Product intro and specs
For vapers, Dinner Lady needs no introduction. But since this device is mainly aimed at beginners, here are some facts. Dinner Lady is possibly the best-known UK-based e-juice company, and their iconic Lemon Tart juice has amassed a kind of a cult following worldwide. With a large portfolio of e-liquids that cover a wide array of flavor profiles, Dinner Lady now offers a selection of flavors in the form of disposable vapes.
The Vape Pen Max is the XL edition of the Dinner Lady disposables. Each Vape Pen Max comes with a whopping 6.5 mL of juice, with all nine flavors available in 50 mg strength, and a selection of them also available in 30 mg exclusively from Vapor4Life.
Price: $14.99 (at Vapor4Life)
Size, weight, and feel
The Dinner Lady Vape Pen Max is quite possibly the largest disposable vape on the market. But that doesn’t mean that it is a large vape. Standing at 98 mm with a diameter of 18 mm, it is a vape that will easily fit inside your pocket. I can conceal it inside my palm and only have the mouthpiece sticking out. As for weight, at 43 grams it sure is heavy as far as disposables go, but very lightweight compared to other types of vapes.
The Max is made out of aluminum, with the bottom of the device and the mouthpiece being plastic. The fact that it is metal for the most part makes it feel like a well-built device that won’t break into pieces if dropped. In fact, it is so well put together that I couldn't manage to pry it open to check its internals no matter how hard I tried.
While the weight and form factor of the device are great from a practical standpoint, it is worth noting that you’ll still need to trash it once it is empty. On a positive note, this is not one of these disposables that only last for a day or two. You’ll be producing less waste down the line compared to other disposable vapes, but if you are concerned about your footprint, refillable vapes are always a more environmentally friendly option.
Getting started
You’d be hard-pressed to find an easier vape to operate. You just need to take the Max Pen of your choice out of its box, tear the plastic wrap, remove the two silicon plugs from the top and the bottom, and you’re good to go. At the point that the device stops producing vapor, just dispose of it. Dinner Lady claims that the Max Pen will last you for more than 1500 puffs, which should be good for at least three to four days of vaping, and possibly much more.
What I found to be a bit weird, was that almost all the pens I tested would give me a borderline burnt hit on the first puff. Interestingly, leaving the pen aside for some minutes would alleviate the issue in most of the cases—although I have to say that out of the ten pens I tried, I had to ditch a couple due to the burnt taste persisting.
The fact that the majority of them went back to normal after a while makes me think that the mouthpiece and bottom covers are creating some kind of a vacuum. Even if that’s not the case, I’d advise letting it sit for some minutes before hitting it for the first time. Once I started doing that, I stopped getting dry hits, and the flavor got much better.
How does it hit?
The Vape Pen Max series is filled with nicotine salts, a type of nicotine that’s smoother on the throat and allows vaping on higher strengths. But that said, the 50 mg editions hit hard! I usually advise heavy smokers to start with the highest nicotine strength available, but in this case, I’d probably suggest buying one of each strength to see which one you prefer.
The reason behind the strong hit of the Max is the combination of a warm vape and a sensitive draw sensor. I’ve tested ten of these pens, and I never had a case where a hit doesn’t register. The device starts producing warm vapor the moment you start inhaling, and it heats up even more as you draw.
Talking about the draw, the Max has this midpoint airflow that allows it to be used both for MTL cigarette-like inhales, as well as very restricted lung inhales. If you are looking for the tight draw of a cigarette you may be a little bit disappointed, but the sensitive sensor makes up for it with impressive cloud production.
From a performance standpoint, the Dinner Lady Vape Pen Max is one of the best disposables I’ve ever tried. But flavors can make or break a disposable vape, so let’s see how the Vape Pen Max does in the flavor department.
Are the flavors any good?
The Dinner Lady Vape Pen Max comes in nine flavor options. They are all available in 50 mg strength, with a selection of them also available in 30 mg.
Lemon Tart (50 mg/30 mg)
The flavor that put Dinner Lady on the map, Lemon Tart doesn’t need much of an introduction these days. But due to the high bar, it’s also the flavor that I was disappointed by. The tart part is strong on the inhale, but feels a little bit off compared to the retail juice version. Plus, the lemon is a little bit weak too. It’s not bad, but I was expecting it to be my favorite of the bunch and it clearly wasn’t.
Strawberry Mac (50 mg/30 mg)
Another famous Dinner Lady juice, this is a strawberry macaroon flavor. In my opinion, they nailed it with this one. In fact, I think I prefer it to the juice version, and I think that the macaroon part is more pronounced on the Max pen. A great flavor overall, and my recommendation for those who don’t want any menthol in their vapes.
Banana Ice (50 mg/30 mg)
I generally avoid banana vapes, but this one I like! It tastes like a banana smoothie with crushed ice, and the cooling part of the juice is manageable—i.e., it won’t make your brain freeze. Sweet but not overwhelming, if you like banana this one is a must-try.
Citrus Ice (50 mg/30 mg)
A chilled lemon, lime, and orange mix with a fair bit of menthol. I was expecting the lemon and lime to be the stars of the show, but the orange shines in the exhale. It felt a bit artificial at first, but I kept coming back to it for the Fanta vibes.
Bubblegum Ice (50 mg/30 mg)
A very realistic representation of a bubblegum, and probably my personal favorite of the lineup. They hit it out of the park with this one. I’m not sure if it’s something that I’d enjoy as an all-day vape, but it sure is a refreshing flavor. Plus, out of the “iced” options this one comes with the least cooling, which for me is a pro.
Fruit Mix (50 mg)
According to Dinner Lady, this flavor blends red berries, grapes, currents, and citrus fruits. Not sure if you are going to get all the listed notes out of the Max pen, but it is a great fruit vape. It is on the sweeter side, and the only straight fruit option on the lineup to include only a tiny bit of menthol.
Lemon Sherbets Ice (50 mg)
This flavor is exactly what you expect it to be. Dinner Lady nailed the lemon sherbets flavor and managed to keep the balance between the sweet, zesty, and sour tones of a classic treat. This is easily one of my favorites and an easy recommendation.
Mango Ice (50 mg)
I was really excited to try this one, as mango is one of my favorite flavors in vaping. Unfortunately, the menthol in this one is overkill. Two hits and by head hurts! I’m sure that some would enjoy this, but I can’t say much for it as I wasn’t able to test it thoroughly. The mango part is solid though.
Strawberry Ice (50 mg)
No surprises here, just a straightforward iced strawberry flavor. The strawberry feels maybe a little bit juicier than it does in the Mac flavor, and the cooling is kept at normal levels. If you want a refreshing strawberry flavor, give it a try.
All in all, most of the flavors I tried were good, but I feel I need to speak about some glaring omissions here. Iced vapes are all the rage lately, but the lineup feels a bit one-dimensional without the inclusion of at least one tobacco vape and maybe a couple of non-fruity dessert options. But if you enjoy fruits, and if you can take a bit of menthol, you’ll sure have a lot of options to choose from.
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
The Dinner Lady Vape Pen Max hits hard and comes with a large variety of flavors to pick from. The flavor collection is a little bit one-dimensional, and the omission of a tobacco option is glaring in my opinion, especially since this device is clearly aimed at beginners. But I enjoyed most of the flavors I tried, and I was very satisfied with overall performance. Even in the waste department, which is always an issue when it comes to disposable vapes, the Vape Pen Max beats its competition due to the fact that it lasts much longer.
I usually stay away from discussing pricing in my reviews, but here’s a quick breakdown for those who may think that the Vape Pen Max is overpriced. Most disposables on the market cost anywhere between $5 and $8 a piece, but they average around 1.5 mL of juice. At $14.99 for 6.5 mL of juice, the mL/price ratio of the Dinner Lady Pen Max is off the charts. Factoring in the quality of the flavors, which is higher than every other disposable I’ve tried in the past, I can easily recommend them for those after an easy-to-use beginner vape.
Recommended.
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