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Bowls – Important Kitchen Tools
Whether you’re just starting out in a new place and stocking your first kitchen or you’re ready to expand your kitchen equipment, it’s important to choose the right tools. And arguably, one of the most important tools to have in any kitchen are bowls. Although basic, there’s a lot of variety in bowls and it’s a good idea to have a selection of different types as certain techniques work better in different types of bowls.
So where do you start? This guide is a good start and will leave you with four types of bowls that will get you through most any part of your kitchen prep. Let’s jump in!
1. A Set of Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls – Mixing bowls are a given in any kitchen, but materials play a big part. Stainless steel bowls
are lightweight enough to be maneuverable. They stand up to daily use and don’t chip. And they don’t retain flavors or smells from past use like plastic mixing bowls can. Also, choose a few stainless steel bowls that can fit comfortably inside your saucepans without touching the bottom. This way, they can be multi-purpose and serve as a double boiler when needed. Get the kind that stack in each other to save space. Some even come with lids for those times when food needs to be transported.
2. Glass Bowls – Microwave bowls are a necessity if only for being able to use them in the microwave. Glass bowls
are good to have because they’re nonconductive and don’t soak up past flavors and smells. If you can, choose a tempered glass bowl, which is treated with a special process to make it shatter proof. Given that glass bowls are more prone to chipping, this is a useful quality to have. Plus, they are heat proof. Again, get a set that stacks in itself to save space. The bigger glass bowls are great for mixing anything from salads to doughs in. The small glass bowls are great for making vinaigrettes or other dressings. The very small bowls are perfect for collecting ingredients in before cooking starts. Heat proof glass bowls can also serve as a double boiler when needed.
3. Copper Bowls – It’s always a good idea to have one or two copper bowls
on hand. Aside from being classic and beautiful, they’re great for whipping egg whites because of their chemical reaction with copper ions. The downside? Copper bowls are expensive. The best idea is to buy a smaller one to keep around for specific cooking needs like the one we mentioned above.
4. Wood Bowl – Having a solid wooden bowl
is ideal for salads. Whereas with most other bowls for mixing and food prep, retaining odors and flavors from past cooking is a bad thing, this can actually work for you with a wooden bowl that’s used exclusively for salads. The wood soaks up ingredients and adds subsequent flavor to each salad made. Wooden bowls come in a variety of materials, but we like olive wood
, acacia, bamboo and cork – both for the way they look and hold up. As a note, it’s important to maintain these types of bowls as they can dry out over extended use. These bowls need to be hand washed, too. Sorry, no dishwasher!
This post was originally published on January 13, 2015. The information in this post was updated and the post re-published.
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And now, we want to know your thoughts. What are your go-to mixing bowls? Which brands and which materials are your favorite? Do you have separate bowls for different cooking techniques and foods?Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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