Which Is Better Mixing Bowl? – Plastic Vs. Glass Vs. Stainless Steel

Mixing bowls are an essential need in every kitchen. These bowls are useful in so many ways. Whether it is stirring ingredients, storing leftovers, measuring ingredients before using them, serving salad or another dish, or marinating food items for the grill, these bowls are multipurpose and versatile. Mixing bowls comes in a broad range of materials, sizes, designs, and prices.

Material is one of the most important things when it comes to buying a mixing bowl. Generally, these bowls come in three different materials, i.e., Stainless Steel, Glass, and Plastic. Each of these materials has its own pros and cons. To make the right selection of the mixing bowl, it requires a good understanding of each of them.

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Simply Gourmet 5-Piece Premium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

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Bestseller No. 1
Cuisinart Mixing Bowl Set, Stainless Steel, 3-Piece, CTG-00-SMB
  • 1-1/2-Quart, 3-Quart and 5-Quart sized bowls
  • High quality stainless steel
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Freezer safe
  • Refrigerator safe
SaleBestseller No. 2
WHYSKO Meal Prep Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (5-Piece Set) Home, Refrigerator, and Kitchen Food Storage Organizers | Ecofriendly, Heavy Duty, No Lids
  • Complete Mixing Bowls Set Ideal for meal prep, or making pancakes, our 5-piece nesting mixing bowls add convenience and versatility to your kitchen.
  • Stainless-Steel Craftsmanship These deep mixing bowls are BPA free, food-grade safe, rust and corrosion resistant, and feature a smooth steel design easy on utensils.
  • Nested Storage When not in use, these bowls nest inside one another to save cabinet space.
  • Dishwasher Safe and Easy to Clean The perfect choice for your healthy meal prep plans or regular daily dinners, simply put them in the dishwasher when your done.
SaleBestseller No. 3
Priority Chef Premium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls With Airtight Lids - Thick Metal Nesting Bowls for Kitchen, 1.5/2/3/4/5 Quart, Black
  • Premium Quality With Thicker Steel - This top rated set of mixing bowls is made using thicker than industry standard stainless steel that can last a lifetime, yet they still remain lightweight and easy to handle.
  • Non-Slip Silicone Base - Keep your bowl exactly where you want it to be no matter how passionately you mix with our non-toxic, non slip silicone bottom.
  • Mix And Measure In The Same Bowl - With this premium PriorityChef mixing bowl set, we have used etched measurements that double as measuring cups, making cooking and baking preparation a breeze. Sizes are 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 5 quart.
  • Tight Fitting BPA Free Lids - Keep your food fresh for longer with these quality tight fitting BPA free lids.
  • Dishwasher Safe - Save time with the clean up too, this premium mixing bowl set is also top rack dishwasher safe [wash lids by hand].

Pros of Stainless-Steel based mixing bowls

  • Stainless steel bowls are versatile, light in weight, and incredibly durable
  • They are made to be very strong to store heavy items easily into them. This also makes it quite simple and safe to pour things from them and move around with it.
  • Stainless-steel bowls add a classy and elegant look to your kitchen
  • Their less weight is very advantageous for the user. An absolutely large sized stainless-steel mixing bowl would not feel heavy to you like a glass bowl. This makes it easier to clean too.
  • These bowls are better for whisking milk cream or egg whites than plastic or glass bowls.
  • These bowls generally come in sets. This makes it easy to nest them for a perfect perfectly.
  • Their unbreakable property makes them the best for the use of children.
  • These multipurpose bowls also serve as cooking vessels to be kept on a double boiler (for melting chocolates etc.)

Drawbacks

Stainless steel bowls do not have a lot of disadvantages. Some of them being:

  • Stainless steel is not considered as the best conductor of heat among the other type of metals. This makes this bowl to get heated up faster than glass. The reverse is also true. On keeping this bowl on ice water, it gets cooled very quickly.
  • A stainless-steel mixing bowl is not appropriate for microwave use. As microwave is commonly used for preparing a wide range of dishes, this feature can be a big turn-off for stainless-steel fans.
  • These bowls can even end up with dings and dents after prolonged use. This will only happen when you are using them roughly, else they will state in the best condition forever.
  • You will find stainless steel bowls to be much lighter as compared to glass bowls. This makes them less stable especially when you are mixing something vigorously. This can make them displace from their position on the counter so you need to hold onto them while performing such operations.

Glass Mixing Bowl

Pyrex Smart Essentials 8-Piece Clear Mixing Bowls Set

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Bestseller No. 1
Pyrex Glass, 3-Piece, 3 PC Mixing Bowl Set
  • 3-PIECE: Set includes 1-qt, 1.5-qt, and 2.5-qt round glass bowls. This is the perfect set for all manners of prepping, baking and home entertainment.
  • EVERYDAY USE: High-quality tempered glass gives you a peace of mind when managing your food, resists stains and odors. Worry less about scrubbing hard to get rid of stains or any funny smells.
  • LOW MAINTENANCE: These glass bowls are freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe. No need to hold back when warming your food or storing your leftovers for tomorrow.
  • LIMITED WARRANTY: This item has a limited warranty.
  • A TRUSTED BRAND: Loved for generations, experienced cooks and beginners alike have reached for Pyrex brand glassware products, because they’re affordable, durable, and great for all their cooking, serving and storing needs.
Bestseller No. 2
Pyrex Sculpted 3-Pack Glass Mixing Bowls (1.3 QT, 2.3 QT, 4.5 QT) with BPA-Free Lids, Prepping and Baking Food Storage Set, Dishwasher, Microwave and Freezer Safe
  • 6-PIECE: Set includes 1.3-qt, 2.3-qt, and 4.5-qt round glass bowls with BPA Lids. This is the perfect set for all manners of prepping, baking, food storage and other home entertainment.
  • EVERYDAY USE: High-quality tempered glass gives you a peace of mind when managing your food, resists stains and odors. Worry less about scrubbing hard to get rid of stains or any funny smells.
  • NON-TOXIC LID: BPA-Free plastic lid is freezer, microwave, and top-rack dishwasher safe. No need to hold back when warming your food or storing your leftovers for tomorrow.
  • PERFECT LID FIT: Plastic lids are designed to securely keep your food fresh and tasty for longer. Too many leftovers? The Pyrex plastic lids keep a tight fit on your food while being easy to handle.
  • PYREX IS THE #1 BRAND OF GLASS BAKEWARE*: Loved for generations, experienced cooks and beginners alike have reached for Pyrex brand glassware products for all their cooking, serving and storing needs. Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, dollars and units, 12 ME December 2022
SaleBestseller No. 3
Pyrex Colors (3-Pack) Sculpted Tinted Unlidded Small/Medium/Large Glass Mixing Bowls, Nesting Space Saving Set of Bowls For Prepping and Baking, 1.3QT, 2.3QT & 4.5QT
  • 3-PACK (NO LIDS): Set includes 1.3-qt, 2.3-qt, and 4.5-qt round glass bowls. This is the perfect set for all manners of prepping, baking, food storage and other home entertainment.
  • PERFECT LID FIT: Plastic lids are designed to securely keep your food fresh and tasty for longer. Too many leftovers? The Pyrex plastic lids keep a tight fit on your food while being easy to handle.
  • NON-TOXIC LID: BPA-Free plastic lid is freezer, microwave, and top-rack dishwasher safe. No need to hold back when warming your food or storing your leftovers for tomorrow.
  • EVERYDAY USE: High-quality tempered glass gives you a peace of mind when managing your food, resists stains and odors. Worry less about scrubbing hard to get rid of stains or any funny smells.
  • PYREX IS THE #1 BRAND OF GLASS BAKEWARE*: Loved for generations, Pyrex brand glassware is the top brand for all your cooking, serving and storing needs. Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, dollars and units, 12 ME December 2022

Advantages of a Glass mixing bowl

  • Glass is nonreactive in nature that implies that it won’t react with chemicals that can change the texture,taste, and color of the food.
  • Glass is also microwaveable in nature. A few tempered glass mixing bowls are highly durable and are suited for the use in freezer and oven as well.
  • Tempered glass mixing bowls are engineered with specific types of materials, so cooling or heating them makes them more temperature-resistant and durable
  • You can get transparent glass mixing bowls in vibrant colors that accentuates the look of your kitchen
  • As glass bowls are transparent in nature, you can clearly see the amount of the ingredient and whether the ingredients have properly mixed or not.
  • Glass mixing bowls give an attractive and decorative touch to a place. You can keep them on your dining table to display fruits, or in the form of a serving vessel
  • As glass bowls have got slicker sides, the ingredients do not stick to its sides at the time of whisking.

Disadvantages

  • On dropping a glass bowl, it will break
  • Glass is sensitive to temperature changes, so if it is kept on higher temperature there are chances of breaking
  • Glass bowls are heavy! So, it can be difficult to hold on to it or transfer batter to any baking container.
  • Also, they are a big no for kids
  • Its slippery surface and their weight, can both make it a little tough to wash by hand.
  • They are comparatively pricier than other materials

Plastic Mixing Bowl

Gourmet Home Products 6-Pc Nested Polypropylene Mixing Bowl Set

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SaleBestseller No. 1
KitchenAid Universal Nesting Plastic Mixing Bowls, Set Of 3, 2.5 quart, 3.5 quart, 4.5 quart, Non Slip Base with Easy Pour Spout to Reduce Mess, Dishwasher Safe, Aqua Sky, White, Gray
  • SET OF 3 BOWLS: This set includes a 2-1/2 quart bowl, 3-1/2 quart bowl and a 4-1/2 quart bowl
  • NON-SLIP BASE: Never worry about the bowls slipping when mixing, these bowls feature non-slip bases that increase stability while mixing
  • ELIMATE THE MESS: Each bowl has a pour spout on each bowl, helping and reduce chance of spills when transferring mixes
  • EASY TO STORE: These bowls nest together when not in use for easy of storage
  • DISHWASHER SAFE: These mixing bowls are dishwasher safe for fast and easy clean up
SaleBestseller No. 2
GLAD Mixing Bowls with Pour Spout, Set of 3 | Nesting Design Saves Space | Non-Slip, BPA Free, Dishwasher Safe Plastic | Kitchen Cooking and Baking Supplies, White
  • 3 PIECE MIXING BOWL SET – These nesting mixing bowls include three different sizes for a variety of cooking and baking needs. Small plastic bowl holds 1.2 quarts, medium bowl holds 1.9 quarts, and large bowl holds 3.6 quarts.
  • LIGHTWEIGHT, FOOD SAFE, & NON-TOXIC – These 3 white plastic bowls are made of BPA-free, food-safe material. Mixing bowls are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup and safe for use in the freezer.
  • EMBEDDED POUR SPOUTS – Each bowl is designed with a pour spout on one end and a lip on the other end for easy handling. Perfect for trained chefs, bakers and beginners alike, these bowls make it easy to mix, stir and pour batters or sauces.
  • NESTED MIXING BOWLS – When not in use, just nest the 3 bowls together for easy storage and organization. The nesting design provides a space-saving convenience to free up extra room in the cupboard for other kitchen tools.
  • NON-SLIP & NON-STICKY – Each lightweight bowl is designed with a silicone base to prevent the bowl from skidding during mixing. Ingredients won’t stick to the non-stick plastic surface, making lengthy mixing less tiring.
Bestseller No. 3
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Plastic Mixing Bowl Set - Cadet Blue, Tower Gray, Jade, Small, Medium, Large
  • Set includes: 1.5-quart, 3-quart, and 5-quart sizes
  • Wide grip and spout for easy pouring
  • Non-slip base stabilizes bowl while mixing
  • Bowls nest for compact storage
  • Each handle features accent color

Advantages of a Plastic mixing bowl

A vast majority of households use plastic mixing bowls due to a variety of reasons. Let us see what are they:

  • A plastic bowl is light in weight that makes it easy to manage
  • It comes with easy-grip handles and non-slip bottoms prevent accidental slipping
  • These mixing bowls are dishwasher safe
  • You can get them with a lifetime warranty too
  • Superior quality plastics like Tupperware are made from food-grade color that makes them safe and hygienic to use.
  • Plastic bowls are the most inexpensive bowls among all the other materials used in manufacturing mixing bowls.
  • You can get them in various colors that not just add a decorative touch to your kitchen but also attracts kids
  • Plastic bowls come in versatile designs. You can get them in any shape as per your need.
  • As plastic bowls are unbreakable, it is best for kids to use or any kind of rough use. You can drop them several times, but they won’t break. The same thing does not go for glass bowls.
  • Cleaning them is easy without any dents
  • Some plastic bowls come with soft, and easy-grip handles ensure that the bowl sticks to one place rather than moving away at the time of whisking, tossing or stirring things.
  • The bowls are dishwasher safe, and stable.
  • They have a versatile design that is ideal for tossing, serving, and mixing ingredients.

Drawbacks

  • Plastic bowls have the tendency of picking up oil layer from use. This makes them dirty easily.
  • Not safe for the use in microwave
  • They do not provide good surfaces as while whisking egg whites,it can slip down to its sides
  • Plastic tends to attract grease due to its porous surface
  • A plastic mixing bowl is not temperature resistant, so you need to take care that it doesn’t come near to hot surfaces as it can melt or leach chemicals.
  • Plastic absorbs oils and strong odors that can give discomfort to the user

Conclusion

So, these are the common types of materials used in making mixing bowls, with their own share of advantages and drawbacks. In our opinion, stainless steel mixing bowls are the best choice for every household. They are sturdy, durable, hygienic, and gives a rich look to your kitchen. Though they are a little pricier than the other two, their long-lasting nature will compensate for the present expense in the future.

Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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  1. Emmanuel

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