Last Updated on January 10, 2024 by Amanda P. Brown
Bowls play a very important role as an aesthetic and versatile tool in your kitchen appearance. And these vessels come in different forms in the changing course of primitive culture. As such, there are different types of bowl shapes based on their size, shape, and capacity, such as plastic, ceramic, wooden, salad, soup, metal, etc.
These different utensils are widely used for different purposes such as food storage, serving, assisting in cooking, cleaning, decoration, etc. And such functionality of different bowls makes the food more attractive, fragrant, and versatile.
26 Different Types of Bowl Shapes
Table of Contents
In today’s era, different types of bowl shapes are inextricably linked with our kitchen’s daily activities. And we use these various shape pots in cooking, events, food luxury, and serving in all fields. So, in this case, the question arises in our mind about using these different utensils, such as metal or wooden bowls can be used for baking, choosing the right bowl, and which bowl is suitable for serving ingredients.
However, I’ve outlined different Types of Bowl Shapes, functions, designs, and dimensions below. Read on to know more.
1. Plastic Bowls
Plastic bowls are usually great for one of the most popular breakfast cereal bowls. These bowls are widely used to store food. And these balls come in various shapes, such as oval, square, heart shape, round, etc. Further, the size of this plastic bowl is 12oz.
2. Bamboo Bowls
Typically, bamboo bowls are lightweight, durable, and environmentally friendly. These bowls are widely used for serving salads, vegetables, and appetizers as they look attractive. And these bamboo bowls are round in shape and 4″ x 2.5″ in size. And these bowls should be kept away from the dishwasher and microwave for safety.
3. Metal Bowls
Metal bowls are typically great for mixing (a salad or baking) decorative bowls, food storage, and serving. These are made of iron or metallic materials, durable, cheap, and light in weight. And it comes in various shapes, but round is more common and measures 11.8″ in diameter x 4.75″ high.
4. Soup Bowls
Soup bowls are a good alternative to a common bowl used in every household. These soup bowls are used for many purposes besides drinking soup, ramen, noodles, etc. These bowls come cylindrical with an inner diameter of 4 cm and a height of 6 cm, whereas a complete bowl diameter is 9 to 10 cm.
5. Salad Bowls
Salad bowls are mainly used for mixing and preparing salads. These bowls are wide in shape and made of various materials, but glass and wooden bowls are mostly used in kitchens. An ideal size of this bowl is about 12″ in diameter.
6. Decorative Bowls
Decorative bowls are not designed to serve or store food but as an aesthetic decoration. These bowls are available in various attractive colors, shapes, and designs. In terms of decoration, these bowls are 2.75″ Tall & 7.5″ in diameter.
7. Pet Bowls
Pet bowls are mainly designed with pets like cats and dogs in mind. These bowls are made of stainless steel, melamine, and ceramic with a flat bottom and rounded edges. And the pet bowl is medium-sized, just under 6 1/2″ in diameter and about 2 3/4″ in height.
8. Change Bowls
These changing bowls come in various designs that are great for adding elegance to your end table or desk. While this isn’t the typical bowl you will find in every home; some people like to have their spare change in a bowl. And the diameter of this bowl is 10.8CM diameter (4.25 inch),
9. Porcelain Bowls
Porcelain bowls are made of porcelain (kaolin) and ceramic stone (petunse), which are durable, relatively expensive, and water resistant. These bowls are great for serving sauces, soups, and salads. These vessels are round, white, and transparent in appearance. And considering the size, it is 4.5/6/7/8 inch.
10. Silicone Bowls
Silicone bowls are generally eco-friendly and great for being reusable. These bowls are widely used for food packing, storage, picnic trips, and cooking aids. And it looks customizable in appearance and comes in different sizes based on need, such as 6.5 x 6.2 inches.
11. Cereal Bowls
A cereal bowl is a dish serving food that is round and open at the top. These cereal bowls are mostly made of melamine, glass, or ceramic. Also, this standard cereal-size bowl is about 8 ounces. That size fits most cereal’s suggested serving size.
12. Pasta Bowls
The shape of a pasta bowl is very distinctive. Due to this, it can be easily distinguished from other kitchen appliances. Typically, these pasta bowls are 20 to 32 oz or more than that. They are also shallow and wide-shaped to hold just the correct amount of sauce and pasta.
13. Bone China Bowls
Bone china is the best ceramic used for tableware. This bowl is also great for everyday use and special occasions. The shape of these bone china bowls is round, oval, and square.
| Bone China Bowl | Capacity (ml) | Diameter (cm) |
| 4” | 260 | 10 |
| 4.4” | 300 | 11.4 |
| 5” | 400 | 12.7 |
| 5.5” | 520 | 14 |
14. Ceramic Bowls
These ceramic bowls are versatile and serve cold and hot dishes. This bowl is also used for water storage and placing flowers. It is durable, hard, and corrosion-resistant. Its shape is distinctive. The standard ceramic bowl size is 20 cm (2.4 L) in diameter.
15. Dip Bowls
These dip bowls are used as sauce servings, such as chutneys, sauces, dips, chili oil, pickles, and wasabi. Also, these bowls are scalloped, abstract, natural, and geometric. The ideal size of this dip bowl is 2 inches by 6 inches.
16. Rice Bowls
Rice bowls are typically used for serving rice. Also, these rice bowls are easily customizable and require minimal preparation. These bowls are shaped like an inverted bell and can also be square, cylindrical, flat, extra thick, or wide. Rice bowls range in size from 10 to 13 cm in diameter.
17. Ramekin Bowls
These ramekin bowls are great for serving desserts, salsas, appetizers, dips, cheese, mac, and side dishes. It is a round bowl; its sides are perpendicular downwards, and with an outer flute. These bowls are also available in star, heart, and flower shapes. The standard size of ramekin bowls is 7 to 9 ounces.
18. Earthenware Bowls
Earthenware bowls are great for stews and soups. This bowl is made of clay. Also, the shape of these earthenware bowls is round, cubic, cylindrical, hexagonal, oval, pear-shaped, and apple-shaped. The ideal size of these earthenware bowls is (height 1.9” and width 5.7”).
19. Stoneware Bowls
Stoneware bowls can be used for a variety of purposes. It is great for everyday use and serves soups, rice, salads, and more. These stoneware bowls are irregular in shape.
| Size | Diameter | Height | Quart |
| Small | 8” | 4 1/4″ | 1.67 |
| Medium | 10” | 5 1/2″ | 3.94 |
| Large | 12” | 6 1/8” | 6.69 |
20. Wood Bowls
These wood bowls are great for mixing ingredients in the salad and other dry foods. Also, the ideal size of this wooden bowl is 15”. However, below is another list according to bowl size:
| Wood Bowl Size | Serves |
| 6” | Knick-knacks, olives, and dips |
| 7” | 1 side salad |
| 8” | 1 side salad |
| 9” | 1 side salad |
| 10” | 2 side salads |
| 12” | 4-5 side salads |
| 15” | 8 side salads |
| 17” | 12 side salads |
| 20” | 18 side salads |
21. Mixing Bowls
Mixing bowls are commonly used for salad mixing, storage, organizing, mixing dry components, and more. Also, most mixing bowls come from 1 1/2 to 5-6 quarts. However, below is a list of bowl sizes:
| Bowl size | Quart |
| Small | 1–1 1/2 |
| Medium | 2 1/2–3 |
| Large | 4–6 |
| Extra large | 8 |
22. Fine China Bowls
Fine china bowls are made of kaolin, which is durable and strong. You can use these fine china bowls to serve small portions of ice cream, fruit, and nuts. Also, these bowls are usually 4 inches to 6 inches in diameter.
23. Candy Bowls
Generally, these candy bowls are used to display candies. These bowls are also great for serving sweets to guests and storing chips, popcorn, rubber bands, pens, paintbrushes, hair clips, etc. The shape of this bowl is apple, heart, etc. This candy bowl is 5 1/2 in diameter and approximately 2 1/2 in height.
24. Glass Bowls
Glass bowls serve salads, noodles, soups, and other delicious foods. These bowls are also great for making batter and dough in baking. Also, the shapes of these glass bowls are square, round, boat, oval, and ship. The diameter of this bowl is 6” (15.3cm), and the height 4 3/16” (10.7 cm).
25. Copper Bowls
These copper bowls are convenient for mixing dough for cakes, mashed potatoes, crepes, waffles, and bread. Since copper is a ductile and malleable metal, it could be easily molded into different shapes like pipes.
| Copper Bowl (Quart) | Diameter |
| 1.5 | 8” |
| 2.5 | 10” |
| 5 | 12” |
26. Melamine Bowls
Usually, melamine bowls are great for everyday use as well as for serving hot food. The texture of these bowls is uniquely smooth and waterproof. It is also durable and robust. Also, this melamine bowl is 4.96 inches in diameter and 1.81 inches high.
Read More:
- Different Types of Dinnerware and Their Uses with Picture
- What is a Chop Plate or Charger Plate?- Materials, Features & Uses
FAQs:
What is a Flat Bowl Called?
Generally, a flat bowl is called a monkey plate or monkey bowl. Many people also call this bowl a pasta bowl or low bowl. This is a little flat-bottomed bowl that has several uses. Even these flat bowls are available in many styles and colors, which are found in most cafeterias, restaurants, bistros, and diners worldwide.
What is a Bowl With Two Handles Called?
Typically cream soup pot is called two handles. These handles look like wide, shallow cups. These two handles greatly aid in moving, carrying, and balancing the soup bowl while working in the microwave.
How Do I Choose a Bowl Set?
Thumbs touch, wrapping both hands around the center of the moving surface. When your middle finger almost touches, a good fit is indicated. Swing a bowl around your hand for practice. If you can easily and comfortably hold your grip, it’s a good size.
What Are the 4 Basic Common Types of Tableware?
The 4 basic common types of tableware are:
· Serveware tableware.
· Drinkware tableware
· Silverware tableware
· Dinnerware tableware.
Final Verdict
Having a variety of bowls in your kitchen can help you save time and effort while preparing meals, storing leftovers, serving guests, and more. I hope that the idea above of 26 different types of bowl shapes based on function, form, and size has helped you better comprehend the specifics of their respective uses. Also, this article can be of great assistance to you when shopping for various sorts of bowls to suit your needs.
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