Smallest Funnel Bowl?

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

I've come to realize lately that I rarely end up smoking long sessions. My small Tangiers phunnel bowl is still just too huge. It doesn't fit my wind cover, doesn't match my hookah, and while I could use the candle mod, it would really be ideal to have a quite small funnel bowl. I've seen the Crown Micro, but that's a bit on the pricey side; I don't want to rule it out by any means, but are there any alternatives that are similarly small that can be had from a reputable vendor? I've seen one or two from vendors that are either banned or get really, really bad ratings, and that doesn't seem ideal.

Thanks so much.

[Chreees]

Crown Micro Phunnel is your best bet as of right now really. Some people will say Alien Mini Phunnel, but my problem with it is the shallowness. You'll notice Tangiers phunnel bowls have a certain depth and width to them. It's because of this depth/width ratio (and the materials they're made out of), that make them smoke so well, IMO. Crown Micro Phunnel is made of glass, which isn't as ideal in terms of retaining heat, but they do have that certain depth/width ratio like the Tangiers phunnels. Santino often runs specials on the Crown Micro, so be on the lookout. Also, have you factored in the forum discount? http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/5876-all-discount-codes-for-online-customers/ . I would still own my Crown Micro if it weren't for the fact I have a couple of Tangiers Mini Phunnels already, which are, to me, the perfect bowl. Just not very easy to get... If you want, you can keep an eye out for one in trades. But you said price was a factor in your decision, so I doubt you'll want to pay the premium for one (last one I saw went for $50). So yeah, I'd go with the Crown Micro.

[mavsfan31]

I would opt for the Alien. If you are concerned about it being too shallow, just ask for one that's a bit deeper. I have a Micro Phunnel and it works alright, but I can never get it to smoke as well as my Alien.

[vendetta_revived]

Oh, ze funs of trialz and errorz!

Crown micro phunnel: Good, sturdy glass, looks beautiful (to me at least), smokes quite well and holds 15gm of tobacco at best, but may not be as efficient as clay in retaining heat, and a bit pricey you say.

Alien mini phunnel: Good, solid clay bowl, ideal for heat retention, holds like 20gm if I am not mistaken, costs less than the crown micro but gets mixed reviews here in terms of performance.

I've never tried the alien, but I love my crown micro! It may cost more than others upfront, but the bowl pays for itself in a matter of a month (depending on how often you smoke) because of the tobacco it saves. I don't (read: can't. ) smoke tangiers very often though and my primary tobacco is AF, and I can get just a bit shy of 2 hours from 15gm in the crown micro, but on the rare occasions I do smoke tangiers, it performs quite well with that as well....may be not as well as a clay phunnel bowl, but I wouldn't know that.

So depends on what you smoke.

[Floataround]

Depends what you are smoking.

While its not exactly a phunnel, I am big on the flying saucer bowl. You can smoke anything out of it including Tangiers. I dont like to smoke tangiers out of my Crown micro, but I do smoke everything else out of it. If you dont like the fact that the FSB is not a true phunnel bowl, than you could go with the Alien mini. Smokes tangiers great and saves a bunch of tobacco compared to the small tangiers phunnels.

[joytron]

[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332101832' post='542803']
Depends what you are smoking.

While its not exactly a phunnel, I am big on the flying saucer bowl. You can smoke anything out of it including Tangiers. I dont like to smoke tangiers out of my Crown micro, but I do smoke everything else out of it. If you dont like the fact that the FSB is not a true phunnel bowl, than you could go with the Alien mini. Smokes tangiers great and saves a bunch of tobacco compared to the small tangiers phunnels.
[/quote]

I would rather own a vortex

[thehelios]

If you're trying to save tobacco (like 15g per session), go with the crown micro. If you want a small phunnel but not as small as the micro, go for the alien.

[Epoch]

Alien phunnels are amazing.

Lots of people didn't like the first series, but I have one from the current generation and it has basically retired my Tang small.

[Floataround]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1332109560' post='542806']
[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332101832' post='542803']
Depends what you are smoking.

While its not exactly a phunnel, I am big on the flying saucer bowl. You can smoke anything out of it including Tangiers. I dont like to smoke tangiers out of my Crown micro, but I do smoke everything else out of it. If you dont like the fact that the FSB is not a true phunnel bowl, than you could go with the Alien mini. Smokes tangiers great and saves a bunch of tobacco compared to the small tangiers phunnels.
[/quote]

I would rather own a vortex




[/quote]

Pretty harsh Jess, I have to ask, have you used one? Even if you dislike the design, its the same clay that is used for the Alien, so thats at least a big plus as it will distribute and maintain heat, which is something the vortex is awful at.

[joytron]

[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332125185' post='542821']
[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1332109560' post='542806']
[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332101832' post='542803']
Depends what you are smoking.

While its not exactly a phunnel, I am big on the flying saucer bowl. You can smoke anything out of it including Tangiers. I dont like to smoke tangiers out of my Crown micro, but I do smoke everything else out of it. If you dont like the fact that the FSB is not a true phunnel bowl, than you could go with the Alien mini. Smokes tangiers great and saves a bunch of tobacco compared to the small tangiers phunnels.
[/quote]

I would rather own a vortex




[/quote]

Pretty harsh Jess, I have to ask, have you used one? Even if you dislike the design, its the same clay that is used for the Alien, so thats at least a big plus as it will distribute and maintain heat, which is something the vortex is awful at.
[/quote]

The alien is a poor design and irregardless of the materials it is made out of, the heat distribution is still lacking. Why would I buy a product I know to be inferior, especially considering the alien I tried should not have been released to the market....



or maybe I just really like the vortex.

[CO_hookah]

I actually use a generic Chinese phunnel and it smokes just as good as any Tang phunnel I've used. Just gotta find the right one I suppose.

[mavsfan31]

[quote name='CO_hookah' timestamp='1332130648' post='542830']
I actually use a generic Chinese phunnel and it smokes just as good as any Tang phunnel I've used. Just gotta find the right one I suppose.
[/quote]

Disagree. You might have found a method that works well for a chinese phunnel, but once you get things down with a genuine Tangiers phunnel you will be able to notice the difference.

[DrSmokes]

My micro gets a lot of use out of it. If I wanted, I could make each bowl last around 4-5 hours...though I get smoked out before then and sometimes the tobacco just isn't good to necro the next day (sometimes it is and I get two 2-3 hours seesions out of a single bowl).

I still want to try an Alien and FSB as I've yet to try those. I'll have to wait for a trade or a good deal (hoping the next good sale on the sites will be memorial day or 4th of a july) and buy 2 bowls and some tobacco.

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

[quote name='mavsfan31' timestamp='1332132409' post='542833']
Disagree. You might have found a method that works well for a chinese phunnel, but once you get things down with a genuine Tangiers phunnel you will be able to notice the difference.
[/quote]

Come on. It's one thing to state your preference, but invalidating someone else's experience who says they've tried what you have? That's not fair.

Anyway, it seems like most people here are really big fans of the Crown Micro. Are there really no short session alternatives, though, besides the Alien?

[vendetta_revived]

[quote name='Christopher Mason Taylor' timestamp='1332143618' post='542841']
[quote name='mavsfan31' timestamp='1332132409' post='542833']
Disagree. You might have found a method that works well for a chinese phunnel, but once you get things down with a genuine Tangiers phunnel you will be able to notice the difference.
[/quote]

Come on. It's one thing to state your preference, but invalidating someone else's experience who says they've tried what you have? That's not fair.

Anyway, it seems like most people here are really big fans of the Crown Micro. Are there really no short session alternatives, though, besides the Alien?
[/quote]

What tobacco do you smoke?

[Floataround]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1332129808' post='542827']
[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332125185' post='542821']
[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1332109560' post='542806']
[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332101832' post='542803']
Depends what you are smoking.

While its not exactly a phunnel, I am big on the flying saucer bowl. You can smoke anything out of it including Tangiers. I dont like to smoke tangiers out of my Crown micro, but I do smoke everything else out of it. If you dont like the fact that the FSB is not a true phunnel bowl, than you could go with the Alien mini. Smokes tangiers great and saves a bunch of tobacco compared to the small tangiers phunnels.
[/quote]

I would rather own a vortex




[/quote]

Pretty harsh Jess, I have to ask, have you used one? Even if you dislike the design, its the same clay that is used for the Alien, so thats at least a big plus as it will distribute and maintain heat, which is something the vortex is awful at.
[/quote]

The alien is a poor design and irregardless of the materials it is made out of, the heat distribution is still lacking. Why would I buy a product I know to be inferior, especially considering the alien I tried should not have been released to the market....



or maybe I just really like the vortex.




[/quote]

Ok, that actually makes some sense. Why would you like the FSB when you did not like the alien

I just don't get how people hate in the FSB but love the alien.

I hope you dont really like the vortex. Sad panda!

[Floataround]

[quote name='Christopher Mason Taylor' timestamp='1332143618' post='542841']
[quote name='mavsfan31' timestamp='1332132409' post='542833']
Disagree. You might have found a method that works well for a chinese phunnel, but once you get things down with a genuine Tangiers phunnel you will be able to notice the difference.
[/quote]

Come on. It's one thing to state your preference, but invalidating someone else's experience who says they've tried what you have? That's not fair.

Anyway, it seems like most people here are really big fans of the Crown Micro. Are there really no short session alternatives, though, besides the Alien?
[/quote]

Sorry for the double but this is from my phone.

To be as honest as possible, there is a ton of crap in the hookah world. Chinese phunnel bowls are not the best thing. You asked for advice, so feel free to take what you like, but I can't in good mind recommend getting a cheap Chinese phunnel. There is some science in the making of Tangiers phunnel a in comparison, and that's what makes them great.

And I would not say he invalidated his season, but just said a fact , that the session will be that much better with a tangiers phunnel.

Think about it like this - you might like eating hamburgers , because they are good, but once you have a fillet, you will see just how good things can be. Same thing here. So if you want the best experience and to save the most money, don't buy a Chinese phunnel. You will want something better.

[king_lunchb0x]

[quote name='Christopher Mason Taylor' timestamp='1332143618' post='542841']
[quote name='mavsfan31' timestamp='1332132409' post='542833']
Disagree. You might have found a method that works well for a chinese phunnel, but once you get things down with a genuine Tangiers phunnel you will be able to notice the difference.
[/quote]

Come on. It's one thing to state your preference, but invalidating someone else's experience who says they've tried what you have? That's not fair.

Anyway, it seems like most people here are really big fans of the Crown Micro. Are there really no short session alternatives, though, besides the Alien?
[/quote]


mini egyptian is all thats left, there is not many small sized phunnels out there. A crown micro hold the least i believe. But they do cost more then the alien or FSB. To suit my needs I found the Micro the best bowl for me...I have 2 versions of the alien and well don't
really use them unless I setup a second hookah for friends

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332161443' post='542855']
And I would not say he invalidated his season, but just said a fact , that the session will be that much better with a tangiers phunnel.
[/quote]

When you tell someone that because they disagree with you, they must just be doing something wrong, that's invalidating their opinion. That's what it is. And again, this is a matter of taste and opinion, not fact.

[quote]Think about it like this - you might like eating hamburgers , because they are good, but once you have a fillet, you will see just how good things can be. Same thing here. So if you want the best experience and to save the most money, don't buy a Chinese phunnel. You will want something better.
[/quote]

Hamburgers and steaks doesn't strike me as a reasonable analogy to a bowl and its knockoff. But even if it were, there are people out there who would prefer a hamburger to a fillet mignon, and you know what? They're not wrong. They just have a different opinion. It may be a fact that the fillet is made from (to say the very least) a much leaner cut of meat, and served whole, not ground, that much, much more care has been taken in its preparation, but the end opinion still comes down to personal preference. Telling a person that their personal preference is just wrong, and that they must be doing something wrong if they don't agree with you is invalidating their opinion. And that isn't cool.

Anyway, thanks for the advice guys. Looks like only two products exist in this market then. I'll try and save up for the Crown Micro I suppose. Edited March 19, 2012 by Christopher Mason Taylor

[gramps]

I use a small Tangiers phunnel, but just don't fill it all the way to the top. There's a definite gap between the tobacco and foil. Not much of a gap, maybe 1/4", I guess. The coals heat the bowl and the bowl heats the tobacco. Takes a little bit longer, but it works. And heat management is easier.

[vendetta_revived]

[quote name='Christopher Mason Taylor' timestamp='1332194287' post='542881']
[quote name='Floataround' timestamp='1332161443' post='542855']
And I would not say he invalidated his season, but just said a fact , that the session will be that much better with a tangiers phunnel.
[/quote]

When you tell someone that because they disagree with you, they must just be doing something wrong, that's invalidating their opinion. That's what it is. And again, this is a matter of taste and opinion, not fact.

[quote]Think about it like this - you might like eating hamburgers , because they are good, but once you have a fillet, you will see just how good things can be. Same thing here. So if you want the best experience and to save the most money, don't buy a Chinese phunnel. You will want something better.
[/quote]

Hamburgers and steaks doesn't strike me as a reasonable analogy to a bowl and its knockoff. But even if it were, there are people out there who would prefer a hamburger to a fillet mignon, and you know what? They're not wrong. They just have a different opinion. It may be a fact that the fillet is made from (to say the very least) a much leaner cut of meat, and served whole, not ground, that much, much more care has been taken in its preparation, but the end opinion still comes down to personal preference. Telling a person that their personal preference is just wrong, and that they must be doing something wrong if they don't agree with you is invalidating their opinion. And that isn't cool.

Anyway, thanks for the advice guys. Looks like only two products exist in this market then. I'll try and save up for the Crown Micro I suppose.
[/quote]

It's not so much invalidating an opinion, but rather just facts. I agree with you on the filet/hamburger analogy, as people do have different tastes and if someone likes a hamburger, better than a filet, then more power to them.

Tangiers tobacco though, smokes way better when it gets constant heat, i.e without any major fluctuations in the temperature of the bowl, so a solid clay bowl (tangiers phunnel in this case, which was invented by the same person who invented the tangiers tobacco through vigorous testing I am sure) will always perform better, as it's not hollow, and retains heat better than a chinese phunnel (which is hollow and has an air pocket inside), and thus will maintain a constant temperature.

So the statement that a chinese phunnel performs *as good as* a tangiers phunnel with tangiers tobacco is just flawed.

[dizzbizz]

I use my alien all the time and its great. I'd go with that. But if you don't mind a regular egyptian bowl I'd get the mini egyptian. I use my all the time if I'm not using the alien.

[joytron]

What tobaccos do you generally smoke?

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

[quote name='vendetta_revived' timestamp='1332201055' post='542891']
It's not so much invalidating an opinion, but rather just facts. [/quote]

No, it isn't. "My smoke from my Chinese funnel is just as enjoyable as the smoke from the Tangiers phunnel I've used" is a statement of opinion, and saying that the person who said it must be doing something wrong is invalidating that opinion. Period.

[quote]Tangiers tobacco though, smokes way better when it gets constant heat, i.e without any major fluctuations in the temperature of the bowl...[/quote]

This is a statement of opinion. No matter how many people share it, it doesn't make it a fact.

[quote]...so a solid clay bowl (tangiers phunnel in this case, which was invented by the same person who invented the tangiers tobacco through vigorous testing I am sure) will always perform better, as it's not hollow, and retains heat better than a chinese phunnel (which is hollow and has an air pocket inside), and thus will maintain a constant temperature.[/quote]

First, there's a lot of conjecture here, and some unsubstantiated information. Have you X-rayed a Tangiers funnel, and the Chinese knockoff in question to confirm that there's a significant difference with regard to air bubbles? Have you conducted rigorous scientific tests of both to confirm that they have significantly different heat spreading and retention properties? Let's assume that you have done those things. Even then, you'd still be talking about a matter of opinion. Facts may be involved in forming your opinions, and may aid in the explanation of differences between bowls, but facts and opinions are still different things, no matter how many people hold them.

And re: the inventor of Tangiers tobacco also inventing the bowl, that doesn't have an impact on matters of opinion either. It may be fair to say that when you smoke Tangiers tobacco out of a Tangiers bowl, you're smoking it the way it was intended to be smoked, but once again, that doesn't make it factually better. "Better" is still a subjective quality.

[quote]So the statement that a chinese phunnel performs *as good as* a tangiers phunnel with tangiers tobacco is just flawed.
[/quote]

If you'd corroborated the factual claims you made and the statement was, "my Chinese funnel disperses and retains heat equally to a Tangiers phunnel," then yes, it would be flawed. But that was not the statement.

[Christopher Mason Taylor]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1332210224' post='542904']
What tobaccos do you generally smoke?
[/quote]

I mostly smoke various flavors of AF, and Nakhla DA and Zaghloul. And occasionally Tangiers, though rarely given the price difference and my relative brokeness.