I’m looking for a set of good quality, deep, nesting, stainless steel mixing bowls, a set that has small bowls good for mise en place plus bigger mixing bowls. Does anybody own a set they love and recommend that has withstood the test of time and brute force?

I started off with a great heavy set of bowls by Wolfgang Puck (5 bowls from very small to very large)... they were wonderful, but very heavy and hard to get in and out of the lower cabinet whit one hand.  So I recently purchased a cheap-o set of stainless nesting bowls at TJ Maxx… I think the set was like $10, they are very light weight and sound kind of “tin like”, but they are much easier on the wrist when I lift the stack. 

Additionally, the WP set is more wide than deep, but the cheap-o set is more deep than wide.  Also, the WP set has a fairly wide “lip” on each bowl, making the stack a little difficult to reach in and grab whichever size you want.

If you belong to Costco, check them out.  I’ve bought two sets of stainless steel bowls from them and they’ve held up wonderfully.  Over te past few years, I’ve still seen the same set of bowls there.  The bowls are deeper than they are wide, but I personally like that.  One of the sets even has plastic covers which are great when you’re preparing something ahead of time.

Hi Kim,

I just went to Costco to see if they had any, and all they had were a set of 3 Oxo skid proof bowls. I don’t like all the bells and whistles. I hope they come back with this set you’re talking about.

I bought this set about 5 years ago and I have grown to love them. Great shape, great handles, great finish and perfect weight. Pricey? Yeah but it is a lifetime investment.

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=80999&CategoryID=7687

Hi Gene,

Those are beautiful bowls. I found some really nice ones at Crate and Barrel that are so similar to those, with the added bonus of having a pour spout, and significantly lower price. They might be comparable.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=670&f=3720

And then these ones look like an awesome deal for the price:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=279385&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

I am one of those buy American guys but the crate and barrel bowls would be tempting. I would advise viewing the tools of the trade bowls in person if possible. I have seen other t o t stuff that didn’t look very good close up.

I forgot to mention that the other great feature of the handle is that with a properly sized sauce pan they work very well as a double boiler. You can hang the mixing bowl from the side of a sauce pan by its handle. Less expensive handles may not be robust enough to withstand this maneuver. Also when whipping cream the nesting leaves just enough room for ice cubes.

I actually just went and bought the tools of the trade set. They’re definitely decent and a good value. They’re not deep, but they’re not shallow either. And the metal is sturdy enough that it’s not flimsy.

But I’ve decided to get the crate and barrel bowls, too. They’re so yummy looking I can’t resist. Not to mention that my friend can get me 30% off.

You can see most bowls I have on this picture:  http://www.hectorwong.com/roselevy/Bowls.html

From left to right and from top to bottom, the first set is a 4 piece nesting bowl made of easy to clean plastic I found in Italy.  I love these bowls because they are yellow and have a fun edge.  It is the bowl I use a lot when mixing salads or for snacking.

Then, you can see the largest of my standard 3 piece stainless steel bowl set is from Crate and Barrel, around $40.  They are completely sturdy but lightweight.  Shape is plain round, no handles.  I don’t like handles nor spouts because they get in the way when wrapping with film.  If I want something with a handle, I use my KA mixer bowls (not pictured), which I call my ultimate handled bowls.

In addition I have a set of 10 glass nesting bowls, Duralex.  I used to have 3 sets, but a recent move made me garage sale a few.  Pictures is one of the mid sizes.

My workhorse bowls are made by Amco, I have a couple of the 12 qt ones (pictured with my 15.3 cup IMBC grand marnier), and a couple of the 8 qt ones.

And ultimately, every soup/rice/cereal bowl l have doubles are smaller work bowls.  I have the two sizes from Crate and Barrel Cafeware II, about 3 dozen each.  These are the ones I reach for the most.

The next bowls I would by would be the Pourfect Bowls from Randy Kass.

Hi Roddy

I’m glad you found bowls that you liked.  I actually just went to Costco yesterday and mine didn’t have any stainless steel bowls.  Everyone’s suggestions sound good, and as I’m always finind myself needing more bowls, I’ll have to look into some of them.  The crate and barrel bowls look like such a good deal, I may have to buy myself a set.

Hector,

I’m getting the glass bowls from crate and barrel. I’m not sure they’re as wonderful as your Duralex, though: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=670&f=23025.

Now that you’ve mentioned about the spout and handle not being to your liking, I’ll have to think about that.

By the way, the color of your kitchenaid is delicious.

Oh and about Randy’s bowls, you should get them now because he has a mother’s day special on a set of 2 bowls, beaker, and the measuring spoons all for just 19.99. I just ordered it.

Kim,

Costco.com has bowls by Gourmet Standard online plus free shipping:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11242873&search=mixing bowl&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=mixing bowl&Ntt=mixing bowl&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav;=&s=1

I actually went and looked at them at Bed Bath and Beyond, and they’re really beautiful bowls. Deep and heavy duty. What I love about them are the nice fitting lids. I like the idea of not having to use saran wrap all the time (more waste for the landfills).

I don’t know what it is about me and bowls. I just want them all! Where I’d put them all, I don’t know!