vendors. I am constantly trying new things, however, so stay tuned for more entries. Here is the criteria for making the list.

1. I have tried a minimum of 5 flavors from each of the vendors on the list.
2. All flavors must closely resemble their advertised taste.
3. I have enjoyed a minimum of 4 out of 5 flavors.
4. Liquids must produce adequate throat hit and vapor production.

Here are the liquid companies we recommend in order of preference.

Electronic cigarettes are an alternative way of taking nicotine into the body. As opposed to traditional (analog) cigarettes, e-cigs don't involve the combustion of tobacco. Instead, they use a battery and an atomizer to heat a liquid that contains nicotine producing a vapor that is then inhaled. There are many ways to go about this process, but we will address the most common methods in use today.

Devices:

E-cigarettes come in many different shapes and sizes. The most common and widely available products are cigarette shaped, or pen style e-cigs and eGo style devices. Both of these units are self contained batteries with adapters at the end to allow for easily attaching an atomizer. Most have LED indicators to light up when the product is in use, and to indicate when the battery needs or has completed charging. While most eGo style devices are manually operated, the pen style devices often come in manual or automatic styles.

Automatic:

These electronic cigarettes are designed to perform similar to a traditional cigarette. They are activated by putting your mouth on the atomizer and inhaling. This will pull air through the device and activate the battery, heating up the liquid and creating vapor.

Advantages:

1. It can make the transition to electronic cigarettes easier, as it most closely simulates the act of smoking a traditional cigarette.
2. It allows for the device to operated "hands free."

Disadvantages:

1. These batteries are often "unsealed" which means that if a device attached to it leaks liquid, it can flow down into the battery tube causing battery failure.
2. Since the battery is activated by inhaling, these devices offer less ability to control the vaping experience by not allowing you to "prime" the atomizer by activating it and allowing some vapor to build up before inhaling. Basically, they produce a weaker vapor because of this.

Manual:

These batteries are activated by pressing a button on the device. This causes the battery to "turn on" and heat up the atomizer and vaporize the liquid.

Advantages:

1. Greater control of the experience by allowing the user to hold the button down prior to inhaling, thus building up a "reserve" of vapor and offering a more consistent taste and feel.
2. These batteries are typically "sealed" preventing leaks from reaching and damaging the batteries in the device.

Disadvantages:

1. Requires the user to push a button to activate the battery, thus eliminating hands free use.
2. While some of these devices have a shut off feature, some do not. Therefore, the device can be activated by unintentional depression of the button, such as might occur when the device is carried in a pocket.

Atomizers:

 This is the part of the device that actually produces the vapor. If you could imagine for a moment the guts of an old style lightbulb, then you have a rough picture of what an atomizer looks like. It is basically a coil of wire that is connected at both ends, one positive connection and one negative, to the connector. When it is screwed into the battery it can then be powered. When it receives power, the coil heats up and vaporizes the liquid that is exposed to the surface area of the wire. There are several different ways of encasing an atomizer to make it work on a device.

Cartomizer:

These are some of the more common devices available. They are a small metal tube that contains the atomizer, a filler material, a center tube, and a plastic cap. A horizontal coil cartomizer has the atomizer located at the bottom of the device, while a vertical coil cartomizer has the atomizer located in the middle of the device running parallel to the outer walls of the tube. A dual coil cartomizer is a vertical device with two atomizers wired in a parallel connection.

Advantages:

1. These devices are widely available pre-filled with your favorite e-liquid flavors.
2. Cartomizers can be easily filled with e-liquid.
3. Since a cartomizer contains a filler material, they are generally leak free under ordinary usage and circumstances.
4. While cartomizers are reusable, they are also relatively inexpensive as they are also disposable.

Disadvantages:

1. Since they contain a filler material, using a cartomizer that is low on liquid can burn the filler causing a burnt flavor that cannot be "cleaned out" of the device.
2. The filler material slightly alters the flavor of liquids, which can be a negative to those sensitive to it.
3. Since they are enclosed in a metal tube, cartomizers can be difficult to clean.

Clearomizers:

These devices are a newer version of the cartomizer, and are available in a wider variety of styles. Most (but not all) clearomizers are filler-free, and operate on a slightly different setup. Clearomizers (or clearos) are designed to hold the liquid without filler and wick it to an atomizer. Thus, the coil of the atomizer will be wrapped around a wick, typically made of silica, that will extend into the area of the device that holds the liquid. The atomizer can be located either at the top or bottom of a tube that goes down the center of the clearo.

Advantages:

1. Clearomizers allow you to see how much liquid is inside of the device.
2. While the wick can distort the taste of the liquid, it is less noticeable than the filler in a carto to most users.
3. Generally speaking, although not always, clearmoizers are designed with easy cleaning in mind. Since there is no filler, they will not need to be dried after cleaning, although a "dry burn" may be necessary.

Disadvantages:

1. Many clearomizers have an "airy" draw when compared to a cartomizer.
2. As they are typically made of plastic, these devices can crack or break, especially if carried in the pocket.

Tanks:

There are many types of tanks, and we won't get into them all here. We also won;t get into too much detail, as most of these devices operate on a similar setup to a clearo or require the use of a carto.

Clearomizer Style Tanks:

These devices operate on a wick and atomizer just like a clearomizer. The Vivi Nova, Vision CE 4, Stardust, Vape Only BCC, and Kanger T2 and T3 are common examples of this style tank. They offer all of the features of a clearomizer with the added advantage of easier filling and larger liquid capacity.

Carto Tanks:

These devices require the use of a cartomizer inserted into the middle of the tank. The Smok Tech DCT, Phiniac, and Big Daddy Tank are common examples of a carto tank. They work by inserting a punched cartomizer (one with a small hole or multiple holes punched into the side of it) into a center hole in the tank. The tank can then be filled with liquid which will feed into the device as the user draws on it, keeping the cartomizer full of liquid. These devices offer all of the advantages of a cartomizer with the added benefit of larger liquid capacity. They do, however, have an added disadvantage, as an improperly punched cartomizer can leak or fail to feed the liquid adequately.

Mods:

Although the term "mod" originally refered to a device that was not intended to be used as an electronic cigarette (such as an Altoids tin or a soda can) that had been fitted with the necessary components to allow it to be used for vaping, the term is now generally used in reference to devices that have larger capacity removable batteries. There are many different types of mods on the market now, but below are a few of the more popular ones.

Mechanical:

Mechanical mods are typically a tube style mod that hold a large battery. They do not have the electronic components that many of their counterparts have. Many of them have a button on the bottom that when pushed touches the negative end of the battery, thus powering the device. They are unregulated, so they will perform as well as the battery inside of them performs. They will offer full power off the charger and the performance will slowly deteriorate as the battery is discharged.

Advantages:

1. Since they are mechanical, there are no electronic components to fail or break inside of them.
2. There are no restrictive components in the device to limit the amps that the device allows to flow.

Disadvantages:

1. Since there are no electronic components in the device, it will only perform as well as the battery inside of it. This can be a plus or a minus, depending on what you want from a device.
2. They do not have the ability to display information like battery charge or atomizer resistance.

Tube Mods:

These are basically mods that are shaped like a tube. They come in many styles and options. Basic tube mods like the Silver Bullet or the Bolt simply hold the battery and work at the push of the button. Below are two of the more complex tube mod styles that offer more options.

Variable Voltage:

These devices allow the user to change the voltage output of the battery to customize the vaping experience. Increased voltage will cause the atomizer to get hotter altering the flavor, throat hit, and vapor production of the liquid. Lower voltages create less heat. Common examples of these devices are the Lavatube, Vmax, and Provari.

Variable Power:

Also known as variable wattage, these devices are a spin off of variable voltage. The basic working of an electronic cigarette produces wattage. The voltage output of the device, combined with the amps of current meet the resistance of the atomizer and produce watts.  A variable power device allows the user to select the watts that they would like to vape at, and it then reads the resistance of the atomizer and adjusts the voltage output automatically to create the desired wattage. This comes in handy for vapers who frequently use different atomizers, as it will allow them to always vape at their custom level without having to adjust the device each time they change atomizers.

What to buy?

For those just getting started out, it is important to get a kit that you will be able to understand and use correctly, yet something that you won't be a complete waste of money. Thus, a lot of this depends on your personal taste and expectations. Basically, I recommend for starting out that one go with either a "cig-a-like" kit or an eGo. If you need that similarity to a cigarette in shape and size, or if you need the ultimate screw on, screw off convenience than the ceig-a-like is for you. Otherwise, your best bet is to go with an eGo style kit. Here are your best options.

Cig-A-Like

The V2 Electronic Cigarette is the kit that I ultimately quit smoking with. You can see my review of it here. Despite my success with it, it is not my best recommendation, for beginners. It is rather my best recommendation for beginners who want a cigarette style kit. From experience, I know that 80% of vapers who succeed at switching to electronic cigarettes advance on to eGo style kits or start out there. I did this as well myself. Therefor, I think it is better to start with the kit below.

eGo Kit

Here is a link to the Spinner/Twist eGo VV Tank Combo. This is a very customizable kit, and will get you on your way to vaping quite nicely. It is simple enough to be able to understand quickly, yet it will start you out 3 steps down the road from where I began. I would recommend selecting the 1300 mAh batteries, as they will last the longest and the Vision Clearomizer 2.0 as they are the easiest to use, fill, and clean. Of course, you will need e-liquid that has to purchased separately with this kit, but liquid is also available there at My Vapor Store, or you can look around the site here for some of my favorites.

Useful Info:

This is obviously not a complete list of everything available to electronic cigarette users. It is intended to be a reference to help new users familiarize themselves with what is available, and to help people find the device that works for them. If you have further questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section below. I try to post and respond to all comments within 48 hours.