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Beginner questions? What to buy?

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
Hello. I hope this is an acceptable forum for this. I am new to kava, but would like to give it a go and have a few questions.


I have read a lot come across a lot of disagreement on the optimal consumption method. Some way you must buy a strainer and strain it in water, others say to just dump the powder in milk.


Also, should I be buying whole root or powder? I hear that the powders often contain a lot of filler.


I am considering picking this up from amazon, but wanted to get an opinion first:  http://www.amazon.com/KAVA-WAKA-powder-Fijian-Quality/dp/B00A80163M/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375314367&sr=1-2&keywords=kava+root


I was hoping to buy enough that I can break through the reverse tolerance, but wasn't sure if one pound would be enough. I was also looking for suggestions for two types of kava. I am looking for one that is fairly potent, so that I can be sure that I will feel it and one to be used as a drink primarily at social gatherings.


Thanks.
 

kavadude

❦ॐ tanuki tamer
Hey.


(1) I strongly recommend straining it. Some people here drink kava straight ("toss and wash"), but it's pretty unpleasant. You can buy a fijian strainer from some kava vendors, or you can do like some folks on here and use nylon stockings or cheese cloth or something like that.


(2) Well there are several different kava products available. Whole root is actually very hard to get...there are one or two retailers that sell frozen root. What you should buy at first is powdered root from a quality vendor. They shouldn't have any filler; I've never heard about powdered root having filler in it although I know that some kava products (such as kava pill supplements) have the leaves and stems and other things included which is not done traditionally.


(3) I asked about the Amazon kava myself. There is one person here who tried it and liked it I think. There's really not much information about it. I would recommend looking through the vendors here and determining what to order from reviews and so on. I have had good experiences with Bula Kava House, Nakamal @ Home and Paradise Kava.


Good luck.
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
Thanks for the reply. I want to ensure I buy good powder for my first experience.


The amazon powder appears to be much cheaper than much of what I saw on Nakamal @home (appears to be a highly regarded vendor). I'm not sure if Nakamal is simply more expensive because of the brand name/variety or if Amazon kava powder contains a lot of filler. I want to buy the Amazon kava because it is cheaper and will arrive fast, but am concerned that it could contain some unknown fillers.
 

kavadude

❦ॐ tanuki tamer
Nakamal @ Home is pretty expensive. Bula Kava House is fairly cheap and ships fast (2-3 days). Paradise and Nakamal @ Home both have pretty fast shipping although not Amazon Prime fast. Given the general lack of information about that particular kava, I would recommend you buy from one of the vendors that have solid reviews on this website. I'd hate for you to get bunk kava on your first go and write off kava completely. That said I don't think $27/lb is unheard of, I doubt they're weighing it down with sawdust or anything. It just hasn't been around long enough for many people on this forum to give it a try.
 

kl.sakamoto

Kava Curious
Optimal consumption for beginners? Get Paradise Kava Extract or Ozia Candies!


Seriously, I like "knead and strain" kava as much as anyone, but why do we burden beginners with preparation arcana when we have quality ready-mades?
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
Thanks all. I am checking out Bula kava and it does seem reasonable, but still not as cheap as the amazon brand. Is the ceremony kit worth it just for the straining bag or would I be better off just buying some stockings?


Also, are the candies and extract as effective? I will look into Ozia.


Do you have any suggestions for the extract?



I am considering just buying the amazon kava and a few drink mixes from Ozia, but they don't appear to have any in their shop.
 

kavadude

❦ॐ tanuki tamer
I love the BKH strainer, it's what I use. I wouldn't bother with the ceremony kit, just buy the straining bag and whatever kava you like.
 

kl.sakamoto

Kava Curious
floatingnoodles said:
...

Also, are the candies and extract as effective?

...


 

As effective?  I don't know; depends on the individual.  They certainly are at least as pleasant, probably more so for beginners, and I'm of the opinion that kava consumption should first and foremost be enjoyable!
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
sakamoto said:
Optimal consumption for beginners? Get Paradise Kava Extract or Ozia Candies!


Seriously, I like "knead and strain" kava as much as anyone, but why do we burden beginners with preparation arcana when we have quality ready-mades?
I agree, however if the person experiences a reverse tolerance they may well run out of kava funds before reaching the full effects. I suggest traditional method first because it (to me) brings on an appreciation of kava and the ritual of squeezing out a batch. Also the bang for buck ratio is quite high. If cost were no issue I'd say buy 2 150g jars of Paradise Kava CO2 extraction and a lb of fresh frozen and let the good times roll.
 

kl.TidyMinion

Kava Curious
I started out with the Amazon brand being discussed here. Didn't like it very much but I will say I didn't give it enough regular intake, at first, to work over the reverse tolerance. One time I also experienced a very disagreeable digestive reaction to it but that was from drinking the powder in a shake of sorts, without straining it. I put the bag away for a number of weeks until i decided to nail down a good mixing/straining process.


All that said, just a couple weeks ago decided to make the rest of the 1lb bag of the Amazon kava and drink that during the time i waited for my Nakamal @ Home order to arrive (Solomon's). The Amazon Kava seemed to do the trick to work through the reverse tolerance so if you're just starting out it might not be that bad of an idea. Still didn't taste so great though.


I will say though that the Amazon Kava ($26/lb) isn't much less than something from Kava By Rex or Bula Kava House which is about $30/lb and is reviewed more positively on this forum...


I'm about to order something from Bula Kava House this weekend and hopefully order from KBR soon also, looking to try a few different kinds now that I'm starting to see the benefits of regular kava drinking.


Oh, i'd also suggest finding a good straining bag right away if you're going to squeeze the root. I'm making fewer messes now with a good straining bag and it's only a couple bucks added on an order (Nakamal@Home, for instance).
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I am looking to spend as little as possible on my first run, but want to ensure I have enough to break through the reverse tolerance. I was hoping one pound would be enough.


Also, I can't seem to find a pound of kava for 30$ on bula. The only thing I found for 30$ was for .55 pounds.


Thanks again.
 

kavadude

❦ॐ tanuki tamer
Bula sells by the kilo. 1/2 kilo of boroguru (1.1 lbs) is $29.50 plus $6 for shipping (they only ship priority) should come out to $35.5 for an lb of quality kava.
 

kl.TidyMinion

Kava Curious
Sorry for any confusion, i should have relayed the prices as it is on the website. The different kinds can vary in price quite a bit. I actually ordered a 1/4 kilo (.55lb) of Boroguru last night from Bula Kava and it already shipped today ($23 after shipping cost). Should have it by Monday or Tuesday. The quick turnaround makes the shipping cost worth it. So, pretty happy with my first order from them so far.


I'd imagine one pound would be enough but i guess that depends on your ratio of kava to water/liquid. It'd be interesting to find out if a stronger mixing ratio would get you through the reverse tolerance any faster than a standard mixing ratio taken over a longer period of time.
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
So, I received my Kava and bag today from Bula Kava house. Haven't tried it yet, but plan on trying it for the first time in a few days.


I was a little disappointed in the bag.  For 6 dollars, I was hoping it would look like the one on the site and at least have a draw string.


Bula Kava house display: http://www.bulakavahouse.com/collections/kava-accessories/products/fijian-strainer-bags


The one I received: http://imgur.com/yrdv14t


I guess it's a minor complaint, but I was a little let down after paying 6 dollars. The kava packaging did look very professional though. I'll post back with my thoughts once I have tried it.


Thanks for all of the help.
 

infraredz

BULA!
floatingnoodles said:
So, I received my Kava and bag today from Bula Kava house. Haven't tried it yet, but plan on trying it for the first time in a few days.


I was a little disappointed in the bag.  For 6 dollars, I was hoping it would look like the one on the site and at least have a draw string.


Bula Kava house display: http://www.bulakavahouse.com/collections/kava-accessories/products/fijian-strainer-bags


The one I received: http://imgur.com/yrdv14t


I guess it's a minor complaint, but I was a little let down after paying 6 dollars. The kava packaging did look very professional though. I'll post back with my thoughts once I have tried it.


Thanks for all of the help.
That being said, if you got the pretty one that you saw online, it would be far too coarse and let way too much particulate through. I got that once with a french press and it was absolutely awful.
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
infraredz said:
floatingnoodles said:
So, I received my Kava and bag today from Bula Kava house. Haven't tried it yet, but plan on trying it for the first time in a few days.


I was a little disappointed in the bag.  For 6 dollars, I was hoping it would look like the one on the site and at least have a draw string.


Bula Kava house display: http://www.bulakavahouse.com/collections/kava-accessories/products/fijian-strainer-bags


The one I received: http://imgur.com/yrdv14t


I guess it's a minor complaint, but I was a little let down after paying 6 dollars. The kava packaging did look very professional though. I'll post back with my thoughts once I have tried it.


Thanks for all of the help.
That being said, if you got the pretty one that you saw online, it would be far too coarse and let way too much particulate through. I got that once with a french press and it was absolutely awful.

 
I suppose that's true, but it would have been nice to have seen a picture of something similar to what I was receiving. I always pick functionality over form, so as long as it functions  I will be happy. Since I haven't ever done this before I really don't know how useful a draw string would be. I was just surprised that for a six dollar bag, the product image didn't match the product. Thanks for the reply.
 

kavadude

❦ॐ tanuki tamer
I love my BKH strainer and it works fine. Come to think of it I've never seen a kava strainer with a drawstring, but I wonder if it would close tight enough to not let a bunch of kava out into the drink. You can tie it shut with a simple knot. That said I'd email Judd and let him know.
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
kavadude said:
I love my BKH strainer and it works fine. Come to think of it I've never seen a kava strainer with a drawstring, but I wonder if it would close tight enough to not let a bunch of kava out into the drink. You can tie it shut with a simple knot. That said I'd email Judd and let him know.
It's such a minor complaint. I don't think it's worth bothering the owner about. I just thought it was odd that it looked different. As long as it is functional I will be happy. Thanks again.
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
So, I didn't have a lot of time to get a bowl and strain last night, but wanted to try it out. I toss and washed 2 tablespoons with milk and water. I also put about half a table spoon in a tea bag and tucked into my mouth for about an hour. The effects were definitely mild from the consumption of 2 tbsp, but I definitely enjoyed it sublingually. I don't know that I felt any serious effects from it, but the numbing sensation was quite nice.  I understand many people don't do this because of the taste or something?


I don't plan on shaking and washing all the time for health reasons, but I might try to figure out some kind of attack dose for the first few days. I would like to continue the tea bag method as well. I don't know how effective it is for kava, but it is a nice sensation. Thanks.
 

kl.floatingnoodles

Kava Curious
My stomach felt slightly upset the next day (barely noticeable). I am considering taking an attack dose to see if I can start feeling any effects. I recall reading a thread on here about someone who broke through the tolerance on their first time. I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know of a good attack dose to start with? My expectations aren't very high, so I certainly won't be let down.


Should I continue to take it in a tea bag under the tongue as well? Are there any negative side effects of this? Thanks.
 
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