The 9 Best Mixing Bowls of 2024

Best Overall

OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set

$58 at Amazon $60 at Crate & Barrel

Perfect for everyday kitchen tasks or using a hand mixer to make a batch of whipped cream, this OXO Good Grips set earned our top spot in side-by-side testing. These bowls have a stainless steel interior and a plastic exterior with a nonskid base, providing insulation against heat or cold so you can work with hot or chilly foods while keeping your hands comfortable. That insulation also made these bowls ideal for holding rising bread dough during testing, since the dough stayed at a more constant temperature, even in our tester's drafty kitchen.

Thanks to the rubber bottom and the slightly heavier weight, these stay very stable on the counter. The nonskid base on each bowl keeps them from sliding around on your counter while you’re mixing and prevents the marks you can get from stainless steel bowls sliding on your countertops.

The stainless steel interior won’t stain or absorb odors, so you can use these for marinating your favorite curry today and mixing a delicate salad dressing tomorrow. When we made whipped cream, the tall sides of the bowls kept the splashing completely inside. Unfortunately, these bowls aren't microwave-safe. They may also take up a little extra space in your cabinets due to the thickness of the double wall when nested with other bowls, but fit snugly into each other when nested on their own.

Material: Stainless steel, plastic | Number of Bowls: 3 | Lids: No | Sizes in Set: 1.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 5 quarts

Best for Hand Mixers

OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set

$28 at Amazon $28 at Target View on Webstaurantstore.com

This 3-piece set of bowls welcomes your hand mixer, with deep sides that minimize splashing and a handle on each bowl that’s easy to hang onto with one hand while you’re using the mixer with the other hand. The bowls are made from durable plastic that won’t crack or break with normal use, and they feature a rubbery bottom that won’t slide on your kitchen counter. We noticed that the lightweight plastic makes the bowls easy to lift while scraping and emptying as well.

When it came to moving cake batter from bowl to pan during testing, we found that it was easy to grab the handle and pour from the pour spout. That spout would also be handy for draining excess liquid after marinating and macerating. They're also microwave-safe, making them ideal for both light cooking and mixing tasks. The white can stain with certain foods like tomato sauces and the like, but that isn't a dealbreaker for us. While these probably won’t grace your table for fancy parties, they’re super sturdy, so they’re great for outdoor use or movie and popcorn night.

Material: Plastic | Number of Bowls: 3 | Lids: No | Sizes in Set: 1.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 5 quarts

Best Metal

FineDine Premium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

Orig. $59 $22 at Amazon Orig. $34 $30 at Walmart

You’ll always have the size you need with this set of six stainless steel mixing bowls since they range from 0.75-cup all the way up to 8 quarts. The smallest bowls can be used for prep work or for holding dips and sauces, while the largest will hold your largest batches of cake batter, super-sized salads, or bread dough for a crowd. The wide, somewhat shallow shape is good for hand-whisking, whether you’re whipping cream or emulsifying a salad dressing, and for those who like creating a show, salad can be tossed.

Since these are made from stainless steel, you can use them as a double-boiler on top of a saucepan of simmering water to melt delicate chocolate or cook a custard. They won’t stain, rust, or retain odors, and are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. In testing, they performed well while whipping cream, but we recommend using a slightly larger bowl than you think you'll need since the sides of these bowls are shallower.

The one downside—true of any stainless steel bowls—is that they can leave marks on some surfaces when they’re moved around. That was easy to clean off counters and a minor inconvenience compared to the usefulness of the bowls. While they’re not as decorative as the serving bowls you use on holidays, they’re great for picnics, barbecues, and outdoor dining since they’re unbreakable, and the larger sizes are heavy enough not to blow away in the wind.

Material: Stainless steel | Number of Bowls: 6 | Lids: No | Sizes in Set: 0.75 quart, 1.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 4 quarts, 5 quarts, 8 quarts

Best Glass

Pyrex 8-Piece Glass Mixing Bowl Set

$38 at Amazon $27 at Walmart

These glass bowls have a retro-modern look, with attractive ridges that add a bit of design. They are practical as well because you can tell the difference between the salad and the leftover pasta in the refrigerator. These bowls are attractive enough for serving, no matter what’s on the menu. The lids—each one a different color—make them even more useful since they make storage easy in the refrigerator or on the counter to hold snacks.

In testing, we liked the way the lids snapped on securely and came off just as smoothly. The bowls nest easily, too, for consolidated storage with lids stacked on top or below the bowls. These felt sturdy while mixing due to the thicker and heavier tempered glass. While the additional weight makes these bowls stable during mixing, they're also heavier to handle than their plastic and stainless steel counterparts when full of batter or denser foods.

It's important to note that since these bowls are glass, they are potentially breakable if dropped on a hard surface or struck too hard with a hand mixer. If you're nervous about potentially breaking the bowls while mixing, it's best to use them for salads, sauces, and batter that you're mixing by hand. Still, they’re sturdy enough for everyday use in the kitchen and on the table.

Material: Glass bowls, plastic lids | Number of Bowls: 4 | Lids: Yes | Sizes in Set: 3 cups, 6 cups, 10 cups, 4.5 quarts

Best Budget

Nordic Ware 4-Piece Prep N Serve Mixing Bowl Set

$40 at Amazon $35 at Walmart

This 4-piece bowl set will add festive color to your kitchen, and the ​wide-ribbed exterior adds a decorative touch, so the bowls will also look great for serving snacks on movie night or for very casual family dinners. Made from sturdy plastic, they’d be great for outdoor serving or anywhere breakable bowls wouldn’t be welcome. In testing, they handled mixing, beating, and serving well, and the plastic was less noisy than metal bowls when used with metal utensils.

During testing, it was easy to pick up bowls filled with batter and easily pour out the contents without feeling like we were getting a workout. We were a bit skeptical about the quality of the plastic before testing but they feel sturdier than they initially look. The various sizes are great for large and small mixing tasks, whether you’re whisking salad dressing in the small bowl or tossing a salad in the large one. When it’s time to reheat leftovers or melt chocolate for a recipe, these are safe for use in the microwave.

Material: Plastic | Number of Bowls: 4 | Lids: No | Sizes in Set: 2 quarts, 3.5 quarts, 5 quarts, 7 quarts

Best with Lids

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids

Orig. $40 $30 at Amazon $40 at Target $40 at Wayfair

When you’re making cookie dough that needs to be refrigerated before baking, these are the bowls you should reach for because each has its own lid. Made from stainless steel, they won’t discolor or absorb odors, so they're useful for marinating your famous spicy chicken and for storing leftovers in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Since the bowls are stainless steel, you can also use them over a double boiler on the stovetop or in the oven. (Note: these are also offered with painted red and white finishes, which may not be heat-resistant.)

We found the tall shape makes it pretty easy to scoop things out and keeps liquids from flying out of the bowl when using a hand mixer. Food didn't want to climb out of the sides like it can with wider bowls. These are the perfect shape for more active mixing projects, so much so that we'd consider buying two sets.

Rather than fitting over the top of the bowl, the lids push down into them, so you sacrifice a bit of space to make room for the lids. However, this also gives a nice, wide, flat top surface when loading the bowls and stacking them.

Material: Stainless steel | Number of Bowls: 3 | Lids: Yes | Sizes in Set: 1.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 5 quarts

Best with Attachment Lids

Belwares Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids and Graters

$30 at Amazon $40 at Wayfair $60 at Macy's

This stainless steel and rubber mixing bowl set aims to cut down on the number of tools you need to tackle your next cooking or baking project. Each lid has a removable insert where any one of the three attachments easily fits into place. Attachments include a slicer, grater, and shredder. Additionally, each bowl has liquid measurements printed on the inside for quick mixing without a liquid measuring cup, but we found that the marks were often difficult to read. A small spout opposite the handled side of the bowl worked well for pouring sauces and batters. 

During testing, the slicing and grating inserts were good but not great. They're handy for a small kitchen with little storage space, but picky cooks would likely prefer sharper blades. The center plastic inserts were easy to remove but perhaps too easy. If they're used for storage, that could be an issue, since the metal slicing inserts were much more snug-fitting.

The nonporous brushed stainless steel bowls have rubber bases to prevent slipping while mixing denser ingredients. There are also rubber handles for a nonslip grip and for some minimal insulation from warmer ingredients. The handles are nice when using the bowls, but they make nesting a bit fiddly.

A larger 5-bowl set is also available with an additional 2-quart and 4-quart bowl. The larger set also includes attachment lids, but does not come equipped with handles.

Material: Stainless steel, rubber | Number of Bowls: 3 | Lids: Yes | Sizes in Set: 1.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 5 quarts

Best Eco-Friendly

Chef Craft Eco Mixing Bowl Set, 6-Piece

Orig. $37 $34 at Amazon $42 at Wayfair

If the idea of adding more plastics to your kitchen doesn’t sit quite right with you, consider investing in these bamboo-based mixing bowls. The 6-piece set by Chef Craft is made primarily from highly renewable bamboo fiber. Not only are they crafted from conveniently renewable resources, but they are also far more biodegradable than other mixing bowls on the market.

They performed exceptionally well in testing, too. The bowls felt sturdy and weren’t as noisy as metal bowls are when using metal utensils. During testing, the bowls were wide enough to comfortably scoop cookie dough out of, but not so wide that splashes were unavoidable. They were also surprisingly stable, without sliding across the counter when whipping and mixing.

The bowls have a clean and attractive look that is fit for serving in a casual setting, whether it's a salad for dinner or a bowl of popcorn for movie night. In addition to a smaller landfill footprint, these bowls are dishwasher safe and are available in three colors—the natural color bowls are also free of any dyes. Unfortunately, they are not microwave or oven-safe.

Material: Bamboo, melamine | Number of Bowls: 6 | Lids: No | Sizes in Set: 0.25 quart, 0.5 quart, 1 quart, 2 quarts, 3 quarts, 4.5 quarts

Best for Serving

Bamboozle Mixing Bowls

$60 at Amazon $60 at Food52 View on Bamboozlehome.com

With a name like Bamboozle, you can guess what these bowls are made from. Along with 70 percent bamboo, they also include 15 percent each of cornstarch and melamine, making them durable enough for the dishwasher but biodegradable when they’re eventually properly disposed of.

We appreciated the deep shape—similar to a stand mixer bowl—that keeps ingredients in the bottom of the bowl rather than splashing out the sides. Since these are taller and less wide, they're good for mixing wet things with an electric hand mixer, but they're still wide enough to dig in with a spatula.

Having a set of bowls like this on hand is ideal when making recipes that require scaling out a large number of ingredients to combine over multiple steps. We like the smallest sizes for mise en place when prepping ingredients as well as for serving dips and sauces. The larger bowls are great for mixing and serving.

We also like the attractive colors. We tested the pastel set, but there are two other color palette choices as well to fit anyone’s kitchen décor. The only bummer is that they aren't microwave-safe.

Material: Bamboo, cornstarch, melamine | Number of Bowls: 7 | Lids: No | Sizes in Set: 1 cup, 2 cups, 3 cups, 2.5 quarts, 3 quarts, 3.5 quarts, 4 quarts