7 Types of Mixing Bowls

May 15, 2017

No mixing bowl is perfect. They have their pros and cons and are ideal for different things. But they are an absolute kitchen essential. Here is a quick comparison for better understanding of what they are great for.

Material	Best for	Pros	Cons
Glass	Bowl for marinating fruits, vinegar.	- Non-reactive, meaning it won’t chemically affect the taste, color or the texture of the food - Mircrowavable - Some tempered glass bowls are more durable and can be used in oven and even in freezer	- Glass can be more sensitive to temperature - Its slippery sides make it hard to beat egg whites into foam
Ceramic	Marinades usually have at least one ingredient that could interact with a reactive bowl, therefore ceramic or glass is best.	Decorative look, attractive enough to double as serving pieces	Ceramic is prone to chipping, cracking and breaking
Copper	Best to beat egg whites as tiny quantities of copper ions react with the egg white to stabilize the mixture	Beautiful and classic	One of most expensive mixing bowls you can get
Plastic	Toting salads and other dishes to a picnic or potluck	Inexpensive, lightweight, virtually unbreakable	- Might melt when in contact with hot surfaces - Can stain or absorb strong odour like garlic
Wood/Natural Material	Best for salad, as the wood gets seasoned over time and adds flavour to each subsequent salad	Warm, natural look and feel	Might not provide smooth, nonporous surface that you’d want for mixing up doughs or batter
Stainless Steel	Does a good job of whipping and stabilizing the egg whites. Great for mixing batter for cakes, pie filling, melting chocolate over a bain-marie	- Generally lightweight and inexpensive - Easily found at kitchenware stores - Durable and resists reaction to acidic food, but not up to 100%	Poor heat transfer. Thinner stainless steel might result in hot spots that cause uneven heat distributed
Silicone	Its flexibility is the greatest advantage. Collapsible, making food preparation neater in the confined spaces	Temperature-proof, non-stick, easy to clean, collapsible, microwave- and dishwasher-safe.	- Not everyone likes the swishy, rubbery texture of silicone - It can retain the odours of pungent foods