Its an art ... the best way i've seen is to use one of those "oil burner" pipes (they don't sell "meth pipes" at head shops, wink wink nod nod).
Weigh out your dose, make sure its broken up, not in big chunks... get a torch lighter , a flame lighter will make the pipe sooty and cause temperature problems... Drop it in there, and get the powder to one side. Use the torch lighter to heat up the area BESIDES the spice, and when it starts to melt and run, turn the pipe a bit, causing the oil to go over the hot spot, instantly vaporizing everything. If you start getting too big of a hit you can again turn the pipe so the oil isn't on the hot spot.
Start with small amounts and work your way up. Have fun and be nice to the elves.
I hear the cool kids blow their own pipes using a plumbing torch and test tubes they bought at the dollar store filled with incense. BOOYAHKASHA!
-lenses