If you’re short on space, nesting bowls (with or without other utensils), are a great solution, but only if you will actually use them. Some of the bowls on our list were massive, so you might need to opt for a smaller one for practical reasons.
Read on to discover which bowls are best. For over 400 buyer’s guides, visit our product reviews section and find reviews of the best food processors, best stand mixers, best cake tins and much more.
Best mixing bowls for students
Off to university soon? We’ve selected some of the best mixing bowls to add your uni kitchen packing list, tried and tested by the BBC Good Food reviews team.
For more tips on what to take to university, check out our guide to the best uni kitchen essentials and discover our collection of student recipes.
Best mixing bowls at a glance
- Best value set: FineDine mixing bowls set, £20.34
- Best mixing bowl design: Mason Cash innovative kitchen mixing bowl, £23.99
- Best budget mixing bowl: Tabberas mixing bowl, £5
- Most stylish mixing bowl: Cornishware Cornish standard mixing bowl, £60
- Best traditional mixing bowl: Tala mixing bowl, £30
- Most innovative mixing bowl: Joseph Joseph Nest 9 Plus, £60
- Best mixing bowl for batch baking and big cakes: Rosle stainless steel mixing bowl, £54
- Best stainless steel set of mixing bowls: ProCook stainless steel mixing bowl set, £34
- Most practical and stylish set of mixing bowls: Designpro mixing bowl set, £29
- Best all-rounder mixing bowl: ProCook glass mixing bowl with lid, £15
The best mixing bowls to buy in 2023
FineDine mixing bowls set
Best value set
Pros:
- Versatile
- Durable
- Drip-free pouring
- Stackable
- Variety of sizes
Cons:
These mixing bowls come in five sizes, covering all your cooking and baking needs, from making dough to mixing salads and marinating meat.
Crafted from stainless steel, these bowls won’t chip, break, or warp like glass or plastic alternatives, ensuring they maintain their quality and appearance over time.
All five stainless steel mixing bowls feature wide rims that enable drip-free pouring and provide a solid grip, and the flat base ensures stability during use.
These bowls are dishwasher-safe, making cleanup a breeze. They are also stackable and nest together seamlessly, preventing clutter in your cupboard and keeping your kitchen organised.
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Mason Cash innovative kitchen mixing bowl
Best mixing bowl design
Pros:
- Dishwasher-proof
- Microwave-proof
- Tilts on side for mixing
Cons:
- Stoneware is heavy and more prone to chipping
Heavy, solid and sturdy, this 29cm bowl is perfect for large families, or anyone making big cakes on a regular basis.
What makes this one particularly clever is that you can tilt it on its side on the worktop to get extra air in it while mixing (note to self: don’t do this until the eggs are mixed in!). The tilting also really helps when scraping cake mixture out.
This one is microwave-proof, however make sure to measure your microwave first as the bowl is so large it may not fit through the door.
It also goes in the dishwasher, but it washes easily by hand.
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TABBERAS mixing bowl with lid
Best budget mixing bowl
Pros:
- Whisk-friendly lid
- Non-slip base
- Easy pouring
- Microwave and freezer-safe
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons:
- Lid not fixed in place, so carry from the bottom to avoid spillage
This mixing bowl is part of the TABBERAS collection, designed to make kitchen work more enjoyable for adults and children. Whether you’re cooking, jamming, juicing, preserving or managing leftovers to reduce food waste, this collection adds an element of fun and functionality to your kitchen activities.
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The lid features an opening with room for a whisk, effectively reducing splatter when whisking, ensuring a cleaner and more efficient cooking process. It also allows the bowl to double as a storage container, promoting versatility and minimising the need for extra containers.
A spout on the bowl makes it easy to pour liquids without mess, ensuring precision and tidiness in your kitchen tasks.
This bowl is safe for use in the microwave, providing flexibility for heating or reheating your dishes, and you can safely store food in the freezer using this bowl, helping you preserve your meals for later consumption.
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Cornishware Cornish standard mixing bowl
Most stylish mixing bowl
Pros:
- Dishwasher- and microwave-safe
- 3.5-litre capacity
Cons:
Too good-looking to hide in a cupboard, this medium mixing bowl could easily double up as a fruit bowl or anything else.
There is a small but useful handle on either side (well, more of a thick edge). It’s also available in yellow and red, and there’s a pudding basin available in three colours, too.
This is weightier than stainless steel bowls, but lighter than some of the other ceramic ones, so it’s a good compromise if you want something more solid but not too heavy. The shallow sides make it easy to scrape mixture down.
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Tala mixing bowl
Best traditional mixing bowl
Pros:
- High-quality stoneware
- Beautiful floral patterning
- Generous 5l capacity
- Microwave-, dishwasher- and freezer-safe
- Oven safe to 220C
Cons:
- Not ideal for specific dietary needs as stoneware can retain odors and flavours from previous uses
This traditional stoneware bowl is a whopper; the sides are a perfect size: tall enough to stop ingredients like cocoa powder flying out of the bowl when mixing on a high speed while low enough to ensure your hand mixer can still drip over the sides.
The Tala bowl is everything-proof, including freezer, and, unusually, the oven (up to 220C). It can also go in the microwave, which can be useful for tasks like softening butter, or reheating if you’ve used it as a storage bowl. However, measure your microwave first, as it might be too large to fit.
With an embossed design, it scores highly for looks, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything sturdier – though this means it’s quite heavy to lift with one hand.
It’s the kind of bowl you can imagine being handed from parent to child with much reminiscing about what it’s been used to make.
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Joseph Joseph Nest 9 Plus
Most innovative mixing bowl
Pros:
- Efficient space-saving design
- Comprehensive food-prep set
- Variety of sizes
- Measurements inside the bowls (metric and imperial)
- Pouring spout
- Dishwasher-safe and BPA-free
Cons:
This is several kitchen essentials in one, and is ideal for small kitchens or to give to a student leaving home for the first time. There are two bowls, a colander and sieve, as well as measuring cups and spoons. It all stacks neatly together, including the measuring spoons, so will take up minimal space, and it’s lightweight, too.
The bowls have handles to grip, and non-slip bottoms. The largest is a roomy 4.5 litres, and it’s well designed – it isn’t too tall, despite its size, so the beaters from our hand mixer can be left to drip into it while fetching the next ingredient.
We also like the flat bottoms on the measuring cups that mean they can sit unaided on the worktop, leaving an extra hand free. The smallest measuring spoon has markings for both teaspoons and tablespoons.
The smaller bowl is 0.5 litres, and is good for tasks like making a sauce. It has interior measurements, too. The colander and sieve are good quality, with handles at the side.
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Rosle stainless steel mixing bowl
Best mixing bowl for batch baking and big cakes
Pros:
- Durable
- Easy to clean
- Generous capacity
- Pouring rim
- 2-year warranty
Cons:
This Rosle stainless steel mixing bowl is crafted from the finest materials, such as 18/10 stainless steel, ensuring durability and a long lifetime of use. Its stainless steel construction makes cleaning easy, even after tough mixing or cooking jobs.
It’s also dishwasher-safe, adding to its convenience.
The bowl is highly resistant to heat, allowing you to use it for various cooking techniques without worry. Thanks to its stainless steel composition, it is also highly rust-resistant, ensuring it maintains its pristine appearance over time.
With an 8-litre capacity, this bowl can handle large quantities of ingredients, making it suitable for preparing meals for a crowd or large cakes for celebrations.
The bowl is equipped with a pouring rim, helping the easy and mess-free transfer of liquids.
You can purchase a stay-fresh silicone and glass lid separately, further enhancing the bowl’s versatility for storage and transport.
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ProCook stainless steel mixing bowl set
Best stainless steel set of mixing bowls
Pros:
- Variety of sizes
- Space-saving design
- Durable
- Internal measurements
- Non-slip base
- Individual purchase option
- 1-year warranty
Cons:
- Smallest bowl isn’t very small
This set offers three capacities (2, 3 and 6 litres), catering to various cooking and baking tasks, from mixing cake ingredients to marinating meat.
The bowls nest neatly together for convenient storage, helping you save space in your kitchen.
Crafted from durable stainless steel, these bowls are built to last, ensuring they can handle the rigours of everyday cooking. Each lightweight bowl has handy internal measurements, making it easier to follow recipes accurately.
The non-slip silicone base ensures that the bowl stays securely in place during mixing, providing stability and safety.
If you need additional bowls or want to replace one, these stainless steel mixing bowls are available for individual purchase, providing flexibility.
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Designpro mixing bowl set
Most practical and stylish set of mixing bowls
Pros:
- Stylish and practical
- Variety of sizes
- Space-saving design
- Durable plastic
- Pouring lip
- Side handle
- Non-slip base
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons:
- Some might find the muted colour palette unappealing
These mixing bowls from the Designpro range seamlessly blend practicality with style, making them a great addition to any kitchen. The set includes three bowls with capacities of 1.5L, 3L, and 4L, offering versatility for various cooking and baking tasks.
The bowls nest neatly within each other, ensuring efficient storage and helping you save space in your kitchen. Made from durable plastic, these lightweight bowls are designed to withstand everyday use while remaining easy to handle.
Each bowl has a pouring lip, making it convenient to pour liquids without spillage. Adding a side handle provides a secure and comfortable grip for easy handling. The non-slip silicone base ensures that the bowl stays securely in place during mixing, enhancing stability and safety.
These bowls are dishwasher-safe, simplifying the cleaning process and saving time.
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ProCook glass mixing bowl with lid
Best all-rounder mixing bowl
Pros:
- Versatile
- Convenient lid
- Microwave-, freezer- and oven-safe
- Dishwasher-safe
- 10-year guarantee
Cons:
This glass mixing bowl with a lid serves a dual purpose, making it perfect for food preparation and storage, reducing the need for additional containers.
They are made from high-quality borosilicate glass, known for its exceptional resistance against heat, stains, and scratches, ensuring long-lasting durability and maintaining its pristine appearance.
The lid makes it easy to keep food fresh when stored in the fridge or freezer and allows hassle-free microwave reheating. These glass mixing bowls are microwave and freezer-safe, providing flexibility in preparing and storing food. They are also oven-safe up to 300C, adding versatility to your cooking options.
The high-quality materials and construction ensure that these bowls will look as good as new for many years, providing excellent value for your investment; confidence in this promise is shown through ProCook’s 10-year guarantee.
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What to consider when buying a mixing bowl
Versatility Is the bowl dishwasher-safe? Does it offer extra features, for example, a pouring lip, handle and lid? Is it also safe for the microwave, freezer and oven?
Sturdiness vs weight We have two criteria: lightweight, but non-slip or heavy-based.
Durability Does the bowl mark easily? Can it withstand kitchen knocks?
Capacity The bowl has to be big enough for standard kitchen tasks, such as making a cake. High sides are a plus.
Ease of storage We opt for stackable bowls, and ones without an excessive footprint.
Easy washing Mixing bowls are inevitably messy, so it needs to wash up well and go in the dishwasher.
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