How much tobacco goes into one cigarette and how much you need per week
Anyone who starts filling cigarette tubes soon arrives at a practical question: how much tobacco goes into one cigarette, and how much do I therefore need for a week or a month? The answer depends on three things: tube length, filter length and filling density. Below are useful starting figures you can use to estimate your own consumption.
Starting point: 0.7 to 0.8 g per cigarette
With a normal filling density, a king size tube takes approximately 0.7 to 0.8 g of tobacco. For estimates, 0.75 g is a convenient midpoint.
| Quantity | Tobacco (at 0.75 g) |
|---|---|
| 1 cigarette | approximately 0.75 g |
| one pack (20 cigarettes) | approximately 15 g |
| 40 g of tobacco | approximately 53 cigarettes, or just over 2.5 packs |
| 100 g of tobacco | approximately 130 cigarettes, or 6.5 packs |
| 20 cigarettes per day, one week | approximately 105 g |
| 20 cigarettes per day, one month | approximately 450 g |
These figures are approximate. Your actual consumption may be around ten percent higher or lower depending on the factors below.
What changes tobacco consumption
Filter length. A longer filter leaves less room for tobacco. A tube with a 24 mm filter holds approximately ten percent less tobacco than one with a 15 mm filter, while the cigarette is also milder.
Tube length. A 100 mm tube has around one fifth more room for tobacco than a king size tube, so tobacco consumption per cigarette is correspondingly higher. Which tubes fit which machine is explained in King size or 100 mm.
Filling density. Models with adjustable density, such as Powermatic 3+, use more tobacco per cigarette when set for a firmer fill. A lightly filled cigarette burns faster, so using less tobacco does not necessarily mean a real saving.
Cut and moisture level. Fine-cut tobacco packs more tightly into the tube than coarse-cut tobacco. Tobacco that is too dry crumbles, leaving more behind in the chamber or falling out of the tube; storage is covered in our tobacco storage article.
How to measure your own consumption
- Weigh the open pouch of tobacco.
- Fill 20 tubes at your usual density.
- Weigh the pouch again and divide the difference by 20.
The result is your actual tobacco consumption per cigarette, which you can use to plan purchases of tobacco and tubes. A box of Dark Horse tubes contains 200 pieces, enough for 10 days at 20 cigarettes per day.
How much does it cost
We have deliberately separated tobacco consumption in grams from price here. To see how to calculate the cost of one cigarette from your consumption and when the machine pays for itself, read Is filling your own cigarettes worth it?.
