The Best Mixing Bowls of 2024

Written by Lindsay D. Mattison, Professional chef, recipe developer, and product tester with years of experience in home and restaurant kitchens.

Updated October 21, 2021

If you want to gain a real appreciation for mixing bowls, try cooking and baking in a rental vacation home. Not too long ago, I found myself preparing dinner for a crowd in one such kitchen. My mixing bowl slipped and slid around on the counter as I whisked up a vinaigrette, sloshing the salad dressing all over the counter in the process. As I yearned for my home kitchen setup, I realized that a good set of mixing bowls–like our favorite Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (available at Amazon for $39.99) –are often taken for granted.

To find our top pick, we narrowed down our criteria to look for mixing bowl sets that nested for easy storage. Then, we looked at sizing—smaller bowls are perfect for whisking up dressings and scrambling eggs, but you also need medium and large bowls (for preparing cakes, mixing batters, and holding marinating ingredients). Finally, we threw out ceramic and plastic options (the former are heavy and chip easily, and the latter can warp from heat and tend to absorb odors) and narrowed down our selection to microwave-safe glass bowls and lightweight stainless-steel bowls.

After we had the products in hand, we set about whisking, mixing, and melting until we found a few sets that fit all our specifications.

Here are the best mixing bowls we tested ranked, in order:

1. Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids, Set of 3
2. Pyrex Smart Essentials Glass Bowl Set, 8-Piece
3. Fox Run Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (purchased individually)
4. Finedine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
5. Duralex Lys Stackable Glass Bowl Set, 10-Piece
6. Vollrath Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (purchased individually)
7. Tramontina ProLine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, 3-Pack
8. Anchor Hocking Glass Mixing Bowls, 4-Piece

   

How We Tested Mixing Bowls

The Tester

Hi, I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef. You know that I’ve cooked a dinner in your home if all of your bowls are dirty! I find myself using mixing bowls for all kinds of uses, from storing chopped ingredients for mise en place to mixing together sauces and marinades. I've learned the hard way that my job as a chef is more difficult without a good set of mixing bowls, so I'm determined to find the best of the best to make your life easier.

The Tests

We chose eight bowls–five stainless-steel sets and three glass models. In addition to mixing, stirring, and combining ingredients, we looked for an all-purpose bowl that could be used as a double boiler. It earned bonus points if it was nice enough to use as a serving dish or could be used as storage. Our tests were designed to assess size and shape, stability, and whether it was comfortable and easy to use.

Mixing bowls come in a variety of sizes and shapes, so we looked at sets that had at least three bowls. We whisked vinaigrette in the small 1- to 1.5-quart bowl, prepared pancake batter in the medium 2.5- or 3-quart bowl, and tossed salad in the large 4- or 5-quart bowl. We wanted gentle, sloping sides that were deep enough to prevent splashes but shallow enough to make it easy to mix and fold in ingredients.

Next up, we needed each bowl to have stability without compromising weight. Bowls that are super heavy (like ceramic bowls) may stay put, but they’re uncomfortable to hold and clean. We whisked up marinades three different ways–as we held the side of the bowl, placed it on a towel, and let it sit directly on the countertop–to see if the bowl moved around or tipped over during the mixing process.

Finally, the bowl had to be comfortable and easy to use. It should be lightweight enough to clean and scrape out batter without hurting your wrists. It's also nice if it has a rim to help you hold the bowl, both as you whisk and as you pour.

Other Mixing Bowls We Tested

Fox Run 4.25-Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Sometimes, you don’t want an entire set of bowls–that’s where Fox Run comes in handy. Each stainless-steel bowl is affordably priced, so you can fill in your collection or focus on buying the sizes you want. These bowls were amongst the lightest we tested, so they did tend to slip around a bit more when whisking hands-off. That being said, their deep shape made them well suited for mixing and that same lightweight profile made them one of our favorite to use when pouring and scraping. When stacked, these nesting bowls took up the least amount of storage space compared to the competition, too.

To make our set, we tested a large 4.25-quart , a medium 2.75-quart , and a small 1.25-quart bowl.

Pros

• Super lightweight

• Small footprint when nesting

• Can mix-and-match sizes

Cons

• Lacks sturdiness with hands-off whisking

$11.99 from Amazon

Finedine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (Set of 6)

The Finedine fell right smack in the middle of the pack. This super-lightweight stainless-steel set performed well on our whisking and pouring tasks, but the very wide design caused the ingredients to splash around more than we’d like. It looked a little bit cheaper than the other bowls (an assessment we confirmed when we saw some small but permanent scratches from the whisk). On the plus side: for the same price as some of its competitors, you’ll get six bowls of varying sizes—just make sure you have somewhere to store the super-wide 8-quart bowl.

Pros

• Super lightweight

• Includes extra wide 8-quart bowl

Cons

• Scratches easily

• Shape can lead to some splashing

Buy now at Amazon

Duralex Le Gigogne Stackable Bowl Set, Set Of 10

If you’re looking for a starter mixing bowl set that can also double as serving ware, the Duralex Lys Stackable Glass Bowl Set is the way to go. It was the lightest of all three glass sets we tested, but it stayed put as we whisked and mixed. Because the bowls are short and wide, there was a lot more splashing with these bowls, and we disliked that they didn’t have a rim (making it difficult to pour out the contents). On the other hand, each bowl is etched with a lined pattern on the outside and they can become a beautiful showpiece on the dinner table. Since there are 10 sizes in the set, you'll also get five bowls that I consider small enough to use for mise en place.

Pros

• Lightweight for glass

• Good for mixing and serving

• Smallest bowls for mise en place

Cons

• Shape can lead to some splashing

• Rimless

$49.95 from Amazon

Vollrath 47935 Mixing Bowl

Like the Fox Run, you can buy each of the Vollrath stainless-steel mixing bowls individually, allowing you to build a set with exactly the sizes you need. These bowls remind me of the very inexpensive ones we use at a restaurant–wide and lightweight enough to allow you to toss ingredients without needing a utensil. They did a fine job on our tests, but as compared to the other models, these wouldn’t be my top choice for the home cook–they don’t stay put when you mix and they discolor and scratch easily.

To make our set, we tested a large 5-quart , a medium 3-quart , and a small 1.5-quart bowl.

Pros

• Can mix-and-match sizes

• Wide and lightweight

• Similar to restaurant-grade mixing bowls

Cons

• Scratch easily

• Not adequately sturdy for home use

Buy now at Amazon

Tramontina ProLine 3-Pack Mixing Bowls

Of all the bowls we tested, the Tramontina ProLine are the biggest and hardest to store. The stainless steel bowls skip the traditional 1.5- or 2-quart small mixing bowl and instead give you a 3- , 5- , and 8-quart bowl. That’s great if you are mixing up a ton of batter or bread, but we felt like it was overkill to whisk two eggs in the "small" bowl. They were heavy enough to prevent movement as you whisk and the tall edges prevented splashing, but none of them were sized right for use as a double boiler. Ultimately, we found them too large and heavy to be functional.

Pros

• Sturdy

Cons

• No small bowls included

• Heavy

$58.15 from Amazon

Anchor Hocking 4-Piece Mixing Bowls and Measuring Cup Set

The very heavy Anchor Hocking tempered glass mixing bowls just missed the mark for us. They didn’t quite fit into the saucepan to be used as a double boiler, and they were too heavy for everyday use. Between the weight and the lack of a rim, it was extremely difficult to hold the bowl in one hand and scrape out batter with the other. All in all, I'd rather use any other bowls than these.

Pros

• Includes measuring cup

Cons

• Too heavy

• No lip

• Don't fit standard pots for double boilers

More Articles You Might Enjoy

• The Best Whisks
• The Best Hand Mixers
• The Best Measuring Cups and Spoons
• The Best Oven Mitts