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10 best mixing bowls

From pretty to practical, IndyBest whips up a list of the mixing bowls no kitchen should be without

Sunday 09 November 2014 07:00 GMT

Anyone who's ever made a Christmas cake before knows the value of a good mixing bowl. Plastic or Pyrex, lidded or lipped, metal or melamine, one of these will do the job. And with festive cooking on the horizon, now's the time to renew your kitchen kit.

{1} Lakeland Mega 7L mixing bowl: £17.99, lakeland.co.uk

Anyone who’s ever tried to double a recipe in a normal-sized mixing bowl will rejoice at this large one, which has printed measurements on its stainless steel interior and a non-slip silicon base to stop it skidding across the counter.

{2} Pyrex 2L glass mixing bowl: £7.50, debenhams.com

Pyrex’s tempered bowls are super strong, can be popped in the oven and, because they’re glass, won’t impart flavours or smells to whatever you put in them. This one’s lid means it can double up as storage.

{3} Ikea 4L Allehanda mixing bowl: £8, ikea.com

Ikea’s plastic mixing bowl is perfect for cooks on a budget. Available in two colours and two sizes, its lid has an electric whisk-sized hole, keeping splashback to a minimum. Lightweight, it’s also ideal for toting a salad to a picnic.

{4} Joseph Joseph Nest Mix: £30, amazon.com

Once again, the ingenious Joseph Joseph has cracked it, literally. The three nesting bowls each have a portion of their edge in stainless steel so breaking eggs cleanly is a doddle. The attachable egg strainer also means no more eggy hands or contaminated egg whites.

{5} Mason Cash 4.3L mixing bowl: £19.99, lakeland.co.uk

Mason Cash have been producing their iconic kitchen products for more than 200 years. This time-tested stoneware bowl comes in nine different sizes.

{6} RE American milk glass mixing bowls: £49, re-foundobjects.com

RE is Northumberland-based outfit specialising in second-hand and antique objects. This chic set of vintage American mixing bowls is made from opaque, green milk glass. It’s not as strong as traditional tempered glass, but it’s certainly more beautiful.

{7} Oxo Good Grips batter bowl: £13, johnlewis.com

Oxo’s ergonomic Good Grips range now extends to the batter bowl, whose robust handle, internal measurements and pouring lip mean making batters for cakes, Yorkshire puds and pancakes has never been easier.

{8} John Lewis stainless steel 5L mixing bowl: £10, johnlewis.com

Stainless steel is the workhorse of the mixing bowl world. Unbreakable and cheap, it’s unsurprising that stainless bowls are the top choice for most professional chefs. It’s also insulated; especially useful for keeping pastry cold.

{9} Mason Cash unglazed terracotta mixing bowl: £38.95, kitchenscookshop.co.uk

The lid of this rustic-looking mixing bowl traps warmth inside, making it perfect for proving dough. It also doubles up as baking stone for crusty loaves and crispy pizza bases.

{10} Rosti Margrethe 3L mixing bowl: £11.50, kitchenscookshop.co.uk

Rosti began producing the melamine Margrethe bowl in 1950, naming it after the Danish queen. Used by millions of professional and home cooks, it’s as close as you can get to kitchen royalty.

Verdict

Old favourites like Pyrex, whose inventor died last week, are standing the test of time and always a good buy. Cooks with smaller kitchens might be tempted to opt for Joseph Joseph's super space-saving Nest Mix. For style-conscious chefs, RE's vintage looking green bowls are just the ticket. And if you're catering for a crowd, Lakeland's Mega mixing bowl can't be beaten.