Last Updated on February 22, 2023
Mixing bowls are generally not the first item that comes to mind when thinking of kitchen essentials. That’s why it didn’t make its way to our must-have kitchen tools article. Still, both pro and home cooks will reach out for their set of mixing bowls hidden in the cupboard whenever they prepare their favorite sauces and cake batters.
There are mixing bowls and sets with various advantages that’ll ease your task, whether you’re mixing salsa, preparing a salad, or making sourdough. Some bowls let you quickly go from mixing a marinade to melting chocolate in a bain-marie on the stove, while others are great for the microwave. Bowls also look great on your dinner table or fancy countertops.
The number of choices can be overwhelming, so we’ve prepared a list of the best mixing bowls and sets for you.
What to Look for in a Set of Mixing Bowls
Shopping for a good mixing bowl may seem like child’s play at first. Still, these are handy tools we’re talking about, and if you want them to make your cooking easier, they need to fit your cooking style and needs. So, before we get into the best mixing bowls, here is a list of things to keep in mind when choosing one.
Materials
When looking for a mixing bowl set, you’ll find they’re made of various materials, such as glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or plastic.
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
These bowls are affordable, lightweight, and virtually unbreakable. Other metal bowls might react to acidic food, but stainless steel is non-reactive, so you don’t have to worry about the acid in your foods. They are very durable, so using a hand mixer in stainless steel bowls won’t be a problem. However, one downside of these bowls is that they can’t be microwaved.
Glass Mixing Bowls
Glass bowls are usually made of tempered glass that’s heat resistant — but not always, so check out the instructions manual before putting one in the oven. Tempered glass mixing bowls can be tossed in the microwave and used as the top bowl for a double boiler or, as the French call it, a bain marie.
They can be directly put on the table as serving bowls, too, thanks to the timeless classiness of glass. On the downside, they’re heavier than plastic or stainless steel mixing bowls and don’t come in a wide range of sizes.
Porcelain or Ceramic Mixing Bowls
Porcelain or ceramic mixing bowls can come in a wide range of fun colors and will certainly look fancy on your dinner table. They are also oven, microwave, and double boiler friendly and will hold your salads with grace as serving bowls.
However, keep in mind that ceramic bowls are heavy and prone to chipping when handled roughly, so they’re not the most friendly option if you’re a clumsy cook.
Plastic Mixing Bowls
These are usually lightweight and microwave-safe. Although generally non-reactive, plastic bowls are prone to staining and can absorb unwanted odors.
Size and Weight
The sizes of mixing bowls are typically measured by quartz or liters and sometimes cups. Typically, the capacity of most mixing bowls ranges from 1 to 8 quarts or between 0.95 and 7.5 liters. A quart is the quadruple of a cup, meaning 1 quart corresponds to 4 cups.
As a home cook, you’ll do just fine with a bowl set that comes with a 1 or 2-quart bowl for preparing sauces and salad dressings and two larger bowls, say 3 to 5 quarts, for mixing salads, making dough, or marinating meat.
Some tasks, like mixing wet ingredients in bigger batches, require a deeper bowl. Depth can save you a lot of trouble. Deep bowls allow you to add more ingredients and mix them at once, reducing the need for multiple batches, whether you’re working with a hand mixer or a blender.
Shallower bowls can’t pass the whipped cream test, i.e., they splash it around. Wider bowls, on the other hand, let you toss a fresh green salad without bruising the ingredients and make tasks like kneading cookie dough more convenient.
Plastic and stainless steel bowls are lighter than ceramic, while glass bowls are available in a broader range of sizes. Glass bowls and ceramic bowls are heavier and usually have a maximum capacity of four quarts due to their weight and fragility.
How Many in a Set?
Mixing bowl sets typically contain between 3 to 6 bowls, but you can always find a more extensive collection. Although a set with many different sizes of mixing bowls can be alluring, in terms of kitchen tools, sometimes simplicity can do the trick.
When you’re shopping for mixing bowls — or any other equipment — ask yourself whether you’re actually going to use all of them. Even though avid cooks will appreciate having multiple bowls of similar sizes when preparing multiple recipes at once, a set of three to five bowls is enough for most home cooks.
Helpful Features
It’s not uncommon for mixing bowls to come with additional features like pouring spouts, plastic lids, and handles, adding to their efficiency.
For instance, storing leftovers in the same bowl without wasting plastic wrap is very convenient. You can also carry your bowl to a potluck or a gathering without worrying about breaking them. Similarly, pour spouts enable you to pour sauces and batters from one bowl to another without making a mess.
Mixing bowls with handles is helpful if you frequently combine ingredients with a hand mixer. Plus, having a handle to hold while mixing saves you a flying bowl.
On that note, a bowl that slides around on the counter is a nightmare when mixing stuff. To spare yourself the headache, get a set of non-slip-based mixing bowls to ensure they stay in place while you work. However, avoid the ones with deep grooves because sometimes food particles get stuck in them.
Oven, Dishwasher, and Freezer-Friendly
Most stainless steel, plastic, glass, ceramic, and melamine bowls are typically freezer and dishwasher-safe. Apart from those, tempered glass bowls are usually oven-safe (up to certain temperatures). But before making any assumptions, checking the manufacturer’s instructions might save you a lot of trouble because a glass bowl cracking in the oven is quite an accident.
Best Mixing Bowls and Sets
Best Ceramic: Mason Cash Mixing Bowl
Ceramic is a reliable material that’s been used for many pieces of kitchen equipment, so why should mixing bowls be an exception? This 4.25-quart ceramic mixing bowl is both big and handy. Whip up a potato salad in it, or get in there with an electric hand mixer.
Its beautiful traditional patterns will make your kitchen and dinner table look like a scene from a European movie. The material is chip-resistant ceramic, available in multiple colors, on top of being dishwasher and microwave safe.
Keep in mind that this bowl is not as light as stainless steel bowls or plastic mixing bowls. If this sounds like a dealbreaker to you, you can have a look at the other mixing bowls on the list. However, the weight of this Mason Cash bowl gives it extra stability. You can serve whatever you like in it on a fancy dinner table and then toss it into the dishwasher. The cleanup is as simple as that.
Most Innovative: Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen Mixing Bowl
You want your mixing bowl to be solid and sturdy, and that’s exactly what this Mason Cash mixing bowl is all about. This mixing bowl is cleverly designed so that you can tilt it slightly to the side and have it stay that way. It’s great for having more surface area when mixing eggs, let’s say, as your egg whites will foam up faster.
If you bake big cakes regularly, this mixing bowl can make it easier and more fun. It can hold a bit more than a 5-quart bowl, and when you tilt it, it stays that way with ease, thanks to the 8 separate flat areas around it. This allows more air to be incorporated into the mixture, resulting in better-rising bakes.
It’s also microwave and dishwasher-safe, but the bowl is not so petite — it’s 29 cm wide and 14 cm high — so you might need to consider that before trying to fit it into your microwave.
Widest: Thunder Group Mixing Bowl
Sometimes all you need is a simple stainless steel bowl. Thanks to its wide and shallow shape, this durable stainless steel mixing bowl is great for whisking, folding, mixing, and tossing. It’s big enough to contain any amount of cake batter, and it’s great for mixing salads. However, its short walls won’t keep the splatters if you use a hand mixer.
The best thing about this mixing bowl is that you can make your own set and choose from 9 different sizes based on what you need the most. The bowls are available from 0.75 quarts to 20 quarts, maybe the largest bowl in the market.
Most Minimal: Tovolo Stainless Steel Deep Mixing Bowl
Introducing the versatile and durable stainless steel bowl. A great mixing bowl for all your culinary needs. The sturdiness of steel, paired with its lightweight construction, makes it easy to use for a variety of baked goods, including cakes, muffins, bread, pancakes, marinades, breading, and more.
The deep bowl design allows for easy pouring, while the rounded lip minimizes mess and makes it easy to transfer batter from bowl to pan. The tall edges of the bowl contain messy mixing, preventing flour from spreading all over your kitchen while using the mixer — whipped cream test, check!
Constructed with high-quality stainless steel, this mixing bowl is quite lightweight and makes it easy to tip the batter into a pan. The bowl can be used with hand mixers, works as a double boiler, and is dishwasher-safe. The steel can also be cooled in the refrigerator or freezer without the risk of breakage, making it perfect for whipping cream and making homemade ice cream.
This mixing bowl is BPA-free and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. Overall, its versatility and durability make this bowl a great piece of equipment that’ll serve over the years.
Outside of the Box: KROK Mortar and Pestle
A mixing bowl can be whatever you mix your ingredients in, and sometimes it’s much quicker and more practical to have a multipurpose “bowl.” Have you ever thought about using your mortar and pestle as a mixing bowl?
This granite KROK mortar and pestle is ideal for making a curry, a paste, a sauce, or a salad dressing, such as a classic caesar salad dressing. You can mix, grind, and whisk using just a single mortar and avoid that pile of dishes that no one wants to clean after a nice supper.
Best for Baking: OXO Good Grips 3- Piece Mixing Bowls with Colored Handles and Base
This modest bowl set is friends with every hand mixer. The plastic bowls are deep enough to prevent splashing, while their handles give you more control in your cake batter mixing task. They are made of sturdy plastic that won’t split or crack with everyday use. Plus, they have a silicone base that’ll prevent them from slipping around on the counter when you’re mixing with a hand mixer or kneading some bread dough.
When you’re done mixing, you can easily pour or drain the bowl contents thanks to the spout. There’s a 1.5-quart small-size mixing bowl, a 3-quart medium mixing bowl, and a 5-quart bowl.
While it’s true that none of these three bowls will look good on a fancy dinner table, they’re very durable, so you can use them for a backyard get-together or a late movie night to serve heaps of popcorn. You can neatly store the bowls by nesting them into each other, and the cleanup is a snap since they are dishwasher-safe. The set is also available in black silicone.
Most Durable: Fine Dine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
This stainless steel mixing bowl set will satisfy your every culinary need. You can reach for the smaller bowls to make that 3-ingredient TikTok dressing your friends have been talking about and use the larger ones to mix cake dough, serve large snacks, or simply wash veggies and fruits. It’s also great for hand mixing, whether you’re making a salad, whipping cake batter, or mixing the veggies with your favorite spice blend.
Although you can’t put a stainless steel bowl directly over the stove, they can still hold very hot things and are perfect for some bain-marie. Just be conscious that they heat up very quickly. The material won’t rust nor retain odors or stains, so mixing your curry or fish marinade fish will no longer be a nightmare.
If you’re not looking for a decorative bowl, get yourself a set of stainless steel bowls by all means. You can easily grab them for barbecues and picnics as they’re unbreakable and heavy, so you can be sure they won’t be gone with the wind.
This mixing bowl set includes 0.75-quart, 1.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 4 quarts, 5 quarts, and 8 quarts nesting bowls that nest into each other for storage, but there is also a 5-piece set with air-tight lids. If you’re all for practicality, these bowls can be your next favorite mixing bowls.
Best Lightweight Metal: Vollrath Economy Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
Mix, prepare, and create all your signature dishes with these lightweight and durable mixing bowls.
Lightweight stainless steel is a popular choice for most mixing tasks due to its easy handling and durability. It’s especially useful for tasks that require a large bowl since it doesn’t add to the heaviness of the ingredients in it. Additionally, because metal conducts heat faster than glass, these types of mixing bowls are a better option for a makeshift double boiler.
These Vollrath bowls are easy to clean, dishwasher-safe, and stackable for easy storage. Their beaded edges are super easy to hold and transport and sit flat on your countertops. These bowls are a cost-effective and practical choice for any kitchen.
Best Glass: Pyrex Smart Essentials 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set
The Pyrex glass mixing bowl set is the perfect addition to any kitchen, from low budget to flashy. The 3-piece set includes 1-quart, 1.5-quart, and 2.5-quart round glass bowls that cover all your mixing requirements fuss-free, whether you need to make whipped cream or wash up some vegetables.
Made of high-quality tempered glass, these bowls are great for everyday use as glass resists stains and odors, so you don’t have to worry about scrubbing hard to get rid of stains or any funny smells.
These bowls are also freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe, allowing you to warm your food or store your leftovers without any hesitation. The set is also backed by a limited warranty, adding to the peace of mind that comes with using a trusted brand like Pyrex.
Best Glass with Lids: Pyrex 4 Piece 100 Years Glass Mixing Bowls
Glass mixing bowls are a classic, and Pyrex is a brand that has been used in kitchens worldwide since the early 1900s. They are microwave, dishwasher, freezer, and oven safe. Still, they’re not bulletproof. If you mishandle them, they might break.
Since glass is non-porous and non-reactive, you can use the bowls in this set to mix cake batters, marinate foods, and serve delicious salads without worrying about any remaining flavors and odors.
The set comes with 3 cups, 6 cups, 10 cups, and a 4.5-quart bowl with matching BPA-free plastic matching lids in assorting colors. All the bowls nest into each other. While the lids make storing leftovers and reheating food very convenient, the simple, clear glass bowls showcase your food if you decide to use them as serving bowls.
Most Fun: AlwaysU Rainbow 4 Piece Mixing Bowls with Lids
These stainless steel bowls will bring a festival of colors to your table or countertop with its reflective iridescent coating. Made of stainless steel, this set is perfect for outdoor settings or anywhere where flimsy bowls wouldn’t be appreciated.
The 4 piece set is ideal for mixing tasks, big and small. You can whip up salad dressings in the tiny bowl and then toss the salad in the large one. They also have air-tight lids, so you can just put away the leftover salad.
Plus, they are safe to be thrown in the dishwasher. The set comes with a 1.5-quart, 2.5-quart, 4.5-quart, and 7-quart bowl, which easily nest inside each other, saving up space wherever you store them.
Best for Bread Making: OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Mixing Bowls Stainless Steel
The stainless steel interior is a reliable surface for mixing anything and will serve you for a very long time. On top of that, the bowls are covered with plastic on the outside, providing insulation for hot or cold ingredients.
What’s more, the insulation makes these bowls ideal for rising bread dough. The consistent temperature sets the stage for consistent bulk fermentation, yielding uniform results every single time.
Breadmaking sometimes requires vigorous kneading. The non-slip bottoms of these bowls will prevent them from sliding while kneading your dough and protect your countertops from scratches.
This modest 1.5, 3, and 5 quarts bowl set is simple enough for any kind of task, from baking to mixing marinades. You can also clean them in the dishwasher and then put them away, neatly nested within each other.
Best Stainless Steel With Lids: Umite Chef Mixing Bowls with Airtight Lids
This set is made of high-quality heavy gauge stainless steel, resistant to rust, and built to last. The Umite Chef mixing bowls feature a mirror finish interior and fingerprint-proof exterior, providing a sleek and polished look.
This set includes larger bowl sizes, with depths deeper than standard bowl sets, allowing for larger servings and greater flexibility. The set includes 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.5, and 7-quart bowls, perfect for mixing large batches of batter, tossing salads, washing vegetables, marinating, and storing.
And with the added feature of non-slip silicone bottoms, these bowls will stay securely in place when whipping cream, preventing any wobbling or slipping.
Thanks to the sleek interior and fingerprint-proof satin exterior, cleaning these bowls is quite easy. To top it off, these bowls come with tight-fitting and colorful BPA-free plastic accompanying lids, which we think are so cute and useful for color coding. Of course, you can also go for gray, white, or black lids.
Best Budget: AIKWI 6-Piece Nested Plastic Mixing Bowls
For those on a budget, our favorite mixing bowl set choice would be the lightweight and inexpensive plastic option. This set is ideal for a new kitchen or summer home, or as a spare bowl set for any kitchen.
This inexpensive nesting mixing bowl set will have many uses at home and on the go. There’s nothing keeping you from tossing a salad in them. And the flat-bottomed bowls are cheap enough to take one to a potluck — so you can share your pasta salad with peace of mind — and if you leave it behind, you can just forget about it.
This set of mixing bowls comes in six matching colors and is made of sturdy plastic. The material is microwave safe for heating leftovers or melting butter for your favorite recipes and dishwasher-friendly for easy cleanup. Plus, they can be packed away neatly for easy storage.
This set includes a 0.3, 0.8, 1.4, 2.23, 3.7, and a 5.8-quart bowl, so you’ll always have the right size for the job. This set comes in two color options – grayscale and rainbow – so you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for your kitchen or a themed party.
Best With Additional Features: Belwares Mixing Bowls Stainless Steel with Lids and Accessories
This bowl set will reduce the number of tools you use for your next cooking project. Each cap has a detachable apparatus on which any three accessories easily snap into place. The accessories include a grater, a slicer, and a shredder.
To make things even easier, there are markers of measurement on the inside of each bowl so you can quickly mix and eliminate the measuring cups. A small pouring spout on the opposite side of the handle allows for the smooth pouring of any liquid.
Each stainless steel bowl in the set also has rubber bottoms, so they stick on the countertop when you’re working and don’t slip even when whipping cream or kneading dough.
The rubberized handles provide a non-slip grip and comfortable insulation for the hot stuff you might pour into them. The set includes a 1.5-quart bowl, a 3-quart bowl, and a 5-quart bowl, with lids for each of them. The bowls are also safe to put in the refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and freezer.
Best Low-Impact: Eco Bamboo Fiber 6-Piece Mixing Bowls by Chef Craft
If you don’t like using plastic materials in your kitchen but still need a more durable mixing bowl set than glass or ceramic, these bamboo fiber mixing bowls might be your next best friend in the kitchen.
These sustainable bowls are safe in the dishwasher. You can pick the color from 3 available options — the natural colored ones are also free of dyes. The set includes six bowls with sizes of 1 cup, 2 cups, 1 quart, 2 quarts, 3 quarts, and 4.5 quarts. They are perfect for an eco-friendly household. Keep in mind that they are dishwasher-safe but not microwave-safe.
Most Versatile Set: Cook With Color 8 Piece Nesting Bowls
This mixing bowl set is designed for ease of storage and convenience, as all the items nest within each other, allowing you to save space in your kitchen without losing out on smaller items. You get 8 essential kitchen tools for all your baking and cooking needs.
This set includes 2 mixing bowls – one with 4.5 L capacity and the other with 500 ml – 1 colander, 1 fine mesh sieve, and 4 measuring cups in sizes of 1 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1/5 cup.
The large bowl in this set is equipped with a non-slip ring on its base to ensure stability during use, and the smaller bowls have measurements inside for added convenience. All items in the set include a convenient helper handle for easy handling.
Made of 100% polypropylene, the nesting bowls are extremely durable, BPA-free, and top rack dishwasher-safe (except for the sieve). However, they aren’t microwave-safe.
The Final Verdict
All these products have their own strong suits, and the right mixing bowl depends on your needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a multipurpose set that you can use as a mixing bowl, put into the oven, wash in the dishwasher, and use as a serving bowl on a lovely dining table, you should go for a glass or a ceramic mixing bowl.
However, check out the sets of plastic and stainless steel mixing bowls if you prefer a more durable and easy-to-use bowl set. Either way, having a multipurpose set will ease your cooking process tremendously.
We hope we’ve helped you find the best mixing bowls for your kitchen. If you’re looking for other kitchen appliances and don’t want to waste your money, check out our lists of top baking pans, best bread slicers, and best small mortar and pestle.
