Mixing bowls have been much on my mind for the past couple weeks as I received a long desired set of metal ones for Christmas from my dear mother who knew how much I wanted them. The bowl to the right of this paragraph is one of hers – from the set she started out with at her marriage over 30 years ago.
Mixing bowls are essential for anyone who wants to
cook recipes with more than one or two steps. They are not only used for baking either. You will need them to mix up sauces, marinades, stuffing, and sometimes casseroles. They come in three major materials: Glass, Plastic, and Metal.
Glass is a good choice for those without a lot of storage space. Glass bowls have the most uses. Mixing is obvious. They are also pretty enough to serve in and go with any color scheme or style of dishes. If you get the kind with tight fitting plastic lids (Pyrex is a good brand), leftovers can go straight into the refrigerator in the same bowl. The drawbacks to glass are that they are often very heavy and breakable neither of which makes them a good choice for helping to get children into the kitchen. Also, consider the weight when you are using a recipe that requires pouring from the bowl – such as brownie batter.
Plastic is a great choice for those cooking with children or those on a budget. They are lightweight, unbreakable and usually cheaper. They often also come with tight fitting lids and so can also be used for storage. Their drawback for me is that they are not very pretty and I do not like the feel of plastic (weird I know, but true).
Metal is my favorite type of mixing bowl and the type I received for Christmas this year. This is the type often used by chefs and their pretty shininess inspires me. They are sturdy, unbreakable, and come in a variety of weights. Their drawbacks are that they are not usually all that great for serving since they look very utilitarian, some metals can react with some ingredients (stainless steel is the least reactive), and if you want to store in them, you have to fight with plastic wrap to cover them.
Whatever type you choose, make sure to get a variety of sizes. Nothing is worse than trying to fit too much into a small bowl or trying to scrape a little bit out of a huge one. If you can only afford one bowl, get a really big one and use the soup bowls from your regular dishes to mix small amounts or use a saucepan or food storage container. I was at my dollar store today, and saw huge mixing bowls there for $1. Please do not let a lack of “perfect” equipment prevent you from cooking.
