When a commuter brings a gurgling disposable to the counter, I walk them through a few quick moves. First, check the mouthpiece for visible liquid. If it's wet, flick it gently into a tissue—don't blow into it, that just pushes fluid deeper. Next, hold the device upright and give it a firm shake, like you're testing a thermometer. This settles excess e-liquid back into the reservoir. Then take a few short, gentle puffs without inhaling hard. That clears the coil without flooding it further.

I also ask about temperature. If they stepped out of a warm office into cold air, that's a classic condensation setup. In that case, letting the device warm in a pocket for five minutes does the trick.