Mya Saray Gelato Grande

[Cybersist]

This would be my 4th hookah and 1st Mya, so while I may not be as knowledgeable as others, I have a little something to compare the Gelato with.

First I shall start off with the basics:

Looks: looks like Michelin Man. steady, somewhat stylish, conversational piece mos def. Same ensigia as the Oblisk pyramid base on the glass. About 18" tall.

Build: Looks like brass from the inside with Stainless Steel on other parts, exterior parts have been chromed/polished. The glass is at least 1 mm thick.

Carrying case: Nice double opening top with combo lock. Everything fits very compact as to prevent shifting. Small and descreet.

Hose: Standard Mya hose, nothing special.

Bowl: Tall and deep ceramic bowl, not my thing

Smoke: Easy draw, no leaks

Overall:
I really like this hookah. What sets it apart from other hookahs is the looks. Looks funny at first, but you start to see the clever design actually makes the hookah very steady on any surface.
As far as cons, the downstem is not that wide, nothing compared to my Stargates. The included bowl also sucks, so plan on getting a better bowl, preferably a phunnel, and make sure that comes with larger grommets, as Mya grommets are small and do not work with many bowls. On another note, the downstem is rather long and makes you wonder why the base is so large if your only putting in a reletively small amount of water.

Rating: 8/10

[mohinder]

I got my Gelato a few weeks ago from Al-Mustafa on Edgware Road. Turned up hoping to get a Bambino or QT, and after she faffed about for a while trying to find her last Bambino, she offered me this at the same price. It brought the price down to a fair price for it, as the Gelato is kind of overpriced imo for its size.

Looks: I wasn't sold on it when I first saw it, but it grew on me and has continued to do so, I kind of like the quirky shape now and as said above, it's pretty stable.

Quality: Really pleased with it. I know some people think they're a bit too clinical, but I kind of like it that everything's really regular. The stem is sturdy as anything, weighs a ton! Nice that the downstem comes off for cleaning too, as does everything else, like the rest of the Myas. Glass feels sturdy too, I think the design helps there. Paint and design is nice, doesn't look like it's going to chip or rub off anytime soon.

Bowl: Meh, it's alright. Small. I keep it on there when it's not in use because it's pretty, and use it for short sessions, it's just a bit dinky that's all, and the inside's not glazed, although I don't think any Mya bowls are glazed inside?

Hose: It's fine, much much nicer quality than the hoses that came with my Egyptian (it looks like an MZ but I'm not sure it is, it's fairly low quality so I assume it's a knockoff), but I'll be replacing it with a nammor/razan/caravan when I get round to it.

It smokes great, I was definitely surprised for such a small hookah. Smoke and flavour is easily as good as the big Egyptian I've got, the smoke's not warm or harsh, it's a really good little pipe. With a better hose on it it should be fantastic.

It's a piece of cake to clean, what with it being pretty small in the first place and then breaking down even smaller when you want it to.

The tray is too small, it's only *just* useful as it is, coupled with the fact it moves around it's a big pain in the arse really. I don't have any problems with the grommets burning - my Vortex sits low but covers its own grommet, and the Mya bowl sits higher up so a coal wouldn't reach it I don't think. I just wish the tray were bigger, and I might consider grabbing a bigger tray for it at some point.

The little carrying case is nice, it's definitely small enough to carry around and you'd fit a roll of QLs and a couple of 50g packs or bags of shisha in there too.

Overall, it's a really nice hookah, but if they'd had a QT or a Bambino, I'll be honest, I definitely would have had either of them instead. This is a little taller, but from what I gather the smoke's not gonna be any better out of this, and I don't think it looks as good. I wouldn't have bought it at its original price either, no way. Considering it's meant to cost nearly twice as much as the QT and Bambino! It's not twice as good, not by a long chalk.

For what I paid: 8/10

For what it should have cost: 6/10

[delSol_si]

This is for reviews only. Any non-review comments or questions will be edited out or removed by one of the mods. Please use an appropriate format. Pictures are recommended, but not required.

[Stuie]

[color="#FF0000"][size=3][b]Mya Saray Gelato Grande[/b][/size][/color]

[b]Total Pipe Height:[/b] 15-1/2”
[b]Stem Length:[/b] 13-1/2”
[b]Base Height: [/b]8-1/2”
[b]Tray Diameter:[/b] 6”

[b]Stem Construction:[/b] Chrome Plated Brass
[b]Heart:[/b] Open Chamber
[b]Grommets: [/b]Silicone and Rubber, seal perfectly

[b]Pull:[/b] Amazing quality, what you expect from Mya Saray
[b]Purge: [/b]Doesn’t purge as well as most Mya pipes because of the base
[b]Appearance: [/b]The Copper portion of stem is tarnished and a stripe, Welds are very apparent.
[b]Cleanability:[/b] Fairly Easy to clean, have to use the tub for the stem though.
[b]Price:[/b] $139.99

[b]Purchased From:[/b] Hookah-Shisha.com

[b]Overall:[/b] 9/10 This is one of my favorite hookahs. The water is hypnotic because of the base; it splashes around like a percolator. The base doesn’t purge well, but I don’t like to waste smoke anyways so it’s not a factor for me. Smokes amazingly, and looks completely amazing.

[img]http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/tunes4x/Hookahs/MyaGelatoUnassembled.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/tunes4x/Hookahs/MyaGelatoBaseTop.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/tunes4x/Hookahs/MyaGelatoSetup.jpg[/img]