Different Types of Hookah Bowls

When choosing a bowl for your hookah, there are a couple of things you want to take into consideration before investing money into one of these items. For starters, identify which shisha tobacco you'll be using for your sessions, how much shisha flavour you will require, and lastly, determine the pros and cons of having each hookah bowl. In this post, we will go through all of different types of hookah bowls and discuss which is the best bowl based on the needs of an individual when choosing a bowl.

Types of Shisha Heads

The most common styles are the following.

1. Egyptian Bowl
2. Vortex Bowl
3. Phunnel Bowl
4. Lipped Bowl

Egyptian Bowl

These are standard bowls that are handmade in Egypt and are part of a set with the majority of heavy brass pipes from brands such as KM, Shika & Magdy Zidan. The material used to throw these together is red clay, a variant of ceramics well-known throughout the industry for retaining and managing heat. The bowl itself is not hollow as such modern-made porcelain Chinese bowls. An Egyptian bowl usually features 4-5 air vents punctured in the centre of its core. Consider that they are thrown together by hand, and the final result will not look perfect. Each varies in an assortment of sizes and shapes slightly. Commonly, it's paired with brands that manufacture drier tobacco leaves as flavours from the Nakhla label and the standard field-grown Zaghloul tobacco (flavourless & very dry). However, in today's western society, brands such as Al Fakher and Starbuzz are still being packed in an Egyptian Bowl. This bowl is the standard of traditional hookahs. With that said, the downfall of using this bowl with today's modern brands is that the juices run down the stem of the shisha pipe and into the base, which could cause somewhat of a mess around the tray holder. Also, you may or may not be able to use specific accessories, such as an HMD, depending on the diameter of the bowl. Generally, this bowl uses a thin-fitted grommet to attach to your pipe.

Vortex Bowl

The vortex bowl has been a popular item for years. You can pretty much use any classification of shisha in these bowls. They are mass-produced with porcelain material and manufactured by machine, resulting in a more professional shape, design and finish. The vortex bowl does not have excavations at the bottom centre, which implements the reduction of juices and flavour from leaking into your stem, preventing a mess. Instead, a spire piece is lifted in the heart of the bowl and contains the cavities on the sides of the centrepiece. There are usually four spots around the spire. This bowl is available in an assortment of different colours and designs.

Phunnel Bowl

Over the last decade, the phunnel bowl now bears new favouritism. The phunnel is generally produced of clay but can be obtainable in various materials such as metal and silicone. The by-product features a single opening in the middle of the bowl. It conserves the juices of your molasses so that leakage averts seeping into the stem and maintains the flavour of the tobacco for long periods. The clay material supports the management of the heat transferred by charcoal and prevents charring, harshness and burning. Phunnel types accommodate heating accessories and will still work with foil as well. All tobacco leaf classes, and flavours, can be used in this bowl. Smokers in the United States generally use this style of headpiece with the Tangiers Tobacco brand and other dark-leaf representations. The bowls come in different colours and designs.

Lipped Bowl

Lipped hookah bowls are shisha heads with lips, literally. They can be either a phunnel or an EGY-type bowl surrounded by a lip on its outer ridge. So, why the lip exactly? The answer is simple, heat regulators. You are probably familiar with our discussion of thermal regulators by now, but, for good measure, let's briefly explain them. They are bowl accompaniments made from chunks of metal to hold ignited charcoal and replace tinfoil, often providing smoother and cleaner smoke. They also allow and manage proper heat transfer to your liking utilizing adjustable covers to heat or cool your bowl down. Back to lipped hookah bowls, they are the styles we discussed above but have that extra physique around the ridges to hold an apparatus, just like a glove. This feature secures your coal manager from moving and adds that additional layer of security.

Universal Use

The above-described styles and types of bowls can fit on almost any hookah. We recommend learning how to pack and set up your bowl before using it to achieve the best results.