Ketchup Bottle: Function Over Form

At some point, most of us have had to deal with ketchup that doesn't come easily out of the bottle.  Some people pound the bottom, others stick a knife up the neck and loosen it up to allow it to flow.

If you've experienced this frustration, you may have wondered why someone designed neck of the bottle that way.

Long ago, ketchup had a runny consistency and manufacturers designed their narrow-necked bottles to try and slow the flow.  Consumers however, preferred thicker ketchups and while the product inside changed, the recognizable bottle shape remained the same.

Heinz Ketchup Bottles from 1880 to 1910