Mixing bowls

The Raptor

I'm getting into cooking and over the past few months i have been slowly buying things that I actually use. All sorts of things, my own set of pots and pans.

However, I would like to get into baking which I haven't tried yet. Can anyone help me with the best type of mixing bowl to use and what size. I searched online and pyrex seems like a good choice, you can freeze things and heat up in the microwave, so its not only used for baking.

There are sets available online in 0.5l, 1l and 2l. I think that would be a nice set because of the various sizes. But how big is a 2l bowl, is it big enough to hold baking ingredients. I have seen bigger sizes available. So I'm not sure what to go for. Any help with sizing? Is a 3l bowl better than a 2l bowl?

baby builder

Pyrex bowls are all half price in home store and more this month - you could buy the 3l and the 2l one!

The Raptor

baby builder wrote: »

Pyrex bowls are all half price in home store and more this month - you could buy the 3l and the 2l one!

Thank you,

Tree

I have a melamine bowl i got as part of a gift set and another big green bowl with a pouring spout i got from tk maxx. I think the melamine is about 4.5L and the green one is 5L. If you plan to make bread, you'll need the bigger bowl.

I'm not sure how dual funciton you need your bowls to be, you can always store things /in/ them if you're worried about space.

Tree

I have a melamine bowl i got as part of a gift set and another big green bowl with a pouring spout i got from tk maxx. I think the melamine is about 4.5L and the green one is 5L. If you plan to make bread, you'll need the bigger bowl.

I'm not sure how dual funciton you need your bowls to be, you can always store things /in/ them if you're worried about space.

The Raptor

baby builder wrote: »

Pyrex bowls are all half price in home store and more this month - you could buy the 3l and the 2l one!

This was a fantastic offer. I ended up with one 2l bowl and 2 stainless steel bowls instead of all glass bowls. All for 7.50. I had to double check at the counter how much it really was.

kylith

If you're using them for baking be aware that folk wisdom says not to use metal bowls for making bread, apparently it interferes with the yeast and it won't rise properly.

Day Lewin

kylith wrote: »

If you're using them for baking be aware that folk wisdom says not to use metal bowls for making bread, apparently it interferes with the yeast and it won't rise properly.

I've often made yeast bread in a stainless steel bowl and it didn't seem to make any difference.
Although not traditional, I found the best bowl for rising dough is actually plastic. I'm sure Elizabeth David would faint dead away at the idea, but the humid sweatiness seems to suit yeast.

OP, I've also often mixed Christmas cake in a clean washing-up bowl and once I mixed a very large batch of Christmas pudding in a washed-out children's plastic toybox:
I've mixed cakes in large saucepans, too; and the best advice I can give the OP is this: whenever you DO mix a recipe, just notice if it about one-third fills the bowl.
If too much, it's hard to mix evenly, and stuff gets spilled: if too little, it is more work to mix, for some reason.
(I use my hands or a spoon, usually, not machinery)

Then you will know what size bowl to choose next time for that recipe.

And have a look at the undersides of bowls in shops - they often have 1 litre, 2.5 litres etc printed on them somewhere and you can see what size they are and if it is comfortable to hold (and store)

Happy baking!