All About Funnels

Finding the funnel for you

A funnel is a conically formed pipe, traditionally used to channel or funnel, liquids or fine-grained solids into a container that has a small mouth, or opening. A funnel has two main parts: the bowl, and the spout.

The bowl of a funnel is the large bowl shaped portion at the top. It is quite wide in diameter at the top, and narrows as it goes down, to form a cone shape. At the base there is a hole that leads to the spout of the funnel.

The funnel's spout is generally a small, straight pipe that can vary in length. For a general kitchen funnel, the spout will be between one and five inches in length. The diameter is usually 1/10 the diameter of the funnel's bowl.

Liquids and fine-grained solids are drained out of the funnel's bowl by gravity, and move in a whirlpool motion, much like a toilet flushing, or water draining out of a bathtub. This motion can cause splashing if the liquid or grain is poured into the funnel too quickly, so be sure to pour slowly when using a funnel!

Common funnel materials

Kitchen funnels are commonly made from either stainless steel or plastic.

Stainless steel funnels are nice because they are stain resistant and won't crack or break down over time. However, they tend to be a little bit more expensive.

A plastic funnel can be purchased for around $10-15, and works just as well. Plastic kitchen funnels can generally be purchased in any department store. The only drawback is that over long periods of time plastic funnels can loose strength and crack. Some types of plastic are also easily stained by substances such as tomato juice or pasta sauce.

Some specific types of funnels are made of different materials. A wine funnel, used to decant wine, is frequently made out of pewter. A drum funnel, used to channel liquids into large, industrial barrel drums, is commonly made of chemical resistant polyethylene or galvanized steel.

Christmas tree water funnels

A Christmas tree water funnel is a type of funnel that can make watering your Christmas tree much easier. Basically a Christmas tree water funnel is a regular funnel with vinyl tubing attached to its spout. This design allows you to water your Christmas tree without disturbing the ornaments and tree skirt, and without having to bend over. You can purchase one already made, or make one yourself out of a kitchen funnel and tubing.

This funnel design could have other uses as well, such as watering hard to reach houseplants, or to channel liquid into any hard to reach location.

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