Funnels

Our winner had a nice long spout for good stability and a medium-wide nozzle that allowed the tidy transfer of foods and liquids with relative ease. Peppercorns, dried rosemary, and chili powder were slightly challenging for most of the funnels, but this product allowed for fairly easy flow—just a few taps required. We also liked that the funnel collapsed for easy storage.

This funnel had the longest spout in the lineup, nearly 2 inches, which made it feel securely anchored during use. Its spout was a tad narrower than ideal, but it still allowed foods and liquids to flow reasonably well—though the viscous barbecue sauce proved challenging. As with some other models, we learned that we could address flow issues by either slowing down our pour or tapping or shaking the funnel.

This flexible silicone model was great for transferring peppercorns, dried rosemary, and chili powder into spice jars because the wide nozzle allowed everything to flow through without backing up. But the nozzle didn't work well on receptacles with narrower openings; it didn't fit inside the olive oil container or squeeze bottle, and we had to stretch it to fit it outside the rims. Some users also tried to angle it in an attempt to direct the flow or use their fingers to create a seal between the nozzle and the container, but none of these tricks worked well.

This set consisted of two different-size funnels, which could be used separately or nested. (We did not test the smaller one individually because it didn't meet our 1-cup minimum capacity.) The larger funnel, which had a wider spout diameter, didn't fit inside any containers on its own, but we could still perch it on top to transfer peppercorns and rosemary. However, the gap created by its slanted nozzle meant that chili powder spilled out. And when we used the set together to transfer liquids, the short, narrow spout of the smaller funnel made it feel top-heavy and inhibited flow. We also had to be careful where we held the funnel: If we squeezed in certain spots, the two funnels began to separate.

We tested both funnels in this set, as each held at least 1 cup of liquid (we did not test the included strainer). We preferred the larger of the two funnels, which held more than 2 cups of liquid. It felt less wobbly and allowed for fairly good flow, but it was still “tippy” and off-balance due to its larger bowl and relatively short spout. It also had vertical silicone strips on the exterior, presumably to help anchor the funnel; however, during testing, these began flaking at the spout tip, making us question this funnel's durability. This was also the only product that was too bulky to fit in our 4-inch-tall kitchen drawer.

We focused on the largest funnel in the set (the other two didn't meet our 1-cup minimum capacity requirement). Its narrow opening—one of the smallest in the lineup—and short spout made for a one-two punch of poor flow and instability. We frequently had to shake the funnel to move items through it, and testers felt anxious using it hands-free because it seemed unstable.

This model's spout was both too short and too narrow, and its handle was heavy—which meant we constantly had to keep a hand on the funnel to make sure it didn't fall over during use. We often found ourselves vigorously shaking this model to move foods through, and flow occasionally stopped altogether—so we sometimes resorted to “milking” this funnel as if it were a cow, squeezing the silicone sides to force foods and liquids through.