Innokin iTaste Express Review

Innokin recently released a couple of updates to its unique variable voltage e-cigarette lineup the iTaste. If you’re not familiar with Innokin’s iTaste lineup, it is an interesting variable voltage e-cigarette that packs some interesting features. Since I covered the iTaste pretty extensively, this review will focus mostly on what has changed. If you haven’t read my original review, you might want to check that out first.

What’s new with the iTaste?

Innokin has added a few different things to its lineup. First is a couple of new kits that offer cartomizers and a magnetic 510 adapter in lieu of the magnetic tank atomizer system. One version has a dual coil cartomizer which can also be found in certain Leo Pro kits. The other cartomizer is an update to their Tidy line of bottom coil clearomizers.

I’m not sure if the Tidy 10 ever actually hit the market. In my original review I promised a separate review of the Tidy 10. However, I was contacted by Innokin shortly after the review came out and they let me know they were going to redesign the clearomizer. For the record, the clearomizers worked very nicely, but they leaked.

Much like with the original review, I’m going to promise a full review of the Tidy cartomizer in the very near future. I didn’t want to skimp on details to get it to fit along with the update on the new Express battery.

The other update to the lineup is the new “express” version of their battery. This battery loses the magnetic connector in favor of a dedicated 510 connector a la the Leo Pro or Lea.

iTaste Express Battery

Let us first dive into the new battery option. Aside from the connector, it is essentially the same as the iTaste v2 battery including the USB pass-through (with proprietary adapter), puff counter, 3-5v variable voltage and so on.

The real difference is, of course, the connector. One of my complaints with the magnetic adapter system in the regular iTaste e-cigarettes is that the adapter is a bit clunky. The flat 510 adapter also meant adding yet another adapter if you wanted to use eGo threaded or skirted cartomizers.

The new express version eliminates most of those complaints. Gone is the magnetic square adapter, in its place is a full-time eGo style connector. The corners are angled and tapered, which gives the top end of the new iTaste a very finished appearance.

There are, however, no eGo cone threads on the outside of the connector. What this means is that while eGo skirted cartomizers will work, eGo threaded accessories will not. What skirted means, in case you are wondering, is that the cartomizer still has threads on the smaller inner battery post, like a 510 cartomizer, but has a skirt that comes down over the eGo cone portion for aesthetics.

Most eGo cartomizers are designed this way, but there are a handful of cartomizers that have their threads on the skirt for attaching to the eGo cone threads instead of the battery connector.

I was able to run a Bauway CE4, which has an eGo skirt on the iTaste without any issues, so it looks like they got those dimensions right.

There is, however, a notable change that was a result of the permanent 510 connector. There is no pen-style cap for this version, a minor point, but it is one of those things that just seems distinctively Innokin to me.

I said that the iTaste express is functionally identical to the regular version of Innokin’s variable voltage e-cigarette. There is one minor difference it turns out.

Under load, I found the iTaste would lose a bit of power. For example, set at 5v, the iTaste would actually deliver around 4.7-4.6v to the cartomizer. The express version also loses power, but it seems to be around a .1 or .2v drop. This tells me that there is a bit of efficiency lost when using the magnetic adapters.

As far as performance, there is no difference, the iTaste has a fairly low amperage limit, at around 2-2.5A. This, like the rest of the circuitry remains unchanged in the new version.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

Innokin added a new version of it’s very different and very square variable voltage e-cigarette. The new iTaste express retains the exact same features and performance as the original except for the connector. The connector is a dedicated 510/eGo connector that is compatible with many, but not all eGo cartomizers. Removing the magnetic adapter from the equation also seems to help this new version maintain voltage a little more consistently. Not a lot of stores seem to have this one yet, but I did see it for sale over at Sterling Vapor.

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