We Whisked, Scraped, and Poured to Find the Best Set of Mixing Bowls

Go into any kitchen and a thread of commonality is mixing bowls. Not only can you use them to mix up pancake batter, whip cream, and beat eggs, but paired with a pot they turn into a double boiler, and they’re also great for holding scraps whilst peeling and cutting vegetables. Heck, when I was a prep cook I even used them to serve a massive, chopped salad for the staff family meal.

But what makes for a winning mixing bowl? How different are they really? We set out to see if a fantastic option exists, testing 12 sets of mixing bowls and examining them for versatility, ease of use, and durability. 

We focused on metal bowls since they are lighter and easier to store than glass, and since they are the preferred bowl material of most Serious Eats staffers. As senior commerce editor Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm says, “Metal mixing bowls won't crack or chip or absorb odors. they're also lightweight and easily stack together, making them a cinch to store in a drawer/cabinet. Once I switched to metal mixing bowls, it wasn’t hard for me to notice how cumbersome glass ones are.”

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Overall Mixing Bowls

Vollrath 5 Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

$26 at Webstaurantstore.com

This no-frills set featured five wide, shallow bowls that allowed for a loose stirring motion and contained splatter even during vigorous whisking (though the same couldn’t be said whilst using a hand mixer, they do tend to really fling stuff). We loved the slightly curved, thin lip of the bowls, which made for easy pouring sans drips. These are a great set of bowls for cooking applications, though we also found they excelled when mixing batters, too.

The Best Mixing Bowls for Messy Jobs

All-Clad Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

$100 at Amazon $100 at Williams-Sonoma $100 at Sur La Table

These hefty bowls featured a handle on one side which was, well, handy; it made pouring batter and scraping out whipped cream easy. They are also incredibly sturdy and durable and, though pricey, will last a long time (Update: We've used these for almost a year now and they're still in great shape). The higher sides make these good for messy jobs, like beating cream or whisking batters.

The Best Mixing Bowls with Grippy Bottoms

Brabantia Matte Steel Mixing Bowl Set

$156 at Amazon $86 at Williams-Sonoma

We really liked the flared, thin lip on these bowls, which made for easy pouring. The no-slip silicone grip on the bottom of the bowls also helped prevent sliding around.

The Tests

• Vinaigrette Test: We made a simple vinaigrette in the sets’ small bowls, then poured it into a Mason jar for storage. 
• Mix Boxed Cake Mix Test: We mixed boxed cake mix with wet ingredients in the medium-sized bowls. Afterward, we scraped the mixture into cake pans. 
• Whipped Cream Test (Winners-Only): We made whipped cream in the largest bowls, using a hand beater.
• Durability Test (Winners-Only): We dropped our favorite winning bowls on the ground five times, noting if any damage occurred. 
• Ease of Use and Cleaning Tests: Throughout testing, we evaluated how easy the bowls were to use and clean, and we also ran applicable ones through the dishwasher.

What We Learned 

Thin, Barely-There Flared Rims Were Better Than Flat Rims

We didn’t go into this testing thinking the bowls’ rims would be a make-or-break feature, but, here we are. Oftentimes mixing bowls are used to, well, mix things before pouring the batter/dough/whipped cream, etc, out into another vessel for baking or serving. And the rim made a big difference in how messy (or not) this endeavor was. Throughout testing, whether we were pouring vinaigrette into a Mason jar or scraping cake batter into a cake pan, bowls with thin, flared rims made much less mess than bowls with crisp, flat edges. Even the smaller flat edges on the Whysko bowls caught stuff, causing drips to pool up. 

Shallow Bowls Were Easier to Use Than Deep Ones

There were two styles of bowls in our lineup: shallow, wide ones, and tall, deep ones. Both had their advantages and disadvantages, but in general, we preferred wide, shallow bowls for most use cases. This was because they allowed for a more organic, looser whisking and stirring motion, whereas the taller bowls felt cramped. This was especially true of the Joseph Joseph Nest Prep & Store Mixing Bowls, which we actually had trouble fitting a handheld mixer into because they were so tall and deep. The taller, deeper bowls were also generally more difficult to pour from than the gently sloped sides of shallow, wide bowls, like the Vollrath. Kenji has noted in the past that “deeper bowls make it easier to stir batters and hydrate doughs and are generally better for bakers,” and that “shallower, wider bowls are generally better for non-baking applications.” While we agree on this in some ways (we do think that shallower bowls are better for double boilers), we think you could get by with just one set.

More Bowls in a Set Wasn’t Necessarily Better

While more bowls did mean more options, it was telling that our favorite sets all had five bowls or fewer. We found we’d rather get a set of three great bowls than a set of 14 bowls that were hard to use and made a mess when pouring. Some of the sets also included bowls that seemed nonfunctional—the Tramontina set of 14 included three super small bowls with large rims, and while they might be good for holding ingredients for mise en place, they were too small to whisk anything in.

Added Features, Like No-Slip Bottoms and Lids, Weren’t That Important 

Many of the bowls we tested had added features, like hooks for hanging, lids for storing, measurement markers, and non-slip grips to prevent bowls from sliding around. However, while some of these proved useful in certain instances (like the non-slip grip on the Brabantia bowls, which helped keep the bowl steady while whipping cream, or the handles on the All-Clad bowls), most felt more like added-value aspects that didn’t contribute to the overall bowl utility. In fact, some things, like the hanging loops on the Tovolo bowls, were downright annoying; when we poured cake mix out of the bowls, the loop got batter all over it, causing a big mess.

The Criteria: What to Look For in a Mixing Bowl

Look for bowls with flared, thin rims rather than large, flat ones; these made for smoother, cleaner pouring. We also preferred shallower, wider bowls, which allowed for a more comfortable and organic stirring and whisking motion. Lastly, don’t be dazzled by dozens of bowls or added features (like hanging hooks or measurement markers)—while potentially useful, they don’t make up for a bad bowl. 

The Best Overall Mixing Bowls

Vollrath 5 Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

$26 at Webstaurantstore.com

What we liked: Sturdy but light, this no-frills set of bowls is perfect for most kitchen tasks; hence why they’re a popular choice in many restaurant kitchens. The wide, shallow format made for organic stirring and whisking, and the curved, thin lip made pouring mess-free. Plus, they’re low cost for a set of five bowls—a veritable steal.

What we didn’t like: Because they’re wide and shallow, these bowls weren’t the best at containing splatter when we made whipped cream with a hand mixer.

Key Specs

• Bowls in a set: 5
• Bowl capacities: 0.75, 1.5, 3, 5, and 8 quarts
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Care: Dishwasher-safe

The Best Mixing Bowls for Messy Jobs

All-Clad Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

$100 at Amazon $100 at Williams-Sonoma $100 at Sur La Table

What we liked: While the idea of handles on the sides of bowls seemed gimmicky, they were actually quite useful; they made pouring, and even just holding the bowl while whisking, easy. While this set had higher sides than the Vollrath bowls, they weren’t so high as to impede stirring or whisking. The bowls also emerged unscathed after dropping them on the floor five times. 

What we didn’t like: This three-piece set will set you back $100—it ain’t cheap. That said, this set felt extremely well-made and durable.

Key Specs 

• Bowls in a set: 3
• Bowl capacities: 1.5, 3, and 5 quarts
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Care: Dishwasher-safe; hand washing is recommended

The Best Mixing Bowls with Grippy Bottoms

Brabantia Matte Steel Mixing Bowl Set

$156 at Amazon $86 at Williams-Sonoma

What we liked: We quite liked the gently flared edges of this bowl set, which funneled mixtures out over the thin, rolled lip with little mess. The bowls were also lined on the bottom with a silicone grip, making them less likely to spin or slide around whilst whisking. 

What we didn’t like: The interior bottom of the bowls was ridged, which made them more difficult to scrape out and clean than bowls with smooth interiors. The set of three is also on the pricier side. 

Key Specs 

• Bowls in a set: 3
• Bowl capacities: 1.1, 1.6, and 3.2 quarts
• Materials: Stainless steel, silicone
• Care: Dishwasher-safe

The Competition 

• Cuisinart Mixing Bowl Set of 3 with Non-Slip base: While the higher sides prevented ingredients from flinging out, they also constricted motion. 
• Viking 10-Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set: This taller set made stirring and whisking feel cramped, and the big, flat rim made pouring messy. 
• OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl Set: This set was just too tall and cramped to whisk or stir organically. 
• Tramontina Covered Mixing Bowls Stainless Steel 14 Pc: While a set of 14 bowls might tempt, don’t be hoodwinked by the sheer number. It was almost too many bowls, and the smaller ones' utility was questionable; they were too small to whisk much of anything in. Plus, all the bowls featured flat, wide rims which made for messy pouring. 
• Tovolo 3-Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set: While the lids on this set snapped on nice and tight, we didn’t love how high and cramped the bowls were. And the hanging loops on the bowls’ sides just got in the way. 
• Winco Set of 6 Mixing Bowls: Like many other bowls, this set sported flat rims, making for messy pours.
• Williams Sonoma Stainless-Steel Nesting Mixing Bowls, Set of 5: While we liked the width and shallowness of these bowls, our winners edged them out with less messy pouring. 
• Joseph Joseph Nest Prep & Store Mixing Bowls: This set was actually a nice width and height, and it featured thin rims that made for less mess whilst pouring. But there was a downside: the bowls were oddly unstable, and during vigorous whisking felt like they might fling over. 
• WHYSKO Meal Prep Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set: If this set had curved, thin rims it would have made the winners list. As it was, the flat rims made for messy pouring. 

FAQs

Is metal or glass better for mixing bowls? What about plastic?

We at Serious Eats prefer metal mixing bowls for almost everything (the one caveat being microwaving, in which case glass wins out). Metal bowls are light, easy to nest and store, and are more durable than glass, which is prone to chipping. Plus, they’re often heat-safe, meaning you can use them over a pot of simmering water as a makeshift double boiler. We don’t love plastic bowls, since they can absorb ingredients, stain, and generally aren’t heat-safe. 

Can you use a dishwasher to clean metal mixing bowls?

All of the metal mixing bowls we tested were dishwasher-safe.

Why We're the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor for Serious Eats, where she's been testing gear for around two years.
• Prior to this, she tested equipment at America's Test Kitchen. She also worked as a prep cook and bartender.
• Grace tested 12 sets of mixing bowls by using them to make vinaigrette, boxed cake mix, and whipped cream. She also dropped the winning bowls on the ground five times to examine their durability and noted how easy the bowls were to clean up.