If you are a dedicated flower smoker, then you already know the value of a good glass piece. A glass bong, bubbler, pipe, or chillum can provide a smooth, great-tasting session. However, glass pieces are also the most fragile smoking accessories you will ever own. They can easily shatter in a tumble or bump into a table and leave you in a state of distress.
Thankfully, manufacturers are now creating more durable pieces, designed to survive even the clumsiest stoners. METALFORMS, based in Austria and Germany, set out to create one of the sturdiest smoking accessories we have ever seen. Their seemingly simple bowls are the bong part you’ve been missing in your life, and one that you will never have to replace again.
What is a “bowl” on a bong?
Let’s start with the basics of explaining exactly what part of the standard bong METALFORMS has perfected. The “bowl” on a bong is where you load in ground-up flower and apply a flame. This part of the bong can be removed from the downstem and fits snuggly with the correct size and gender joint. There are a couple of standard joint sizes for bong bowls, and METALFORMS has them covered with 14mm joints and 18mm male joints.
What is the biggest problem with bong bowls?
If you are already familiar with smoking out of a bong, then you will already know the biggest problem with bong bowls. It’s not that they are too small, too large, too fancy, or too simple. The biggest issue is that they tend to break easily. Many bong smokers can attest to accidentally shattering a bowl during a session. An accidental bump can send a bowl rolling to its death and bring your session to an abrupt end. This is why METALFORMS set out to create an innovative bong bowl that is arguably better than any other bowl we have seen before.
How did METALFORMS create a better bowl?
You might be thinking that a bong bowl is a simple piece that needs little to no advanced innovation — but you are wrong. Even the smallest of smoking accessories can be refined to perfection, and that is exactly what METALFORMS did when it came to their bong bowls. They took every factor of a good bowl into consideration, and then made it virtually indestructible on top of that.
Indestructible
METALFORMS makes bowls out of either medical-grade surgical steel or aircraft-grade and food-safe aluminum. These materials are known for their durability and their ability to withstand heat, making them the perfect materials for an indestructible bong bowl. The aluminum versions of their bowls are also surprisingly lightweight. The bowls also handle heat application well and cool off quickly so they don’t burn your fingertips during a session.
Easy to clean
Glass pieces are extremely easy to clean, which is an advantage over smoking accessories made of most other materials. However, METALFORMS bowls are just as easy to clean as a glass bowl, if not easier. You must use 90-99% isopropyl alcohol, and allow the bowl to soak for a while, depending on the amount of residue built up. Then you just give the bowl a wipe with a cotton swab and wash it with soap and warm water. Allow the bowl enough time to air dry and you’re good to go! The best part about the cleaning process with METALFORMS bowls is that you don’t have to worry about breaking your bowl piece while cleaning, which is quite common with glass bowls.
However, you should not deviate from this cleaning method if you want to keep your METALFORMS bowl in perfect condition. You should never use a sharp metal object to scrape out the inside of a METALFORMS bowl, nor use ultrasonic cleaners, pressure washers, or other machines for cleaning. You should stick to rubbing alcohol and never use boiling water, glass cleaners, bong cleaners, or other chemicals to clean an aluminum or stainless steel bowl. Just keep it simple and stick to rubbing alcohol, patience, and a bit of elbow grease if needed.
Safe to smoke from
Although glass is generally considered the cleanest and safest material to smoke out of, aluminum and stainless steel come in a close fight for second. Food safe, aircraft-grade aluminum, used to create a METALFORMS bowl, is also used in a high percentage of cookware and kitchen utensils. Aluminum offers extremely low risks of harmful or toxic effects when heat is applied, which is why it is safe to use with both cookware and bong bowls. METALFORMS also offers bowls made out of surgical stainless steel, which is widely used in biomedical applications. This alternative material also offers no risk of metallic contamination of your precious flower.
Which type of METALFORMS bowl should you buy?
METALFORMS bowls come in two different male joint sizes, and you should be sure to choose the right size to fit with your bong. From there, you can choose between ten different colors and a few different bowl styles. Their standard bowls feature a single hole for airflow and a martini glass shape, perfect for loading snappers. They also have rounded, larger bowls with three airflow holes that are ideal for hosting large sessions.
If you really want to treat yourself though, then you should probably go for the 24K Gold Collector’s Limited Edition bowl, because it is too cool not to have it attached to your bong for the rest of your life. METALFORM bowls are a bit pricey, being imported from Austria and Germany, but well worth every penny in our humble opinion.
