How to Use a Backflow Incense Burner: A Beginner's Guide

To use a backflow incense burner, set it on a flat, heatproof surface away from draughts, light the tip of a backflow cone, let it flame for a few seconds, then blow it out. Place the glowing cone over the small hole at the top of the burner. Within a minute or two the smoke stops rising and starts pouring down over the burner like a slow, misty waterfall. It only works with backflow cones, which are hollow, not the solid regular kind.

That really is all there is to it. Still, a few small details decide whether you get a waterfall or a sulky wisp heading straight for the ceiling, so here is the full walk-through, plus what to check when it won't flow.

What is a backflow incense burner?

A backflow burner is an incense holder with a hole in the top and a channel inside, usually sculpted into something for the smoke to tumble over: a mountain, a pond, a little house. Our Mountain Scape backflow burner, for example, recreates a mountain landscape in miniature, and the smoke cascades down over its peaks.

The clever part is actually the cone. A backflow cone has a hollow channel running up through its middle, which opens as a hole in its flat base. Once the burning tip reaches that channel, the smoke is drawn down through it and out of the bottom, into the burner. By the time it emerges it is cooler and heavier than the air around it, so instead of drifting up it sinks, following the curves of the burner and pooling at the base. It looks like a trick. It's really just smoke obeying gravity for once. (After fragrance without the smoke? An oil burner does a similar job, with fragrance oil warmed over a tealight instead.)

What you'll need

• A backflow burner. If you're short on space, the Mini Mountain has a compact, space-saving shape that suits a desk or a small flat. For something more playful, the Tea Pot burner pours smoke from its spout instead of steam.
• Backflow cones. Our Long Backflow Incense Cones come in assorted fragrances, while the Sandalwood & Vanilla masala backflow cones come 10 to a hexagon-shaped box.
• A heatproof mat or tile to stand the burner on.
• A match or lighter, and somewhere safe to put the spent match.

One thing to watch when shopping: some scents come in both versions. Our Plant Based Backflow Incense Cones in Sandalwood, for instance, are also sold as standard cones in the same scent, so make sure it's the backflow version going into your basket.

How to use a backflow incense burner, step by step

1. Pick your spot. Choose a flat, stable surface, out of draughts and away from anything flammable. The safety notes on many of our burners recommend a heatproof mat and warn that backflow can damage varnished surfaces, so keep it off painted, polished or varnished furniture.
2. Check the cone. Turn it over. A backflow cone has a hole in its base. No hole, no waterfall.
3. Light the tip. Hold the cone by its base and light the pointed end, letting it flame for a few seconds so the tip properly catches.
4. Blow it out. Gently blow out the flame. The tip should glow and give off a thin thread of smoke. If it goes dark straight away, relight it and give it a few seconds longer.
5. Set it over the hole. Place the cone base down, squarely over the hole at the top of the burner. On the Watermill House, for example, the cone sits on a small holder at the top, and the smoke flows down through the house to pool at the bottom.
6. Give it a minute. At first the smoke rises from the tip like any other incense. Once the burn reaches the hollow centre, usually within a minute or two, it changes direction and starts pouring down.
7. Stay with it. Enjoy the show, keep an eye on it, and let the cone burn out completely before you tidy up.

Tip: One cone at a time. Backflow burners are designed for a single cone, and the ones featured here all say so in their safety notes. Two cones don't make a bigger waterfall, just a hotter burner.

Why isn't my backflow burner flowing?

If your backflow incense burner isn't working and the smoke insists on going up, one of these is almost always the reason.

It's a regular cone

The most common mix-up. Regular incense cones are solid, so their smoke rises however patiently you wait. Check the base for a hole, and save solid cones for an ordinary incense holder. They're a different format rather than a lesser one: here's how incense sticks, cones and backflow compare.

There's a draught

Backflow smoke is heavy but easily disturbed. A breeze from an open window, a fan or a door swinging shut will scatter it or carry it upwards. Move the burner somewhere still. A shelf directly above a radiator can work against you too, as the rising warm air lifts the smoke.

The cone is damp

Incense cones soak up moisture from the air, and a damp cone may burn unevenly, go out, or never really get going. Keep your cones in a closed box or tin somewhere dry, away from kitchen and bathroom steam.

The cone isn't over the hole

If the cone is off-centre or tilted, the smoke escapes around its base instead of heading down into the burner. Make sure each one sits flat and squarely over the hole.

The hole is blocked

Residue and ash gradually build up in the hole and the channel beneath it, until the smoke has nowhere to go. A quick clean usually fixes it.

How to clean a backflow burner

Some residue is normal. The smoke leaves a brownish, slightly sticky film wherever it flows, and plenty of people like the look of a well-used burner. When it starts to clog the hole, though, it's time for a tidy.

1. Wait until the burner is completely cool.
2. Tip out any ash and cone remains.
3. Clear the hole with a cocktail stick, pipe cleaner or cotton bud.
4. Wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth. Glazed ceramic usually copes well with warm soapy water and a soft brush for stubborn marks.
5. Dry it thoroughly before you light another cone.

Wooden burners, such as the small mango wood Tree of Life burner, need a gentler touch: a dry brush or a barely damp cloth, and never a soak.

Tip: Clearing the hole every few cones takes seconds. Scrubbing out a fully blocked one takes rather longer.

Safety basics

• Never leave burning incense unattended.
• Keep burners out of reach of children and pets, and well away from curtains, paper and anything else flammable.
• Burn incense in a ventilated room, just not right in the path of a draught.
• The cone and the burner both get hot. Let everything cool before you move, touch or clean it.
• Stand the burner on a heatproof mat, and use one cone at a time.

Starting from scratch? The Backflow Set is a carved mango wood backflow burner with 36 cones in three scents, so you can find the one you like before buying a bigger box.

Backflow burner FAQs

Can you use normal incense cones in a backflow burner?

Not if you want the waterfall. A normal cone is solid, so its smoke rises straight up. The burners featured here are all designed for backflow cones, one at a time.

How long does a backflow cone last?

It depends on the size and make of the cone, so check the listing. Our Long Backflow Incense Cones, which are 3cm tall, burn for approximately 30 minutes each.

How can I tell a backflow cone from a regular one?

Look underneath. A backflow cone has a hole in its flat base that leads into a hollow centre. A regular cone is solid all the way through.

Why does the smoke go up before it flows down?

Because the cone hasn't burned down to its hollow channel yet. Give it a minute or two and it should change direction on its own.

The short version

Right cone, still air, cone squarely over the hole, and a little patience. Get those four right and the burner does the rest, and if it doesn't, the culprit is almost certainly on the list above. When you're ready to choose one, our backflow burner collection has designs from misty mountains to teapots.